Genus Platystira and its Allies. 171 



white ; back dark grey, the rump mottled with white ; upper 

 tail- coverts black ; tail pure white, the two central feathers 

 longitudinally marked with black ; upper wing- coverts black, 

 the primary coverts white at tip, as also the inner greater 

 coverts, which form a conspicuous patch on the wing ; quills 

 black, tipped with white, the secondaries more broadly, the 

 primaries white at base of inner web, and the outer ones also 

 white at base externally j across the breast a conspicuous band 

 of black ; centre of the body white, the sides of the breast 

 and flanks grey ; tibial plumes white varied with black ; a 

 tuft of axillary plumes under the wing white ; under wing- 

 coverts black, the lower ones tipped with white ; edge of the 

 wing white ; bill almost black j feet very dark brown, with a 

 whitish or lead-coloured tint about the joints ; iris greenish 

 yellow. Total length 5"5 inches, culmen 0*7, wing 33, tail 

 1-6, tarsus 1*2. 



Hab. Damara Land (Andersson) ; Biballa [Anchieta) . 



This bird, though not far removed from Platystira, is 

 certainly not congeneric with any of the members of that 

 genus or with Batis. It is of robust form, with a much 

 thinner and more compressed bill, and has extraordinarily long 

 wings, reaching almost, if not quite, to the tip of the tail. 

 This character presents the bird with quite a peculiar aspect. 



Specimens examined. 



Mus. Brit. — a. Damara Land [Andersson) . b, c, d, e. Da- 

 mara Land [C. J. Andersson). 



Mus. R. B. S. — a, b, c. Otjimbinque, Damara Land, June 

 22nd, July 29, and Oct. 1st, 1866 [C. J. Andersson). d, 6. 

 Biballa, Feb. 1868 [Anchieta) . 



Genus 4. Diaphorophya. 



Diaphorophyia, Bp. C. R. xxxviii. p. 653 (1854) : type 

 D. castanea. 



Agromyias, Heine, J. f. O. 1860, p. 133 : type D. castanea. 



Myiophila, Hartl. Om. Westafr. p. 95 (1857) : type D. 

 concreta. 



Stiphromyias , Heine, J. f. O. 1860, p. 133: type D. concreta. 



n 2 



<U,t^.. 



