PARISOMA SUBC.ERULEUM. 213 



forward. Wing rounded and similar to that of Alcippe. Tail rounded, 

 about the same length as the wing, and with a strongly marked white 

 pattern. Tarsi scutellated ; feet and claws moderate, the latter sharp and 

 much curved. Forehead, crown and back uniform grey in all the known 

 species. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



a. No black crop band. 



a 1 . Throat streaked ; no white edges to the 

 quills. 

 a 2 . Abdomen and under tail-coverts chest- 

 nut subcaruleum. 



b 2 . Centre of abdomen and under tail- 

 coverts white layardi. 



b 1 . Throat not streaked ; some broad white 

 edges to the quills. 

 c 2 . Under tail-coverts faintly but distinctly 



shaded with rufous buff plumbeum. 



d". Under tail-coverts white, with or without 

 a very faint tinge of rufous buff. 



a 3 . Slightly darker, subsp orien talis. 



b 3 . Slightly paler, subsp catoleucum. 



b. A black pectoral band ; abdomen and under 



tail-coverts pale chestnut boehmi. 



Parisoma subcaeruleum. 



Parisoma subcaeruleum (Vieill.), Sharpe, Cat. B. M. iv. p. 268 (1879) ; 

 Ayres, Ibis, 1880, p. 103 Transvaal ; Shelley, Ibis, 1882, p. 257 

 Mangwato; Butler, Feilden and Eeid, Zool. 1882, p. 248 Natal; 

 Sharpe ed. Layard's B. S. Afr. pp. 332, 836 (1884) ; Fleck, 

 J. f. 0. 1894, pp. 340, 346, 413, Damara, Namaqua, Kalahari ; 

 Shelley, B. Afr. I. No. 134 (1896). 



Parisoma rufiventer, Swains. ; Chapman, Trav. S. Afr. ii. p. 397 (1868). 



Adult Male. Above, ashy grey with the upper tail-coverts dusky ; wings 

 dusky brown with most of the coverts and outer edges of quills grey like the 

 back, and some white on the ends of the outer coverts, pinion, and tip of 

 bastard primary ; tail black, with white ends to the four outer pairs of 

 feathers, decreasing in size towards the inner ones; sides of head, neck, and 



