314 PKXONOriD-E. 



lores black ; bill horn-colour ; feet lead-colour. Total length 6| 

 inches, bill 8'", wing 1" 10'", tail 2" 2'", tarsus 10'". {Hartlaub.) 

 Hob. Senegal {Mus. Lugd.). 



8. Bradyomis ater. 



Bradyornis ater, Sumlev. Oft: K. Vet. Akad. Forh. 18-50, p. 105. 

 Mela'nomis atra, Bp. Catisp. i. p. 350 -f Gurney, Ibis, 18(30, p. 268 ; 



Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 156 ; ^'SMley, Ibis, 1875, p. 76. 

 Melauopepla atrouiteus, Cab. 3Ius. Hein. Th. i. p. 54. 

 Melanornis atronitens, Licht. Numencl. p. 20; Kirk, Ibis, 1864, 

 p. 319. 

 Adult male. General colour, both above and below, glossy blue- 

 black ; -wing-coverts like the back ; quiUs and tail black, glossed 

 externally with blue like the back ; under wing-coverts blue- black 

 like the breast ; quills ashy black below ; " bill, tarsi, and feet 

 black ; iris very dark brown " {Ayres). Total length 7"3 inches, 

 culmen 0-55, wing 4-15, tail 3-7, tarsus 0-85. 



Hub. South-eastern Africa, from ]SFatal to the Zambesi. 



a (S ad. sk. Durban, Natal, March 5, Capt. G. E. Shelley [P.]. 



1874. 



b. Ad. St. Shiipang-a, Zambesi. Dr. Kirk [C.]. 



c. Ad. St. South Africa. Sir A. Smith [C.]. 



9. Bradyomis diabolicus. 



Melanornis pammelfena. Gray, Iland-l. B. i. p. 288 (wee Stanley). 



Bradyomis pammelfena (pt.), Finsch 8f Hartl. Vog. Ostafr. p. 320. 



Melanopepla pammelsena, Gurney in Anderss. B. Dam. Ld. p. 128. 

 Adidt male. General colour above and below blue-black, with a 

 dull gloss ; quills and tail dark brown, the secondaries externally 

 glossy black, the innermost entirely like the back ; tail-feathers 

 blackish brown, externally glossed with black ; under wing-coverts 

 like the breast ; quills ashy below, decidedly lighter grey towards 

 the base of the inner webs. Total length T'O inches, culmen 0-7, 

 wing 4-5, tail 3-8, tarsus 0-9. 



Ohs. An examination of the types may prove that some of the 

 names referred by me to Melcemrnis edoUoidcs may really belong to 

 this species, which I at present separate as a dull black representa- 

 tive of B. ater, and not a Melcenornis at all. The Abyssinian bird 

 is somewhat smaller than the typical Damara form, and measures 

 as follows — total length 6-8 inches, culmen 0-55, wing 4, tail 3-7, 

 tarsus 0-95. I may add that Von MiiUer's figure of Museicapa 

 lugubris appears to be drawn from an example of the true Melcmornis, 

 though the measurements given by him show a slight superiority of 

 the length of wing over that of the taU. Altogether these black 

 Wood-Shrikes of Africa are in a state of great confusion, from which 

 only an extensive series of specimens can extricate them. 

 Hah. North-eastern and South-western Africa. 



a. (S ad. sk. Abyssinia. Purchased. 



h. Ad. sk. Elephant Vl'W. Pareara 0. -T. Anders.son, Esq. [0. |. 



Land. 



