124: Mr. 1). A. Biiuuerniau on the [I^i*? 



Ill the first [)lace the prineipal eharacter of tlie genus 

 AniaurocicJda — ?". e., tlie first primary being- nearly as long as 

 the second primary, Avliich is long — is not borne out by 

 examination of the type of kcnqyi. In the type from Sierra 

 Leone the first primary is actually 14- nun. shorter tlian 

 the second primary, which is short. The bill is longer (not 

 as long as) the head, and the general as[)ect of tlie bird is 

 entirely dissimilar. I unhesitatingly transfer the bird figured 

 as Amuurocichla kempi to the genus Macrosphenns, and 

 anyone examining the three specimens of M. kempi now 

 in the British Museum will, I feel sure, endorse my 

 action. 



Compared with 3I(icrosphenus Jlavicans jiavicuns, the most 

 obvious diflerences are in the length of the tail — very much 

 longer in M. f. //avicans,^a.nd the totally different colour, 

 olive-green in M. /lavlcaiis and subspecies, grey and rufous 

 in M. kempi. 



Mr. Willonghby Lowe, who has recently obtained a speci- 

 men of M. kempi near Lagos in southern Nigeria, tells me 

 that in iiabits the bird resembles a Nuthatch, and that it has 

 in life a strikingly elongated neck, out of all proportion to 

 the size of the bird. Once seen alive it is a species which 

 can never be forgotten. 



If future workers do not agree with me in temporarily 

 placing this bird in the genus Macrosplieniis., an entirely 

 new^ genus will have to be created for it — a course which 

 I do not favour until we know more about this remarkable 

 form and can compare its skeleton with a skeleton of 

 M. Jlavicans. 



The other species which I include in this genus, thereby 

 following a suggestion of Mr. Oscar Neumann (Bull. 15. O. (\ 

 xxiii. J). 4<7), is Macrosphenns concolor (Hartl.) (Syst. 

 Orn. Westafr. p. 63) — a s])ecics which has been usually 

 included in the genus < 'amaroptera. It has, however, a 

 hooked ui)])er mandible, thereby ditl'ering from all the true 

 members of the genus Cainaroptera, and in general appear- 

 ance seems to resemble a Macrosphe/tus. It however posse>>>ses 



