SPKEO 85 



Genus VII. SPREO. 



Bill generally black like the tarsi and feet, but in .S'. hicolor a portion 

 of it is yellow: its shape is very Thrush-like, with the nostrils exposed. 

 Wing long and pointed ; third primary one of the longest. Tail square or 

 rounded, shorter than tlie wing ; tarsi ratlier long and the outstretched feet 

 reaching to the end of the tail in all the rufous-breasted species. 



Spreo, Less. Traite, p. 407 (1831) .S'. hicolor. 



Notauges, Cab. Mus. Hein. i. p. 198 (1851) S. bicolor. 



The genus is confined to Tropical and South Africa and comprises six 

 species, 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



a. Under tail-coverts white. 



«i. Chest and throat similar in colour. 



a". Upper parts, throat, chest and thighs brown .... bicolor. 



b-. Crown and thighs white albicapillus.'^^ 



b^. Breast orange chestnut, separated from the metalhc 



coloured throat by a white band supcrbiis. 



b. Under tail-coverts chestnut ; throat of metallic colours. 



c^. Under surface of wings brown; abdomen, thighs and 

 under tail-coverts deep chestnut. 



c". Chest rufous buff paler than the abdomen hildebrandti. 7/ 



d~. Chest deep chestnut like the abdomen shcllcyi. 



d'-. A large portion of under-surface of wings rufous buff , inilcher. 



Spreo bicolor. 



Turdus bicolor, Gm. S. N. ii. p. 835 (1788) Cape. 



Spreo bicolor, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. siii. p. 187 (1890); Shelley, B. Afr. I. 

 No. 608 (1896) ; Eeichen. Vog. Afr. ii. p. 673 (1903) ; Whitehead, Ibis, 

 1903, p. 223 Orange Ii. ; Clarke, Ibis, 1904, p. 525 Bloemfontein ; 

 Shortridge, Journ. S. Afr. 0. U. i. p. 19 (1905) Cape Col. 



Le Spreo, Levaill. Ois. Afr. ii. p. 155, pi. 88 (1799) Cape Col. 



Adult male. General plumage bronzy brown inclining to black in front 

 of the eyes, slightly greener on the neck and a lilac tinge on the inner 

 portions of the wings ; tail more strongly glossed with green ; under surface 

 of quills silvery brown with white shafts to several of the outer primaries ; 

 abdomen and under tail-coverts white somewhat shaded with rufous buff 

 and strongly contrasting with the thighs, which are of the same brown as 



