LONG-TAILED GRAKLE. 149 



first describer, supercedes any apology for abandon- 

 ing- a name which has neither priority nor peculiar 

 fitness to recommend it. 



This is a most striking and splendid bird, not so 

 much in the variety of colours on the body plumage, 

 as for its long fan-shaped tail, a character which 

 prevents it from being confounded with any of those 

 here described, or mentioned by other writers. 

 Like some others of its congeners, it seems to make 

 annual migrations from Western Africa to those 

 regions lying towards the Cape of Good Hope. 



The form is decidedly rasorial, not only in the 

 tail, but in the wings and legs. The former is 

 rounded, having the first quill half as long as the 

 second, and the third shorter than the fourth, while 

 the tarsus is longer in proportion than in any of the 

 birds already described. The tail is considerably 

 graduated ; there is the difference of an inch, more 

 or less, between the length of the three outer 

 feathers, while the middle pair exceeds the others 

 by more than three inches and a half. 



The colour, with the exception of the head, which 

 is brown, glossed with yellowish copper colour, is 

 shining blueish-green, which becomes purple on the 

 lower part of the back and rump, and also on the 

 body, belly, and vent beneath. There is a large 

 black velvet spot on the greater and lesser wing- 

 covers ; these, however, are not seen in the young 

 bird, which has also the head more violet than 

 coppery. The most splendid hues are upon the 

 tail; the ground colour being rich purple, blue 



