296 SPERMOSPIZA RUBRIC A PILLA 



Spermospiza rubricapilla. 



Spermospiza rubricapilla, Shelley, P. Z. S. 1888, p. 30 Bellima ; Sharps, 

 Cat. B. M. xiii. p. 500, pi. 15 (1890) ; Shelley, B. Afr. I. No. 450 

 (1896) ; Eeichen. Vog. Afr. iii. p. 103 (1904). 



Type. Entire head, front of neck and sides of chest bright glossy 

 crimson ; remainder of plumage mostly dark slaty grey, with the upper 

 tail-coverts dull dark crimson ; upper breast with white spots towards the 

 flanks, and barred with white down the centre as well as on the abdomen 

 and under tail-coverts. "Iris brown; bill indigo blue, with orange brown 

 edges to the mandibles ; feet olive black " (Jackson). Total length 63 inches, 

 culmen 0-7, wing 2-8, tail 2-5, tarsus 09. ? , 15. 7. 83. Bellima (Emin). 



The Red-beaded Blue-bill inhabits Central Equatorial 

 Africa. 



The species is known to me bj two female specimens only : 

 the type, which was forwarded to the British Museum by the 

 late Emin Pasha, was procured at Bellima in the Bongo 

 country of the Upper Gazelle River district, and the other 

 specimen was obtained in the Nandi highlands on the Equator, 

 in about 35° B. long., at an elevation of 6,500 feet, by Mr. 

 Jackson, who writes : " First one seen ; it was in a thick bush 

 in the belt of forest." The colouring of the eyes, bill and feet, 

 as mentioned by Mr. Jackson, are similar to those recorded by 

 Dr. Reichenow as occurring in immature specimens of S. guttata. 



Genus II. CLYTOSPIZA. 



Similar to Spermospiza in most of its characters, but differing in the bill 

 being proportionately longer and more slender and entirely uniform blackish 

 blue. Sexes alike in the colouring of the breast, which is cinnamon and 

 white, in bold spots or bars, but distinguishable by the colouring of the 

 throat, which is uniform grey in immature birds, has a red mark in the 

 males, and a white one in the females. 



Type. 



Clytospiza, Shelley, B. Afr. I. p. 32 (1896) C. monteiri. 



The genus is confined to Tropical Africa, and is represented by a single 

 species. 



