44. TKocuocEKcrs. 301 



Heine, J. f. O. 1859, p. 428 ; Sharpe ^- Bouvier, Bull Soc. Zool. 

 France, 1870, p. 45 ; Socage, Oin. Angola, p. 195. 



Tchitrea uitens, Gray, Hand-L B. p. 334, uo. 5030. 



Terpsiphone nitens, Finsch iSf Hartl. Vog. Ostafr. p. 312, note. 



Tei-psiplione atrocLalybea J , Sharpe, Ibis, 1874, p. 61 {nee Thomson). 



Terpsiplione nigriniitVata, Reichenow, J.f. 0. 1874, p. 110 (types ex- 

 amined)*. 



Adult male. General colour above glossy steel- black ; quills and 

 tail black, edged with the same colour as the back ; sides of face, 

 sides of neck, throat, and fore neck glossy steel-black : rest of under 

 siirface light slaty grey, as also the under wing-coverts : thighs 

 dusky brown ; quills blackish below, lighter brown along the edge 

 of the inner web. Total length 6 inches, culmen 0-6, wing 2-5, 

 tail 2-9, tarsus 0-65. 



Bill and fout of Trorhirernis nitens. 

 Adult female. Top of head (or crest) only glossy black as in the 



species of this group larger than either T. cyanomelas or T. nitens. Young of 

 both sexes resemble the females of both the species just mentioned, but are of 

 darker cinereous, and like them have the crest only black. The bill is larger and 

 more depressed. I do not regard it as expedient to propose a new specific desig- 

 nation in this difficult family, without having adult specimens." {Cassin, I. c.) 



* Dr. Peters was so kind as to send me for examination the types of Dr. 

 Keichenows' T. nigrimitrafa ; and in the absence of typical specimens of Trocho- 

 cereus nitens, I was inclined to consider them quite a distinct species. During 

 a recent visit, however, to Leiden, I found several birds from the Gold Coast 

 agreeing with Dr. Reichenow's specimens, and identified in that collection as T. 

 nitens of Cassin. On re-examining the subject I consider this identification 

 correct, and I also identify with the same species three specimens which 1 had 

 before determined as the female of Tcrpfiphoyu afrochali/hea. At the same time 

 I give a description of the types lent me by Dr. Peters, and shoidd add that the 

 woodcuts which accompany this article are drawn from the Berlin specimens. 



Male (type of species). General colour above slaty blue, as also an eye- 

 brow, sides of head, and under surface of body ; the lower parts rather lighter 

 and more greyish blue ; entire crown of head black, forming a cap ; least wing- 

 coverts slaty blue like the back, the remainder of the coverts and the quills dark 

 sepia-brown, with an obscure edging of slaty blue on some of the coverts and 

 inner secondaries ; tail-feathers blackish ; bill black ; feet blue ; iris dark. Total 

 length 55 inches, culmen Goo, wing 2-55, tail 2 5, tarsus 07. {Miis- Berol.) 



Adult female. Differs from the male in being ashy blackish above, with a 

 greenish gloss, the crown dusky black ; below ashy whitish, as also the lore* and 

 eyebrow; sides of face end neck a,-<hy whitish, the ear-coverts dull blackish. 

 Total length 55 inehes, culmen 0'55, wing 2-4, tail 25, tarsus 06. 



