xxvi CLASSIFICATION. 



Keel of the lower mandible never perfectly straight, but always more or less decurved 

 towards the tip. Membrane over the nostrils either feathered or bare. No loose downy feathers 

 on the sides of the back. Tail square, or slightly rounded, and in one instance (C. erythrocerius) 

 with the two centre feathers abruptly narrowing into elongated tails ; with this exception no 

 portion of the central tail-feathers is narrower than the next pair. 



Range. The same as the family. 



Key to the Groups and Species. 



I. Black or Hermotimia group. Membrane over the nostrils feathered. 

 General plumage black. Pectoral tufts absent. Metallic colours 

 confined to the crown, scapulars, wing-coverts, lower back, margins of 

 the tail-feathers, and the throat. Bill and tail pi-oportionally longer 

 than in the next group. 



a. Metallic portions of the wings and lower back blue. 



«'. Throat and lower back of different colours. Sides of the metallic 

 throat of a different colour from that of the centre. 



a". Mantle and chest red grayi, p. 01 . 



//". Mantle and chest black. 



b'". Throat lilac porp/u/rol<emus, p. 95. 



c'". Throat copper-colour sangirensis, p. 97. 



//. Throat and lower back of the same colour. Entire throat uniform 

 in colour. 

 b". Crown more golden. Steel-blue portions strongly shaded with 



violet auriceps, p. 99. 



c". Crown less golden. Steel-blue portions greener, with no violet 



shade morotensis, p. 101. 



b. Metallic portions of the wings and lower back green (often strongly 



glossed with blue). 

 b' . Throat blue or lilac. 



b". Scapulars and median series of w'ing-coverts black. 



b'". Portion only of the least series of wing-coverts surrounding 

 the angle of the wing metallic. 



b"". Smaller nigriscapularis, p. 10.3. 



c"". Larger salvadorii, p. 105. 



c J ". All the least series of wing-coverts metallic proserpin<e, p. 107. 



c" . Scapulars and median series of wing-coverts metallic, 

 c'". Crown metallic green. 



c"". Metallic portions of the wings and lower back less shaded 



with blue aspasice*, p. 113. 



*C. aspasice may be divided into the following subspecies : — 

 1. Female duller. 

 2. Larger. 



3. Throat steel-blue with no lilac shade aspasioides, p. 109. 



3'. Throat lilac with no steel-blue shade Cornelia, p. 111. 



.'.". Smaller. Throat lilac, or steel-blue shaded with lilac aspasice, p. 113. 



1'. Female brighter. Throat steel-blue barely glossed with lilac . . . . corinnce, p. 117. 



