of the Ethiopian Region. 447 



In very old birds the tail is uniform^ or nearly so ; in 

 younger specimens the outer tail-feathers are notched with 

 pale brown and have a barred appearance. The immature 

 female has the forehead^ crown, and occiput, likewise the 

 moustachial stripe, olive, and the spotting on the throat, as 

 well as the striations upon the underparts, of an intensely 

 deep olive. 



Dr. Hartlaub described this species from an imperfect spe- 

 cimen in the Basle Museum. This accounts, no doubt, for 

 the incorrect description of the facial characters, which better 

 suit those of D. gabonensis. Feeling sure that Riis^s specimen 

 from Aguapim must be the same as the one I examined 

 from Fantee, I have unhesitatingly adopted Dr. Hartlaub's 

 name of iugubris, and once more establish a species which 

 subsequent authors have been content to merge into D. gabo- 

 nensis. It is easily distinguished from the latter bird by its 

 uniform face, and by having the underparts very broadly 

 striped with deep olive (not spotted, as in D. gabonensis). It 

 is also remarkable for its broad olive-brown moustachial 

 stripe, and for having in the adult stage the occiput only 

 broadly banded with crimson. 



In the accompanying Plate, this species in now figured for 

 the first time, by the side of D. gabonensis, to show the 

 specific difi'ereuces. 



The two following species, which have been placed in the 

 genus Dendropicus by several authors, must, I think, be 

 expunged from the genus : — 



1. Dendropicus meriani. 



Dendromus meriani, Hartl. Orn. W.Afr. p. 181. 



According to Dr. Hartlaub (J. f. O. 1861, p. 264) the type 

 specimen is a made-up bird ; and Malherbe corroborates this 

 statement, in his Monograph (ii. p. 182), saying that the 

 bird in question is the imperfect skin of a male of Picus 

 icteromelas (Vieill.), adorned by an intelligent bird-preserver 

 with the plumes of another species. 



SER. V. VOL. I. 2 I 



