3. RHINOPOMASTUS. 23 



Geol. Si Zool. Abyss, p. 334(1870) ; Finsch, Ttwis. Z. S. vii. p. 227 

 (1870) ; Hartl. Abhandl. not. Ver. Bremen, viii. p. 205 (1888). 

 ? Irrisor pusillus {nee Sw.), Reichen. Jf. 0. 1887, p. 305(Leopoldville). 



Adult. Similar to that of S. aterrimus, but the upper surface 

 bluer where >S'. aterrimus is purple and greener where that bird is 

 steel-blue ; the outermost rectrix on either side alwaj-s has a 

 subterminal white band, which varies somewhat in width and is 

 sometimes divided into two spots by the dark shaft. 



Young. Differs from the young of S. pusillus in the same way as 

 the adults from one another. 



The adult males of this species have a dark greyish subterminal 

 patch on the inner webs of the primaries. In the females this is 

 much larger, paler, and more distinct. 



This bird of i^.E. Africa has usually been united with the West- 

 African >S'. imsillus, but from the specimens before me I have no 

 difficulty in distinguishing the two birds. 



Hab. North-east Africa, perhaps extending into the Congo region. 



a. Imm. sk. Ailat, Bogos (Hsler). Sharpe Coll. 



b. Ad. sk. Senafe, Abyssinia, May 13 Tweeddale Coll. 



( JF. Jesse). 



c. S ad. sk. Rairo, Bogos, Aug. ( W. Tweeddale Coll. 



Jesse). 



d. c? ad. sk. Mohaber, .luly 9 ( W. Jesse). Sharpe Coll. 



e. 2 juv. sk. Anseba Vallev, Aug. 7. W. T. Blanford, Esq. 



[C.]. 

 /. [ 5 ] ad. St. Abyssmia (Sir JF. C. Harris). India Museum. 



3. Scoptelus castaneiceps. (Plate III. fig. 2.) 

 Irrisor bollei, juv., Hartl. J.f. Orn. 1858, p. 445. 

 Irrisor castaneiceps, Sharpe, Ibis, 1871, p. 414, 1872, p. G7 ; Ussher, 

 Ibis, 1874, p. 51. 



Adult. Upper surface glossy steel-blue, brighter and greener on 

 the back, scapulars, and wing-coverts ; lower back and upper tail- 

 coverts darker and duller ; tail rich purple ; whole head and neck 

 chestnut ; abdomen greenish black ; under tail-coverts more purple ; 

 bill horn-colour, the tomia whitish ; feet black. Total length about 

 12 inches, wing 4-2, tail 6-6, bill 1-3, tarsus 0-7. 



Specimen a is in rather fresher plumage than the type and the 

 tail is richer purple. 



Bab. Forests of the Gold Coast. 



a. Ad. sk. Fantee. Purchased. 



b. Ad. sk. Fantee (H. T. Ussher). Sharpe Coll. 



(Type of the species. ) 



3. RHINOPOMASTUS. 



-r.1 • r. Type. 



Kiimopomastus, Smith, Zool. Journ. iv. p. 2 (182S) . . R. cyanomelas. 



Ranrje. Southern Africa as far as Angola and the Congo region on 

 the west ; and throughout Eastern and Xorth-castcrn Africa. 



