UROBRACHYA 59 
Genus IV. UROBRACHYA. 
Most nearly allied to Coliwspasser, but the tail is always rounded and 
shorter than the wing. Bill brown or hoary grey. Adult males have the 
lesser wing-coyerts scarlet, orange, or golden yellow; under wing-coverts 
and a portion of the upper wing-coverts rufous ; during the breeding season 
the entire head, neck, body and tail are uniform velvety black, with a ruff of 
broad elongated feathers surrounding the sides and back of the neck. In 
winter the adult males assume a mottled brown plumage very similar to 
that of the females and young birds, but they may be readily distinguished 
by the bright colouring of the lesser wing-coverts, which is retained through- 
out the year. Tarsi and feet moderate; claws slender and much curved. 
Type. 
Urobrachya, Bp. Consp. i. p. 447 (1850) . . . . U. axillaris. 
The genus is confined to Tropical and South Africa. I have given in my 
key the distinguishing character of nine named forms, but of these U. affinis 
is probably a cage variety of U. awillaris. U. hildebrandti I cannot look 
upon as more than a variety of U. zanzibarica, and the types of U. media 
are in apparently the young male plumage of U. phanicea. 
U. zanzibarica, the large-billed form of the red-shouldered group, is con- 
fined to Eastern Africa and graduates almost imperceptibly into U. axillaris 
towards 10° §. lat., and into U. phenicea about 1° S. lat. U. mechowt, more 
recently named U. uganda, is the large-billed representative of the orange- 
shouldered group of which U. traversii is the northern form. U. bocagei, 
with its golden yellow lesser wing-coverts, is very distinguishable by the 
pale basal portion of the primaries showing well in front of the under 
wing-coverts. 
KEY TO THE SPECIES. 
a. No pale base to primaries showing beyond the 
under wing-coverts. 
at, Smaller, wing not more than 3°56 inches; 
rufous portion of wings darker. 
a?, Black ends to primary-coverts deeper 
than broad ; greater wing-coverts more 
black than rufous. 
a’, Pale portion of wing more cinnamon 
