﻿throat and a patch of feathers along the sides of the neck yellowish white ; under surface 

 of the body pale rufous, lighter down the centre of the body ; bill and feet blackish, tinged 

 slightly with red. Total length 5.0 inches, of bill from front 1.3, from gape 1.75, wing 

 2.4, tail 1.1, tarsus 0.25, middle toe 0.7, hind toe 0.3. {Right-hand figure.) 



Very young. Similar to the last, but the plumage much darker brown, the bars of blue 

 being narrower and those on the head darker; the bars of cobalt on the wing-coverts 

 and scapularies very distinct, upper part of the breast marked with a darkish brown line. 

 Total length 4.3 inches, of bill from front 0.8, from gape 1.05, wing 2.0, tail 1.65, tarsus 

 0.2, middle toe 0.4, hind toe 0.2. {Left-hand figure). 



Hab. Abyssinia {Heuglin), Tigre ; Dongola, Agula {Blanford), Nubia (Lichtenstein), 

 White Nile (Petherick), Kiver Gambia {mus. P. B. Sharpe), Bissao ( Verreaux), Casamanze 

 {Verreaux), Fantee {Boivditch), Ashantee {mus. J. Gould), Bonny River {Jardine), Gaboon 

 {Verreaux), St. Thomas {mus. Lisb.), Angola {Monteiro), Cape Colony {Layard), Natal 

 (Ayres), Transvaal {Ayres) Caffraria (Wahlberg, Bulger), Zambesi (Kirk). 



In a paper recently published in the "Ibis," I entered fully into the question of the 

 various races of this species to be met with in the ^Ethiopian Region, and came to the 

 conclusion that, beyond the larger size of the South African birds, there was nothing to 

 justify their separation from the form occurring in Western Africa and Abyssinia. At 

 the time I wrote that article I laboured under the disadvantage of not being able to examine 

 more than one specimen from North Eastern Africa, an imperfect skin sent from the White 

 Nile by Consul Petherick, for the opportunity of inspecting which, I was indebted to my 

 kind friend Mr. Gould. I decided, however, that there was no reason to separate the 

 Abyssinian bird as a distinct species, and subsequent experience have proved the correct- 

 ness of this view, for Mr. W. T. Blanford, the Geologist attached to the late Abyssinian 

 Expedition, had the courtesy to submit to me two specimens obtained by him during his 

 sojourn in that country. These evidently belong to the same small race as the bird from 

 the White Nile. I subjoin the measurements of the two Abyssinian specimens, and those 

 of the other birds from Western and South Eastern Africa examined by me in my paper 

 in the "Ibis." 



No. 



Sex. 



Locality. 



Authority. 



Long tot. 



Ko6tr. 



Ah 



1 



6 



Agula 



Blanford 



4-6 



115 



2.25 



2 



i 



Dongolo 



Blanfonl 



4-6 



1.2 



2-2 



3 





White Nile 



Petherick 



4-75 





2-1 







R. Gambia 



mus E. B. S. 



470 



115 



2-2 



5 





Benguela 



Monteiro 



4-80 



115 



2-2 



6 



$ 



"West Africa 



A'crreaux 



5-00 



1-25 



2-1 



7 





Natal 



Ayres 



5-20 



1-20 



2-3 



8 





Natal 



Ayres 



G-00 



1-20 



2-3 



9 





Cape Colony (?) 



mus. R. B. S. 



530 



1-30 



2-3 



It will be seen at a glance that the bird from Western Africa is intermediate in size 

 between the one from Abyssinia and that from South Africa. Should, however, some 

 future Ornithologist be bent upon separating the Abyssinian bird as distinct, it must bear 

 the name of Corythomis cyanostigma, as the type of this supposed species came from 

 Abyssinia. 



The Alcedo cyanostigma of Riippell has generally been considered distinct, and I admit 

 that taking the two birds separately without having a series for comparison, they would be 

 pronounced to be different. But it is really no other than the young of C. cristata. Dr. 

 Hartlaub, indeed, in his very valuable work on West African Ornithology, takes this view, 

 but in the new work on East-African Ornithology, I see the authors grant specific 

 rank to RiippeH's bird. Dr. Cabanis supposes A. cyanostigma to be the young of C. 

 (XBrvleocephala, but this also is erroneous, as we have by the exertions of Mr. Keulemans been 



