124 Dr. R. B. Sharpe on Birds 



213. Merula saturata. 



Merula saturata (Cab.) ; Sharpe, Hand-1. B. iv. p. 12S 

 (1903). 



Turdus pelios saturatus Reichenow, Yog. Afrikas, iii. p. 691 

 (1905). 



Nos. 1245, 1339. S ad. River Ja, Jan. 4, 22, 1906. 



No. 1591. ^ ad. River Ja, March 22, 1906. Testes 

 very large. 



No. 2350. ? ad. Bitye, River Ja, March 17, 1907. 

 Small ova in ovary. 



No. 2499. ? ad. Bitye, River Ja, May 7, 1907. 



214. COSSYPHA MELANOXOTA. 



Cossypha melanonota (Cab.) ; Sharpe. Cat. B. vii. p. 46 

 (1881) ; id. Hand-1. B. iv. p. 165 (1903). 



Cossyjyha verticalis melanonota Reichenow, Vog. Afrikas, iii. 

 p. 762. 



Nos. 519, 523. c^ad.; 520. ? ad. River Ja, May 17, 18, 

 1904. 



Nos. 673, 680, 687. ? ad. River Ja, June 13, 15, 

 1904. 



No. 1554. S ad. River Ja, March 15, 1906. 



No. 1652. c? ad. „ April 4, 1906. 



No. 1676. c^ ad. „ April 14, 1906. 



No. 1726. S ad. „ June 8, 1906. 



No. 1897. ? ad. „ Aug. 9, 1906. 



Nos. 2031. S; 2032. $; 2049. (^ ad. Bitye, River Ja, 

 Nov. 5, 1906. 



No. 2139. ? ad. Bitye, River Ja, Jan. 8, 1907. 



Apparently this series should all be referred to C. melano- 

 nota, and not to C. verticalis, but there is considerable variation 

 in the colour of the back, some specimens being quite black 

 above, while others have a bluish-grey shade. I find that 

 a similar variation takes place among birds from the Gold 

 Coast ; and it would appear that C. melanonota is not very 

 distinct from C. verticalis, for the black back occurs in a 

 series of both of them in the British Museum. The males 

 and females both vary slightly in length of wing, which 

 measures 3'7-4'2 inches. 



