Expedition to the Zambesi River. 429 



9-7o inclics, wing 4-1. Iris black; bill, tip orange-yellow, 

 base claret-colour; legs and feet dark brown. 



We found these birds most difficult to skin, quite as bad 

 as the Trogons. 



180. PffiOCKPHALUS MEYERI (Riipp.). 



Poeocephalus meyeri enjthrecE, Oscar Neumann, Ornith. 

 Monatsberichte, vii. p. 2 (1899). 



Poeocephalus meyeri transvaalensis, id. ibid. 



Fairly plentiful from Tete onwards. Observed generally 

 in companies, but now and again in couples, frequenting the 

 wooded banks of dried-up watercourses dotted with pools. 

 At the end of August this species was breeding, when all 

 the males kept company together. 



After a careful examination of our series and of the fine 

 material in the British Museum, we are unable to recognize 

 the validity of the two subspecies. 



According to Mr. Oscar Neumann, the characteristics of 

 P. m. erythrecB (from Kokai) are: (1) a bluish sea-green 

 rump; (2) upper parts washed with olive-green. Of P. m. 

 transvaalensis : (1) a slight olive-green wash on the upper 

 parts; (2) a little larger wing-measurement. 



Among the fine series of P. meyeri in the British Museum 

 there are eight specimens obtained at Kokai (Jesse & 

 Blanford) . 



All of these birds Avere killed in the same month (July 

 1868), within a day or two of each other, and are without 

 doubt freshly-moulted birds. The upper parts have a dis- 

 tinct oliVe-green wash, and the rump and underparts are 

 bluish green. In this plumage they are typical of P. erythrea. 



In the same collection there are also specimens of P. meyeri, 

 obtained in the Transvaal in July [Ayres). They belong to 

 the subspecies P. transvaalensis. These, again, are freshly- 

 moulted birds, and are identical with those obtained at Kokai, 

 except that the olive-green wash on the upper parts is a little 

 less strong. 



Five specimens in our series, killed at the end of August 

 onward, as well as others from the Zambesi in the British 



