THE IBIS 
No. X. APRIL 1861. 
XI.— On new or little-known Birds of North-Eastern Africa. 
By Hofrath Theodor yon Heuglin. (Part III. The Barbels, 
Capitonichs*.) 
[Continued from p. 76.] 
(Plate V.) 
The range of the birds belonging to the family of Barbets 
(Capitonidce ) in North-Eastern Africa is confined to the tropical 
provinces which are subject to a periodical rainy season. North¬ 
wards of the boundary of the tropical rains not a single species is 
found, though the genera Pogonorhynchus , Barhatula, and Tra- 
chyphonus are abundant in the low countries of the White and 
Blue Nile. The species which I have observed, generally prefer 
the plains and low grounds to the mountains, and especially 
* The full synonymy of the African Barbets, and a list of all the known 
species, are given by M. Jules Verreaux, in an article in the Zoological 
Society’s ‘ Proceedings’ for 1859 (p. 393). Dr. Hartlaub informs us, how¬ 
ever, that the Megalcema leucotis of Sundeval, from S. Africa, is not the 
same as Laimodon unidentatus, as is there stated, but a good and distinct 
species, and that the Southern Megalaima bilineata, Sundeval, although 
closely allied to, is not identical with the Western Barhatula leucolcema, 
Verreaux. Dr. Hartlaub acknowledges TrachypJionus squamiceps, ITeuglin, 
as here described, to be quite distinct from T. margaritatus. It also appears 
that M. Yerreaux’s Laimodon albiventris , of which a description and good 
figure are given in the paper above referred to, has been previously named 
by Dr. Peters (Bericht Akad. Berlin, 1854, p. 134) Pogonias melanopterus, 
and is from Mozambique, and not from Western Africa.— Ed. 
YOL. III. 
K 
