Genus Platystira and its Allies. 173 



white, the flanks greyish ; outer under wing-coverts chestnut ; 

 axillary tufts white. 



Young male. Chestnut like the old female, but having the 

 head, back, and chest mixed with black, indicative of the ado- 

 lescent plumage. 



Hab. W. Africa, from the Gold Coast to Angola: Fer- 

 nando Po. 



MM. Verreaux consider that the male in black plumage 

 with the white collar round the neck is the fully adult ; but I 

 believe that the bird with entirely black head and neck is really 

 in the fully mature state. I am induced to believe this by 

 the fact of a young bird, still retaining traces of its chestnut 

 plumage, showing evident indications of the white collar. An 

 adult bird in fully black plumage, with a broad white collar, 

 also retains traces of chestnut on the wing-coverts. MM. 

 Verreaux also state their conviction that Eraser's P. leuco- 

 pygialis is really the old male, and that his P. castanea is 

 the young female; but I believe Fraser's bird to be quite 

 adult in both instances. 



Specimens examined. 



Mus. Brit. — a, s b, $ • Clarence, Fernando Po (Fraser : 

 types of species). c. Gaboon {Verreaux). d. Ashantee 

 (/. Gould). 



Mus. R. B. S. — a, b,c,6 $ , d, 6 juv. Fantee. e, <$ , f, g, $ . 

 Fantee (H. T. Ussher) . h, i, d ,j,k,2 . Cameroons (A. Cross- 

 ley) . l,<3 . Gaboon (Du Chaillu) . m. Angola ( C. J. Hamilton) . 



2. DlAPHOROPHYA BLISSETTI. (Plate IV. fig. 1.) 



Diaphorophya blissetti, Sharpe, Ann. N. H. (4) x. p. 451 

 (1872). 



Platystira concreta, Hartl. J. f. O. 1861, p. 169. 



Adult. Above dark rifle-green, slightly metallic, the tail 

 much brighter and more metallic, the rump-feathers white at 

 the base, showing more plainly when the plumage is disar- 

 ranged ; wing-coverts rifle-green, a little more metallic than 

 the back ; quills blackish, externally margined with metallic 

 green, more especially the secondaries; throat rifle-green, 



