Birds of Southern Cameroon. 521 



(One not preserved) October 13. Plnmage worn. 



No. 4016. I mm., November 30. Plumage not worn ; 

 liglit tij)s on some wing-coverts. 



The specimens with worn plumage shewed the effect of 

 exposure to the sun and weatlicr on the uncovered tips of 

 the remiges. The tip of each of the longer quills was thin 

 and transparent up to a point where it was overlapped by the 

 next. This fading and thinning of the feather-tips must 

 liave taken place while the wing was folded, and is evidence 

 of long days spent by the bird perched in the open, watching 

 for insects. 



Alseonax epulatus. 



Butalis epulatus Cassin, Proc. Ac. Sc. Philad. 1855, p. 326. 



Alseonax fantisiensis Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 622; 1907, 

 p. 445 ; Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 30. 



Alseonax epulatus fantisiensis Reichenow, V. A. ii. p. 456. 



There is no doubt that there are among my birds two 

 species of very small Flycatchers, alike in size, but differing 

 in the colour of the plumage and very strikingly in the 

 colour of the feet and bill. This last character is very 

 noticeable in live birds, the one with the bright yellow bill 

 and feet, contrasting with the slaty-blue plumage, being 

 distinguishable from the other even Avhen seen perched at a 

 distance. A large series of specimens of both forms con- 

 clusively shews that the difference is not one of sex or age. 



A careful reading of Gassings original description makes it 

 Cv rtaiu that the type of Butalis epulatus was a bird of tlie 

 kind afterwards described as A. fantisiensis, that is, the kind 

 with the dark feet and bill and the lighter grey back. The 

 words of the original description are " jjlumage above 

 cinereous " and " bill and feet dark." That Cassin after- 

 wards received specimens of the other species, and supposed 

 the difference to be due to age, appears by his remark in 

 a later writing (Proc. Ac. Sc. Philad. 1859, p. 51). In the 

 British ^luscum there are specimens of both species collected 

 by Du Chaillu, all originally labelled " Butalis epulatus Cass." 

 Dr. Sharpe seems to have been led to make the mistake by 

 receiving later the dark-legged and light-backed species from 



