LAMPROTORNIS CAUDATUS 55 



wings oil green, without the slightest mixture of purple blue. 

 This would be the true L. caudatus.'" 



Mr. Boyd Alexander writes : " An adult male from Karaga, 

 where the species is rare. It frequents the open bush-countr}*, 

 nesting in holes in the big baobab-trees. Our specimen has 

 the back, breast and wings oil green, with no trace of purple 

 blue. It agrees well with a female specimen obtained by 

 Gitfard at Moshi. The sexes are therefore alike in plumage. 

 The similar birds with the purple blue colour would be 

 L. eijfuiii (Fras.). There seems to be no reason why it 

 should not stand as a distinct species." 



Marche and de Compiegue collected specimens at Dakar, 

 Ruffique, Hann, Deine, Daranka, Tinghinchor and Sedhiu. 

 Dr. Kendall procured it once near Bathurst on the Grambia, 

 and ^Ir. Budgett mentions it as very common on M'Carthy 

 Island. Erman has recorded the species from Prince's 

 Island, but this statement is incorrect, yiV/e "Dohrn, P. Z. S.," 

 18GG, p. 331. 



In the Niger district Dr. Hartert found it to be one of 

 the most abundant of the Glossy Starling between Saria, 

 Kamo and Hocota, and procured a specimen at Kotorkoschi 

 in the northern highlands, which had been feeding upon fruit. 



To the eastward it is distributed over the Gazelle River 

 district, Kordofan and Bennar, and I cannot trace its range 

 further south or east. Heuglin remarks that although it is 

 resident in these parts, it shifts its quarters in accordance 

 with the supply of food, and moults in November and 

 December. It is a shy bird, frequenting the woodlands in 

 pairs or family parties of six to eight individuals, and is 

 noisy and active, searching the tliiek foliaged high trees 

 for fruit, buds and insects, and will occasionally capture the 

 latter while on the wing. Of a morning they may be seen 

 in Hocks with other Gloss} Starlings near water, and when 

 on the ground they strut about with their tails erect. 



