3. coRvus. 23 



Corvus curvirostris, Gould, P. Z. S. 1830, p. 18 ; Gray, Gen. B. ii. 



p. 31o ; Bp. Consp. i. p. .'580 ; Cah. Mus. Hdn. Th. i. p. 232, note ; 



Ilartl. Orn. W.-Afr. p. 114; Antin. Cat. descr, Ucc. p. 59; Grui/, 



Haml-l. B. ii. p. l3. 

 Corvus leucouotus. Swains. Clnssif. B. i. p. 133, pi. v. ; Jard. Sf Selby, 



III. Orn. iv. pi. xxxii. ; Grai/, Gen. B. ii. p. 315. 

 Con-US pliasoceplialus, Cah. Mus. Hein. Th. i. p. 232 ; Gray, Hand-l. 



B. ii. p. 13. 

 Corvus madagascariensis, Bp. C. It. xxxvii. p. 829 ; Ilartl. Faun. 



Maday. p. 52 ; Gray, Iland-l. B. ii. p. 13. 

 Pterocorax scapulatus, Brduii, Illiistr. TJiierl. iii. p. 350. 

 Corax scapulatus, A. E. Brclnn, Rcis. Habesch, p. 216. 



Adult male. Above glossy purplish black, -with a shade of deep 

 steel-blue under certain lights ; the abdomen and under wing- 

 coverts not quite so glossy ; feathers of the throat slightly lanceolate, 

 but lax in texture, the plumes of the lower throat white at base ; 

 hind neck, mantle, sides of nock, and entire breast from the fore 

 neck to the abdomen pure white ; under ^viug-covcrts black, except- 

 ing the innermost axillaries, which are white ; bill and feet black ; 

 " iris hazel-brown " {Andersson). Total length 18 inches, culmen 

 2-4, wing 13-9, tail 7-9, tarsus 2-5. 



Adidt female. Similar to the male. Total length 17"5 inches, 

 culmen 2-5, wing 13-9, tail 7*3, tarsus 2-4. 



Young, Similar to the adults, but more dusky, especially on the 

 throat and abdomen ; the white neck and breast dull white, with 

 dusky edgings to a great many of the feathers. 



Obs. Professor Schlegcl remarks that all the supposed species of 

 African White-breasted Crows have no real existence ; and in this I 

 thoroughly agree with him. Some specimens are brighter and more 

 glossy than others ; and these are doubtless older or freshly-moulted 

 birds. Specimens of male and female, whose sex has been ascer- 

 tained by dissection, show no difference in the sexes, both being 

 equally bright-plumaged ; but the younger birds seem to be rather 

 duller-coloured. 



Ilab. The whole of Africa below the Sahara ; Madagascar. 



a. Juv. sk. South Africa. Maior-General Hardwicke 



LP.1. 



b. Ad. sk. South Africa. Earl of Derby [P.]. 



c. d. c? ad. sk. Otjimbinque, Damara Land, E-. B. Sharpe, Esq. 



July 1866 (Andersson). 

 e. c? ad. sk. Mossamedes (Anchieta). R. B. Sharpe, Esq. 



/. Ad. sk. Benguela. J. J. Monteiro, Esq. [C.]. 



g. Ad. sk. Clarence, Fernando Po, June L. Eraser, Esq. fCl. 



1842. 

 h. Ad. sk. Accra. E. B. Sharpe, Esq. [P.]. 



i. Ad. sk. Fantee. 



k. Ad. sk. Wassaw (Blissett). R. B. Sharpe, Esq. [P.]. 



I. Ad. St. River Gambia. 



m. S ad. sk. Angollala, Shoa, Feb. 1842. Sir W. C. Harris [C.]. 

 n. $ ad. sk. Wadela Plateau, April 21, W. T. Blanford, Esq. [C.]. 



1808. 

 o. c? ad. sk. Rairo, Hubab, Aug. 13, 1868. W. T. Blanford, Esq. [C 

 p. J ad. sk. Zoulla, Annesley Bay, Jan. W. T. Blanford, Esq. [C 



16, 1808. 



