5 ( J4 MR. R. B. SHARPE ON THE CUCULIDiE [June 17, 



brown like the head ; rest of under surface dull white, with narrow 

 brown cross lines, the sides of the upper breast uniform brown ; thighs 

 barred with pale rufous and metallic green, like the back ; under 

 wing-coverts pale rufous, with brown cross lines, 



Hab. N. E. Africa : much rarer than the other Emerald 

 Cuckoos : Central Abyssinia in May, N. Abyssinia in August ; Upper 

 Nile in November (Von Heuglin); Lebka valley (Blanford). "W. 

 Africa: river Gambia (Mies. R. B. S.) ; Denkera, Fantee (Blissett) ; 

 Cameroons (Mus. R. B. S.). S. W. Africa: Biballa (Anchieta). 

 S. Africa : Natal (Ayres) ; Eland's Post (Atmore) ; Knysna and 

 the Karroo (Victoriri). 



I presume that it is beyond doubt established that the bird which 

 always passes with collectors as the female of this bird is really the 

 adult of that sex ; but there is considerable difference among them, 

 and it would seem difficult to make out the adult stage of the hen 

 bird. A specimen sent me by my friend Mr. Layard as the female 

 of C. claasi differs from the one above described by me in having a 

 dull rufous shade extending over the lower parts, with much more 

 distinct cross bars ; above a purplish gloss overspreads the bird from 

 the head to the tail ; and the green and rufous barring is confined to 

 the scapulars and wings. 



I cannot identify more than one species. South-African speci- 

 mens are rather the larger, and have the wing 38-4 05 inches 

 against 3*5-3 - 8 inches in West-African examples. The narrow bars 

 on the flanks are the remains of immaturity, as also are the white 

 notches on the inner web of the first primaries, which get fewer in 

 number as the bird advances in age. 



Genus 2. Coccystes. 



Coccystes, Gloger, Hand. u. Hilfsb. Naturg. p. 203 Type. 



(1832) C. glandarius. 



Oxylophus, Swains. Classif. of B. ii. p. 322 

 (1837) C cafer. 



Fig. 4 



Head of Coccystes glandarius. 



