SPllEO HILDEBRANDTI yi 



IDluniage and pretty ways that it was always welcome, its 

 white eyes gazin,"' up at you from out the black featliers 

 of the head, with a very peculiar effect." Mr. Hawker 

 writes : " This bird was very common after leaving Laferug 

 for the plateau. It was very tame, and came into camp fear- 

 lessly, feeding on scraps. Often, while we halted at midday, 

 this bird and LamprocuHn-'i cJialijbceiis would walk (juite close 

 to our feet and pick up scraps thrown to them." 



From further north Mr. Pease writes: "The connuouest 

 bird in the low countries, it was never seen on the high 

 plateaux, Ijut was observed near Lake Twai and all down the 

 Hawash Valley." The species was discovered in Shoa, by 

 the late IMajor Harris, and has been fairly well figured by 

 Wolf (Riipp. Syst. l^ebers. p. -US). In Shoa it is abundant, 

 and according to Antinori, especially so throughout the wide 

 valle}' of Daimbi ; but Mr. Oscar Neumann remarks that he 

 did not find it to l)e so common in that country as it was 

 in Masailand. 



Spreo hildebrandti. 



Notauges hildebrandti, Cab. J. 1'. 0. 1S7H, p. 233, pi. 3 Ukdmhu. 

 Spveo hildebrantlti, Sluirpe, Cat. B. M. xiii. p. 190 (1890) ; Siielley, B. 

 Afr. I. No. GU (1896) ; Reicheii. Vog. Afr. ii. p. 676 (1903). 



Adult. Head, neck and back deep glossy violet blue; in front of eyes 

 and the ear-coverts darker and less glossy ; hinder half of neck deep glossy 

 bottle green ; wings glossy green, slightly bluer on the primaries and deep 

 steel blue on the lesser coverts, outer greater coverts and primary coverts ; 

 median and greater coverts with large terminal spots of velvety black edged 

 with steel blue ; tail of a greener blue than the back ; under surface of tail 

 and wings i)ro\vnish black, with a strong blue gloss on the under wing- 

 coverts ; remainder of the under parts rich chestnut, slightly paler on the 

 chest. "Iris deep orange red; bill and feet black" (Hildebrandt). Total 

 length 7-H inches, culmen 0-6.5, wing 4-7, tail 3-1, tarsus 1-2.5. 28. 2. 96, 

 Muani (Ansorge). 



Immature. Much duller; upper half of head, Ijack of neck, aud the back 



