ORNITHOLOGY OF THE COASTS AND ISLANDS 
genus, and named by him Bias. The Ampelide also, represented 
in Western Africa by the genera Dicrurus and Campephaga, show 
a species interesting on account of its splendid and varied colouring, 
namely, C. lobata. Moreover, the genera Laniarius and Lampro- 
tornis, found nowhere more rich in species than on the west coast, 
belong to the ornaments of African Ornithology ; both can shov 
a successive series of the most beautiful species, as for example, 
Laniarius gutturalis, Lamprotornis ignita, splendida, and leuco- 
gaster. As one of the most remarkable peculiarities of West 
African Ornithology, we may bring forward its extraordinary rich- 
ness in birds of the Fringillide, of which more than eighty species 
are found in the genera Ploceus, Teator, Huplectes, Sycobius, 
Vidua, Nigrita, Spermospiza, Pyrenestes, Estrilda, Amadina, 
&e. To this may be added, that very many of this group, as for 
example, all the Ploceine, live in company, and are particularly 
numerous as individuals. The Larks and Sawicole,* found so rich 
in species in South and North-east Africa, number here only very 
few representatives, which is explainable from the character of the 
West African country. One of these, the small Lark-like Pyr 
rhulauda, is repeated in the Cape de Verd Islands. In conclusion, 
the last members of this order, must not remain unmentioned, a 
they include the most splendid ornaments of African Ornithology, 
namely, the beautiful genera Vusophaga and Corythaix. M, vio 
lacea is one of the most beautiful, O. gigantea one of the most wol- 
derful birds of all zones. Of the nine species of Buceros in Wester 
Africa, B. albocristatus, Cass., standing next to B. comalus, de- 
serves particular mention. The Scansores are only slightly re 
sented by about forty species. Wagler has already shown the strikang 
want of Parrots in Africa. Of the fifteen species which are know? 
on this continent, not fewer than eight inhabit the west coast. AS 
a dwarf form of the family of the Bucconide, represented by § 
genera Pogonias and Barbatula, we class Pogonias sulcirostris * 
a bird particularly characteristic of Senegambia. The only Woot 
* Thienemann’s remark, that the geographical distribution of the genus sai 
shows a striking agreement with that of the genus rica among plants Cath 
zungsgeschichte der Vogel, Number 5, page 238), certainly strikes one at ira! 
e 
yet on closer observation proves erroneous. For, independent of this, that she ba 
distribution of the heaths and the Stonechats in South Africa in 20 WY a H jc; 
very numerous distribution of this genus of birds in the north-east part of eg 
so fel a heaths, cannot be bronght into unison with such a view. 
