2 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 65 



KEY TO THE SUBSPECIES OF Turacus hartlaubi (Fischer and 



Reichenow) 



a. Thighs and crissum black Turacus hartlaubi crissalis (p. 3) 



aa. Thighs and crissum varying from greenish violet-gray to blackish 

 violet-gray. 

 b. Wings and back dark bluish violet 



Turacus hartlaubi hartlaubi (p. 2) 

 bb. Wings and back helvetia blue or antwerp blue. 



c. Anterior under parts, sides of face, neck, and upper back 

 cerro green; red portion of wing-quills pomegranate 

 purple above, pansy purple below 



Turacus hartlaubi medius (p. 3) 

 cc. Anterior under parts, sides of face, neck, and upper back 

 calla green ; red portion of wing-quills spectrum red 

 above, amaranth purple below 



Turacus hartlaubi ccsrulescens (p. 4) 



In this species the sexes are practically alike in color and size, 1 the 

 differences between the subspecies being in color alone. There is 

 considerable individual variation in size. The coloration is affected 

 by wearing and fading as the result of attrition, sunlight, and soak- 

 ing rains. Color change is most apparent on the red feathering of 

 the wing-quills, and, naturally, is more marked on the upper or 

 exposed side than on the under surface. When the birds are in 

 freshly-assumed plumage the green color extends farther backwards 

 upon the upper back, the color being imparted to this part by green 

 filamentous tips to the feathers; when these green tips have been 

 worn away, the underlying color becomes exposed, and then the 

 bluish coloring extends higher upon the back. Despite the differences 

 which are due to the causes noted above, no difficulty is experienced 

 in separating the four geographical forms. In the following diag- 

 noses the race characters of the subspecies are presented in con- 

 secutive order: 



TURACUS HARTLAUBI HARTLAUBI (Fischer and Reichenow) 



Hartlaub's Plantain-eater 



Corythaix Hartlaubi Fischer and Reichenow, Journ. fur Ornith., 1884, p. 52 

 (Meru Mountain, near Mount Kilimanjaro, German East Africa). 



SubspeciHc characters. — Wings and back dark bluish violet; ante- 

 rior under parts, sides of face, neck, and upper back spinach green, 

 much mixed with subterminal blue spots on the latter ; upper side of 

 head dark violet-blue; upper surface of red portion of # wings violet- 



Females average a trifle smaller than males. 



