of the Ethiopian Region, 221 



Head black, as also the entire throat, extending a little way 

 down the breast ; upper surface of the body olive-yellow, brighter 

 on the nape, sides of the neck, and rump ; wing- coverts olive- 

 yellow, primary coverts black, white at the tip, forming a very 

 distinct white alar speculum ; quills black, very light grey on the 

 underside, the inner secondaries olive-yellow on the outer web, 

 the outer ones very light blue-grey ; the primaries white on the 

 basal portion of the outer web, and becoming light brown towards 

 the apical portion; tail pure yellow, except the middle feathers, 

 which are olive-green edged and tipped with yellow; under surface 

 of the body bright-golden yellow ; bill brownish-red ; feet bluish- 

 grey. Total length 9 inches, bill from front "9, from gape 1"1, 

 wing 5'4, tail3*l, tarsus "8, middle toe "8, hind toe "35. 



Abyssinia {Ruppell, Heufflin, Blanford). 



There can, I think, be little doubt as to the correctness of the 

 above synonymy; and it must be borne in mind-that Gmelin 

 founded his species on the description of the Moloxita of Mont- 

 beillard (/. c), who in his turn described it from a painting for- 

 warded to him by the celebrated Bruce. 



The description is taken from a female specimen very kindly 

 lent me by Mr. Blanford, shot by himself at Antalo. 



5. Oriolus crassirostris. 

 Oriolus crassirostris, Hartl. Orn. Westafr. p. 266. 

 O. pileo nigro : specula atari alho : rectricibus externisfsre nigris .• 

 rostro robustissimo. 



Hab. in insula Africse occidentalis 'St. Thomas' dicta {Weiss, 

 Mus. Brem.). 



Not having seen a specimen of this bird, I am unable to give 

 a detailed description. I wrote to Dr. Finsch to ask in what 

 respect it differed from 0. larvatus, and I in due time received 

 an answer, from which I extract the following remarks : — 



" 0. crassirostris is distinguished from its nearest ally O. larva- 

 tus (1) by the extraordinary thick and broad bill, which resembles 

 that of Mimeta ; (2) the yellow on the tip of the outermost tail- 

 feather is only 13 lines broad (in O. larvatus this colour reaches 



N. S. VOL. VI. R 



