32 STURNID^ LAMPROTORNIS 



short, the second shorter than the third, fourth or fifth, which are 

 longest. Tail long, longer than the wing, and much graduated. 

 Tarsi strong, scutellated anteriorly. Toes rather long, strong ; 

 the outer longer than the inner, the hind toe long and strong. 

 Claws strong, sharp and slightly curved. Plumage highly glossy 

 and metallic, " shot" with reflections of deep green, violet, purple, 

 golden-bronze and copper colour. Irides brown. Sexes nearly 

 similar. 



The Long-tailed Glossy Starlings, six species in all, are con- 

 fined to Africa. Two species come within our northern limits. 

 But little is known of their habits, but they appear to resemble 

 those of the better known Short-tailed Glossy Starlings. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Crown violet ; back blue glossed with violet ; throat 



and chest violet .......................................... L. mevesi, p. 32. 



b. Crown and back golden-bronze with violet reflec- 



tions; throat and chest purple with reflections 



of violet ......................... ............................. L.purpureus, p. 33. 



10. Lamprotornis mevesi. Meve's Glossy Starling. 



Juida mevesi, Walilb. Jour. f. Orn. 1857, p. 1 ; Gurney in Anderssorfs 



B. Damara Land, p. 159 (1872). 

 Lamprotornis mevesi, Hartl. Jour. f. Orn. 1859, p. 12 ; Bocage, Orn. 



Angola, p. 303 (1881) ; Holub and Pelzeln, Orn. Siidafr. p. 110 



(1882) ; Sharpe, ed. Layard's B. S. Afr. pp. 423, 846 (1884) ; id. 



Cat. B. M. xiii, p. 157 (1890) ; Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 42 (1896). 



Description. Adult Male. Above, the covered portion of all the 

 feathers dull slate-black, the visible portion glossed with reflections 

 of blue and violet on the head and neck, with violet and copper- 

 colour on the back, the lesser wing, and upper tail-coverts ; the 

 remaining wing-coverts and quills bronzed with blue, violet and 

 green ; the long and much graduated tail bluish with violet reflec- 

 tions, the feathers crossed by numerous narrow black bars only 

 visible in certain lights ; below, the feathers with sooty-black bases, 

 glossed, on the throat and chest with violet, on the abdomen and 

 under tail-coverts with copper-colour ; the under tail-coverts washed 

 with blue ; axillaries and under wing-coverts dusky, glossed with 

 violet on the outer margins. 



Iris brown ; bill and feet black. 



