184 XENOPIROSTRIS POLLENI 
Genus I XHNOPIROSTRIS. 
Bill horn-colour, with no notch or terminal hook, but specially charac- 
terized by the mandibles meeting only towards their base and end, thus 
leaving an open space about half-way down their cutting edges. Wing 
moderately pointed, the secondaries falling short of the tip by about the 
length of the tarsus; first primary more than half the length of the second, 
the latter reaching to the tip of the secondaries. Tail shorter than the wing 
and very slightly rounded. Tarsi and feet deep grey and fairly strong. 
Type. 
Xenopirostris, Bp. Consp. Gen. Av. i. p. 366 (1850) . X. wenopirostris. 
The genus is confined to the Island of Madagascar, and is represented by 
three closely allied species. In the character of the bill Clytorhynchus, 
Elliot, 1870, from New Caledonia and New Hebrides, appears to resemble 
it closely. 
KEY TO THE SPECIES. 
a. Chin black in the males, forehead not white in the 
females. 
at. Throatentirely blackish . ... . =.=. =. . pollent. 
61. Chin only blackish . . . . . wenopirostris. 
b. Chin and throat white; in the Fomnlee fie. forehand 
rep efelnrdeiiise Spon Mawes ae) ue doo fe om a om wo. hii 
Xenopirostris polleni. 
Vanga polleni, Schl. in Schl. and Poll. Faun. Madag. p. 174 (1868) 
Madagascar. 
Xenopirostris polleni, Milne Edw. and Grand. Hist. Madag. Ois. i. p, 
432, pls. 169, 170a, fig. 2 (1885); Gadow, Cat. B. M. viii. p. 110 
(1883) : Sibree, Ibis, 1891, p. 440; Shelley, B. Afr. i. No. 649 (1896) ; 
Sharpe, Handl. B. iv. p. 262 (1903). 
Adult Male. Entire head and throat black with a violet blue gloss; a 
white band across the back of the neck; remainder of other parts ashy 
grey; sides of neck, breast and under tail-coverts white. Iris brown; bill 
dusky grey; feet blackish grey. Total length 8-7 inches, culmen 0:95, wing 
4-7, tail 3-7, tarsus 0°95. §.H. Madagascar (Crossley). 
Pollen’s Vanga is confined to Madagascar. 
The species was discovered by Van Dam in the north- 
western portion of the island, and in the British Museum 
