430 Messrs. Sclater and Mackworth-Praed on [Ibis, 



There are undoubtedly two species of Glossy Starling, 

 wliicli have often been confused one with the other. The 

 smaller one, with a wing of 115-125 mm. and with a 

 sharply defined blue ear-patchy must retain the original 

 name given by Ehrenberg ; while the larger species is 

 L. cyaniventris. Tlie synonymy is as given in 1859 by 

 Hartlaub^ and subsequently by Neumann (J, f. O, 1905, 

 p. 239) and Ogilvie-Grant (Ibis, 1913, p. 556). 



The young bird is originally dull brown below and dark 

 green above ; this changes into a more bluish tint on 

 the back, the wings becoming brighter green with dark tips 

 to the feathers, the underside with the chest and under 

 tail-coverts greenish, the belly bright blue. The ear- 

 coverts, originally brownish black, become bright blue 

 and sharply defined. 



In West Africa this bird is replaced by a slightly differing 

 form, which should bear the name L. cliulybaus chloropterus 

 Swains. This differs from the north-east African form in 

 being distinctly greener on the back. 



Two birds from the Bahr el Ghazal, killed in January and 

 February, are even more green than the West African form 

 and niay eventually prove to be a new subspecies. 



However, the birds obtained by \)y. Christy in the same 

 district are practically indistinguishable from the West 

 African form. 



Lamprocolius cyaniventris. 



Lamprocolius cyaniventris Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 

 xxiv, 1855, p. 255 : Abyssinia (ex Riippell). 



Lamprocolius abyssinicus Hartlaub, J. f. O. 1859, p. 21 : 

 Abyssinia. 



Lamprocolius chalybeus apud Butler, Ibis, 1905, p. 325, 

 1909, p. 79. 



[B. coll.] 2 betw. Doka and Atbara river Apl. Kas. ; 

 1 Roseires Apl. Sen. ; 1 Tawela Dec, 1 ur. Renk Feb. 

 U.N. ; 1 Jebel Melbis Apl. Kor. 



[C. & L. coll.] 2 Jebelein Jan., 1 Lat. 12° N. Mch. W.N. 



L. cyaniventris is^ as Neumann points out (J. f. O. 1905, 



