/. SAECIDIOENIS, 



57 



Jom. Ac. Sc. lAsb. 1876, p. 256 ; id. J. f. O. 1876, p. 295 (HuiUa, 

 Cunene, Gambos) ; Fischer, J. f. O. 1879, p. 296; Milne-Edw. 8f 

 Grand. Ois. Maday. p. 719, pis. 267 (d ad.), 268 «, 2686 (osteo- 

 lo^-) 270. f. 1 (head) (1881) ; Bohm, J. f. O. 1882, p. 180 (Ka- 

 koma), 1885, pp. 50, 54 ; Fischer, J. f. O. 1885, p. 115 ; Hartert, 

 J.f. 0. 1886, pp. 575, 611 (Niger-Benu^) ; Matschie, J.f. O. 1887, 

 p. 137 (Boga-Katani), p. 144 (Marimgii) ; Hchmv. J. f. 0. 1892, p. 6 

 (Victoria Njansa) ; id. Vtiff. Deutsch-Ost-Afr. p. 27 (1894). 



Sarcidiornis regia, Sclat. (nee Mol), Ibis, 1802, p. 284 (Xatal). 



Sarcidiornis africanus. Kirk, Ibis, 18U4, p. 335 (Zambesi) ; Shell. 

 P. Z. S. 1881, p. 001 (Melinda), 1889, p. 371 (Kilimanjaro). 



Anas melanota, part., Schley. Slus. P.-B., Anseres, p. 24 (Mada- 

 gascar, Africa) (1866); Gieb. Thes. Orn. i. p. 356 (part) (1872). 



Sarcidiornis melanonotus, Heiiyl. Reis. in d. Geb. d. Weiss. Nil, 

 p. 348 (1869) ; id. Peterm. Geocp: Mitth. 1869, p. 413 ; id. 

 Orn. N.-O. Afr. ii. 2, p. 1280 (1873) ; Rchnv. J.f. O. 1887, p. 46 

 (Kagebi) ; Hartert, Kat. Vogelsamml. p. 237 (part.) (1891). 



Sarkidiornis melanotus, Anderss. B. Damara Land, p. 335 (1872) ; 

 Shell. Ibis, 1882, p. 367 (-Molopo River). 



? Sarcidiornis ruber, Reichenb. (errore?), Bohm, J.f. 0. 18S6, p. 424. 



Sarcidiornis melanonota, Emin, J.f. O. 1891, p. 339. 



Adult male. Head and neck white, interspersed "vritli metallic 

 black feathers ; crown and a band along the hind neck almost en- 

 tirely black ; base of the neck and lower plumage, including the 

 under tail-coverts, white ; upper back, the whole of the wings, 

 rump, and upper tail-coverts black, glossed with green and blue, but 

 the secondaries glossed with bronze and the scapulars with purple ; 

 lower back grey ; tail umber-brown : sides and flanks tinged with 

 grey ; a black curved line on the sides of the lower neck ; on the 

 lower flanks a black band descending from the rump : " iris dark 

 brown ; bill and comb black ; legs and feet dark plumbeous"' (Oates). 

 Total length about 30 inches, wing 15, tail 6, bill from gape 2'6, 

 tarsus 3. The fleshy comb on the bill of the male is about 2 inches 

 high in the breeding-season, and very small and inconspicuous at 

 other times. 



female. Very similar to the male, but much smaller ; head and 

 neck more spotted with black ; metallic gloss on the upper plu- 

 mage much reduced in amount ; whole rump and upper tail-coverts, 

 as well as the lower back, grey : no fleshy comb on the upper man- 

 dible. Wing 11 to 11 "5 inches. 



Younr/. Head and neck more spotted than in the adult bird, but 

 the dark spots and the crown brown-black ; back and scapulars 

 brown ; rump and upper tail-coverts greyish brown ; tail brown ; 

 underparts white, tinged with rusty. 



Younr/ ill down. Upper parts greyish brown ; underparts greyish 

 white ; upper part of the head brown ; a whitish frontal band runs 

 on each side of the head over the eyes ; a whitish cresccntic band 

 botinds behind the brown colour of the upper part of the head ; a 

 narrow brown band starts from the ear-coverts and reaches a brown 

 band on the hind neck ; two white patches on the sides of the back, 

 at the base of the wings, and two others on the sides of the rump ; 

 posterior edge of the wing whitish. 



