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. 
Me HOPS NORTHCOTTi, sp. n. 
M. similis M. muelleri, Cass., castaneus, sed praepectore nigro, 
pectore ultramarino et abdomine cyanescente distin- 
guenda. Long. tot. 7T poll., culm. 1*4, alee 3’3, 
caudae 3’05, tarsi 0’4. 
Hub. 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 
■vt^ould 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 bulf. 
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. 
