— 223 — 



As g i 1 V i e-G r a n t has already pointed out (Zool. Ruw. 

 Exp., 1910, p. 316) the males vary very much in the colour of the 

 under tail-coverts. Thus, five of the specimens from Kisumu 

 have these feathers broadly edged with purple, while in the other 

 two they are pure black. Reichenow says (op. cit.) that 

 males from Victoria Nyanza have a dominant bluish gloss, which 

 agrees with the present specimens. Otherwise there is no diffe- 

 rence in the colours of these 7 cf specimens. 



The female specimens agree with the description given by 

 Reichenow (op. cit.) [after Shelley]. 



Wing, culmen, tarsus, 



60,61,63,63,63,63,63 mm. 17-18 mm. 16— 17 mm. cfcT. 

 57, 57 mm. 16 mm. 16 mm. 99. 



Irides, bill and legs as in the preceding. 



Nectarinia famosa cupreoniiens Shell. 

 1 ^ juv. 11. 5. Eldoret. 



A few specimens of this race were seen on the boundary 

 between the acacia- country and the grass-plains. 



The specimen before me is changing to the nuptial dress 

 and has the head greyish brown (a few feathers here and there 

 with green or coppery-red tips). The upper surface green glossy 

 with a coppery-red glimmer. T'he outer web of the outer secon- 

 daries dark-blue, the inner wini green-glossy edges. The tail- 

 feathers dark blue-violet with green edgings. Throat and fore- 

 neck green-glossy, breast and belly with a blue lustre. Some of 

 the feathers of the lower surface black tipped with yellowish grey. 

 Wing 74 mm.; culmen 31 mm.; tarsus 16 mm. 



Irides, bill and legs as in the preceding. 



Nectarinia kilimensis Shell. — Rchw. III. p. 502. 



1 (5 ad. 18. 4. Kiambu. — 1 (5 ad. 22. 4 Laka Naiwasha. — 1 cJ ad. 24. 4. 

 Eikuyu. _ 6 (5(5 ad. 4. 5., 7. 5. Londiani. — 2 (5(5 ad. 12. 5. Eldoret. — 



2 (5^ ad. 14. 5., 15. 5. Soy. — 1 Q ad. 10. 4. Nairobi. — 2 QQ ad. 22. 4. 



Lake Naiwasha. — 1 C ad. 15. 5. Soy. 



In the above - mentioned localities this species was very 

 common, but I never saw it on the eastern slopes of Elgon, al- 

 though V. S m e r e n mentions it as common on West-Elgon 

 (Nov. Zool., XXV, 1918, p. 287). 



In the series of 13 cf cf before me there are no great varia- 

 tions. Still, I have made the same observation as N e u m. a n n 

 (Journ. f. Orn., 1900, p. 300) that certain individuals have a 

 stronger coppery-red gloss than others, especially on the lower 

 parts of the back and on the upper tail-coverts. In a somewhat 



