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Birds of Africa 1912.Pdf ^ THE BIRDS OF AFRICA, PL. LI. Campeijhaga qui sc alma. c^.^ THE BIRDS OF AFRICA, COMPRISING ALL THE SPECIES WHICH OCCUR ETHIOPIAJST EEGION. BY G. E. SHELLEY, F.Z.S., F.R.G.S., &c. (late grenadibk guards), AUTHOB OF "A HANDBOOK TO THE BIBDS OP EGYPT," "A MOHOGBAPH OF THE SUN-BIBDS," ETC. VOL. V. X ^n.\nSO"-" '"^r//^..- OCT j?oiyi2 ' P^^T II. \„ZZASO\ COMPLETED AND EDITED BY W. L. SCLATER, M.A., F.Z.S. LO NDON : HENRY SOTHERAN & Co. 43, PICCADILLY, W., AND 140, STEAND, W. C. 1912 PEEFATOEY NOTE. The present instalment completes the fifth volume of the late Captain Shelley's great undertaking. Soon after the appearance of the first part of the present volume in 1906, the author was struck down by a sudden illness—a stroke of paralysis—and although he lived on till November 29, 1910, he was unable to continue his labours. The completion of his work, however, was constantly in his thoughts, and shortly before his death I was asked by Mrs. Shelley if I would undertake this task. It was not, however, until afterwards, in the middle of last year, that the arrange- ments could be made for doing so. Mrs. Shelley then handed over to me all the MSS. and the proofs of four sheets which were already in type. The plan and arrangement of the present part is mainly that of the late Captain Shelley, and my task has been to supply descriptions of some of the species, many of which were very incomplete, to revise the whole in the light of the additional facts and discoveries of the last six years, and to pass the work through the press. I am indebted to my father, Mr. P. L. Sclater, for having read through the proofs for me, and to Mr. Ogilvie Grant for much help and many facili- ties afforded to me in the Bird Eoom at the British Museum. It is hoped that the work may be completed in four or five more volumes. W. L. Sclater. July 15, 1912. CONTENTS. age Peefatoey Note List of Plates Section V. Lanii Family I. Diceueid^ Genus I. Diceueus ... 724. Dicrurus forficatus ... 725. ,, wakleni 726. ,, fuscipennis ... 727. ,, aldabranus ... 728. „ afer 729. „ modesfcus 730. „ coracinus ... 731. „ ludwigi 732. ,, atripennis Family II. VANGiDiE Genus I. Xenopieosteis 733. Xenopirostris polleni ... 734. „ xenopirostris ... 735. „ dami Genus II. Aetamia ... 736. Artamia viridis 737. ,, annse... 738. ,, chabert 739. „ schistocerca 740. „ bicolor 741. ,, comorensis ... Genus III. Oeiolia 742. Oriolia bernieri Genus IV. Vanga 743. Vanga curvirostris 744. „ griseipectus ...(PI. 1. Genus V. Lantzia ... 745. Lantzia rufa ... Genus VI. Calicalicus , 746. Calicalicus madagascariensis Genus VII. Aeeochaeis 747. Aerocharis prevoati ... Family III. CAHPorHAaiD^ CONTENTS page page 776. Fiscus humeralis 249 816. Laniarius sublacteus 317 777. „ smithi 252 817. atroflavus ... 319 778. ,, cameruniensis... 252 818. barbarus 319 779. „ subcoronatus ... 254 819. mufumbiri ... 321 780. „ marwitzi (Pl.liii., fig-1) 257 820. atrococcineus 322 781. „ somalicus 258 821. erytbrogaster 325 782. „ dorsalis 261 822. cbrysostictus 325 783. „ cabanisi 262 823. funebris 327 784. „ excubifcorius ... 264 824. alboplagatus 330 785. „ princeps 2G5 825. eriangeri 330 786. „ bohmi 265 826. nigerrimus ... 331 Genius IV. Lanius ... 267 827. leucorhynchus 331 787. Lanius aucheri 268 828. holomelas ... 