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Show 476 MR. W. A. FORBES ON TWO PLOCEINE BIRDS. [June 15, side fitting into each other, so that at first sight there only appear to be two on each side. The excess of these four central tail-feathers over the other rectrices is, in this specimen, nearly 6 inches: in the young male that lived in our Gardens, there are only two lengthened feathers, which project only to the extent of \ inch. If our bird had lived, the other two tail-feathers would, no doubt, have been duly developed, the birds in other respects being nearly similar. In our specimen all the rectrices, including the two central ones, are slightly tipped with white: the eyes were very dark red-brown. Vidua splendens is perhaps most like Vidua hypocherina oi Verreaux1; from that species it can be at once distinguished by the absence of the white, elongated rump-feathers. Vidua (Hypochera) nitens is also entirely blue-black, but has no lengthened rectrices, and, moreover, has the feet and beak flesh-colour ; in V. principalis the beak is also bright red, but the feet are fleshy, besides many other differences. The discovery of this bird renders, in m y opinion, the retention of the genus Hypochera, founded by Bonaparte2 in 1850, for Fringilla nitens unnecessary-the males of V. splendens aud V. principalis, as well as probably V. hypocherina 3 when in winter plumage, as well as the females and young males at all times, being indistinguishable by any characters, structural or otherwise, from that section of the group including V. nitens and V. nigerrima (Hypochera niyerrima, Sharpe, P. Z.S. 1871, p. 133), in which the male has, in nuptial plumage, no elongated rectrices. Our specimen was said to be from the "east coast of Africa," a fact rendered probable by the arrival along with it of specimens of Euplectes nigriventris^, a truly eastern species. 2. PYTELIA WIENERI. (Plate XLVII. fig. 2.) Pytelia wieneri, Finsch, Gef. Welt, Aug. 9, 1877. Pytelia cinereigula, Cab. Orn. Centralb. Dec. 1, 1877, et J. f. 0. 1878, p. 101. In the ' Gefiederte Welt' (6th Jahrg. no. 32, p. 317) for Aug. 9th, 1877, Dr. Finsch described as new, under the above title, a species of Pytelia, of which Mr. A. F. Wiener, F.Z.S., had purchased four living specimens in London, supposed to be from " Australia." On June 18th, 1879, Mr. Wiener presented one of these specimens to the Society, which is still (May 31) living in the Parrot-house in good health. From it the accompanying drawing has been taken (Plate XLVII. fig. 2). In the ' Ornithologisches Centralblatt' for Dec. 1, 1877 (p. 182), 1 Vidua hypocherina, J. and E. Verreaux, Rev. et Mag. Zool. 1856, p. 260, 2 C. R. xxxi. p. 434. 3 Vidua superciliosa (Vieill. Gal. Ois. pl. 61) I only know by the plate and descriptions : it is said to have only two elongated rectrices; as there are said to be ten ol the ordinary length, this statement is therefore probably correct Cassin, J. Ac. Phil. 1849, p. 242, pl. xxxi. fig. 1. Erroneously entered in the register (P. Z. S. 1878, p. 1008) as E. oryx. Cf List Vert. 1st supplem. 1879, p. 65. * L |