LAMPROCOLIUS 41 



glossed with greenish ; crown steel-blue ; ear-coverts deep blue ; 

 lores black ; cheeks, throat and chest glossy steel-green ; lower 

 breast and abdomen, thighs and flanks purplish ; axillaries and 

 under wing-coverts purplish. Iris golden-yellow; bill and feet 

 black. 



Length 8*35 ; wing 4-75 ; tail 2-75 ; tarsus 1-20 ; culmen 0-75. 



Distribution. On the west coast of Africa from Gaboon to 

 Senegambia, ranging across Central into North-east Africa, 

 where it is very common. It occurs in Abyssinia and breeds in 

 Shoa, according to Antinori. It reaches as far north as lat. 20. 

 It is not very common in German East Africa, but occurs as far 

 south as the delta of the Zambesi, where Sir J. Kirk obtained 

 specimens at Tete. 



Habits. This species resembles its congeners in habits. It is 

 generally found in flocks, large or small, but occasionally in pairs. 

 It is active and vivacious in its movements, runs with rapidity on the 

 ground and occasionally hops. It feeds on seeds, fruit and insects, 

 both on the ground and among bushes and trees. Its note is, for 

 a glossy Starling, rather soft and not unmusical, a long-drawn-out 

 kra-ah, kra-ah. Its golden-yellow irides are very conspicuous 

 during life. 



, 



17. Lamprocolius sycobius. Peter's Glossy Starling. 



Lamprocolius sycobius, Liclit. Nom. An. Berol, p. 53 (1854) ; Holub 

 and Pelzeln, Orn. Siidafrikas, p. 110, pi. 3 (1882); Sharpe, ed. 

 Layard's B. 8. Afr. p. 426 (1884) ; id. Cat. B. M. xiii, p. 178 

 (1890) ; Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 43 (1896). 



" Iqueeze " of the Matabilis. 



Description. Adult male. Differs from the male of L. phcsni- 

 copterus in being much smaller and in lacking the purple and 

 violet gloss on the occiput and nape, also in having the head 

 glossy oil-green with coppery reflections, the inner lesser wing- 

 coverts more violet and less copper-coloured in shade. 



Iris golden yellow ; bill and feet black. 



Length 8-00 ; wing 4-85 ; tail 3-30 ; tarsus 1-10 ; culmen 0-90. 



Adult female. Eesembles the male in colour. 



Distribution. From the Central Transvaal through Ehodesia, 

 Nyasaland and Mosambique to Mombasa ; on the west coast from 

 Northern Damara Land to the Congo. Holub records this Starling 



