34. LAMPROCOLITJS. 



183 



■with copper}- bronze, more distinct on the sides of body and flanks ; 

 thighs and under tail- coverts dull black, glossed with purjile ; under 

 wing-coverts and axillarics black, edged with purplish blue ; quills 

 below black, ashy blackish along the edge of the iuuer web ; bill 

 and feet black : " iris golden yellow " (&'. E. Shelle>/). Total length 

 8 inches, culmeu 0"7o, wing 4-35, tail 3"3, tarsus 1. 



Some males in winter plumage, when the colours are brightest, 

 have a steel-green shade overspreading the back and eclipsing the 

 purple shade. This seems to occur directly the plumage begins to 

 wear ; at least I judge this to be the case from a young moulting 

 specimen, in which the fresh dorsal plumage appears to be purplish 

 rather than green. 



In October before the breeding-season, the plumage is very much 

 duller, and gradually becomes more so as the nesting progresses. 



Adult ftmale. Much duller than the males and with the bril- 

 liant colouring obscured, especially underneath, where the lower 

 breast and abdomen have no bronzy lustre, but are dull smoky 

 blackish. Total length 7'3 inches, culmen 0*7, wing 4, tail 2-9, 

 tarsus 0'9. 



I can see no difference in females killed in July and October. 



Young birds are much duller than the admts, aU the glossy 

 plumage being dusky with very little lustre ; the lower breast 

 and abdomen, as well as the sides of the body and flanks, sooty 

 blackish, with scarcely any gloss whatever and showing none of the 

 bronzy lustre of the adult birds. 



Hah. From South-eastern Africa to the Mombasa district in 

 East Africa. 



a. Ad. sk. 



b. 2 ad. sk. 



c. Ad. St. 



d. S ad. sk. 

 e,f,yJt,i- 6 ad. 



et juv. sk. 

 k. c? imm. sk. 



I, m. (^ ad. et 



juv. ; n, 0. 2 



imm. sk. 

 p, q. Ad. ; r, s. 



Juv. sk. 

 t, u. Ad. sk. 

 V, w, a: Ad. ; y, z, 



«'. Imm. sk. 

 b'. S ad. sk. 



c'. Ad. sk. 



Kingwilliamstown. 

 KingwiUiamstown, Nov. 12, 



1884 (C. Kewbi/). 

 Xatal. 

 Natal. 

 Durban, July, Nov. (T. L. 



Ai/res). 

 DmlDan, March 26, 1874 



(G. E. S.). 

 Pinetown, Natal, March, July, 



Oct. {T. L. Ay res). 



Lamo, Zanzibar district {Sir 



J. Kirk). 

 Pangaui River (Sir J. Kirk). 

 Melinda {Sir J. Kirk). 



Wito, Nov. 19, 1877 {G. A. 



Fischer). 

 Mombasa. 



Capt. Trevelyan [0.]. 

 Shelley Coll. 



Pm'chased. 



Dr. Gueinzius [C.J. 



Shelley CoU. 



Shelley Coll. 



SheUey CoU. 



SheUey Coll. 



Shelley Coll. 

 SheUey Coll. 



SheUey CoU. 



Rev. A. Buxton [P.]. 



