482 Mr. E. Hargitt on the Woodpeckers 



parts of a less rich golden olive; the entire under sur- 

 face of the body paler, the spots being less buff, and upon 

 the chin and throat more of a dirty white ; the under wing- 

 coA' erts and axillarics less green ; '' feet clear grey ; bill 

 black ; iris dark reddish brown " {Falkenstein) . Total length 

 7"0 inches, culmen I'O, wing 3'95, tail 2"4, tarsus 0-7. 



Malherbe described this species from Gaboon; but his figure 

 in the Monograph is not altogether satisfactory, inasmuch as 

 the plate represents the rufous colour as confined to the ear- 

 coverts, whereas, in all specimens which I have examined, 

 it is much more extended and spreads down the side of the 

 neck. I have also described a Gaboon bird; but I must 

 observe that, in every specimen from this locality which has 

 come under my notice, there has been a conspicuous wash of 

 green on the sides of the face and under wing-coverts. So 

 uniformly distributed has been this coloration in the Gaboon 

 specimens that for some time I was tempted to believe that 

 it was a specific character, as none of the birds from Fantee 

 showed a trace of this green colour, and I have seen a large 

 series of individuals from the latter country. An application 

 of soap and water, however, showed that this green colouring 

 was due to an artificial stain, probably the result of some 

 peculiarity of the trees afiected by the species in Gaboon 

 alone. After careful consideration, therefore, I believe that 

 birds from Gaboon and the Gold Coast are identical, more 

 especially as Malherbe does not seem to have noticed any 

 peculiarity in the Gaboon example originally described by 

 him. 



13. Campothera nivosa. 



Dendromus nivosus, Swains. B, W. Afr. ii. p. 162 (1837) ; 

 Hartl. Orn. W.Afr. p. 183 (1857) ; Cass. Proc. Acad. Philad. 

 1859, p. 141 ; Heine, J. f. O. 1860, p. 192; Hartl. op. cit. 

 1861, p. 264; Sharpe, Ibis, 1869, p. 194; Ussher, op. cit. 

 1874, p. 55. 



Campethera nivosa, Gray, Gen. B. ii. p. 439 (1846) ; id. 

 List Picid. Brit. Mus. p. 80 (1868) ; id. Hand-1. B. ii. p. 192. 

 no. 2154 (1870); Sharpe, Cat. Afr. B. p. 17 (1871); id. 

 P.Z. S. 1871, p. 607. 



