292 Capt. G. E. Shelley on the 



grey on the crowu and sides of the neck ; cheeks and ear- 

 coverts washed with chestnut-brown ; back of the head and 

 nape dark grey mixed with cinnamon^ with a strong metallic 

 green gloss^ slightly varied with lilac and coj)per ; back of 

 the neck cinnamon^ glossed with copper and metallic lilac ; 

 remainder of the upj^er parts slaty black, partially glossed 

 with metallic green, tinged with lilac and violet according to 

 the light, excepting on the quills and tail ; the metallic gloss 

 is strongest on the upper back, which, in some lights, is 

 entirely metallic lilac, and in others green ; tail, two centre 

 feathers uniform slaty black, the others broadly tipped with 

 rufous- buff, passing into chestnut towards the shafts, and 

 this chestnut-colour extends for some distance down the 

 inner webs of the feathers and gradually mingles with the 

 slaty black of the remainder of the feathers ; the edges of 

 the feathers towards the tip are powdered with slate-colour ; 

 breast rufous, very slightly glossed towards the crop with 

 metallic lilac, and with the bases of the feathers and fine 

 vermiculation of slaty grey; abdomen and under tail-coverts 

 uniform rufous ; the flanks are more strongly shaded with 

 slate-colour than the centre of the breast -, under wing- 

 coverts slate- colour ; the end portion of the bill yellow, the 

 basal portion dark ; legs yellow. Total length 9 "4 inches ; 

 culmen 0*6, wing 6'2, tail 3*8, tarsus 0'7. 



Hab. W. Africa. 



This species ranges from Gaboon to the Gold Coast, 

 and occurs on the island of St. Thomas. 



The specimen here described was collected for me at 

 Abouri, on the Gold Coast, about thirty miles inland from 

 Accra. It agrees well with Mr. Gassings description of the 

 type, but is slightly smaller, and is probably a female. 



V. Haplopelia. Type. 



Aplopelia, Bp. Compt. Rend, xxxix. 1851, 



p. IIOI A. larvata. 



Haplopeleia, Jleichb. Taub. 1855, p. 76 . . . A. larvata. 



As in the synonymy we find members of this genus re- 



