584 



MR 



R. B. SHARPE ON THE CUCULID^E [Jlllie 17, 



thought that the longer wing of the latter might hold good as a 

 specific character. That it does not do so will be seen by the 

 following measurements : — 



4. CXJCULUS GABONENSIS. 



Cuculus gabonensis, Lafr. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1853, p. 60; 

 Hartl. J. f. O. 1854, p. 202 ; J. & E. Verr. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 

 1855, p. 1/7; Hartl. Orn. W. Afr. p. 189 (1857) ; Cass. Pr. Phil. 

 Acad. 1859, p. 142; Haiti. J. f. O. 1861, p. 265; Du Chaillu, 

 Eq. Afr. p. 473 (1861); Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. Th. iv. p. 42, 

 note (1862) ; Gray, Hand-1. B. ii. p. 215 (1870). 



Adult. Above dark greyish black, with a very slight gloss of dull 

 bluish-green ; quills brown, glossed like the back, a few of the 

 primaries marked with white near the base of the inner web ; tail 

 blackish, tipped with white and marked with a few spots of white 

 along the shaft ; lores mottled with rufous ; fore part of the cheeks 

 and a line of feathers under the eye greenish black, like the head ; 

 entire throat, chest, and fore neck deep cinnamon-chestnut or bay, 

 forming a conspicuous gorget, below which a few black feathers 

 form an indistinct band ; rest of under surface buffy white, trans- 

 versely crossed with blackish bars, which are slightly glossed with 

 greenish on the flanks ; under tail-coverts creamy white, some of the 

 centre ones barred with black ; feathers at the side of the vent 

 greenish black ; under wing-coverts white, barred with black like 

 the breast, the greater ones entirely black ; bill blackish brown ; 

 feet golden yellow, claws horn-brown. Total length 11*5 inches, 

 culmen 0'9, wing 6'8, tail 6-2, tarsus 0"75. 



Hab. Gaboon (Verreaux, Mus. Brit.) ; Camma River (Du 

 Chaillu). 



5. Cuculus aurantiirostris, sp. n. 



Cuculus gularis, Hartl. Orn. W. Afr. p. 189 (1857). 



Above rather dark grey, with a slight greenish gloss in the centre 

 of the back, the rump and upper tail-coverts scarcely lighter, the 

 latter with a narrow white tip ; wing-coverts of the same colour as 



