48 COEACIID^ COBACIAS 



high bank, a bedding of grass and feathers being usually provided. 

 During the breeding-season the male indulges in extraordinary 

 tumbling antics in the air, whence it has derived its English trivial 

 name. 



401. Coracias candatus. Moselikatze's Boiler. 



Coracias caudata, Linn. Syst. Nat. 12th ed. i, p. 160 (1766) ; EirTe, 

 Ibis, 1864, p. 324 [Zambesi] ; Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 61 (1867) ; 

 Ourney, Ibis, 1868, p. 461 [Natal] ; Layard, Ibis, 1869, p. 364 

 [Bechuanaland] ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1871, p. 194 ; Gurney in Andersson's 

 B. Bamaraland, p. 53 (1872) ; BucUey, Ibis, 1874, p. 364 [Trans- 

 vaal] ; Sharpe, ed. Layard's B. S. Afr. pp. 104, 805 (1875-84) ; 

 Barratt, Ibis, 1876, p. 198 [Bustenburg] ; Ayres, Ibis, 1879, p. 290 

 [Rustenburg] ; Oates, Matabeleland, p. 302 (1881) ; Shelley, Ibis, 

 1882, p. 243 [Umfuli Eiver] ; Eolub & Pelzeln Orn. Sud-Afrihas, 

 p. 59 (1882) ; W. Ayres, Ibis, 1887, p. 50 [Zoutspansberg] ; Sharpe, 

 Cat. B. M. xvii, p. 21 (1892) ; Dresser, Monogr. Corac. p. 9, pi. 3 

 (1893) ; Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 109 (1896) ; Rendall, Ibis, 1896, p. 197 

 [Baxberton] ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1897, p. 497 [Ulundi] ; Woodward Bros. 

 Natal B. p. 88 (1899); Alexander, Ibis, 1900, p. 95 [Zambesi]; 

 Marshall, Ibis, p. 246 [Umiuli Eiver]. 



" Moselikatze's Bird" of English; "Pefe" of Zulus and Matabele: 

 " Veve" of Swazis ; " Le-cler-cler " of Bechuanas. 



Description. — Crown and nape a pale green with a hoary-white 

 frontal band extending over the eye ; back, scapulars and inner 

 secondaries pale brown ; greater wing-coverts pale cobalt-blue, lesser- 

 coverts and feathers along the carpal joint and ulna bright ultra- 

 marine-blue ; basal half of the wing quills cobalt-blue, distal half 

 black on the inner webs, ultramarine-blue on the outer, from below, 

 black on the outer, ultramarine on the inner webs; rump ultra- 

 marine, upper tail-coverts hghter blue ; central pair of tail-feathers 

 oily-green, the others pale cobalt tipped with darker, the outer pair 

 narrowed and elongated to nearly twice the length of the other 

 feathers, the narrow portion darkening to black ; below the chin is 

 hoary-white, the throat, cheeks and breast rich vinous with a few 

 white shaft marks on the throat ; abdomen, under wing- and tail- 

 coverts bright cobalt-blue. 



Iris dark hazel ; bill black ; legs and feet greenish-yellow. 



Length to middle tail-feather about 11-0 ; wing 6-60 ; tail to 

 end of middle feather 4-90 ; to end of elongated feather 7-25 to 8-50 ; 

 culmen 1-15 ; tarsus "SS. 



The female resembles the male in every respect including the 

 elongated tail-feathers. 



