Birds of the Gold Coast Colony ^c. 321 
The type in the British Museum, obtained by Capt. 
Shelley at Abouri, Gold Coast, is an immature specimen ; 
the head is like that of our adult female, but there is no 
black on the breast, and the feathers of the thighs are 
whitish instead of grey as in the adult. 
Description of the adult female. Similar in dimensions to 
the male. Crown of head blackish slate-coloured, not entirely 
black ; chin and throat white, tinged with buff ; black collar 
on the fore-neck narrower. 
This bird is probably A. cervicalis of Reichenow. It 
comes very close to the figure of that species in the ' Journal 
fiir Ornithologie ' (1896, p. 40, pi. v. fig. 1). 
128. Orthotomus erythropterus (Jard.). 
Orthotomus erythropterus Sharpe, Cat. B. vii. p. 228 ; 
Reichen. J. f. O. 1891, p. 393, et 1897, p. 49 (Togoland). 
Gambaga, Kwobia, Salaga, Krachi, and Accra. 
The specimens killed at Gambaga in January are in their 
first winter plumage. The upper parts are uniform pale 
brick-red and the wings rufous. The example obtained at 
Salaga (May 14th) is changing into the fully adult plumage. 
At Accra, a month later, the birds were in full breeding- 
dress, with the upper parts vinous grey, a little darker on 
the head, lores, and ear-coverts, and the wings rufous. 
The length of the tail varies from 2'3 to 1'8 inches in this 
species. The birds in winter plumage have the longest 
rectrices. This species is locally distributed. At Gambaga 
it was fairly numerous on open stretches of ground, and 
again at Accra. It had not previously been obtained in the 
Hinterland. 
129. Prinia mystacea Riipp. 
Prinia mystacea Sharpe, Cat. B. vii. p. 191; Hartert, 
Nov. Zool. vi. p. 421 (Gambaga). 
Gambaga, Prahsu, Kwissa, Kintampo, Salaga, and Yeji. 
Our specimens in the first plumage have the upper parts 
light brown, washed with tawny, especially on the rump, 
while the under parts are pale yellowish buff, stronger ou the 
flanks and under tail-coverts. The tail is long ; the iris 
SER. VIII. VOL. II. Y 
