622 ON BIRDS -FROM LAKE RUDOLF AND THE NILE. [Dec. 3 



are very perceptible, and the shades of green, steel-blue, and 

 purple vary considerably. These shades of blue and green require 

 very careful consideration in a study of these Glossy Starlings, as 

 I believe that the differences of metallic shade are often caused by 

 the wear and tear of the plumage. 



With regard to Lamprotornis viridipectus of Salvadori (Mem. 

 Accad. Torino, (2) xliv. p. 560, 1894), I may remark that his 

 belief that spec. Z of L. porpliyropterus in the ' Catalogue of Birds ' 

 (p. 157), from the Adi River, would turn out to belong to 

 L. viridipectus, was justifiable ; but I believe the specimen in 

 question to be a young bird of my L. brevicauda. It has no 

 coppery patch on the abdomen, is steel-green on the chest, and 

 has a dull purplish-bronzy crown. 



Two specimens from Gelidi in Somali-land, presented to the 

 Museum by Mr. F. Gillett, are very green on the chest, and agree 

 with Dr. Donaldson Smith's specimens from the Omo River. They 

 vary in the amount of purple and bronze on the breast, these shades 

 not being so fully developed as in the type of L. brevicauda. 

 I believe, however, that they are all of the same species, and it is 

 doubtful whether Count Salvadori's L. viridipectus will turn out 

 to be different. In case of their identity, the latter name has 

 precedence. 



Perissornis carunculat\. 



Dilophus carunculatus (Grm.) ; Salvad. Mem. Accad. Sci. Torino. 

 (2) xliv. p. 563 (1894) ; Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1895, p. 459 ; Elliot, t. c. 

 p. 3 ; Shellev, B. Afr. i. p. 46 (1896) ; Peel. Somali-land, p. 305 ; 

 Grant, Ibis, 1900, p. 121, 1901, p. 283. 



Perissornis caruncidata , Oherh. Proc. Acad. Philad. 1899, p. 216. 



a. $ ad. Lario, March 1, 1900. 



Cryptobhina afra. 



Gryptorhina afra (L.): Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. iii. p. 75 

 (1877); Shelley* B. Africa, i. p. 47 (1896). 



a. d ; b,c. ^ ad. Akara country, Feb. 21, 1900. Iris bright 

 blue. 



According to Mr. Eraser's determination of the sexes, it is the 

 female which has the bill entirely black, and the male that has the 

 flesh-coloured bill. This is contrary to my determination of 

 the sexes in the ' Catalogue.' Heuglin believes that the birds 

 with the light-coloured bills are the young, and this is, perhaps, 

 the case with Dr. Donaldson Smith's specimen, which may be 

 a young male. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE XXXVI. 



Fior. 1. Cossypha omoensis, p. 613. 



2. Ploceipasser dow-aldsoni, p. 620. 



