CENTROPUS NIGRORUFUS. 165 
ochre; under surface of body yellowish white, the feathers of the 
sides of the neck whitish in the centre, this streak margined on each 
side with black, giving a very distinctly striped appearance, the 
shafts of the breast feathers whitish, but without the black lines on 
them; sides of the body, flanks, and under tail-coverts narrowly 
barred with blackish ; under wing-coverts pale rufous, with obsolete 
streaks as on the sides of the neck; beak black; feet bluish slate- 
colour; iris bright crimson. Total length, 16°3 inches ; culmen, 1°35 ; 
wing, 6°25; tail, 8:3; tarsus, 1°55. 
Hig. Ripp. N. W. Vog. p. 56, t. 21, fig. 1. 
_ 147. Centropus MonacuHts. Purple-headed Lark-heeled Cuckoo. 
This fine Lark-heel is closely allied to the foregoing species, but is 
slightly larger and has the head purplish-blue instead of greenish- 
black. It is found in North Eastern and in Western Africa, and has 
been procured as low down as Mosambique on the Hast Coast. 
Senor Anchieta has collected specimens at Huilla’in Mossamedes 
and Caconda in Benguela, as well as at Ambaca in Angola. 
_ Adult.—Hntire head and neck black, with a brilliant purplish- 
blue gloss, the shafts glossy black; centre of the back and entire 
wings bright chestnut, the tips of the primaries and the inner 
_ secondaries olive-brown ; rump dusky black, glossed with purplish 
blue ; upper tail-coverts greenish ; tail brown with a dull greenish 
gloss; under surface of the body yellowish white, the flanks and 
abdomen inclining to ochre, the shafts rather distinct, especially 
on the throat ; under wing-coverts buff, the lower ones chestnut, 
like the inner face of the wing; bill and feet black; iris red. Total 
length, 15-4 inches; culmen, 1:25; wing, 7:2; tail, 9:3; tarsus, 1-9. 
Fig. Ripp. N. W. Vég. p. 57, Taf. 21. fig. 2. 
148. Curnrrorus NIGRORUFUS. Natal Lark-heeled Cuckoo. 
Le Vaillant found this species near the Zwart River, and the 
description given below is from a Natal skin procured by the late 
Professor Wahlberg on the 28th November, 1840. It may be distin- 
guished from the other Lark-heels of South Africa by its black 
abdomen. 
Female——Head and neck all round, fore neck and chest deep 
black, the shafts to the feathers glossy black; rest of underparts 
also black, but the black shafts not so distinct ; interscapulary region 
