U HEDYDIPNA. 



c". Metallic colours confined to the edges 



of the feathers of the upper parts, 



throat and front of hreast, giving only 



a partial metallic appearance ; sexes 



sometimes similar El^oceethia. 



d 2 . General colouring olive or brown and 



white ; metallic colours, when present, 



confined to the head and neck ; females 



sometimes with metallic colours . . Cyanomitka. 

 d 1 . Keel of lower mandible perfectly straight ; 



bill straighter with the culmen often 



not quite as long as the tarsus ; adult 



females of all the Ethiopian species 



have some metallic colours when they 



are present in their adult males. . . Anthotheeptes. / •? 



Genus I. HEDYDIPNA. 



Bill comparatively short, about two-thirds of the length of the tarsus. 

 Adult males with the entire head, neck, and back of metallic colours — mostly 

 green ; tail with the two centre feathers narrow, much lengthened, with 

 their ends rounded and widened ; breast bright yellow. Total length about 

 6-8 inches, culmen 0-4, wing 2-2, tail 4-3, tarsus 0-6. 



Adult females without metallic colours, ashy brown above, and white 

 shaded with yellow beneath. Total length about 3 - 7 inches, tail 1*5, the 

 other measurements are similar to those of the male. Young very similar 

 in plumage to the adult females. 



The only two known species of this genus inhabit North Tropical Africa. 

 One, H. metalUca, ranges eastward from the Nile Valley into Southern 

 Arabia, and the other, H. platura, westward from the Nile Valley to the 

 Atlantic coast. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



a. Throat metallic green, terminating in a steel- 



blue collar. Eanges east from the Nile . . mctallica, g ad. 



b. Throat metallic green, not terminating in a 



steel-blue collar. Eanges west of the Nile . platura, <j ad. 



c. Above ashy brown ; beneath white shaded with 



yellow ; culmen 04, tarsus, 0-6 females. 



