xlix [Vol. x. 



in the ' Transactions ' of the Philadelphia Academy, that 

 Dr. Sharpe had written to Mr. Witmer Stone on the subject. 

 The latter gentleman having assured him that the figure 

 was an accurate rendering of M. muelleri, it became evident 

 that not only was the Benito bird distinct, but also the 

 so-called M. muelleri from the Gold Coast. This Dr. Sharpe 

 proposed to name in honour of Colonel Northcott, who did 

 excellent work in the Hinterland of the Gold Coast, and 

 was killed at the Modder River in November last. 



Merops northcotti, sp. n. 

 M. similis M. muelleri, Cass., castaneus, sed prsepectore nigro, 

 pectore ultramarino et abdomine cyanescente distin- 

 guenda. Long. tot. 7*1 poll., culm. 1*4, alse 3*3, 

 caudle 3'05, tarsi 0*4. 

 Hab. Gold Coast {Shelley Coll. in Mus. Brit.). 

 These species may have to be placed, according to Dr. 

 Sharpe, in the genus Melittophagus , in which case they 

 would be called Melittophagus muelleri, Cass., M. batesiana 

 and M. northcotti. The type of the last species, however, 

 has the central tail-feathers elongated, but all the other 

 specimens known have the tail square. 



Mr. W. R. Ogilvie Grant sent the following description 

 of another new species of bird collected by the late Mr. John 

 Whitehead in Hainan : — 



Garrulax semitorquata, sp. n. 



Adult male. Most nearly allied to G. pectoralis, Gould, 

 having the ear-coverts similarly striped. It is, however, 

 much smaller and at once distinguished by the following 

 characters : — The black band surrounding the throat is 

 widely interrupted in the middle, the outer webs of the 

 outer primary quills are brownish buff instead of white, and 

 the tips of the tail-feathers are yellowish buff. 



Adult female. Differs only from the male in having the 

 white streaks on the ear-coverts more strongly marked. 



Iris straw-colour to reddish brown; upper mandible leaden- 

 black; lower mandible and feet leaden-grey. 



