BARBATULA BILINEATA 
(THE BRIDLED B A 11 B E T.) 
Megalaima bilineata (1850) Sundev. ; CEf. af kongl. Vet. Torh. p. 10!). 
(1863) Goffin ; Mas. P. B. Bucc. p. 43. 
(1868) Gray ; Cat. B. M. Capit. p. 15. 
B. sexibus similibus : uropygio aurantiaco : major : alaribus sulphureo marginatis. 
Hab. in Africa meridionali. 
Sexes alike ; upper plumage shining black, with a green tinge ; a narrow frontal band, 
continued down the side of the face, and one over the eye, down the side of the neck, white ; 
these two stripes separated by a broad black band, the latter from the throat, which is 
white, by a narrow black moustachial streak ; rump golden yellow ; lesser wing-coverts 
broadly tipped with sulphur-yellow ; greater coverts, wings, and tail brownish black, edged 
on the outer web with the same colour ; under surface pale yellow ; flanks grey ; tail 
underneath grey; bill black; legs and feet brownish; wing 2""5, tail 1"*6. 
Hab. Lower Caffi-aria [Wahlberg). 
Of this species very few specimens exist ; there are none to our knowledge in 
England; and nothing is recorded of its habits. It belongs to a subgroup which are dis- 
tinguishable by their shining black backs. In colouring it closely resembles B. leucolcema 
and B. subsulphurea, though in size it is a good deal larger. In the present species the rump 
is golden yellow, and the wings are edged with sulphur-yellow, while the other two have, as 
will be seen on reference to the figures of them, the former a sulphur-yellow rump, and the 
latter the wings edged with gold-colour. These three species being so similar, great care 
will be required in identifying specimens. The only other bird belonging to the subgenus 
[B. atrqflava) has a red rump. 
Our description and figure in the Plate are taken from a specimen lent to us from the 
Leyden Museum by Professor Schlegel. There is no other figure of this species extant. 
