224 PAR US. 



which is apparently confined to the country from Senegainbia 

 to the Niger, and the typical race seems to increase in size 

 towards its southern range, and gives way to P. insignia in the 

 country to the north of the Cunene and Zambesi. 



In like manner this group runs into group d s of my key, 

 which consists of P. niger, P. fuelleborni and P. xanthostomus. 

 The specimens of P. niger from the west are generally darker 

 than those from the east of its range. The Damaraland ex- 

 amples generally have a dark blue-black plumage very similar 

 to that of the P. leucomelas group, but may be most readily 

 distinguished by the white edges of the feathers in the region 

 of the thighs and under tail-coverts, and in having rather less 

 white on the wing and more white on the tail. The females 

 are generally distinguishable by the dusky grey shade on the 

 under parts. The plumage of P. fuelleborni closely resembles 

 that of the female of P. niger, but is distinguished by having 

 white ends to the scapulars. In the large series of P. niger 

 in the British Museum there is a specimen from the Natal 

 district which has a white terminal spot on a single feather 

 of each shoulder, showing a tendency in the species to assume 

 the character which distinguishes P. fuelleborni from P. niger. 



P. icanthostomus also much resembles the female of P. niger, 

 from which it is most readily distinguished by the bright 

 yellow inside of the mouth, the green instead of blue shade 

 on the crown, and the slight olive yellow tinge on the pale 

 margins of the quills. 



Group / of my key comprises what I look upon as two 

 species, to each of which I assign a subspecific form. They 

 are all similar in style of plumage, and differ chiefly in the 

 shade of colour of the breast. 



P. rvfiventris, Bocage, inhabits West Africa from the Congo 

 to Benguela. It has the breast deep cinnamon, and the wing 

 measures 3*3 inches. 



