Species of West-African Birds. 141 



abdomen, thighs, and under tail-coverts ; outside of the thighs 

 shaded with darker brown ; under wing- coverts brownish 

 buff. Beak black, shaded with horn-colour on the mandible ; 

 tarsi, feet, and claws pale brown. 



Entire length 4"9, culmen 0'6 ; wing, carpus to tip 2'5 ; 

 tail 1-8, tarsus 0*75. 



b. Winter plumage. — Centre of the forehead and crown black 

 shading into brown on the nape; a broad brownish buff eyebrow 

 commencing at the nostril, where it is shaded with rufous ; 

 feathers in front of the eye, upper part of the ear-coverts, and 

 a few feathers on the chin black. Back and upper tail-coverts 

 brown, with pale edges to the feathers. Wings and tail dark 

 brown, feathers narrowly edged with brownish buff. Under- 

 pays brownish buff, fading almost into white on the centre 

 of the abdomen and shaded with rufous on the throat, sides 

 of the head, flanks, and thighs ; a few of the feathers tinged 

 with yellow, showing the coming breeding- plumage ; under 

 wing-coverts rufous-buff. Beak horn-colour ; lower mandible 

 shaded with buff, and with a large buff patch towards the gape. 

 Tarsi, feet, and claws flesh-brown. 



Specimen a is probably in nearly full breeding-plumage, 

 the brownish buff of the thighs and under tail-coverts being 

 possibly the remains of the winter dress. This specimen is 

 in Mr. R. B. Sharpens collection, and was given him by Mr. 

 W. Wilson Saunders, b comes from Accra, where it was 

 shot in the beginning of March 1872, and is now in my own 

 collection. 



5. Lagonosticta polionota, sp. nov. 



Very nearly allied to L. rubricata of South Africa. 



Centre of the forehead, crown, and nape slate-colour faintly 

 tinged with ruby-red ; sides of the forehead and head ruby- 

 red, the basal portion of the ear-coverts slaty grey. Back 

 and wings slaty brown ; upper tail- coverts bright ruby-red ; 

 tail black, the basal half of the outer webs of the feathers 

 washed with ruby-red. Chin, throat, and underparts ruby- 

 red, with the centre of the abdomen, thighs, and under tail- 

 coverts black washed with slate-grey towards the chest ; a few 



