24 IRRISORIDS. 



Key to the iSjjecies. 



a. "Wings with a median white bar ; tail with sub- 

 terminal white spots more or less distinct. 



a. Larger ; bill black cyanomelax, p. 24. 



b'. Smaller ; bill yellow minor, p. 2G. 



h. Wings and tail spotless, bill yellow cabanisi, p. 26. 



1. Rhinopomastus cyanomelas. 



Le Prom^rops namaquois, Temiu. Cat. Syst. du Cabinet d'Orn. 



pp. 74, 217 (1807) ; Levaill. Hist. Nat. 'From. pi. 5 (ad.), pi. 6 



(juv.)(1807). 

 Falcinellus cyanomelas, Vieill. N. Diet. cTRist. Nat. xxviii. p. 165 



(1819). 

 Upupa purpurea, Bttrch. Trav. 8. Afr. i. pp. 326, 464 (1822). 

 Epimachus cyanomelas, Wagler, Syst. Av., Promerops, sp. 5 (1827), 

 Epimachus unicolor, Wagler, Isis, 1829, p. 656. 

 Rhinopomastus smithii, Jard. Zool. Journ. iv. p. 1, pi. i. (1828). 

 Ebinopomastes cyanomelas. Less. Traite d'Orn. p. 239 (1831); Bp. 



Consp. i. p. 411 ( 1850) ; Reichenb. Handb. Scansoi-es, p. 325, Taf. dc. 



tigs. 4048-49 ( 1853) ; Cab. ^ Heine, Mus. Hein. Th. ii. p. 129 



(1860) ; Hartl. Ibis, 1862, p. 145 ; Barratt, Ibis, 1876, p. 199 ; Sharps, 



ed. Bayard's B. S. Afr. pp. 138, 809 (1876-84) ; Cab. J.f. 0. 1878, 



p. 234; Sharpe, in' Oates' Matabeh-Land, A^-p. p. .304 (1881); 



SheUey, P. Z. S. 18«1, p. 570, 1882, p. .'502 ; Butler, Feilden, Sf Beid, 



Zool. 1882, p. 207 ; Schaloio,J.f. O. 1883, p. 351 ; Fischer, J.f. O. 



1885, p. 127 ; Ayres, Ibis, 1887, p. 52 ; Symonds, t. c. p. 328. 

 Promerops purpuratus. Strains. B. W. Afr. ii. p. 121 (1837). 

 Rhinopomastes levaillanti, Less, (ubi F), teste G. R. Gray. 

 Epimachus unicolor, Licht. Verz. Vog. Kaffernl. p. 17 (1842). 

 Irrisor cyanomelas, Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 90 (1847 ) ; Scl. P. Z. S. 



1864, p. 110; Mont. P. Z. S. 1865, p. 94: Layard, B. S. Afr. 



p. 73; Gurney, Ibis, 1868, p. 44 ; Ilei/yl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. p. 217 



(1869); Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 104. no. 1268 (1869) ; Sharps, P. 



Z. S. 1869, p". 567 ; Finsch ^- Hartl. Vog. Ostafr. p. 207 (1870) ; 



Gurney in Anderss. B. Dam.-Ld. p. 67 (1872) ; Kirk, Ibis, 1872, 



p. 325; Buckley, Ibis, 1874, p. 366; Fischer <Sr Reichen. J. /.. O. 



1878, p. 256, 1879, p. 344 (Malindi) ; Bocage, Orn. Angola, p. 127 



(1881); £oh7n, J. f. 0. 1883, p. 190; Fischer, Zeifschr. ges. Orn. i. 



p. 360 (1884) ; id. J.f. O. 1885, p. 127 ; Biittik. Notes Leyden Mus. 



X. p. 222 (1888), xi. p. 68 (1889) ; Souza, Jorn. Lisb. no. 45 (1887) ; 



Shelle}!, Ibis, 1888, p. 297; id. P. Z. S. 1889, p. 358; Reichen. 



.If 6. 1889, p. 276 (Quilimane). 

 Irrisor unicolor. Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 90 (1847) ; Bp. Consp. i. p. 411 



(1850). 

 Rhinopomastes unicolor, Licht. Nomencl. p. (!^ (1854). 

 Irrisor aterrimus, Finsch ^ Hartl. Vog. Ostafr. p. 209 (1870) ; 



Gurney in Anderss. B. Dam.-Ld. p. 68 (1872). 



Adult male. Glossy steel-blue, more purple on the back, scapulars, 

 and hind neck, duller on the chin and throat, blacker on the abdomen 

 and under wing-coverts ; a white band crosses the middle of the 

 primaries, the outer web of the first three quills being wholly dark, 

 a small .=pot of white appearing ou the outer web of the fourth quill, 



