ORNITHOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
. 
VII. — ON A NEW SPECIES OF THE GENUS NIGRITA. 
To the genus Nigrita originally established by Mr. Strickland on I 
a single species, the Nigrita canicapilla, Mr. Fraser in his ZoologiaB 
Typica added a second, the N.fusconota , which, like its predecessor, I 
came from the island Fernando Po. The Prince of Canino in his 1 
Conspectus, gives the description of a third, N. arnaudi , PucheranJl 
of the Paris Museum, so called, I believe, from M. Arnaud, who* 
brought this bird from the White Nile. A fourth, recently disco - M 
vered, is the N. lutifrons , Verreaux, received among those many I 
other brilliant novelties from the Gaboon, of which a list has been ■ 
given by Mr. Strickland in a previous number of the Contributions. I 
I have now the pleasure of making known a fifth species of this \ 
interesting genus, which was obtained by M. Parzudaki from Casa- 1 
manza, a locality widely different from the habitats of the fore- 
going species, being not far south of the Gambia river on the most | 
western part of the African coast. Its form is typical, but style ] 
of colouring rather different from that of the previously known J 
members of the genus. I am indebted for the loan of the only 
example I have seen of it to Mr. Edward Wilson, who bought it 
for presentation by his brother to the Museum of the Academy*of . 
Natural Sciences at Philadelphia. 
NIGRITA BICOLOR, Sclater. ' | 
Plate LXXXIII. 1852. 
Nigrita suprh fusco-nigricans, alis et cauda nigricantioribus : j 
fronte, oculorum ambitu, capitis lateribus corporeque toto subtus .j 
ornnino brunneo-rufis ; rostro pedibusque nigris ; tarsis carneis. 
Long, tota, 4.6; alae, 2.3; caudae, 2.0. 
Habitat, Casamanza, Afric. occid. 
The peculiar brown-red of the front and under parts is difficult 
to describe, but the bird may be easily recognised by the aid of the 
plate. 
London, March 1, 1052. 
