Birch of Fernando Po. 379 



This bird is scarce ; it haunts the running brooks in the 

 vicinity of the hills. When perched, it has a peculiar way 

 of rapidly opening and closing its wings, after the manner 

 of a Wheatcar. 



This Alethe is the Criniger poliocephalus of Temminck, 

 originally obtained from the Gold Coast and Fernando Po, 

 the description agreeing with our present specimens from the 

 latter locality. 



Alethe alexandri from Cameroon was separated from 

 A. castanonola on account of the sides of the face being 

 black, but this character is not constant. 



Our male specimen, which is not quite adult (lower 

 mandible not entirely black), has the sides of the head and 

 crown almost reddish brown, and in this respect agrees with 

 speciuiens of A. castanonota from Fantec, in the British 

 Museum. In fully-adult birds this reddish coloration in the 

 plumage would disappear, as in our adult female specimen. 

 The figure of A. castanonota in the 'Catalogue of Birds' was 

 evidently taken from an immature bird, a reddish phase in 

 young birds being a character of this genus. 



63. Neocossyphus poensis (Strickl.). 



Cossypha poensis Strickl. P. Z. S. 1814, p. 100 (Clarence, 

 Fernando Po : type, Brit. Mus.) ; id. Ann. & Mag. Nat. 

 Hist. xv. p. 126 (1815) ; Allen & Thomson, Narr. Exped. 

 Niger, ii. App. p. 496 (1818 : Fernando Po) ; Fraser, Zool. 

 Typ. pi. 37 (1849); Hartl. Orn. W.-Afr. p. 77 (1857: 

 Fernando Po) ; Bocage, Jorn. Lisb. (2) vii. p. 3i (1903 : 

 Fernando Po). 



Neocossyphus poensis Shelley, B. Afr. i. no. 1179 (1896) ; 

 Salvad. Orn. Golfo d. Guinea, iii. p. 107. 



Ad. ? . Ribola, Oct. 31, 1902. 



Total length (measured in flesh) 84 inches, culmen - 70, 

 wing 4*3, tail 356, tarsus 1. Iris brown; bill brown; legs 

 and feet flesh-coloured. 



Uncommon ; frequenting furtively the open spots where 

 cocoa is grown on the borders of the forest . 



This is a shy bird, never remaining in view fur very long, 



