31. CRATEEOPUS. 469 



31. CRATEEOPUS. 



Type. 

 Crateropiis, Swains. Faun. Bor.-Amer.,Aves, p. 487 (1831) C. reinwardti. 

 Malacocercus, Swains. Zool. Illustr. 2nd ed. series iii. 



pi. 127 (1832) C. atripennis. 



Iscliyropodus, lieichenh. Syst. Av. pi. Iv. fig. 3 (1850) . . C. atripennis. 



Cf. Uli/th, J. A. S. Beng. xxiv. p. 478 (1856). 



Range. The whole of Africa below the Sahara Desert ; Indian 

 Peninsula and Ceylon. 



I see no reason why the Indian species of Malacocercus should be 

 kept apart from the African Crateropi. It is true that the latter, as 

 a rule, have the wing and tail equal in dimensions, and in the Ma- 

 lacoceirl. the tail is a trifle longer than the wing : but this is not in- 

 variably the case, and the difference is too small to be of generic 

 importance in this instance. More marked is the excess in the length 

 of wing over that of the tail in the two African species C. atripennis 

 and C. haiincsii, which are also aberrant in their style of colouring, and 

 further resemble the Indian Malacocerci in their yellow bill ; but I 

 can perceive no advantage in separating them from Crateropus, which 

 they otherwise resemble in form. 



Key to the Species. 



a. With the bill horn-brown or black. 

 «'. Without white rump. 



a". Head not white, brown or blackish or 

 ashy. 

 «'". Breast uniform light ashy brown like 

 the rest of the under surface ; head and 

 ear-coverts black, forming a distinct 

 cap, which contrasts with the ashy- 

 brown back reimcardti, p. 470. 



b'". Breast with rounded ashy margins to 

 the feathers ; these edges still more 

 distinct on the throat, 

 fl!*. Ijores white ; crown of head blackish 

 brown, with lighter-brown edges to 



the feathers 2)latijcerei(s, p. 471. 



b* . Lores black, contrasting with the 



crown, which is ashy grey on the 



forehead and over the ej^e ; rest of 



head light brown like the back .... tnelanops, p. 472. 



c'" . Breast with white lanceolate tips to 



the feathers. 



f^. Larger : cheeks and ear-coverts 



streaked with grey jardinii, p. 472. 



d^ . Smaller: ear-coverts uniform dark , jj ■ ^«.> 



ashv M-ieiMs, p. 473. 



^ I hijpostictus, p. 474. 



d"'. Breast white bico/or juv., p. 470. 



b". Head white. 



e'". Ikck brown ; crown, sides of face, and 



cliin wliitt^ leucoccpJialiix. p. 474. 



