﻿152 
  Letters, 
  Extracts, 
  Notices, 
  ^c. 
  

  

  and 
  says 
  : 
  — 
  " 
  In 
  the 
  typical 
  form 
  from 
  the 
  Gold 
  Coast, 
  

   and 
  also 
  in 
  specimens 
  from 
  Liberia, 
  the 
  forehead 
  and 
  a 
  

   broad 
  superciliary 
  stripe 
  are 
  light 
  cobalt-blue, 
  as 
  is 
  also 
  

   the 
  rump. 
  Individuals 
  from 
  Angola 
  and 
  the 
  Congo, 
  on 
  

   the 
  other 
  hand, 
  have 
  the 
  stripe 
  on 
  the 
  forehead 
  blue-green, 
  

   and 
  a 
  but 
  slightly 
  defined 
  superciliary 
  stripe 
  olive-green. 
  

   Individuals 
  from 
  the 
  Gaboon 
  and 
  Camaroons 
  agree 
  with 
  the 
  

   Angola 
  birds, 
  but 
  the 
  superciliary 
  stripe 
  is 
  more 
  clearly 
  

   defined 
  and 
  blue-green. 
  Whether 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  third 
  race 
  

   must 
  be 
  decided 
  later 
  on, 
  but 
  at 
  present 
  it 
  is 
  only 
  the 
  

   northern 
  and 
  southern 
  races 
  that 
  are 
  in 
  question, 
  the 
  division 
  

   between 
  them 
  being 
  probably 
  the 
  Camaroons 
  district, 
  that 
  

   being 
  the 
  northernmost 
  point 
  reached 
  by 
  the 
  southern 
  form. 
  

   In 
  the 
  Niger 
  district 
  the 
  typical 
  form 
  most 
  probably 
  occurs.^'' 
  

   It 
  is 
  the 
  southern 
  form 
  to 
  which 
  Dr. 
  Reichenow 
  gives 
  the 
  

   subspecific 
  name 
  aiistralis. 
  

  

  (2) 
  Melittophagus, 
  nov. 
  sp. 
  aff. 
  M. 
  albifrons, 
  Matschie, 
  

   J. 
  f. 
  O. 
  1887, 
  p. 
  151. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Matschie 
  (/. 
  c.) 
  speaks 
  of 
  a 
  Bee-eater 
  obtained 
  by 
  

   Dr. 
  R. 
  Boehm 
  at 
  Lukifue, 
  which 
  he 
  says 
  differs 
  from 
  Melit- 
  

   to^jJiagus 
  albifrons 
  in 
  having 
  the 
  breast 
  cobalt-blue, 
  and 
  not 
  

   cinnamon. 
  He 
  does 
  not, 
  however, 
  give 
  it 
  a 
  name, 
  

  

  (3) 
  Merops 
  MENTALis, 
  uov. 
  subsp., 
  Cabauis, 
  J. 
  f. 
  O. 
  

   1889, 
  p. 
  70. 
  

  

  Under 
  this 
  name 
  Dr. 
  Cabanis 
  describes 
  a 
  Bee-eater 
  from 
  

   the 
  Camaroons 
  which 
  is, 
  he 
  says, 
  closely 
  allied 
  to 
  Merops 
  

   muelleri 
  (Cassin), 
  but 
  differs 
  in 
  lacking 
  the 
  blue 
  on 
  the 
  chin, 
  

   this 
  colour 
  commencing 
  only 
  below 
  the 
  chin. 
  

  

  Whilst 
  pointing 
  out 
  the 
  above 
  omissions 
  I 
  must, 
  at 
  the 
  

   same 
  time, 
  bear 
  witness 
  to 
  the 
  care 
  and 
  accuracy 
  with 
  which 
  

   Dr. 
  Sharpe 
  has 
  done 
  his 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  volume 
  in 
  question. 
  

   To 
  avoid, 
  altogether, 
  omissions 
  and 
  errors 
  is, 
  as 
  I 
  know 
  from 
  

   experience, 
  an 
  almost 
  hopeless 
  task, 
  and 
  in 
  point 
  of 
  fact, 
  so 
  

   far 
  as 
  I 
  can 
  see. 
  Dr. 
  Sharpe's 
  only 
  error 
  is 
  in 
  not 
  having 
  

   referred 
  with 
  sufficient 
  care 
  to 
  the 
  later 
  volumes 
  of 
  the 
  

   ' 
  Journal 
  filr 
  Ornithologie.^ 
  Yours 
  &c., 
  

  

  TopclyfFe 
  Grange, 
  Faruborougli 
  R.S.O., 
  Kent, 
  H. 
  E. 
  Dresser. 
  

   1st 
  November, 
  1892. 
  

  

  