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Show 824 DR. G. HARTLAUB ON THE BIRDS OF ZANZIBAR. [Nov. 14, mottled appearance of the throat; and the external tail-feathers shorter and much less attenuated at the tip. The dimensions of the adult bird are:-Long, tota 6" 3'", alaj 4" 9'", rectr. ext. 3" 8'". 4. CORACIAS CAUDATA, L. Zanzibar seems to be the northern frontier of this fine species, on the east coast of Africa; whereas, on the opposite side, it does not proceed further up than Angola. Speke collected it in Uzaramo, " near the junction of the Kurgen and Myeta Rivers." J. Verreaux mentions a specimen from Kurrichaine. The range of this bird does not extend much further south than the latitude of Natal. 5. HALCYON STRIOLATA, Licht. The well-known widely distributed species. For the somewhat smaller northern form (H. chelicuti) I cannot admit specific separation. 6. IRRISOR ERYTHRORHYNCHUS, Lath. There still remains much uncertainty about these birds. Whether the western and the southern birds are really distinct, as Sir W. Jardine pretends, is still an undecided question to me. I also believe that the colour of the beak is incident to age or season. But the form of that organ is also very variable and individually different. As to the white on the wing, it is curious that the Zanzibar bird has the larger white spots of the western race and the yellowish-green reflexions of the southern individuals. In the end Irrisor erythrorhynchus and L. senegalensis may turn out to be one and the same species (conf. Jard. Contrib. 1852, p. 344 ; Hartl. West Afr. p. 42). 7. NECTARINIA JARDINII, Verr.; Hartl. West Afr. p. 47. One adult specimen. Zanzibar is a new and interesting locality for this species, all the known specimens of which came from the west coast, where it occurs from Gaboon to Benguela (cf. Barb, du Boc. Possess. Portug. p. 73). There is no difference whatever between the Zanzibar bird and a specimen from Angola in the Bremen collection. 8. NECTARINIA COLLARIS, Vieill.; Jard. Monogr. Nect. pl. 6; Hartl. West Afr. p. 52. Many years ago this species was collected by Boyer on the island of Zanzibar (Mus. Vindob.). On the west coast it extends from Se-negambia to the Equator. There is no difference between eastern and western individuals. 9. NECTARINIA GUTTURALIS (L.). Certhia brasiliensis nigricans, Briss. iii. 658 ; Sbaw, Natur. Misc. p. 797. Ccereba gutturalis, Gr. & Bp. Consp. p. 400. Nectarinia natalensis, Jard. Monogr. pl. 12; Contr. Orn. 1850, p. 62, c. fig. med. |