

3 ad. supra sordide olivascenti-flavus, tectricibus alarum minimis et medianis dorso concoloribus : tectricibus 

 reliquis remigibusque saturate brunneis, extus dorsi colore marginatis : rectricibus saturate brunneis 

 olivascenti-flavo limbatis : capite undique et gutture metallice viridibus, facie laterali et gutture chalybeo 

 nitentibus : corpore reliquo subtus schistascenti-cinereo : fasciis pectoralibus pallide flavis : subalaribus 

 pectori concoloribus : remigibus infra saturate brunneis, intus pallidius marginatis : rostro et pedibus 

 nigris : iride saturate brunnea. 



2 ad. supra mari similis : pileo et facie laterali metallice viridibus : genis et corpore subtus toto pallide 

 cineraceis : fasciis pectoralibus albis. 



Hab. in Africa occidentali. 



Adult Male. Upper parts olive-yellow, including the least and median series of wing-coverts ; remainder of 

 the wings and tail dark brown, all the feathers broadly margined with olive-yellow ; entire head, neck, 

 and throat deep metallic green, with the chin and throat strongly shaded with steel-blue ; in front of 

 the eye a triangular patch of black feathers ; under surface of the body and the under tail-coverts 

 leaden grey ; pectoral tufts very pale yellow ; under surface of the wings dark brown, with pale inner 

 margins to the quills and with the coverts leaden grey ; bill and legs black j irides dark brown. Total 

 length 5'2 inches, culmen 095, wing 26, tail 2, tarsus 065. 



Adult Female. Similar in plumage to the adult male in the upper parts and sides of the head ; entire under- 

 surface very pale ashy grey, almost white towards the chin ; pectoral tufts white, under surface of the 

 wings dark brown with the inner margins of the quills paler and the coverts white ; bill and legs black ; 

 irides dark brown. Total length 4'9 inches, culmen 09, wing 2-3, tail 1-8, tarsus 0.65. 



Immature Male. Back, wings, and tail as in the adult ; ear-coverts, crown, and back of the neck olive- 

 yellow like the back, shading into dusky ashy on the forehead and front of the crown ; a few metallic 

 green feathers on the cheeks and back of the head ; chin and throat dusky black, slightly mottled on 

 the sides and towards the base with pale ashy ; under surface of the body and the under tail-coverts 

 ashy strongly washed with pale yellow ; the feathers at the base of the throat brighter yellow forming 

 a partially defined collar ; under surface of the wings as in the adult female ; bill and legs black ; gape 

 orange-yellow ; irides dark brown. 



Hab. West Africa. 



The present species may be recognized by its olive-yellow back and ashy breast, and by the entire 

 upper half of the head and sides and back of the neck being metallic green in both sexes : in 

 the male the breast is much darker, the chin and throat metallic bluish green, and the pectoral 

 tufts very pale yellow, while in the female the chin and throat are very pale ashy, like the breast, 

 and the pectoral tufts white ; these pectoral tufts are rarely visible in the female, even in speci- 

 mens otherwise apparently in perfectly full plumage. 



The sexes have been separated by many authors as distinct species under the titles of 

 cyanocephalm for the male and verticalis for the female. This error arose from the fact that 

 the present form is the only known true Cinnyris in which the female is adorned with metallic 

 colours ; but in the closely allied genus Anthreptes such a departure from the general rule is not 

 unfrequent. That these two forms are really only sexual differences is now beyond doubt. In 

 the first place they both range throughout West Africa from Senegal to Angola, and in no 



