224 PLOCEID^. 



8. UROBRACHYA. ^ 



Type. 



Urobrachya, 5/). Consjh i. p. 447 (1850) U. axillaris. 



Bnnge. Confined to Africa, from Port Elizabeth along the whole 

 of Eastern Africa to the Upper White Xile. Entirely absent in the 

 West Coast region, but found in Benguela. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Patch on lesser wing-coverts scarlet. , •// • •« 994 



a: Greater wing-coverts black -^ ">2kMti~Y>. 225. 



b'. Greater wing-coverts light chestnut ■{ ••'^'ooo* 



'=' ° ( traversu, p. 226. 



b, Patcli on lesser wing-coverts orange-yellow . . bocagii, p. 226. 



1. Urobracliya axillaris. 



Vidua, sp., Smith, S. Afr. Q. Journ. 1831, p. 12. 



Vidua a.xillaris, Smith, III. Zool. S. Afr., Birds, pi. 17 (1838) ; Gi-ay, 



Gen. B.ii. -p. 355 (1849); Gurney, Ibis, 1860, p. 211; Layard, 



B. S. Afr. p. 180 (1867); Gray, Hand-l. B. ii. p. 48, no. 6666 



(1870) ; Shnrpe, Cat. Afr. B. p. 62 (1871). 

 Urobrachva axillaris, Bp. Consp. i. p. 447 (1850) ; Reichenb. Sinqv. 



p. 64, taf. xxix. fig. 229 (181(i); Butler, Feilden, ^ Reid, Zool. 



1882, p. 298 ; Cab. J.f. O. 1882, p. 122. 

 Pentbetria axillaris, Licht. Noniencl. Av. Neotr. p. 49 (1854) ; Finsch 



8i Hartl. Vog. Ostafr. p. 421 (1870) ; Sharpe, ed. LayarcTs B. S. 



Afr. pp. 461, 849 (1884). 

 Cohuspasser axillaris, Shelley, Ibis, 1880, p. 348. 



Adult male. General colour above and below velvety black, with 

 rather a pronounced gloss ; lesser wing-coverts brilliant orange- 

 scarlet ; median coverts uniform cinnamon-brown ; greater coverts 

 black, externally edged with cinnamon-brown, the inner ones and 

 the inner secondaries with whity brown ; bastard-wing and primary- 

 coverts black, the latter with cinnamon-brown bases ; under wing- 

 coverts and axillaries uniform cinnamon-brown ; quills and tail- 

 feathers black. Total length 6'3 inches, culmen O'Go, wing 3"4, 

 tad 2-8, tarsus 0-95. 



Adult female. Different from the male. Sandy buff, broadly 

 streaked with black, the edges to the feathers of the mautle whiter ; 

 lesser wing-coverts orange with black centres ; median and greater 

 coverts, bastard-wing, primary-coverts, quills, and tail-feathers 

 blackish brown, edged with sandy buff or whity brown, the median 

 coverts slightly washed with orange ; a broad eyebrow of brownish 

 vhite; sides of face and ear-coverts light brown, with a narrow 

 blackish line along the upjier and lower edge of the ear-coverts ; 

 cheeks and under surface of body uniform pale sandy buff, browner 

 on the flanks, which nre faintly streaked with dusky brown ; thighs 

 cinnamon-buff; under tail-coverts isabelline ; under wing-coverts 

 and axillaries uniform cinnamon-brown. Total length 5'2 inches, 

 culmen 0'65, wing 3, tail 1-75, tarsus 0"95. 



