88 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 223 



Female: Like nonbreeding male, but somewhat smaller, with 

 wing 64 mm. 



Juvenal: Apparently unrecorded. 



Vidau chatybeata neumanni 



Adult male in breeding plumage: Like that of nominate race 

 but with more bluish sheen, between Dusky Blue and Indulin Blue. 

 Wings 61-64 mm. 



Adult male in nonbreeding plumage: Not distinguishable with 

 certainty from the corresponding stage of nominate race. 



Female: As in nominate race. AVings 60-66 mm. 



Juvenal (sexes alike): Similar to adult female, but slightly paler 

 above and below. Throat and breast averaging less brownish, more 

 grayish, 



Vidau chatybeata orientalis 



Adult male in breeding plumage: Like that of nominate race 

 but slightly less glossy and sheen less greenish, more bluish, dark 

 Dusky Blue. Iris blackish brown. Bill white. Feet pale brown. 

 Wings 62-72 mm. 



Adult male in nonbreeding plumage: Not distinguishable with 

 certainty from that of nominate race. 



Female: As in nominate race. Wings 62-65 mm. From his ex- 

 tensive East African material, V. G. L. van Someren(1922, p. 158) found 

 that as the females begin to come into breeding condition they tend 

 to become noticeably duskier on the crown, upper back, and breast 

 than they do in the nonbreeding season. He noted that occasionally 

 the breast becomes deep ashy brown, a condition that I noticed very 

 markedly in three hens collected by Grauer in the Kageru-Kivu region 

 (specimens now in American Museum of Natural History). Van 

 Someren also stated that the female plumage — 



is very like that of the nonbreeding male, but even darker. The character of 

 white under-tail coverts mentioned (in literature) in connection with these birds 

 is not reliable, and simply indicates remains of the off season dress, these feathers 

 being almost the last to be moulted. With regard to the brownish wings in 

 certain birds of this group, it is quite noticeable that males which have gone 

 through the nesting season, although showing very little abrasion of the tips of 

 the primaries and secondaries, yet have these feathers much browner than in the 

 freshly moulted, adult breeding bird. The first young plumage is like that of the 

 females in off plumage, but altogether duller and paler on the breast. 



Juvenal (sexes alike) : Like that of the nominate race. 



Vidua chalybeata ultramarina 



Adult male in breeding plumage: Like that of nominate race, 

 but with gloss on black plumage more pronounced and darker and 

 somewhat more violaceous, less greenish blue, very dark Dusky 



