19' 



NECTAEINIA TACAZZE. 



(TAKAZZE SUN-BIRD.) 



Certhia tacazze, Stanley in Salt's Trav. Abyss. App. p. 58 (1814). 



Splendid Creeper, Lath. Gen. Hist. iv. p. 226. no. 15 (1822). 



Cinnyris tacazze, Riipp. Neue Wirb. p. 89, pi. 31. fig. 3 (1835); Lefebvre, Voy. Abyss. Zool. 



p. 88 (1845-50). 

 Nectarinia tacazze, Riipp. Syst. Uebers. p. 28. no. 108 (1845); Bp. Consp. Av. i. p. 405- 



no. 7 (1850) ; Mull. J. f. O. 1855, p. 15. no. 158 ; Heugl. Syst. Uebers. N.O.-Afr. p. 20. 



no. 152 (1856) ; id. J. f. O. 1861, p. 191 ; Riipp. J. f. O. 1862, p. 292 ; Heugl. J. f. O. 



1864, p. 262 ; Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 108. no. 1329 ; Blanford, Geol. & Zool. Abyss, p. 352. 



no. Ill (1870). 

 Aidemonia tacazze, Reichb. Handb. Scansoriae, p. 284, pi. 3871. fig. 3896 (1854). 

 Mthopyga tacazze, Horsf. & Moore, Cat. B. Mus. E.I. Co. ii. p. 735. no. 1073 (1856-58). 

 Nectarinia tacaziena, Heugl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. p. 222 (1871) ; Sharpe, Cat. Afr. B. p. 37. no. 343 



(1871). 

 Nectarinia tacazziana, Finsch, Tr. Z. S. vii. p. 227(1872). 

 Aidemonia tacazziana, Antinori & Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. iv. p. 89 (1873). 



6 ad. corpore supra cum tectricibus alarum minimis et medianis et pectore metalliee lilacinis, capite summo 

 guttureque cuprescentibus : corpore reliquo nigro : rostro et pedibus nigris : iride saturate brunnea. 



2 ad. supra olivascenti-brunnea, linea superciliari lata albicante : remigibus saturate brunneis, extiis pallidius 



limbatis : rectricibus nigris, externis late albo terminatis : subtus fulvescens, gutture imo et corporis 

 lateribus olivascenti-brunneo lavatis, pectore medio flavo adumbrato. 



3 juv. similis feminse adultae, sed tectricibus alarum minimis, supracaudalibus et gutture medio metallicis. 



Hab. in Abyssinia et in terra, " Bogos " dicta. 



Adult Male. Entire bead and neck copper-colour, shot with green and lilac according to the light, and 

 changing gradually into rich metallic lilac on the back, scapulars, least and median series of wing- 

 coverts, upper tail-coverts, and front of the chest ; remainder of the plumage black ; the greater wing- 

 coverts and the under tail-coverts partially edged with metallic violet ; the tail-feathers glossed at their 

 edges with deep metallic green ; bill and legs black; irides dark brown. Total length 85 inches, 

 culmen 1 - 15, wing 3'1, tail 4, tarsus 0"75. 



Adult Female. Upper parts brownish olive ; sides of the head darker, with a broad white eyebrow, and a 

 black patch in front of the eye ; wings dark brown with pale edges to the feathers, lighter and inclining 

 to olive on the quills ; tail blackish brown, most of the feathers with white tips, broadest on the outer 

 ones; underparts buff, palest on the upper throat and the cheeks, and tinted with olive down the 

 lower throat, sides of the breast, and thighs, and with yellow towards the middle of the breast ; under 

 surface of the wings brown, with the inner margins of the quills and the coverts nearly white ; bill and 

 legs black; irides dark brown. Total length 6 inches, culmen 1*1, wing 2'75, tail 2 - 2, tarsus 075. 



