1918,] Under Wing-Coverts of Birds. 569 



Mesopicus ellioti. Four specimens examined, Nos. 5541, 

 5640, 5884, 5907. 



M. xantholophus. Two specimens examined, Nos. 5887, 

 5903. 



Reversed under coverts one continuous row, numbering 

 ten on tlie manus and about ten on the cubitus ; no extra one 

 noted at the carpal joint; overlap contrary on the cubitus 

 and adjacent portion of the manus, conforming on the 

 remaining portion — half to one-third or three-quarters — 

 of the manus. 



Dendropicus gabonensis. One specimen. No. 5627. 



D. lafresnayi. Three specimens, Nos. 5536, 5881, and 

 another not saved. 



In these four specimens the reversed under coverts may 

 be described in identical terms with the other Woodpeckers 

 above ; in the one specimen of D. gabonensis the distal 

 portion of the series, having the conforming overlap, com- 

 prised nearly all of these coverts on the manus on one wing 

 and scarcely half on the other wing. 



Though in the Woodpeckers the reversed under coverts 

 always form but a single series, apparently continuous on the 

 two parts of the wing, without even the extra median covert 

 at the carpal joint, yet analogy drawn from the preceding 

 groups let*ds us to consider the series as niade up of the 

 remnant of two series, the coverts on the manus being the 

 major, while those on the cubitus are the median coverts. 

 There seems to be a small but pretty constant difference 

 separating the Woodpeckers from the Barbets and Honey- 

 Ouides, in regard to the place of the change of overlap on 

 the manus; in Woodpeckers at least half of the manual 

 reversed coverts are conforming (the only exception being 

 found in some specimens of Verreauxia), while in the other 

 groups named often only a small portion at the distal end 

 is conforming. 



Colius nigricollis. Seven specimens examined. No. 5869, 



and six others not saved. 

 Reversed under coverts one continuous row, numbering 



