Birds fi'om British East Africa and Uganda. 429 



187. Ceuthmochares aereus australis. South Africau 

 Coucal. 



Ceuthmochares australis Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1873, p. 609 : 

 Natal. 



a. ? ad. Nakwai Hills, 3500 ft. Feb. 7. 



Total length in flesh : 13|^ inches. Wing : 123 mm. 



This single specimen agrees perfectly with birds from 

 Natal, and is in somewhat worn dress. 



[Irides red ; bill yellow, base of culmen black; legs and 

 toes black. Appears to be rare, as this was the only speci- 

 men seen during the whole trip.] 



In naming this bird I have examined all the specimens of 

 this group in the British Museum, and can recognise four 

 distinct races as follows : — 



Ceuthmochares ^.reus .^reus. 



Cuculns (2reus Vieill. Nouv. Diet. d^Hist. Nat. vol. viii. 

 1817, p. 229 : Malimbe, Portuguese Congo. 



Head dark grey, not washed with violet; back, wings, and 

 tail steel-blue, the tail in some specimens having a w^ash of 

 greenish ; tail below washed with violet, but not so deep as 

 in C. (P. f/avirostris ; rest of uuderparts somewhat paler than 

 in C. (S. flavirostris. 



Range. Cameroon and Gaboon, French Congo to Bembe 

 in northern Angola ; also the island of Fernando Po. 



Ceuthmochares ^reus flavirostris. 



Zanclostomus flavirostris Swains. Birds W. Afr. vol. ii. 

 1837, p. 183 ; West Africa = Senegal. 



Head dark grey, washed with violet ; back, wings, and tail 

 deep violet-blue, tail below washed with purple ; rest of 

 uuderparts grey, faintly washed with violet. 



Range. From Senegal to the Gold Coast Colony. 



Ceuthmochares ^reus australis. 



Ceuthmochares australis Sharpe, op. cit. 



Head olive-grey ; back, wings, and tail clear bronze-green, 

 tail below bronze-green ; rest of uuderparts buff or 

 ochraceous. 



Range. Natal, Zambesi, Portuguese East Africa, Nyasa- 

 laud, British East Africa to Nakwai Hills in Uganda. 



2g2 



