286 Capt. B. Alexander on the 



on its outskirts. We procured specimens at Cape Coast and 

 also at Kintampo, but never found it in Ashanti. 



This species appears to pass throuo;li several well-defined 

 stages of plumage before that of the adult is assumed. We 

 may divide these stages into four : — 



Isi stage (nestling) . — Like the female, but throat and fore- 

 neck dull blackish. 



2nd stage. — Throat and fore-neck metallic purple. 



'drd stage. — Metallic purple on throat and fore-neck more 

 intense ; breast and abdomen clear yellow. 



4:th stage. — Adult plumage, the crown being the last to 

 assume the metallic colouring. 



At Cape Coast, in June, we obtained adult males in full 

 breeding-dress. At the same time young males were in the 

 second and third stages of plumage. 



At Kintampo, in November and December, we killed 

 immature males in the fourth stage — i. e. the adult plumage, 

 with the exception of a few feathers, was practically assumed. 



In the British Museum there are two males, killed at 

 Accra in February, in the second stage of plumage; and 

 another male, obtained in August from Senegal, in the same 

 state. 



Therefore we have examples of immature birds obtained 

 in February, June, November, and December (mouths 

 practically embracing the whole year) passing through 

 several phases of plumage, each in its way complete and 

 shewing no direct transitional change. 



From this it would seem that it takes at least a year for 

 the young bird to assume its full plumage. 



7. CiNNYRis CHLOROPYGius (Jard.). 



Cinnyris chloropygius Gadow, Cat. B. ix. p. 34 (ISS^) ; 

 Reichen. J. f. O. 1897, p. 46 (Togoland) ; Shelley, B. Afr. 

 ii. p. 83 (1900). 



Nectarinia chloropygia Shelley & Buckley, Ibis, 1872, 

 p. 287 (Gold Coast) . 



Specimens from Prahsu aud Kwissa. 



