220 Major H. J. Kelsall on 



drawn from one of the British Museum specimens of 

 M. northcotti Sharpe, which he in the same place rightly 

 makes synonymous with M. muelleri mentalis. 



I have compared the type of M. marionis Alexander with 

 the type of M. northcotti Sharpe^ and find that they are 

 identical, while O. Neumann has written the following note 

 on the label of Brit. Mus. specimen No. 1904.6.22.27 of 

 M. marionis Alex. : — "Compared with the type of mentalis 

 Cab. (N. Camerun) and found identical/' which establishes 

 the correctness of the above synonymy. 



The description of M. mulleri in the British Museum 

 Catalogue, vol. xvii. p. 60, applies to M. mentalis Cab., as it 

 was drawn up from the specimens afterwards described by 

 Sharpe as M. northcotti, but now identified as M. mentalis. 

 Reichenow {' Die Yogel Afrikas,' vol. ii. p. 34) makes 

 M. mentalis Cab. a synonym of M. mulleri (Cass.), and 

 admits M. northcotti Sharpe as distinct, whereas the above 

 is the correct synonymy. 



It appears probable that Du Chaillu^s specimen from the 

 French Congo in Mus. Acad. Philad., from which the 

 original description and figure of M. miUleri were taken, is 

 an immature individual of M. batesiana Sharpe which is the 

 adult. The type specimen of the latter is from the same 

 region, and a second specimen in the British Museum, 

 diflPering slightly in colour, is from Kamerun. 



I append a full description of M. batesiana Sharpe 

 (probably = M. mulleri) taken from the type specimen (Brit. 

 Mus. No. 1900.2.21.4. Rio Benito, Fr. Congo- Coll. G. L. 

 Bates) and another specimen (B.M. No. 1903.10.20.149. 

 B. Ja, Kamerun — G. L. Bates), both males. 



Description of Merops batesiana Sharpe: — 



Forehead pale cobalt-blue washed with green (or turquoise 

 blue-green). Crown and nape deeper blue, approaching 

 ultramarine on the nape, the feathers of the nape showing a 

 trace of dull green tips. Shoulders, back, rump, scapulars, 

 and upper wing-coverts rich deep maroon (somewhat paler 

 in Kamerun specimen). Outermost primaries dark brown, 

 more or less washed with chestnut, remaining primaries and 



