* NECTARINIIDJE. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Breast ami abdomen black or metallic. r i„„.,^^ „ 4 



a'. No pectoral tufts \ . '■ "' .' 



b'. liriglit yellow pectoral tufts. ' ^^ » P- • 



a". All the uiiderpart.s metallic green. 



a'". Dark preen above famosa, p. 5. 



h'". Coppery above cupreonitens, p. 6. 



b". Chest scarlet indchclln, p. 7. 



b. Breast and abdomen yellow. 



c'. Lower back and upper tail-coverts metallic blue. 



c'" . Mantle dark metallic green metaUica, p. 8. 



d'". Mantle coppery bronze phtUiura, p. 10. 



1. Nectarinia tacazze. 



Certhia tacazze, Stanley in Salt's Trav. Ahyss., App. p. 58 (1814). 

 Splendid Creeper, LafL Gen. Jlist. iv. p. 220, no. 15 (1822). 

 Cinnyi'is tacazze, Biipp. Neiie Wirb. p. 89, pi. 31. fig. 3 (1835) ; 



Lefehvre, Voij. Abyss., Zool. p. 88 (18J:5-.50). 

 Nectarinia tacazze, Jiiipp. Si/sf. Uebers. p. 28, no. 108 (1845) ; Bp. 



C. A. i. p. 405, no. 7 (1850); Hein/l. Syst. Uebers. N.O.-Afr. 



p. 20, n. 52 (1856) ; Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p". 108, no. 1329 ; Blan- 



ford, Geol. ^- Zool. Abyss, p. 352, no. Ill (1870) ; Shelley, Monogr. 



'Nect. p. 19, pi. 7. 

 Aidemonia tacazze, Reichb. Ilandh. Scansori(e, p. 284, pi. 3871. 



fig. 3896 (1854). 

 ^thopvga tacazze, Horsf. ^ Moore, Cat. B. E.I. Co. Mus. ii. p. 735, 



no. 1073 (1856-58), 

 Nectarinia tacaziena, Heuql. Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. p. 222 (1871) ; Sharpe, 



Cat. Afr. B. p. 37, no. 343 (1871). 

 Nectarinia tacazziana, Fimch, Tr. Z. S. vii. p. 227 (1872). 

 Aidemonia tacazziana^ Antinori 4" Scdvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov, 



iv. p. 89 (1873). 



South-iuestern Race (N. bocagei). 

 Nectarinia tacazze, Bocage, Jorn. Lisb. 1878, p. 2 {nee Bilpp.). 

 Nectarinia bocagei, Shelley, Monogr. Nect. p. 21, pi. 6. fig. 2. 



Adult male. "Whole plumage black ; all the upper parts and the 

 neck with a strong metallic gloss : in position B these parts are coppery 

 lilac or purple, changing into brilliant purple-blue on the lower back ; 

 in position C the reflecting parts are dark green. Culmen 1-2-1-25 

 inch, wing3-l-3-3, tail 2-5 [4-4*]-2-9 [4-8], tarsus 0-74-0-75. 



Female. Above dull olive-grey ; quills brown, inner web with 

 pale edges ; tail-feathers black, the outer pairs with large whitish 

 tips and margins : a pale superciliary lipe ; all the underparts dull 

 yellow or pale yellowish buff, palest on the throat and under tail- 

 coverts. Wing 2-8 inches. 



Jfab. Abyssinia and Bogos Land. 



South-western Race (N. bocagei). — Specimens from Angola re- 

 semble N. tacazze in size and coloration, " but may be readily dis- 

 tinguished from that bird by the bluish-green colouring of the back, 

 Tipper tail-coverts, and throat " {Shelley). 



* The figures between brackets refer to the central pair of tail-featliers. 



