20« 



? ad. mari dissimilis : supra cinerascens, supracaudalibus saturatius brunneis : tectricibus alarum minimis 

 dorso concoloribus, reliquis brunneis anguste dorsi colore limbatis : cauda nigra, : fascia superciliari 

 pallida cinerascenti-alba : plaga parva, anteoculari fusca : regione parotica cinerascente : genis gulaque 

 albicantibus : corpore reliquo subtiis pallide cineraceo, vix flavo lavato. 



Hab. in Africa septentrionali-orientali. 



Adult Male. Upper parts metallic green, strongly shaded with steel-blue and violet towards the upper tail- 

 coverts ; forehead and crown metallic violet ; least and median series of wing-coverts metallic green 

 partially shaded with violet-bronze ; remainder of the wings and the tail black ; a triangular patch of 

 black feathers in front of the eye ; remainder of the sides of the head and neck, as well as the entire 

 throat, metallic green like the back, with a few feathers on the crop partially edged with metallic violet ; 

 across the fi - ont of the chest a broad band of rich scarlet, the feathers of which have narrow sub- 

 terminal steel-blue bars ; remainder of the breast, under tail-coverts, and under surface of the wings 

 black, with a few of the feathers, next to the scarlet breast-band, broadly edged with metallic violet 

 and green; pectoral tufts bright sulphur-yellow; bill and legs black; irides dark brown. Total length 

 5 inches, culmen - 85, wing 2"5, tail l - 9, tarsus - 65. 



Adult Female. Upper parts pale ashy brown ; a broad buff eyebrow, and a narrow brown band in front of 

 the eye ; wings brown, with pale edges to all the feathers ; tail black ; underparts very pale ashy brown, 

 becoming almost white towards the chin ; under tail-coverts brown, with broad white edges ; under 

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

 black ; irides dark brown. Total length 4'7 inches, culmen 0'75, wing 2 - 25, tail V7, tarsus 0"6. 



Hab. North-east Africa. 



This species belongs to that portion of the " dark metallic " group or typical Cinnyris, in which 

 the upper parts as well as the entire head and neck are of metallic colours, and the abdomen is 

 black. 



Like C. splendidus it possesses pale yellow pectoral tufts, but is distinguished from that 

 .species by the throat being green instead of violet. 



It inhabits Kordofan and the country to the east of the Nile valley from Taka, or about 

 16° N. lat., southward into the Somali country. 



In Kordofan Riippell procured two specimens in February and March about the "Asclepia" 

 bushes. They were in imperfect plumage, and formed the types of his Cinnyris gularis ; he also 

 met with the full-plumaged birds common along the Abyssinian coast. 



Von Heuglin collected it in the province of Taka, in Upper Nubia, and in the Danakil 

 country, on the lied Sea, from the peninsula of Buri to the Gulf of Tadjurrah; and he records 

 it from the mountainous districts of Eastern Abyssinia up to an elevation of 12,000 feet above 

 the sea. 



In the neighbourhood of the Massowah district Hemprich and Ehrenberg collected their type 

 specimens at Arkiko and Ailet. Mr. Jesse procured it at Sahati, and during his journey inland 

 met with it at Rairo, and on the Anseba at Ma*agaz and Waliko. He also procured it at 

 Koomaylee, near Annesley Bay. Out of the nine specimens he brought home, Dr. Finsch 

 observes : — " The steel-blue lustre on the rump is visible only in a ievf specimens ; most of them 

 have the rump of the same metallic green as the other parts of the body." 



