GENERIC CHARACTERS. 



Bill, subcorneal, subelongated ; the upper mandible, at the base, somewhat dilated ; near the 

 apex, compressed, slightly emarginated, the apex slightly curved downwards; the cutting edge 

 bent downwards. Culmen, subcarinated ; gradually from the base to the apex, arched downwards. 



Nostrils, ovate. Gape, slightly curved downwards. 



Wings, moderate, rounded ; the first primary spurious ; the third, fourth and fifth, subequal. 



Tarsus, short ; acrotarsus, scutellated ; paratarsus, entire. Toes, moderate ; the middle one 

 equal to the tarsus ; hinder one longer ; the external one slightly exceeding the internal. Claws, 

 shortish, moderately curved and grooved at the sides. 



Ml] ©ROTA ©AMQOAIPOLUL 

 Grey-backed Finch. 



JEthiops canicapillus, Strickland, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1841, p. 30. 

 Nigrita „ „ ibid, 1842, p. 145. 



This remarkable form was originally described by Mr. Strickland, in the " Proceedings" above 

 referred to, under the title of JEthiops. Finding that generic name had been previously used for a 

 genus of monkies, I have been subsequently requested by Mr Strickland to substitute for it the 

 generic title of Nigrita. 



Habitat, Clarence, Fernando Po. 



The flowers are those of a wild medicinal plant ( Cassia fistula ) from Dukhun, called Bhahaya, 

 copied from one of Col. Sykes' drawings, to which the following note is appended, " the pulp of 

 the Bhahaya, is not used by the Kombees as a cathartic." 



The forehead, cheeks, the whole under surface, tail and wings, black ; the greater and lesser 

 wing coverts, black, each feather having a white spot at the tip ; the rump is white ; the remaining 

 portions of the plumage are grey ; bill, black ; legs and feet, dark brown ; irides, red hazel. 



Total length, five inches. 



