286 Capt. B. Alexander on the 
on its outskirts. We procured specimens at Cape Coast and 
also at KintarapOj but never found it in Ashanti. 
This species appears to pass through several well-defined 
stages of plumage before that of the adult is assumed. We 
may divide these stages into four ; — 
1st stage (nestling) . — Like the female, but throat and fore- 
neck dull blackish. 
'ind stage, — Throat and fore-neck metallic purple. 
^rd stage. — Metallic purple on throat and fore-neck more 
intense ; breast and abdomen clear yellow. 
4:th stage. — Adult plumage, the crown being the last to 
assume the metallic colouring. 
At Cape Coast, in June, we obtained adult males in full 
breeding-dress. At the same time young males were in the 
second and third stages of plumage. 
At Kintampo, in November and December, we killed 
immature males in the fourth stage — i. e. the adult plumage, 
with the exception of a few feathers, was practically assumed. 
In the British Museum there are two males, killed at 
Accra in February, in the second stage of plumage; and 
another male, obtained in August from Senegal, in the same 
state. 
Therefore we have examples of immature birds obtained 
in February, June, November, and December (months 
practically embracing the whole year) passiug through 
several phases of plumage, each in its way complete and 
shewing no direct transitional change. 
From this it would seem that it takes at least a year for 
the young bird to assume its full plumage. 
7. CiNNYRis cHLOROPYGius (Jard.). 
Cinnyris chloropygius Gadow, Cat. B. ix. p. 34 (1884) ; 
Beichen. J. f. O. 1897, p. 46 (Togoland) ; Shelley, B. Afr. 
ii. p. 83 (1900). 
Nectarinia chloropygia Shelley & Buckley, Ibis, 1872, 
p. 287 (Gold Coast) . 
Specimens from Prahsu and Kwissa. 
