378 
Bulletin of the British 
Helianthea hamiltoni, sp. n. 
H. similis H. lutetiw, sed macula frontali aureo-viridi, et 
gastraei nitore metallic© bronzino-viridi, plag& alari 
pallida cinnamomeil, nee albicante, distingnenda. Long, 
tot. 5*0 poll., culm. 1*6, alee 2*9, caudse 1*7, tarsi 0*2. 
Hab. Papallacta, near Antisana, E. Ecuador. 
Of this species Mr. Goodfellow bad procured, in February 
1899, a series of both male and female specimens, all of 
which were perfectly constant as regards the characters 
mentioned above. All the birds from the western slope 
of the Andes of Quito proved to be the true H. lutetice , 
of which the travellers had also procured a good series. 
Dr. Bowdler Sharpe exhibited another British-killed 
specimen of the Levantine Shearwater ( Puffimis yelkouanus ), 
which had been sent by Mr. Charles Smoothy, of Little 
Baddow, near Chelmsford. The specimen had been obtained 
at Bridlington Quay, Yorkshire, in October 1898. [Cf. Bull, 
vol. viii. p. xxix.] 
Dr. Sharpe exhibited and described a new species of Bee- 
eater, obtained by Mr. G. L. Bates on the Bio Benito in 
French Congo:— 
Merops batestana, sp. n. 
cJ. Similis M. muelleri , Cass., sed saturatior, facie laterali, 
colli lateribus et prsepectore toto nigris: notaei colore 
castaneo ubique saturatiore distinguenda. Long. tot. 
8*0 poll., culm. 1*4, alae 3*2, caudae 2*95, tarsi 0*35. 
The specimen from the Benito Biver differed so much 
from the figure of the type of M. muelleri given by Cassin 
in the f Transactions J 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 had 
done excellent work in the Hinterland of the Gold Coast, 
and was killed at the Modder Biver in November last. 
