14 IRBISOEIDiB lEElSOE 



feathers being a good deal longer than the wing ; tarsus as in the 

 Upupida, short and scaled posteriorly. 



The members of this small family are all confined to the 

 Ethiopian Region 



Key of the Genera. 



a. Bill slightly curved, upper edge of nostril thickened Irrisor, p. 14. 

 6. Bill strongly curved, upper edge of the nostril with 



a horny membrane Sliinopomastus,^.!! . 



Genus I. lEBISOR.* 



Type. 

 Irrisor, Less. Traitk d'Orn. p. 239 (1831) I. viridis. 



Bill moderately arched ; nostrils open and slit-shaped, overhung 

 by a thickened eave-like edge. Other characters as recorded above 

 in the family diagnosis. 



This genus, which is confined to Africa, contains four species, 

 only one of which is found within our limits. 



388. Irrisor viridis. Eakelaar. 



Upupa viridis, A, A. H. Lichtenstein, Cat. rer. Nat. Hamb. p. 22 



(1793). 

 Promerops moqueur, Levaill. Hist. Nat. Promerops, p. 8, pis. 



1, 2, 3 (1807). 

 FalcineUus erythrorhynchus {nee Lath.) Vieill. N. Diet. H. N. xviii, 



p. 163 (1819). 

 Irrisor erythrorhynchus, Qrill, K. Vet. Akad. Handl. Stoehholm, ii, 



no. 10, p. 40 (1858) [Knysna]; Gurney, Ibis, 1862, p. 27 [Natal]; 



* Mr. Ogilvie Grant has recently proposed to rearrange the species of this 

 genus (Bull. B. O. 0. xii, p. 36, 1901). He recognises three species in South 

 Africa — I. erythrorhynchus found in west and north-east Africa, and 

 extending to Natal : I. viridis also in Natal and the Colony : I. dama- 

 rensis from Damaraland. They are distinguished by him as follows : — 

 a. Back metallic green. 



a\ TaU longer, 9 to 10 ins ; white spot on the 



quUls, 0'9 to I'l In width , /. erythrorhynchus. 



6'. Tail shorter, 7 to 8 ins ; white spot on the 



quUls, about 0-5 in width I. viridis. 



h. Back sooty -black, with a purplish-bronze gloss ... I. damarensis. 



