collected in North Nijasalaml. 539 



71. COSSYPEIA HEUGLINI. 



Cossypha heuglini, Hartl. ; Slielley, B. Afr. i. p. 84, 

 no. 1171 ; id. Ibis, 1893, p. 14, 1894, p. 11. 

 Njika Plateau, June. One female. 



72. Bessonornis modesta, sp. n. (Plate XII. fig. 1.) 

 Karonga, July. A female. 



Upper parts uniform ashy brown, with the rump, upper 

 tail-coverts, and tail cinnamon-rufous ; centre tail-feathers 

 dark brown, with base and broad edges cinnamon, the 

 remainder of the tail-feathers with dark-brown ends, much 

 broader on the outer than on the inner webs ; wings darker 

 brown than the back and with narrow pale edges to the 

 feathers ; ear-coverts brown, with a slight chestnut shade ; 

 lores, a narrow edging to the forehead, cheeks, throat, 

 abdomen, thighs, and under tail-coverts white, shading into 

 very pale ashy brown on the crop, fore-chest, and sides of 

 body ; axillaries and under wing-coverts nearly white, inner 

 margins of quills cinnamon tinted white. Bill and legs 

 black. Total length 6 inches, culmen 0*55, wing 3"3, tail 2 5, 

 tarsus 1. 



This species comes into the genus Bessonornis, according to 

 the List (B. Afr. i. pp. 84, 85), based upon the following 

 key : — 



a. Tail never bright yellow, or white, with a dark 

 terminal band and dark centre feathers. 

 a'. Outstretched feet do not reach to the tip of 

 the tail. 

 or. With no complete dark terminal band to the 

 tail. 

 a^. Tail chestnut, with the centre pair of 



feathers entirely black or brown C'os.v//>/i(t. 



6\ Tail entirely of one colour, or with white 



ends to some of the outer feathers Neocossi/phKs. 



b"^. With a complete dark terminal bar to the tail, 



which is otherwise rufous, with the centre 



pair of feathers black or brown. 



c'. Bill broad ; rictal bristles strongly developed ; 



centre tail-feathers with the biisal portion 



i-ufous rHPudocQSsyphus. 



cP. Bill less broad ; rictal bristles very slightly 



developed Be^sononii.o. 



