18. CENTRorus. 357 



20. Centropus nigrorufus. 



Lo Coucal uoiru male, Lvvaill. Ois. iVAfr. v. p. 78, pi. 220 (1808) ; 



Siindev. Krtf. Framst. Levaill. p. 48 (1857). 

 Ciiculus nioTorufus, Cuv. Ith/nc Aniin. i. p. 426 (1817). 

 Oorydonix bicolor, Vieill. N. Did. Hist. Nut. xxxiv. p. 297 (1819). 

 Centropus iiigTorufiis, Steph. Gen. Zool. xiv. p. 213 (1826) ; Bp. 



Cunsp. i. p. 107 (1850) ; Cat). ^- Heine, Mus. Hein. iv. p. 107, 



note (18(')2) ; ScJil. Mus. Pai/.^t-Bas, Cuciili, p. 64 (1864) ; Laycird, 



B. S. Afr.'i^ 245 (1867) ; Grai/, Hand-l. B. ii. p. 213, uo. 8952 



(1870);" Sharjye, P. Z. S. 1873, p. 623; Bocaqe, Jorn. Lisb. vi. 



p. 146 (1877) ; Cab. J. f. O. 1878, p. 238 ; Fischer ^- Reichen. 



J. f. O. 1879, p. 341 ; Bokm, J. f. O. 1883, p. 164; Schaloiv, t. c. 



p. 346 ; S/iarpe, eel. Layard's B. S. Afr. pp. 165, 810 (1884) ; 



Fischer, J.f. O. 1885, p. 123 ; Matschie, J. f. 0. 1887, p. 149. 

 Ceutropus grilli, Hartl. J.f. O. 1861, p. 13; Cab. Sf Heine, 3Ius. 



Hein. iv. p. 107 (1868) ; Gray, Hand-I. B. ii. p. 213, no. 8953 



(1870) ; Sharps, P. Z. S. 1873, p. 623. 



Not quite adult. Head, neck, interscapular region, and under- 

 paris black, with a bluish-green gloss ; wing rufous, paler than in 

 C. iouJou ; all the wing-coverts with blackish-brown and whitish 

 shaft-stripes ; quills with broad brown ends ; back duller than the 

 head, and partially barred with rufous-bufF; upper tail-coverts and 

 tail uniform glossy greenish black ; breast slightly mottled with 

 buff feathers, a few of which are barred with black : bill and legs 

 entirely black ; iris crimson. Total length 12-2 inches, culmen 1, 

 wing &G, tail 7, tarsus l-o. 



Immature female. Differs in having the underparts uniform 

 black glossed with greenish blue ; quills barred with blackish 

 brown ; back fulvous chestnut, mottled with black bars ; the tail- 

 feathers partially barred with buif ; bill entirely black. Total 

 length 13-7 inches, culmen 1, wing 6"9, tail 7'8, tarsus 1"6. 



This species differs from its allies in having a shorter and entirely 

 black bill, and in the rufous colouring of the wing being paler. Its 

 nearest ally is G. hengalcnsis. 



Hah. South-eastern Africa, ranging to the Zanzibar district of 

 Eastern Africa, and to Gaboon on the West Coast. 



a. 2 ad. sk. Port Natal, Nov. 28 ( Wahlberg). Sharpe Coll. 



b. $ ad. sk. Gelidja, East Africa, June {Dr. Shelley Coll. 



Fischer), 



21. Centropus epomidis. 



Centropus epomidis, Bp. Consp. i. p. 107 (1850), e.v Temm. MSS. 

 in 3Ius. Luffd. ; Hartl. Orn. W.-Afr. p. 186 (1857) ; Cab. ilf 

 Heine, Mus. Hein. iv. p. 107, note (1862) ; Schl. Mus. Pai/s-Bas, 

 Cuculi, p. 17 (1864) ; Grai/, Hand-l. B. ii. p. 213, no. 8951 ; Sharpe, 

 P. Z. S. 1873, p. 622. 



Adult. Entire head, neck, rump, upper and under tail-coverts, 



