PyEOMEIAKA. 319 



sometimes slightly pointed at the ends, and distinctly glossy. They 

 are pale blue or greenish-blue and generally uniform, but occa- 

 sionally there are a few minute dots of black scattered over the 

 shell. They vary from -69 to -75 in length, and from -52 to -55 in 

 breadth. 



] . Abutja, Niger Rivev, Sept. R. Kemp, Esq. [C.]. 



1. QahooTi (Tristram Coll.). Crowley Bequest. 



a. Bitye, near Ja River, Cameroon, G. L. Bates, Esq. [C.]. 

 13th Nov 



2. Witu, B. E. Africa. Crowley Bequest. 



4. "Witu, May. F. J. Jackson, Esq. [C.l. 



11. Ruo River, B. C. Africa. A. B. Percival, Esq. [C.]. 



Pyromelana nigriventer {Cassin). 



Pyromelana nigriventris, Fischer, J. f. O. 1877, p. 171 ; Sharps, Cat. 



Birds B. M. xiii. p. 280 (1890) ; KuscJiel, J.f. 0. 1895, p. 337 ; Beich. 



Vog. Afr. iii. p. 125 (1904) ; Shelley, Birds Afr. iv. p. 89 (1905). 

 Pyromelana nigriventer, Sharpe, Hand-l. v. p. 414 (1909) ; Ke/ii-k, Kat. 



Eiersamml. p. 330 (1910;. 



Four eggs of the Black-bellied Bishop-bird are of an oval or 

 somewhat pointed oval shape and distinctly glossy. The ground- 

 colour is pale greenish-blue. Two examples are sparingly marked 

 with scattered dots of lavender-grey and darker grey ; the other 

 two are plain. They measure respectively : -66 by '48 ; -65 by -48 ; 

 ■64 by -5 ; -64 by -49. 



2. Witu, B. E. Afi-ica Crowley Bequest. 



2. Witu. Crowley Bequest. 



Pyromelana orix (Linn.). 



Fringilla oryx, Thien. Fortffiam: , ges. Vog. p. 482, tab. xxxvi. fig. 9 



(1846-54). 

 Euplectes sundevalli, Gurneii, Ibis, 18C8, p. 465. 

 Euplectes oryx, Buckley, Ibis, 1874, p. 381. 

 Pyromelana orvx, Sharpe, ed. Layard, Birds S.Africa, p. 462 (1876-84); 



id., Cat. Birds B. M. xiii. p. 230 (1890); Kuschel, J. f. 0. 1895, 



p. 387 ; Nehrk. Kat. Eiersamml. p. 124 (1«99) ; Stark, Fauna 



S. Afr., Birds, i. p. 126 (1900) ; Duncan, J. S. Afr. Orn. U. i. p. 67 



(1906). 

 Pyromelana ovix, Beich. Vog. Afr. iii. p. 120 (1904) : Shdley, Birds Afr. 



iv. p. 95 (1906); Sharpe, Sand-l. v. p. 414 (1909); Nehrk. Eat. 



Eiersamml. p. 330 (1910). 



The eggs of the Red Bishop-bird are chiefly of a blunt oval form. 

 They are greenish-blue and have a considerable amount of gloss. 

 Some specimens exhibit a few very faint brown lines or specks. 

 They vary greatly in size, the largest in the series measuring 

 •83 by -59, and the smallest -63 by -5. 



4. South Africa {E. L. Layard: Crowley Bequest. 

 Tristram Coll.). 



3. South Africa. Gonld Coll. 



