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



Coua madagascariensis, Bp. Consp. i. p. 109 (1850); Hartl. Faun. 

 Madag. p. 62 (1861) ; Grand. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1867, p. 392. 



Sericosomus gigas, Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. Th. iv. p. 72, note 

 (1862). 



Adult male. Above olive-brown, a little paler on the hind neck, 

 the secondaries uniform with the back ; primaries dark brown, ex- 

 ternally shaded with ashy ; tail-feathers blackish, washed with me- 

 tallic green near the base, and broadly tipped with white, the two 

 centre feathers not brownish at base, washed with olive-green, shading 

 into blackish towards the tip, which is not white ; sides of face and 

 eyebrow black ; throat and cheeks buffy white ; chest dull ochra- 

 ceous ; breast clear rufous ; abdomen, thighs, and under tail-coverts 

 blackish ; " orbital space indigo-blue, except at the lower part of the 

 exterior angle, which is violet rose-colour; tarsi black; iris red" 

 {Grandidier). 



Total length 21 inches, culmen 1-4, wing 86, tail 123, tarsus 2'45. 



Hob. Moroundara, S.W. Madagascar {Grandidier). 



5. Sericosomus coquerelli. 



Coua coquerelli, Grand. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1867, p. 86 (descr. 

 orig.) et p. 391 ; Gray, Hand-1. ii. p. 208 (1870). 



Adult male. Above olive brown, slightly inclining to greenish, 

 the secondaries of the same colour as the rest of the back ; prima- 

 ries brown, externally shaded with ashy white ; tail black, slightly 

 glossed with greenish, broadly tipped with white, the two centre 

 feathers olive-green like the back, but more metallic ; above and 

 below the eye a line of black feathers ; chin fulvous white ; throat 

 and sides of neck dull ochraceous ; fore neck and chest clear rufous ; 

 breast lilac ; abdomen, lower flanks, and under tail-coverts dusky 

 brown, shaded with lilac ; " orbital skin clear blue, with a shade of 

 violet rose-colour at the external corner ; tarsi black ; iris red " 

 {Grandidier). 



Total length 15*5 inches, culmen 0*9, wing 5-9, tail 9, tarsus 1 '75. 



Adult female. Similar to the male, but not so brightly coloured, 

 especially on the under surface, where the rufous on the breast is 

 much less developed. 



Hab. Mouroundara, S.W. Madagascar (Grandidier). 



6. Sericosomus ruficeps. 



Coua ruficeps, Gray & Mitch. Gen. B. ii. p. 454, pi. cxv (1846); 

 Hartl. Faun. Madag. p. 61 (1861) ; Grand. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 

 1867, p. 391 ; Gray, Hand-1. B. ii. p. 208 (1870). 



Sericosomus ruficeps, Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. Th. iv. p. 73, 

 note (1862). 



Adult female. Above olive-brown, tinged with metallic green, espe- 

 cially on the secondaries ; the primaries dull greenish above, ashy 

 below ; hind part of neck slightly inclining to greyish ; upper tail- 

 coverts and two centre tail-feathers dull lilac-brown, the latter very 

 slightly shaded with olive-green, rest of tail-feathers purplish blue, 

 tipped with white, the outermost more broadly ; crown of head dull 



