- qb - 

 5. — DKNDKOriCOS KUSCESCENS COSENSI. 



Dendropicos fuscescens cosetistC. Grant, Bull. H. C). C, XXXV, 



1915, p. loi : Sénégal. 



Range. — A single spécimen said to liave conie troni Sénégal 

 (verv doiibtfiil). 



Ci.AUDK Gr.\nt incliides the above form fuscescens cosensï in this 

 group but I ani verv doubtfiil about this bird. It is certainlv clearlv 

 barred on the back, but it is a terriblv bleached-looking spécimen 

 which might hâve once been a spirit skin. There is certainlv nothing 

 else like it in the whole of the British Muséum collection, but I 

 agrée with Protessor Neumann when he casts doubt on the authen- 

 ticitv of the label. It is one oi Jules \''i:RREArx skins from 

 K. B. Shàrpe's collection and there is no doubt that the localitv 

 cannot be relied upon. I keep it up solely to draw attention to what 

 might othervvise be considered a perfectlv well aulhenticated race ; 

 it is probablv not ! There is no member of the fuscescens group in 

 West Africa anywhere on the Guinea coast and it is most unlikelv 

 that VERREAtix's skin ever came from this part. 



We next corne to the lafresnayi group : they are so closely 

 allied to the last group that someornithologists,including Neumann, 

 consider the following forms to be races oi fuscescens. In prefer- 

 ring to split up ihis large group I am following the example of 

 Claude Grant. 



Group H. 



Barring of mantle and wings submerged not clear and well 

 defined. Appearance of upper surface more green and olive, not 

 black and white; shafts of primaries yellow. 



I. — Dendropicos lafresnayi lafresnayi. 



Dendropicos lafresnayi Malh., Rev. et Mag. Zool., 1849, p. 533; 

 Africa = Gaboon. 



Range. — Congo mouth, Gaboon, Western Belgian Congo. 



Distinguishing characters. — See C. Grant, Ibis^ iÇ^Si p-4t>i- 



