MELA COW OT TJS S IM IL IS
(Av&£;iHta.te-t6)
A ves.—P late XLYI.—F emale.
M. capite supra, cervice, regioneque interscapulari coeruleo-griseis; dorso, alarumque tectricibus minoribus
flavo-Tiridibus, ultimarum quibusdam etiamque remigium tectrioibua pallidd flavo-terminatis duas
lineas obliquaa formantibus; caudd flavo-virescenti, quatuor ponnis extends pallide flayo-terminatis ;
infra lucide flavus, peotore aurantio-tincto. Eostro nigro; pedibus liyido-griseis. Oeulis brunneo-
aurantiis.
Longitudo ab apice rostri ad basin caucUe 3 unc. 4i lin; caudee, 3 unc. 10, lin.
Melaoonotus similis, Smith.—Eep. of Exped. App. page 44, June, 1836.
M et.aconotus chbysogastee, Swains?—Birds of Western Africa, Plate XXV. 1837.
C olour._The upper and lateral parts of the head and neck, together with
the interscapulars intermediate between pearl and blueish grey, the upper
surface of the head with a slight tint of green; back, rump, upper tail-
coverts and lesser quill-coverts, intermediate between siskin and oil-green, a
few of the last-named feathers and some of the tail-coverts tipped with
straw-yellow. The front and the feathers immediately before the eyes pale yellow;
eyebrows white. Primary and secondary quill coverts and the tail-
feathers clear oil-green, the three outermost of the latter, on each side, broadly
tipped with straw-yellow, and the next to them, narrowly, with the same
colour; the primary and secondary quill-coverts straw-yellow at the tips,
forming a second oblique band of that colour on each wing. The three outermost
quill-feathers brown edged externally with greenish yellow, the remainder
of the primaries and the secondaries have the inner vanes brown,
and the outer vanes oil-green. Several of the tertiaries are tipped with straw-
yellow, the other parts being green with a brown tinge. The inner vane of
each quill-feather is edged with straw-yellow, which is of considerable breadth
towards their base; inside of shoulder the same yellow. The chin, throat,
and under parts light king’s-yellow ; the breast with a tinge of orange. The
tail-feathers are all edged externally with straw-yellow, under-surface of tail
light greenish yellow. Bill black; feet livid greenish grey; eyes orpiment-
orange.
F orm, &c.— Figure moderately robust. Tail long and rounded at the tip,