590 MR. SHARPE ON A NEW SPECIES OF MUSCICAPA, [JuUC 20, 



from the crown by a narrow blackish hne ; feathers in front of the 

 eye dusky blackish ; below the eye a white spot ; ear-coverts rusty 

 brown, dusky on the upper and hinder margin ; cheeks white, 

 separated from the ear-coverts by a broad dusky streak, and from 

 the throat by another distinct moustache of dusky black ; sides of 

 neck hke the head and hind neck ; fore neck and chest white 

 tinged with sandy buff, and mottled with triangular spots of dusky 

 blackish, inclining to narrow hair-like streaks on the breast ; the 

 latter white, as well as the abdomen ; sides of body and flanks deep 

 sandy buff ; thighs white ; under tail-coverts light buff ; under 

 wing-coverts and axillaries white ; quills dusky below, whitish along 

 the inner edge of the quills. Total length 5'2 inches, culmen 0'6, 

 wing 2-45, tail 2"2, tarsus 0'95. 



11. On a new Species of Musdcapa from Western Africa. 

 By R. BowDLER Sharpe, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c., Depart- 

 ment of Zoology, British Museum. 



[Eeceived June 20, 1882.] 



My late friend Governor Ussher, during his last visit to the Gold 

 Coast, which terminated so fatally for him, devoted considerable 

 time to collecting birds, as was his wont ; and both to Captain Shelley 

 and myself he wrote frequently respecting his collections, which 

 included many rare species from Denkera, and from the eastern 

 districts of the Gold Coast, Aguapim, &c. In one letter he speaks 

 of having got six specimens of Picuthartes gymnophthalmus ; and it 

 is certain that, if it had reached England, the collection would have 

 proved to be of great interest. Unfortunately, since his death 

 the birds have disappeared, and I am informed by his friend Capt. 

 Barrow, who has interested himself in the matter, that there was 

 no such collection remaining among his effects. 



Nevertheless a few birds have arrived in London bearing labels in 

 the late Governor's handwriting ; and certain of them have been 

 offered for sale to the British Museum, which has acquired some of the 

 most interesting specimens. As these were offered by most respect- 

 able agents, who had acquired them in the ordinary way of business, 

 there is not the slightest proof that they formed part of the late 

 Governor's large collection ; for they may very probably have been 

 given away by him before his death, and have been thus disposed of 

 in England. They were all birds of dull coloration ; but amongst 

 several others of interest there appears to be one Flycatcher 

 which is nndescribed, and which I propose to call after my late 

 friend, to whom I myself and ornithologists generally were so much 

 indebted for his exertions in collecting, often in countries where 

 the climate rendered the task one of considerable difficulty and 

 danger. 



