Mr. G. R. Gray on a few West- African Birds. 443 



of an elongated spoon, as shown in the adjoining diagrammatic 

 woodcut, the serrature being present along the entire margin 



except at the broader extremity, where it takes the form of the 

 digitations which, on a side view, constitute the most elevated 

 portion; and anteriorly, where it is interrupted by the four 

 large hollow teeth in the neighbourhood of the symphysis ; the 

 intermediate mass, seen in profile in the original figure, being a 

 a triangular and somewhat irregular flattened ridge. 

 I remain. Gentlemen, 



Your most obedient Servant, 



G. C. Wallich. 



L. — Descriptions of a few West- African Birds. 

 By G. R. Gray. 



To the Editors of the Annals of Natural History, 

 Gentlemen, 



The following descriptions of a few birds, which appear new 

 to the fauna of West Africa, may interest some of your readers. 

 They were collected on the Cameroons Mountains, at an eleva- 

 tion of 7000 feet above the level of the sea. They were brought 

 to this country by Mrs, Isabel Burton, the estimable lady of 

 the distinguished traveller and Vice-Consul, Capt. Burton, and 

 kindly presented by her to the British Museum. 



Pratincola salax. 

 Pratincola salaXy Verr., Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1851, p. 307. 



Cossypha Isabella. 



Head black, with a shining white mark between the nostril 

 and the middle above the eye ; back olivaceous-black ; wings 

 black, each feather margined with olivaceous ; beneath the body 

 rufous-bufF, deeper on the breast ; rump and outer tail-feathers 

 deep rufous, with the tips of the second, third, and fourth fea- 

 thers, and tip and outer margin of the first feather, black ; the 

 four middle feathers black, with the outer margin of the fifth 

 near the base deep rufous. 



Total length, 6"; wings, 2" 11'"; tarsi, 13'"; bill from gape 9'". 



This bird is named in compliment to Mrs. Isabel Burton. 



