476 MR. W. A. FORBES ON TWO PLOCEINE BIRDS. [June 15, 



side fitting into each other, so that at first sight there only appear 

 to be two on each side. The excess of these four central tail-feathers 

 over the other rect rices is, in this specimen, nearly 6 inches : in the 

 young male that lived in our Gardens, there are only two lengthened 

 feathers, which project only to the extent of ^ inch. If our bird had 

 lived, the other two tail-feathers would, no doubt, have been duly 

 developed, the birds in other respects being nearly similar. In our 

 specimen nil the rectrices, including the two central ones, are slightly 

 tipped witii white: the eyes were very dark red-brown. Vidua 

 spleiidens is perhaps most like Vidua hypocherina of Verreaux'; from 

 that species it can be at once distinguished by the absence of the 

 white, elongated rump-feathers. Vidua {Hypochera) nitens is also 

 entirely blue-black, but has no lengthened rectrices, and, moreover, 

 has the feet and beak flesh-colour ; in V. principalis the beak is also 

 bright red, but the feet are fleshy, besides many other differences. 

 The discovery of this bird renders, in my opinion, the retention of 

 the genus Hy/JocAera, founded by Bonaparte^ in 1850, for Fringilla 

 nitens unnecessary — the males of V, splendens and V. principalis, as 

 well as probably V. hypocherina ^ when in winter plumage, as well as 

 the females and young males at all times, being indistinguishable by 

 any characters, structural or otherwise, from that section of the group 

 including V. nitens and V. niyerrima {Hypochera niyerrima, Sharpe, 

 P. Z. S. 1871, p. 133), in which the male has, in nuptial plumage, no 

 elongated rectrices. 



Our specimen was said to be from the " east coast of Africa," a 

 fact rendered probable by the arrival along with it of specimens of 

 Euplectes nigriventris*, a truly eastern species. 



2. Pytelia wieneri. (Plate XLVII. fig. 2.) 



Pytelia wieneri, Finsch, Gef. Welt, Aug. 9, 1877. 



Pytelia cinereigula, Cab. Orn. Centralb. Dec. 1, 1877, et J. f. O. 

 1878, p. 101. 



In the ' Gefiederte Welt' (6th Jahrg. no. 32, p. 317) for Aug. 

 9th, 1877> Dr. Finsch described as new, under the above title, a 

 species of Pytelia, of which Mr. A. F. Wiener, F.Z.S., had purchased 

 four living specimens in London, supposed to be from " Australia." 

 On June 18th, 1879, Mr. Wiener presented one of these specimens 

 to the Society, which is still (May 31) living in the Parrot-house in 

 good health. From it the accompanying drawing has been taken 

 (Plate XLVII. fig. 2). 



In the ' Ornithologisches Centralblatt ' for Dec. 1, 1877 (p. 182), 



'■ Vidua hypocherina, J. and E. Verreaux, Eev. et Mag. Zool. 1856, p. 260, 

 1. 16. 



2 C. E. xxxi. p. 434. 



' Vidua supcrciliosa (Vieill. Gal. Ois. pi. 61) I only know by the plate and 

 descriptions : it is said to have only two elongated rectrices ; as there are said to 

 be ten of the ordinary length, this statement is therefore probably correct. 



* Cassin, J. Ac. Phil. 1849, p. 242, pi. xxxi. fig. 1. Erroneously entered in the 

 register (P. Z. S. 1878, p. 10U8) as E. oryx, Cf. List Vert. 1st supplem. 1879, 

 p. 66. 



