6. CINNYRIS. 41 



bluish green, outer pair with slight pale tips in some specimens. 

 All the other parts of the plumage are metallic black in position A. 

 In positions B and C the forehead, upper throat, and chest are rich 

 purple ; in B the upper tail-coverts are dark green, the other 

 metallic parts greenish bronzy ; in C the tail-coverts change into 

 dark blue, the rest into brilliant green. In front of the ej-e, on the 

 chin, and between the purple and yellow of the breast are a few 

 black feathers. Under wing-coverts and inner edge of the quills 

 whitish. Culmen (J-70-0-75 inch, wing 1'95, tail 1'4, tarsus U-55. 



Female. Above pale earthy brown with an olive tinge : wings 

 darker brown ; tail blackish brown, the outer pair of feathers broadly 

 edged and tipped with whitish ; undorparts dingy yellow, purest 

 on the abdomen and on the under tail-coverts. Wing l'85-l-95 

 inch, tail 1-2. 



Youn/j males are like the female, but have the throat slightly 

 mottled with blackish. 



Hal). West Africa from Senegambia to Gaboon. 



B. North-eastern or hrighter-coJoured Race (C. aifinis). 



Distribution of colours precisely the same as in the western typical 

 C. venusta, but the breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts are 

 bright and rich yellow ; chest more blue than purple ; upper parts 

 in position B not bronzy but dark golden green, in position C rich 

 bluish green; thighs dark brown instead of buff; pectoral tufts 

 chrome-yellow, instead of scarlet or orange. Culmen 0-70-0'75 inch, 

 wing li-1-2-15 (2'05 in female), tail 1-45-1-5, tarsus 0-6. 



These birds might be called a brighter-coloured and slightly larger 

 race of C. venusta, representing the latter in the northern half of 

 the Ethiopian Eegion, from Abyssinia and Kordofan to Sierra 

 Leone. 



Ohs. One adult male from Sierra Leone, collected by Sabine, agrees 

 perfectly with the richly yellow-coloured race. See Bouvier, I. c. 



C. Southern Race (C. leucogaster). 



Adult male. Entire crown and sides of head, mantle, back, upper 

 tail-coverts, and centre of fore neck metallic golden green, changing 

 to brilliant greenish blue in position C ; chest reddish purple ; rest 

 of fore neck dark bluish green, more blue on the upper throat ; pec- 

 toral tufts bright sulphur-yellow; breast and rest of underparts 

 white, sides slightly washed with grey ; abdomen faintly tinged with 

 yellow ; under wing-coverts blackish ; edge of wing metallic bluish 

 green ; the concealed iluify feathers of the back mottled with whitish 

 and grey. 



Female. Pale earthy brown above ; tail blackish brown, the outer 

 pair of feathers edged and tipped with whitish ; underparts, including 

 edge of wing and under wing-coverts, white, with faint brownish 

 centres to the feathers of fore neck and chest j abdomen tinged with 

 yellow. 



