IN LIBERIA. 81 



the question how to distinguish specifically A. latirostris 

 and A. virens. 



The author of the name latirostris , Strickland , and with 

 him Dr. Hartlaub , consider the yellow moustached birds 

 to be the adult and those in which the moustaches are want- 

 ing, to be the young birds, while Mr. Sharpe in the 

 Catalogue of Birds, Vol. VI. p. 107, believes that the 

 yellow moustachial streaks are a specific character of A. 

 latirostris in both adult and immature stages of plumage. 



Unfortunately enough Ï arrived too late on my hunting 

 grounds to find the birds breading, which takes place in 

 September and October, and no nestlings, together with 

 their parents, could be obtained. This would, however, 

 have been the only way to settle the question. I have 

 collected eight specimens together, four with, and four 

 without the yellow moustaches, and amongst the latter I 

 believe to have adult and immature specimens , while among 

 the first I cannot find any difference in age. On Jan. 30 

 I have shot in the vicinity of Schieffelinsville three yellow- 

 streaked specimens, all three being females with well-deve- 

 loped ovaries (N^s 71, 74, 75). 



Together with the specimens , making already part of 

 our Museum Collection, I have now before me nine yel- 

 low-moustached specimens, viz. six from Liberia (St. Paul's- 

 and Junk R.), one from the Gold Coast (Rio Boutry) , 

 one from Fernando Po and one only labelled West Africa. 



Until we get materials fit to settle the question tho- 

 roughly, I accept Mr. Sharpe's opinion, who considers 

 only the monstached birds to belong to the species A. la- 

 tirostris , while the others , as far as they are known from 

 West Africa North of the Congo, would belong either to 

 A. virens or curvirostris. 



Among the moustached specimens collected in Liberia, 

 there is not much difference in color , all having wing- 

 coverts and outer edge of quills olive-green , while in that 

 from the Gold Coast these parts are decidedly reddish 

 brown , which is considered as a mark of immaturity. The 



Notes from tlie Leyden Museum, Vol. X. 



C 



