444 Mr. t). A. Bannermau nn the African [Ibis, 



Table of wiug-raeasurenients of Dicrurus 

 adsimilis divaricatus. 



Variation Average 



in wing- wing- 



No. of Adult measurement measurement 



skins. skins. of adults. of adults. 



Senegal (typical birds) 12 9 121-134 129 



Portuguese Guinea 3 3 125-133 129-3 



Gold Coast (HinfeHa /id) ... 5 4 122-130 123-2 



Nigeria 6 4 124-131 129 



Angola 5 128-13G 132 



Tran^ivaal 10 7 125-13G 131-3 



Swaziland 1 " 



Bechuanaland 1 



N. Rhodesia ^ S. Rhodesia 

 (Mashonaland, Gazaland, 



and Matabeleland) 12 10 125-131 127-6 



Portuguese E. Africa (Zam- 

 besi specimens) 17 11 115-131 122-7 



Nyasaland 10 4 122-132 126-2 



Zanzibar 1 1 124 



The la.te German E. Africa. 5 4 118-124 122-2 



British E. Africa 16 14 117-134 121-9 



Uganda 11 10 120-133 127-7 



Abyssinia 21 15 119-132 124 



SomaUland 20 16 118-129 122-1 



SHf?((« (White Nile) 13 10 119-131 123-7 



5. Dicrurus adsimilis atactus. 



Dicrurus modestus atactus Oberholser, Proc. U.S. Nat. 

 Mus. xxii. 1899j p. 35 — Type locality : Fantee, Gold Coast. 



Chief characters. Upper parts, bead, neck, and entire 

 back glossed uitli deep velvety-blue. Size large. Wiiig- 

 liieasurements of tbirty-five specimens from the type locality: 

 variation 122-138 mm., average 127"7 mm. Wing-measure- 

 ments of forty-four adult skins from West Africa (including 

 tvpical birds) : variation 122-138 mm., average 128"2 mm. 

 Quill-lining dark, sbowing no variation ; bill heavy ; tail 

 markedly forked. Easily distinguished from D. m. coracinus, 

 the other large mainland species, by having the nape and 

 back glossed instead of dull, and by having a longer bill. 



Range. Sierra Leone, Liberia, Gold Coast (typical), 

 Togoland. 



y umber uf skins in the British Museum : 51. 



