MUSOPHAGIDJE. 203 



shoots of plants. Its flesh is palatable. On September 

 26th, 1866, I obtained three eggs of this Coly from a 

 nest built in a small bush, and composed externally of 

 grass and twigs, lined internally with softer grass ; the 

 eggs were white, but dull. On October 16th I met with 

 several nests of this bird on the same tree ; but all con- 

 tained young, invariably three in number. On December 

 29th I obtained a nest with three eggs. 



The iris in this species is intensely dark brown ; the 

 bill bluish white, except the tip of the upper mandible, 

 which is bluish black ; the lower mandible is lighter 

 than the upper ; the legs are bright red. 



248. Colius erythromelon, Vieill. Quiriwa Coly. 



Le Coliou Quiriwa, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 258. 



Colius erythromelon, Vieillot's Nouv. Diet. vol. vii. p. 378. 



Colius macrurus and senegalensis, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., 



Contr. Orn., 1852, p. 151. 

 Colius capensis, Layard's Cat. No. 448. 



Colius erythromelas, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 469. 

 Colius macrurus, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 403. 

 Colius erythromelon, Sharpe's Cat. No. 100. 



This species is scarce in Damara Land ; but I met 

 with it about the Swakop River, and also near Okambute, 

 at Objimbinque, and near Ojipatera. It lives principally 

 on the shoots and fruit of a bush of a yellowish-green 

 colour bearing red berries, and resembles in its habits 

 the preceding species. The males are larger and hand- 

 somer than the females. The bill is black anteriorly, 

 and posteriorly red, which is also the colour of the lore 

 and naked space about the eye. 



