556 CAPT. G. E. SHELLEY ON [NoV. 18, 



browner buff shade, and it has apparently a less distinct eyebrow. 

 Total length 3"3 inches, culmen 095, wing 2*55, tail 1*3, tarsus 

 075. 



Besides the specimens above described, the collection contains 

 seven adult males and one female from elevations varying from 3000 

 to 5000 feet. The characters of the bill (which is rather more curved 

 than in N. tacnzze), and of the tail (which is rather more graduated), 

 combined vi^ith the fiery copper colouring of the back and upper tail- 

 coverts, and the absence of any lilac baud between the colours of tlie 

 threat and the black of the breast, indicate that its place is between 

 N. tacazze and N. reichenowi. 



I have named this bird after its locality, as I expect it will prove 

 to be a very local form. 



3. Nectarinia reichenowi. (Plate LI.) 

 Drepanorhynchus reichenowi, Fischer, J. f. O. 1884, p. 56. 



A male and two females of this species, of which the male only 

 was described by Dr. Fischer. 



KiUmanjaro, S , 4000 ft. 



Entire head, neck, back, scapulars, least and median wing-coverts 

 fiery copper, with slight lilac reflections at the ends of some of the 

 feathers, and, when viewed in a certain light, with greenish reflections ; 

 remainder of the plumage brownish black ; all the quills and tail- 

 feathers very broadly edged with chrome-yellow ; the primary- 

 coverts and greater wing-coverts less broadly edged with chrome- 

 yellow, the edges of the greater coverts changing into metallic lilac 

 towards their ends. Bill and legs black. Total length 8"2 inches, 

 culmen 1'2, wing 3'1, tail 5'4, tarsus 0"75. 



Kilimanjaro, $ , 5000 ft. 



Very similar to the female of N. tacazze, excepting that it has 

 broad deep yellow edges to all the quills and tail-feathers, and the 

 wing-coverts edged with olive-yellow. Total length 3'1 inches, 

 culmen 1*1, wing 2'6, tail 2*2, tarsus 0"65. 



There is also a second female in the collection. 



The skins do not enable me to detect the actual junction of the 

 metallic throat and the black breast of the male, nor can I describe 

 the sides of the head in the female. 



The proposal of the distinct generic name Drepanorhynchus for 

 this species appears to me quite superfluous. The bill is certainly 

 more curved than in N . famosn, but in that respect N. kilimensis 

 is exactly intermediate ; in the gradation of the tail-feathers N. kili- 

 mensis is similar, and N. tacazze is just intermediate between it 

 and N.famosa. The centre tail-feathers areas broad in the present 

 species as in N.famosa. 



4. Pratincola axillaris, sp. n. 



Kilimanjaro, c? , 7000 ft. 



Upper parts, entire head, chin and throat black, most of the 

 feathers of the back partially edged with browu ; sides of the neck. 



