99 



June 25, 1844. 

 William Horton Lloyd, Esq., in the Ciiair. 



" Description of some new species of Birds brought by Mr. L. 

 Fraser from Westem Africa," by H. E. Strickland, Esq., M.A. 



Mr. Fraser has placed in my hands for examination and description 

 a portion of the ornithological collection made by him during the 

 Niger expedition, and I now present the names and characters of the 

 new species. Mr. Fraser's researches in Western Africa have made 

 us acquainted vvith several new and interesting species of birds, and 

 as he was only able to bring home very few, and in some cases only 

 one specimen of each species, it would be very desirable that full 

 descriptions, illustrated by ligures, of these ornithological rarities 

 should be made public, especially as it may be long before the pesti- 

 lential shores of Western Africa are again explored by naturalists. 



HlRUNDINID.*;, CyrSELINiE, 



Cypselus parvus, Licht., Verz. Doubl. p. 58. 



A specimen of this bird was brought by Mr. Fraser from Acra ; it 

 is probably the smallest species of the genus, the totai length being 

 only 6 inches, wing 4|- inches, medial rectrices 1| inch, external 

 3į inches. Plumage uniform mouse-colour, chin -vvhitish. 

 Acanthylis bicolor (Gray) ; Chtetura bicolor. Gray, Zool. Misc. p. 7. 



A specimen of this elegant little species was obtained iu May 1842 

 at Fernando Po, where it was very common. 



TūRDID^, MaLURINJE. 



Prinia olivacea, Strickl. P. suprd. viridi-olivacea, remigibus 



fuscis, olivaceo limbatis, caudu cuneatd, rectricibus duobus inter- 



mediis fuscis , lateralibus albis, extiis fusco marginatis, extimo toto 



albo ; mento corporeque toto iiiferno albido, pallide jiavo lavato. 



Rostrum pedesque fuscescentes . 



The aspect of this bird is that of a Phylloscopus, but the beak is 



longer, more depressed at the base, the culmen carinated, the vpings 



short and rounded, the first quill subspurious, the fourth longest ; 



tail much graduated, rectrices narrow ; tarsi moderately long, acro- 



tarsia scutate, toes slender, the outer longer than the inner. These 



characters induce me to class the bird provisionally in the genus 



Prinia. 



Totai length 4i inches ; beak to gape 6 lines, to front b\ lines, 

 breadth 2 lines, height 1 \ line ; vi'ing 1| inch ; medial rectrices 1 inch 

 10 lines, external 1 inch'l line ; tarsus 7^ lines, middle toe 5^ lines, 

 hind ditto 5 lines. 



/^aį. Fernando Po; June 1842. 



