163 [Vol. xliii. 



Mr. Bannerman then exhibited and described further 

 new birds from the Cameroon-Nigerian highlands, which 

 Mr. Bates had obtained during his last journey : — 



Mirafra batesi, sp. nov. 

 Adult male. Crown of the head rufous-chestnut, each 

 feather heavily streaked towards the tip with black, most 

 heavily over the eyes ; feathers of the nape rusty-buff, 

 tipped with brown. General colour of the mantle and back 

 rusty-buff, heavily streaked with blackish-brown, caused by 

 the dark centres to all the feathers. Lesser wing-coverts 

 dark brown, a chestnut mark down the shaft broadening 

 towards the tip ; greater coverts dark brown, margined with 

 chestnut ; primary-coverts reddish-chestnut, with dark shafts. 

 Primaries greyish-black, margined on the outer web with 

 chestnut ; secondaries dark brown, margined with buff. 

 Feathers of the rump blackish-brown, margined and tipped 

 with rufous-buff. Tail blackish, the central pair broadly 

 edged with chestnut, and the outer pair with the whole of 

 the outer web light buff. Chin and throat buff. Rest of the 

 underparts pale rusty-buff, the breast-feathers more rufous 

 than the rest of the under surface and tipped with dark 

 brown. Iris and feet light brown ; bill blackish, whitish- 

 horn beneath. 



Bill 16, wing 92-94, tail 62, tarsus 25 mm. 

 Type. S ad. No. 7378. Near Jos (south), 4000 ft., 

 S. Nigeria. G. L. Bates coll. 



Note. — This species must not be confused with Mirafra 

 stresemanni, the richly-coloured rufous species described in 

 this ' Bulletin,^ specimens of which Mr. Bates obtained at 

 Ngaundere (3700 ft.). Allhough Mirafra batesi inhabits the 

 same sort of country as M. stresemanni, the intervening- 

 country is of an entirely different nature. The low-lying 

 valley of the Benue River intervenes, and Mr. Bates is of 

 opinion that the birds inhabiting the high Ngaundere 

 plateau could not have any communication with those on 

 the Jo8-Ibi plateau 4000-4500 ft. in altitude. 



I have much pleasure in naming this bird in honour of 

 Mr. G. L. Bates. 



