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ART. XII. — Descriptions of new birds of Western Africa, in the Museum of the 

 Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 



By John Cassin. 



1. Meropogon Breweri, Cassin. 



Meropogon Breweri, Cassin, Proc. Acad. Philada., 1859, p. 35. 



PLATE XLIX. Fig. 1. 



Large, bill curved, much compressed, wing moderate or rather short, first quill 

 shortest, third and fourth longest and nearly equal, tail rather long, the two middle 

 feathers lengthened beyond the others and attenuated to the end, other tail feathers 

 abruptly truncate and emarginate at their tips ; legs short, toes rather long, flattened 

 beneath, outer and middle toes united to the second joint, inner and middle toes 

 united to the first joint. Feathers of the throat and neck in front lengthened and 

 beard-like, plumage rather lax and soft. Total length about 13| inches, wing 4f, 

 tail 7i, bill from corner of mouth direct to tip of upper mandible, 2 inches, tarsus £, 

 middle tail feathers 7i, outer tail feathers 4| inches. 



Head glossy black, back, wings and middle tail feathers fine green, nearly uniform 

 or with a slight yellowish tinge on the back. Under parts fine reddish fulvous with a 

 tinge of green and yellow in the middle of the abdomen, under wing coverts light 

 rufous. A transverse band of dark chestnut on the breast immediately next to the 

 black plumage of the neck. Quills green on their upper surface, with their shafts 

 black, inner edges of primaries black, of secondaries and tertiaries rufous. Two mid- 

 dle tail feathers and outer web of outer tail feathers green, with their shafts black 

 others fine dark reddish chestnut (or marron) tipped with green. Bill black feet 

 probably light colored. Sexes alike. 



Hob. — Countries on the Camma and Ogobai Rivers, Western Africa. Specimens in 

 Mus. Acad., Philadelphia. 



This is one of the most remarkable birds of the Family Meropidce, and seems to 

 combine characters of several genera. It appears to belong properly to the o-e nus 

 Meropogon, Bonaparte, Consp. Av. i. p. 164, having much the aspect and characters 

 of Mellitophagus with the lengthened or beard-like feathers on the throat and neck of 



Nyctiornis, though not so distinct, nor so long, in the present specimens, as is usual in 



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