LAMPROTORNIS BURCHELLIL— Smith. 

 AvEs.— Plate XLVII.— Male. 



L. capite supra, regione interscapular!, dorso, liumeris, remigium tectricibus, caudte tectricibus superior! - 

 bus, niento, gutture, pectoreque profundo viridi nitentibus ; cervice, uropygio abdoinineque cyanen- 

 purpiireis ; capitis lateribus brunneo-purpureis, plumis quibusdam purpureo-rubro terniinatis ; rec- 

 tricium pogoniis externis, cyaneo-purpureis ; pogoniis intomis brunneo-nigris ; rectricibus duabus iii- 

 teriiiediis seneo-purpureis, reliquis cyaneo-purpureis, omnibus earum reniigiunique pogoniis ex- 

 ternis, subnigro-fasciatis. Rostro, pedibusque brunneo-nigris ; oculis grisco-nigiis. 



LoNGlTDDO ab apice rostri ad basin caudw C una. 9 lin. ; caudse fi unc. 9 lin. 



JIegalopterus AusTRALis, iSuiitb.* — Rep. of Exped. App. page 52, June, 1836. 



Colour, &c. — The upper surface of the head, the interscapukxrs, the 

 scapulars, the shoulders, the large and smaller quill coverts, the upper 

 tail-coverts, the chin, the throat and the breast dark duck -green with u 

 splendid metallic lustre; the sides of the head pansy-purple, many of the 

 feathers tipped with brilliant shining purplish red passing into flame-red. 

 The back and the sides of the neck superiorly, together with the rump 

 and the belly splendent dark plum-purple, the intensity of the colour vary- 

 ing according to the direction in which the light falls upon the feathers ; 

 vent and under tail-coverts the same colour, only neither quite so deep nor 

 so bright ; inner vanes of quill feathers brownish black, shaded with green 

 in certain lights ; some of the outer vanes coloured like the top of the 

 head, others edged with nut-colour, and elsewhere like the rump plum- 

 purple. The two middle tail-feathers bronzed-purple, deadened by a gloss of 

 green, the outer vanes of the remainder the same colour as the rump, the 

 inner vanes brownish black ; all the tail-feathers and the outer vanes of 

 the quill-feathers are faintly variegated with numerous pale, velvet-black 

 bars. On the centre of the abdomen anteriorly there is a large brilliant 

 purplish red blotch, and towards the inner edge of each wing a little behind 

 the point there is an oval spot of the same tint, which in certain positions 

 appears to pass into flame-red, the latter is margined externally with plum- 

 purple. Several of the smaller wing-coverts, and some of the scapulars are 

 broadly banded with velvet-black, and these feathers, as well as most of the 

 smaller ones of this bird, are brownish red, with a silky lustre towards their 

 base. Inner surface of quill-feathers and under surface of tail chocolate- 

 red. Bill and feet brownish black ; eyes greyish black. 



Form, &c. — Figure moderately robust ; bill rather short, nearly straight, 

 and laterally convex; tip of bill and culmen obtuse; nasa] fosses deep ; nostrils 



* Having carefully examined a number of species of Lampruloriiis, I find the peculiarities mani- 

 fested by the present species, in coninion with several otiiers, result only from different degrees of develop- 

 ment of individual parts, and consequently cannot be employed as generic characters. I have, therefore, 

 found it necessary to discard the group I indicated in 1836, imder the title of Miyaloptcnis, and also 

 the trivial name of the species I described (Axstralht) as being inapplicable now that the bird must bo 

 regarded as a true Lamprotornis. The specific appellation which has been substituted will doubtless be 

 approved by persons who desire the merits of a scientific naturalist and able traveller to be duh' honoured. 



