Q THE v BIRDS OF AFRICA, COMPRISING ALL THE SPECIES WHICH OCCUR ETHIOPIAN EEGION BY G SHELLEY, E F.Z.S., F.R.G.S., &c (LATE GRENADIER GUARDS), AUTHOR OF " A " A HANDBOOK TO THE BIRDS OP EGYPT," MONOGRAPH OF THE SUN-BIRDS," VOL ETC II LONDON: PUBLISHED FOR THE ADTHOE BT R H PORTER, 7, PRINCES STREET, CAVENDISH SQUARE, 1900 W ; PREFACE When published the I Africa " I had " Keys sketched out the of the Species," second volume and intended I recognised " keys " would be by the time the species, to " of bring this out as the but the number of known Ethiopian forms ; increases so rapidly that of The Birds of classification down to the volume first decided to so how imperfect these came to write the history work out each family in a I monographic form The Classification "Classification of R Sharpe B 1891, and compiled is Birds" (1890), and that proposed by Dr at the Ornithological Buda-Pest, Congress, have followed these authors I Seebohm's mostly from in the use of termination " formes " for the seventeen large divisions the which I call Orders I begin Piciformes with the Passeriformes and follow on with the The two me appear to to be families of these separate orders most nearly allied are which the Swallows and the Swifts, so as I end the Passeriformes with the Hirundinidas it entails beginning the classification with the Oligomyodse The Oligomyodse lead most naturally the into Oscinen through the Madagascar genera Philepitta and Neodrepanis therefore I commence the With regard what I to the consider to Oscines with the Nectariniidas synonymy of the species: be the most correct name I ; begin with quote the PREFACE ii " Catalogue of the Birds of the British synonymy is given in detail, which have not appeared I Museum," where in that great work follow on with a description of the plumage, taken, possible, from the specimens full and add only such references in the British Museum, when for these are the most available to the general public, and finish with all the details I can find regarding the distribution and habits of the species My which I consider to be of interest, thanks are therefore due to works I quote all the ornithologists whose LIST OF PLATES Nectarinia kilimensis Plate I., fig Plate II., fig Artamia comorensis ~* Cinnyris nesophilus „ *i it Plate III., fig Plate IV., fig >> !> Plate V., „ Plate VI., M fig ii Plate VII., fig ii - ii o ii Plate X., fig „ „ n Plate XII., ii Plate XIII., ii Plate XIV., ii ,, fuelleborni Anthothreptes orientalis Cyanomitra uewtoni Elasocerthia thomensis Zosterops niodesta semiflava pallida, anderssoni virens fieedulina fig fig XL, ,, * Plate IX., Plate falkensteini mediocris fig II i> ,, ii Plate VIII., melanogastra ,, 2 fig ii fig ii -*• fig Speirops leucophsea Zosterops comorensis Malacirops e-newtoni Parus xanthostomus albiventris ,, Alcippe abyssinieus iEgitbalus ruusculus Motacilla vidua ,, Anthus nigricotis lineiventris ,, crenatus fig ,, calthorpse ,, brachyurus ii ii CONTENTS Preface List of Plates Key to the Orders Order I Passeriformes Suborder I Oligomyod.e Family Pitta angolensis Family Pittid.£ I Philepittidje II Philepitta jala „ schlegeli Oscines Pari Family I NECTARraiiDa: Subfamily I Neodrepanin^: Neodrepanis coruscans Subfamily II Nectariniinae Suborder Section Genus I Hedydipna Hedydipna metallica Genus II I ,, II platura Nectarinia Nectarinia famosa ,, cupreonitens CONTENTS PAGE page Genus IV Chalcomitka 54 Chalcomitra senegalensis 88 Family Genus Zosteropidsi III Zosterops 55 acik 56 gutturalis 57 cruentatus 58 hunteri 59 60 amethystina deminuta 61 kirki 62 fnliginosa 89 90 93 100 102 103 105 107 109 100 stenocricota 63 angolensis 111 101 eurycricota 64 adelberti kikuyuensis castaneiventris 112 114 114 102 65 Genus V Eljeocerthia 66 Elseocerthia fusca 67 ,, verreauxi 68 „ thomensis Genus VI Cyanomitra 69 Cyanomitra balfouri 70 (PI olivacea 71 obscura 72 verticalis 73 eyanolaBina 74 75 dussumieri humbloti 76 newfconi 77 hartlaubi 78 reichenbachi Genus VII Anthotheeptes 79 Anthotbreptes fraseri 80 „ idia 81 axillaris 82 longuimarii 83 orientalis 84 aurantia 85 collaris 86 hypodila 87 rectirostris 88 tephrolaema 89 anchietse 90 gabonica v I 93 Zosterops semiflava (PI vi mayottensis 94 95 senegalensis 96 anderssoni 97 kirki (PI vii 98 mouroniensis 99 virens 103 jacksoni 104 ficedulina 115 116 105 griseovirescens 106 pallida 119 107 capensis 120 122 123 125 127 130 132 133 134 135 137 108 poliogastra 109 abyssinica 110 111 madagascariensis anjuanensis 112 comorensis 113 aldabrensis 114 olivacea 115 cbloronota 116 modesta hovarum 117 Genus 139 118 Speirops lugubris 119 ,, 142 143 144 145 147 149 151 120 ,, Genus (PI ix Speirops II 141 155 156 157 158 (PI viii melanocephala leucophasa Malacirops III 121 Malacirops borbonica 122 „ mauritiana 123 „ e-newtoni Family IV Parisomid.3E Genus I Alcippe 124 Alcippe nigricapilla 125 126 ,, abyssinica „ galinieri Family II Promeropid^: 91 Promerops cafer 161 Parisoma 127 Parisoma subceeruleum 161 128 ,, layardi gurneyi 165 129 „ plumbeum 92 „ Genus II 166 168 172 172 173 177 178 179 179 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 190 192 194 196 196 197 198 198 199 200 201 201 202 203 203 204 205 206 206 208 209 210 211 212 213 215 217 THE BIRDS OF AFRICA l.Zosterops comorensis ps e-newtoru PL IX V* l.Par " biventri Z Alcippe aJbyssiraca 2.^{5rth&lus irmsculus "s t BIRDS OF AFRICA.FL.XI : : »-i < u s