52 LAMPROTOKNIS 



Coccycolius, Oust. Bull. Ass. Sc. France, xxiii. p. 159 



(1878) L. iris. 



Chalcopsar, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xiii. p. 1-53 (1890) . . L. australis. 



Heteropsar, Sharpe, t. c. p. 185 L. aculicaudus. 



The genus is confined to Tropical and South Africa, and comprises 19 

 species and subspecies. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



a. Tail more strongly graduated (graduation more than 2 

 inches) ; tail more strongly marked with narrow dusky 

 bars. 



fli. Tail longer than the wing (some specimens of L. pur- 

 furopterus excepted). 

 a". Head bronze, contrasting sharply in colour with the 

 neck and back, 

 a*. Flanks and under tail-coverts steel blue ; larger. 



a*. Neck, mantle and wings glossy green . caudatiis. -J ? 



b*. Neck, mantle and wings more steel blue . eytonl. j- j 



6^. Flanks and under tail-coverts violet or reddish 

 purple ; smaller. 

 c*. Smaller : average measurements, wing 60, 



tail 6-1 purpuropterus. . ' 



d*. Larger : average measurements, wing C-G, 



tail 8-0 .... (tneocephalus. 4 (, 



h-. Head of the same shade as the neck and back. 



c^. Throat and crop more steel blue mevesi. *• ? 



d^. Throat and crop of a more purple shade . . . benguelensis. JT y 

 b^. Tail shorter than the wing australis. I ^ 



b. Tail less graduated. 



c^. Outer tail-feathers fall short of tip of tail by more 

 than the length of hind toe without claw. 

 C-. Primaries with a deep angular notcji on their inner 

 webs ; tail velvety black glossed on the sides and 

 ends with the same colour as the upper tail-coverts. 

 e^. Back, throat and chest glossed with brass bronze ornatus. < "^ 

 /^. Back, throat and chest not glossed with brass 

 bronze, 

 fi*. Throat redder ; more copper shade across the 



chest splendidus. ^j^ 



/*. Throat bluer ; less copper shade across the 



chest chrysonolis. i i 



