of the Ethiopian Region. 465 



head and crown dusky blacky bases of the feathers leaden 

 grey, and only a few minutely tipped with crimson ; occipital 

 crest crimson, likewise the moustache ; underparts less 

 yellow, and the spots not so black ; under tail-coverts uni- 

 form whitish ; under wing-coverts buffy white, spotted with 

 dusky. Total length 7-3 inches, culmen 1-05, wing 4*25, 

 tail 2-65, tarsus 0-85. 



Young birds of this species are apparently rare in collec- 

 tions. In the specimen from which we have taken our 

 description the sides of the face and neck are much damaged, 

 but there is a trace of a crimson moustache. 



Advlt female. Different from the adult male in having the 

 forehead and crown black, with shaft-streaks of pure white, 

 the bases of the feathers being dark leaden grey, the occi- 

 pital crest alone being criinson ; this colour is absent on the 

 moustache, the feathers of which have a shaft-stripe of black, 

 the margin being pale buff; the barring of all the tail- 

 feathers transverse, the dark bars being broader. Total 

 length 8-0 inches, culmen 1-1, wing 4-'S, tail 2*6, tarsus 0*9. 

 Younger female. Upper parts more dusky than in the adult ; 

 the wing- coverts and quills paler, the light markings upon 

 the latter being broader and whiter, and the shafts dull 

 white ; the tail less rich in colour, and the barring very con- 

 fused, shafts paler yellow ; the light markings on the fore- 

 head and crown more of a buffy white, and the crimson 

 occipital crest not so brilliant ; moustachial stripe paler ; 

 the abdomen less yellow ; under tail-coverts unspotted; 

 under wing-coverts less tinged with yellow. Total length 

 80 inches, culmen 1-05, wing 4*25, tail 2*55, tarsus 0*85. 



Although I have noted in our descriptions of this species 

 the oblique and the transverse barring of the tail-feathers 

 and upper tail-coverts, still I do not attach much impor- 

 tance to this character, as one serving to distinguish eitlier 

 sex or age. One adult male may have the upper tail-coverts 

 barred obliquely, the tail-feathers transversely, but the dwarf 

 feather obliquely; another adult male will have the upper 

 tail-coverts transversely barred, the central tail-feathers ob- 

 liquely, and the dwarf feather transversely. I have not 



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