620 MR. R. B. SHARPE ON THE CUCULID.E [June 17, 



Of the above nineteen specimens, the first eleven are either in 

 full or partial rufous dress ; the others are in the brown phase. 

 The larger size of the latter, especially the Egyptian ones, is notice- 

 able ; and further information on this species is greatly to be 

 desired. 



2. Centropus monachus. 



Centropus monachus, Riipp. N. W. Vog. p. 57, Taf. 21. fig. 2 

 (1835); id. Syst. Uebers. p. 96 (1845); Des Murs in Lefebvre, 

 Voy. Abyss. Zool. p. 137 (1847); Bp. Consp. i. p. 107 (1850); 

 J. & E. Verr. Rev. et Mag. de Zool, 1855, p. 271 ; Heugl. Syst. 

 Uebers. p. 48 (1856); Hartl. Orn. W. Afr. p. 187 (1857); Cass. 

 Proc. Phil. Acad. 1859, p. 142 ; Antin. Cat. descr. Ucc. p. 85 

 (1865); Bocagc, Jorn. Lisb. ii. p. 348 (1869) ; Finsch, Tr. Z. S. 

 vii. p. 284 (1870) ; id. et Hartl. V5g. Ostafr. p. 528 (1870) ; Blanf. 

 Geol. & Zool. Abyss, p. 314 (1870) ; Heugl. Orn. N. O. Afr. p. 793 

 (1870); (Gray, Hand-1. B. ii. p. 213 (1870); Sharpe, Ibis, 1872, 

 p. 68. 



Adult. Entire head and neck black, with a brilliant purplish- 

 blue gloss, the shafts glossy black ; centre of the back and entire 

 wings bright chestnut, the tips of the primaries and the inner 

 secondaries olive-brown ; rump dusky black, glossed with purplish 

 blue ; upper tail-coverts greenish ; tail brown with a dull greenish 

 gloss ; uudersurface of the body yellowish white, the flanks and 

 abdomen inclining to ochre, the shafts rather distinct, especially 

 on the throat ; under wing-coverts buff, the lower ones chest- 

 nut, like the inner face of the wing ; bill and feet black ; iris 

 red. Total length 15*4 inches, culmen 1*25, wing 7'2, tail 93, 

 tarsus 1*9. 



Hab. N. E. Africa : Resident in Abyssinia to 9000 feet, very 

 common on the Bahr-el-Abiad, found on the Atbara and tributaries, 

 rare on the Blue Nile, Dender, and Rahad ( Von Heuglin) ; Agula 

 {Blanford). E. Africa: Mosambique {Mus. Brit.). S. W. 

 Africa: Cacouda (Anchieta). W. Africa: Camma river (Du 

 Chaillu) ; Aguapim {Ries) ; Accra (Ilaynes) ; Fantee (Ussher). 



3. Centropus superciliosus. 



Centropus superciliosus, Hempr. & Ehr. Symb. Phys. fol. r 

 (1828); Riipp. N. W. Vog. p. 56, t. 21. fig. 1 (1835) ; id. Syst. 

 Uebers. p. 96 (1845) ; Gray, Gen. B. ii. p. 455 (1846) ; Bp. Consp. 

 i. p. 107 (1850) ; Bianc. Spec. Zool. Mosamb. p. 51 (1851) ; Heugl. 

 Syst. Uebers. p. 48(1856); Gurney, Ibis, 1859, p. 247; Cab. & 

 Heine, Mus. Hein. Th. iv. p. 106 (1862) ; Brehm, Reis. Habesch, 

 p. 367 (1863) ; Antin. Cat. descr. Ucc. p. 86 (1865) ; Mont. P. 

 Z. S. 1865, p. 91 ; Hartl. P. Z. S. 1867, p. 826 ; Layard, B. S. Afr. 

 p. 246 (1867); Cab. in Von der Decken, Reis. iii. Vog. p. 39 (1869); 

 Bocage, Jorn. Lisb. ii. pp. 326, 337 (1869) ; Blanf. Geol. & Zool. 



