44 
Adult female. —Similar to the male, but a trifle smaller in size. 
Young (Ondonga).—^Resembles the adult, but is much duller and paler in coloration; underparts 
without the rich lilac tinge; crown green as in the adult but paler. 
Ohs. —According to Anchieta the feet are yellowish grey and the iris coflee-brown, whereas 
according to Ayres the feet are dull greenish yellow and the iris ashy brown. 
The present species is the southern representative of Coracias ncBvius^ and is found probably from the 
Equator down to the Cape Colony. Dr. A. Eeichenow informs me that they have this species from 
Gouda (south of Tabora in the Uganda district, in about 6° S. lat.) in the Berlin Museum, and 
Captain Shelley (P. Z. S. 1881, p. 666) records a Roller under the name of C. noevia from Dar-es- 
Salaam, which I believe to belong to the present species, though I have not had an opportunity of 
examining this specimen. 
Mr. Oates records it from the Zambesi district, and he obtained it at the flrst and second Makalaka 
kraals. Dr. Exton procured it at Kanye, Mr. Ayres records it from the Limpopo river, Jameson 
obtained it at Bamangwato in the Matabeli country in May, where, according to Captain Shelley 
(Ibis, 1882, p. 243), it was “met with singly or in pairs, and, although by no means common up 
country, is very generally distributed. There were several around our camp at the Umvuli river, 
mostly in pairs, while those we met with on the road were single.” Mr. T. E. Buckley obtained it 
at Matabeli in October, and says that it was fairly common and generally seen singly or in pairs, and 
he also records it from the Transvaal, where, however, according to Mr. Ayres, it was much scarcer 
than C. caudatus. According to Mr. Reid it is not unfrequent between Soutpans Drift, Orange river, 
and Gugua town; Mr. Ayres records it as being not uncommon during the summer in Natal; and 
Mr. Symonds states (Ibis, 1887, p. 327) that “ a specimen was shot in the bush by the river about 
five miles from Kroonstad, Orange Free State, and is the only one I have seen there. When first 
killed it had a beautiful shining appearance, like shot silk, somewhat of a green and blue colour, but 
this subsequently faded; the head is crested.” According to Layard [1. c.), “ Levaillant procured this 
bird in Kafiraria. I have received it from the neighbourhood of Otjimbingue in Damaraland, and 
one specimen was shot near Middleburg on the eastern side of the colony, and sent to me by the late 
Mr. J. O’Reilly, magistrate of that place.” 
On the western side of the continent it is found as far north as Togoland. Andersson says 
that it is not uncommon throughout Damaraland, and is also found in the Lake Regions. Monteiro 
records it from Ambriz, Anchieta from Capangombe, Huilla, Humbe, and the Rio Cunene, and 
Bocage from Quillengues and Caconda, and, according to Dr. Reichenow, it was obtained by 
Dr. Biittner at Bismarcksburg in Togoland. I must, however, here state that Dr. Reichenow does not 
believe in the specific value of the present Roller, for he writes to me as follows:—“ I hold that 
Coracias mosamhicus [olivaceiceps, Sharpe) is merely the immature of C. nmmus. I have both forms 
{nmvius and mosamhicus) from Gouda, south of Tabora in the Uganda district. East Africa, where 
Boehm obtained them at the same time. The specimen coloured like C. mosamhicus is certainly a 
young bird. Furthermore, I have the two forms from Bismarcksburg in Togoland, West Africa, both 
shot on the same day by Dr. Biittner- The specimen coloured like C. mosamhicus is an older bird; 
the throat and sides of the head are coloured like the under surface of the body, and there is merely 
