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



Hartl. Orn. W. Afr. p. 186 (1857) ; Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. Th. 

 iv. p. 107 (1862); Schl. Mus. P.-B., Cuculi, p. 71 (1864); Sharpe, 

 Ibis, 1869, p. 193; Gray, Hand-1. B. ii. p. 213 (1870) ; Sharpe, 

 Cat. Afr. B. p. 13(1871). 



Head and neck all round, extending above to the interscapular? 

 region, and below to the fore neck and a little way down the sides of 

 the breast, purplish blue, duller on the head, and brightest on the 

 hind neck ; the shafts glossy black ; middle of back, scapulars, and 

 entire wings above and below deep chestnut, the quills dusky at tip ; 

 on the middle of the back a few indistinct blackish cross bars ; 

 rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail dull greenish black, the latter with 

 a very faint purplish gloss near the tip, the former very narrowly 

 barred with pale ochre, these bars sometimes extending on to the 

 base of the tail-feathers ; breast and abdomen white, the sides of the 

 body chestnut under the wings, the flanks deep ochre ; bill and feet 

 black. Total length 22-5 inches, culmen 1'8 ; wing 80, tail 12 - 0, 

 tarsus 2*1. 



Hab. Fantee ( Ussher) ; Rio Boutry (Pel), Gaboon ? (Du Chaillu). 



Mr. Cassin identifies some specimens from the Camma as belong- 

 ing to this species ; but they were not in mature plumage, and he 

 was not quite certain of the correctness of his determination. 



One of my specimens is barred with black on the wing-coverts and 

 inner secondaries, and has ochre bars on the base of the tail, extend- 

 ing a good way up the lateral tail-feathers. Another one has traces 

 of bars on the flanks. This barred plumage seems to be the remains 

 of immaturity or, more probably, of change of plumage. There is 

 great difference in the size of specimens, the smallest measuring 19*5 

 inches in length, the largest 22 5 inches ; the small bird is probably 

 the male. 



5. Centropus epomidis. 



Centropus epomidis, Temm. in Bp. Consp. i. p. 107 (1850) ; Hartl. 

 Orn. W. Afr. p. 187 (1857); Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. Th. iv. 

 p. 107 (1862); Schl. Mus. P.-B., Cuculi, p. 71 (1864); Grav, 

 Hand-1. B. ii. p. 213 (1870). 



Adult. Head and neck all round, extending above to the inter - 

 scapulary region, and below to the upper breast, dusky black, with 

 glossy black shafts ; back and wings deep chestnut, the primaries 

 tipped and the secondaries washed with dusky brown ; rump, upper 

 tail-coverts, and tail dusky blackish brown ; breast chestnut ; 

 the lower abdomen and under tail-coverts dusky black ; under 

 wing-coverts and inner face of wings deep chestnut ; bill and feet 

 black. Total length 15 inches, culmen 1-3, wing 6*4, tail 8 # 2, 

 tarsus 1"55. 



Hab. Denkera, interior of Fantee (Ussher, Mus. R. B. S.); 

 Ashantee (Pel). 



