of the Ethiopian Region. 477 



under tail-coverts more of a buff-colour, with black spots ; 

 under surface of the tail-shafts yellow ; under wing-coverts 

 uniform buff, faintly tinged with sulphur-yellow ; axillaries 

 yellowish white, with a trace of dusky tips. Total length 

 6"7 inches, culmen 0'77, wing 3"9, tail 2'4, tarsus 0*67; toes 

 (without claws) — outer anterior 0*55, outer posterior 0"5, 

 inner anterior 05, inner posterior 0"2. 



Younger male. Resembling the more fully adult, but some 

 of the feathers of the occiput having a yellowish spot at the 

 base of the scarlet tips ; under tail-coverts without the buff 

 colour, and having a subtermiual crescent-shaped patch of 

 black ; under wing-coverts uniform buff, tinged with sulphur- 

 yellow. 



Adult female. Differing from the adult male in having the 

 forehead and crown black, spotted with whitish, the occiput 

 alone being red ; under wing-coverts spotted with black. 

 Total length 6*5 inches, culmen Ov, wing i'l, tail 2*3, 

 tarsus 0'65. 



There are two closely allied species in West Africa — one, 

 a larger bird, from Senegambia, with the under wing-coverts 

 uniform, and a second, more southern species, with the under 

 wing-coverts spotted and barred with black. The northern 

 species has been separated as C. maculosa (Valenc.), while 

 C. brachyrhyncha (Swains.) has been the name applied to the 

 southern species ; but on comparing the descriptions I find 

 that Swainson^s characters of C. brachyrhyncha are evidently 

 taken from the same species as C. maculosa of Valenciennes. 

 Then comes the question. What name must the Gaboon bird 

 bear ? This, I think, must be permista of Reichenow, as 

 I cannot separate the Congo from the Gaboon birds. 



C. maculosa appears to represent C. permista from the 

 Gold Coast to Senegal. I have myself only seen speci- 

 mens from the former locality ; but the type of the species 

 is stated by Dr. Pucheran to have come from Senegal, and 

 to have served as the original for Valenciennes^s description 

 of Picus maculosus, as well as of Cuvier's P. chloronotus. 

 Picus olivactus of Gray is evidently the female of C. maculosa. 



