PHILEPITTID^E. 5 



orator or poet the greatest compliment, they say, ' He is a 

 perfect puhil.'" Mr. Biittikofer, however, informs us that 

 he never heard their note, although he kept a pair for some 

 weeks in confinement, feeding them on the larva? of Termes 

 mordax, which are very abundant in the Liberian forests. 

 Here he found them close to the sea shore as well as in the 

 hilly regions of the interior, and like Ussher on the Gold 

 Coast, procured his specimens by snaring them, for they 

 naturally frequent thick covert and rarely take to the wing 

 even for a short flight. 



In the British Museum there are specimens from Wassaw, 

 Fantee, Ashantee and Old Calabar. Dr. Reichenow found it at 

 Accra ; Riis in Aguapim and Herr E. Baumann in Togoland at 

 Misohohe 7° N. lat. 



In Camaroons Dr. Reichenow procured the species at Wuri, 

 and met with it on several occasions in the highlands. 



On the Loango coast specimens have been collected at 

 Chinchonxo and Landana by Falkenstein and Petit. 



The type of the species formed part of Perrin's collection 

 from Angola. Bohm procured specimens at the Lufua River 

 to the west of Lake Moero and at Upemba, and Captain Storms 

 likewise met with it to the west of Lake Tanganyika. 



Mr. Neumann informs us of two specimens from the Usagara 

 country, and further remarks, that in the Paris Museum there 

 is also a specimen from East Africa. 



Family II. PHILEPITTID^E. 



Head, in males only, with large bare fleshy wattles round the eyes. 

 Bill moderate, shorter than the head. Tongue bifurcated at the tip. Wing 

 of ten primaries, the first only slightly shorter than the second. Tail of 

 twelve feathers and very short, not more than half the length of the wing. 

 Tarsus scaled both in front and behind. Toes moderate ; claws curved 

 and acute. Sexes dissimilar. Arboreal. 



