316 ZOOLOGICAL RESULTS OF THE RUWENZORI EXPEDITION. 



the upper tail-coverts mostly peacock-blue, while in Nos. 1679 and 1701, both from 

 S.F. Ruwenzori, they are bri'ght purple. This difference is no doubt caused by 

 weathering. The under tail-coverts also vary greatly : in some specimens they are 

 quite black, while in others they are widely tipped with purple. 



[Heuglin's Wedge-tailed Sun-bird was seen between Entebbe and Ruwenzori, and at 

 the foot of the mountains on the east side. It was not an uncommon bird at the 

 south-east end of the range, and it was also seen at Fort Beni. — R. B. W.~\ 



Nectarima melanogastba Fischer & Reichenow. 



Nectarinia melanogastra Shelley, E. Afr. ii. p. 25, pi. i. tig. 2 (1900) ; Reich. Vog. Afr. iii. 



p. 496 (1903). 

 Nectarinia melanogaster Jackson, Ibis, 1906, p. 554 [Ruwenzori]. 



There is an adult male of this species in Mr. Jackson's collection, which was 

 procured by Mr. Geoffrey Archer on Ruwenzori on the loth of February, 1902, but 

 the exact locality is not recorded. The species was not met with by the members of 

 the Expedition. 



Nectarinia rrriiEOXiTENS Shelley. 



Nec'arinia cupreonitens Shelley, E. Afr. ii. p. 21 (1900). 



Nectarinia famosa (Linn.) ; Reich. Vog. Afr. iii. p. 499 (1905) [part.]. 



a-c. 6 et d imm. Butagu Valley, W. Ruwenzori, 4000-5400 ft., 25th July. 

 [Nos. 1759, 1760. D. C. ; 2437. G. L.] 



Iris dark brown ; bill and feet black. 



After a careful examination of all the specimens of X. famosa (Linn.) and X. cupreo- 

 nitens Shelley, both in the British Museum and in Mr. Jackson's collection, I find that 

 the present form can be recognised by its shorter and more curved bill, as well as by 

 its slightly smaller size, from examples of X. famosa from South Africa, and should be 

 kept separate. 



According to Mr. A. Stark and Captain Shelley, birds of this genus after 

 the breeding-season assume a change-plnmage like that of the adult female. 

 Against this theory I may mention that among the large series of specimens of 

 N. famosa collected by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa there are full-plumaged 

 males procured throughout the whole year. All the evidence points to the fact that 

 the birds which Captain Shelley and others supposed to he adult males in change- 

 plumage are really younger males in an intermediate hen-like plumage, which is assumed 

 after the first plumage and retained during the first year. The metallic Mings and 

 long middle tail-feathers, like those of the adult, are then assumed, but the head and 

 vest of the upperparts as well as the breast remain much like those of the female, hut 

 are intermixed with a few scattered metallic feathers. Subsequently the metallic back 

 and breast of the fully adult male are acquired. There are numerous immature males 



