IRENA MELANOCHLAMYS, skarpe. 



Black-mantled Fairy Bluebird. 



Irena melanochlamys, Sharpe, Cat. Birds, iii. p. 266. — id. Trans. Linn. Soc. new series, Zool. i. p. 352. — Tweedd. 

 Proc. Zool. Soc. 1879, p. 71. — Wardlaw Ramsay, Orn. Works of Marquis of Tweeddale, p. 649. 



i 



The present species is the representative in the island of Basilan of Irena cyanogastra. Vigors, of Luzon and 

 Panay; it differs, however, in having the back and mantle black instead of deep blue. 



All that is known of the present bird is contained in the bare record of its discovery by Dr. Steere in 

 Basilan, and that since then Mr. Alfred Everett has met with it in the same island, the latter gentleman 

 giving the colour of the iris as "pure Indian red." 



The following is a transcript of the original description given by Mr. Sharpe : — 



" Adult male. Crown of head and nape glistening purplish cobalt, extending to the middle of the hind neck ; 

 sides of neck, mantle, and scapulars deep velvety black; lower back and rump dull purplish cobalt, much 

 brighter on the upper tail-coverts ; wings black, the lesser and median series purplish cobalt, the greater series 

 black, tipped with the same cobalt, the innermost, as well as the inner, secondaries externally of the same 

 colour; tail black, shaded with purple on the centre feathers and the outer webs of the others; lores, 

 feathers above and round the eye, throat and fore neck deep velvety black, the rest of the under surface 

 dull purple, the under tail-coverts bright purplish cobalt ; under wing-coverts dull purple; bill black; legs 

 black; iris carmine. Total length 10 inches, culm en 105, wing 4*8, tail 4'1, tarsus 0*7." 



The figures in the Plate represent a male bird in two different attitudes, a little less than the size of 

 life. They were drawn from the typical example kindly lent to me by Professor Steere during his visit to 

 England. [R. B. S.] 



