1918.] the Birds of the Ang/o- Egyptian Sudan. 449 



be reffai'iled as species. We also agree with Alexander (Bull. 

 B. O. ('. xxiii. 1908; p. 15) that variation in the brown of 

 the quills is not a specific character. We would recognize 

 the following : — 



A. Glossy blue with a faint green tinge. 



1. H. CHALYBEATA CHALYBEATA (P. L. S. MlilL), witll whicll 



H. nitens (Gm.) and H. cenea Bartl are synonymous. 

 Distinguished by its glossy blue plumage with a faint 

 green tinge. 

 Examples from Seuegambia, Portuguese Guinea, and 

 the Gambia. 



2. H. c. NEUMANN I [Hypocliera neumanni Alexander, Bull. 



B. O. C. xxiii. 1908, p. 33). A clear steel-blue without 

 greenish gloss. 

 Yo ur. Lake Chad and Bautahi in N. Nigeria. 



3. H. c. AMAUROPTERYX Sharpe, Cat. Bds. B. M. xiii. 1890, 



p. 309 : Rustenberg. Very similar to H. c. neumanni 

 in general colour but darker and with much less gloss. 



Examples examined from Rustenberg, the Zambesi, 

 Nyasalaiid, and Damaraland. 



A bird from Kasai, Belgian Congo, is slightly duskier, 

 and skins from the Ubangi river (Alexander) seem 

 to be intermediate between //. c. neumanni and H. c. 

 amauropteryx. 



B. Deep purple almost black, with hardly a trace of gloss. 



4. H. FUNEREA FUNEREA Dc Tarrag. Rev. Zool. 1847, 



p. 180: Natal. Deep purple with faint traces of gloss. 

 Examples from Natal, Mozambique, and Nyasaland, 

 where it merges with the following. 



5. H. F. NiGERRiMA (Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1871, p. 133: 



Galuugo Alto, Angola). More dusky than funerea, 

 almost black without gloss. 

 Examples from Kassongo, Upper Congo, and Angola. 



6. H. F. wiLsoNi (Hartert, vide supra). Very like the 



South African bird but rather brighter in colour. 

 Examples from Portuguese Guinea, Senegal and 

 Southern Nigeria, as well as the Bahr el Ghazal. 



