9. PYKOMELANA. 243 



Euplecte^ abyssiuicus («ec V.), Strickl. ^- Sdater, Contr. Oni. 1851? 



p. lou. 

 Taha dubia, Reichenh. 8iiujv. p. 73 (1861). 

 Pjromelana taha, Sharpe, ed. Layard's B. 8. Afr. p 465 H 884) • 



SM^^ Ibis, 1886, p. 354; BiUtik. Notes Leyden Mus. xi. p. 75 



Adult male. General colour above bright golden yellow, the feathers 

 of the back and rump voluminous and uniform bright yellow ; centre 

 of back yeUow, with a broad black streak on each side of the 

 mantle ; the lateral feathers with black centres like the scapulars 

 the outer ones of which are entirely black ; wing-coverts blackish 

 witi whity-brown margins; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and 

 quills black, edged with whity brown, the secondaries more broadly 

 and slightly tmged with yellow ; upper tail-coverts bright yeUow ; 

 tail-feathers blackish, edged with whity brown; crown of head 

 golden yellow, separated from the back by a broad black collar 

 round the hind neck ; feathers at base of bill, lores, eyelid, ear- 

 coyerts, cheeks, sides of neck, and entire under surface of body 

 velvety black, with a patch of yellow feathers on the sides of the 

 upper breast; thighs and under tail-coverts yellow; under wino'- 

 coverts and axillaries isabelline, the former ashy brown at the base ; 

 quiUs below dusky brown, isabeUine along the inner edge : " bill 

 black; feet dusky brown; iris dusky" (T. Aijres). Total length 

 4-4 inches, culmen 0-5, wing 2-55, tail 1-3, tarsus 0-75. 



In winter, according to Mr. Ayres, the male, which is brown like 

 the adult female, has the bill pale dusky, darker along the culminal 

 ridge. 



Adult female. Different from tlie male. Brown, streaked with 

 black centres to the feathers; wing-coverts, quills, and tail-feathers 

 blackish, broadly edged with brown ; head like the back, but more 

 narrowly streaked : over the eye a broad streak of yellowish buff, 

 widening above the ear-coverts, which are brown, with a blackish 

 line along the upper margin ; under surface of body sandy brown, 

 streaked with black on the lower throat, breast, and sides of body 

 more broadly on the flanks ; throat and abdomen whiter, especially 

 the latter, both unspotted ; under wing-coverts and axillaries isa- 

 beUine, with a tinge of yellow on the edge of the wing : " upper 

 mandible light dusky brown, the under mandible paler ; tarsi and 

 teet light dusky brown; iris light umber-brown" (T. Ayres) 

 lotal length 4-2 inches, culmen 0-5, wing 2-4, tail 1-25, tarsus 0-7. 



Hah. Interior of S.E. Africa from about 2Q'' S. lat. : from the 

 Orange Free State to JSatal and the Transvaal, extending to Ovampo- 

 Land in the west. 



«. dad.st. South Africa. Earl of Derby rP.l. 



6, c. d 2 ad. sk. South Africa. Sir A. Smith [C.]. 



, ^ J , „ , (Types of species.) 



d. 2 ad. sk. South Africa {Sir A. Sviith). Gould Coll. 



e. 5 ad. sk. Lower Umgeni Eiver, Natal, Shelley Coll. 



3\i\Y 21 (T. L. Ayres). 



f. d juv. sk. Natal. Shai-pe Coll. 



9 



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