334 788. pallidirostris 270 829. poeusis 335 789. elegans 271 830. fijlleborni ... 336 790. leucopygos 272 Genus II. DiiYoscorus 337 791. uncinatus 274 831. Dryoscopus senegalensis 338 792. liibberti 276 832. affinis 342 793. ,, minor... 276 833. gambensis 344 794. ,, bogdanowi 279 834. congicus ... 344 Genus V. Enneoctonus 280 835. malzacii ... 346 795. Enneoctonus collurio... 280 836. ny ansae ... 346 796. ,, gubernator 285 837. cubla 349 797. ,, strumpelli 285 838. bamatus ... 349 Genus VI. Phoneus 287 8.39. pringlii ... 353 798. Phoneus niloticus 287 840. tbamnophilus 354 799. „ senator 289 84L angolensis 355 800. „ badius 291 842. nandensis 356 Genus VII. Otomel.v 292 843. bocagei ... 357 801. Otomela isabellina 293 844. jacksoni ... 357 802. ,, phoenicuroides 295 845. ansorgei ... 357 Subfamily II. Laniakiin.e ... 296 Genus III. Chaunonotus ... 359 Genus I. Laniaiiius ... 297 846. Chaunonotus sabini ... 359 803. Laniarius ruficeps 299 847. ,, melanoleucus 359 804. rufinuchalis 300 Genus IV. Tschagea 361 805. kismayensis SOO 848. Tschagra senegala 362 806. luehderi 301 849. remigiabs ... 369 807. ferrugiueus ... 303 850. babessinica... 371 808. major 306 851. eriangeri 371 809. mossambicus 308 852. percivali 373 810. guttatus 310 853. australis 374 811. aetbiopicus ... 312 854. ussberi 374 812. ambiguus ... 312 855. minor 374 813. somaliensis.., 312 856. emini 374 814. bicolor 316 857. congener 374 815. turatii 316 858. frater 375 . CONTENTS 859. Tschagra tschagra 860. „ natalensis ... 861. ,, sousae 862. ,, ausorgei 863. „ jamesi 864. ,, maudana ... 865. ,, kismayensis Genus V. Anticheomus 866. Antichromus minutus 867. ,, anchietae Genus VI. Ehodophoneus ... 868. Ehodophoneus cruentus 869. „ hilgerti (PI. liv., fig. 1) 870. „ cathemagmenus (PI. liv., figs. 2, 3) Genus VII. Telophorus 871. Telophorus viridis 872. „ quadricolor 873. „ dohertyi 874. ,, zeylonus ... Genus VIII. Neolestes 875. Neolestes torquatus ... Genus IX. Malaconotus . 876. Malaconotus poliocephalus ... 877. catharoxanthus 878. hypopyrrhus . 879. approsimans ... 880. monteiri 881. lagdeni ... 882. cruentus 883. gabonensis 884. adolfi-friederici... 885. eladiator Genus X. Chloeophoneus ... 886. Chlorophoneus multicolor 887. batesi 888. preussi 889. melamprosopus 890. nigrifrons 891. manniugi 892. nigrithorax . 893. sulfureopectus 894. similis 895. rubiginosus ... 896. bertrandi LIST OF PLATES, VOL. V., PAET II. Plate L. Vanga griseipectus. Plate LI. Campephaga quisealica. Plate LII., fig. 1. „ santbornoides. ,, ,, 2. Coraeina azurea. Plate LIII., fig. 1. Fiscus marwitzi. ,) ,, 2. ,, newtoni. Plate LIV., fig. 1. Ehodophoneus hilgerti. » ,, 2, 3. „ cathemagmenus. Plate LV., fig. 1. Nicator chloris. 1, ,,2. ,, gularis. Plate LVI., fig. 1. Nilaus affinis. I, i> 2. Eurocephalus anguitimens. Plate LVII., fig. 1. Prionops poliolopha. ,) „ 2. Sigmodus mentalis. LA Nil 165 Section V. LANII. Passerine Birds, which do not swallow their food during flight, nor with their backs downwards. Secondaries never reach to the tip of the wing. Bill never Finch-like. Nestlings generally with the plumage more barred than in the adults, and never brighter in colour nor with the subterminal spots to the feathers more rounded than in the adults. Among the habits most constant in the members of this section, may be remarked the prominent positions they select, such as the exposed topmost bough of a bush, whence they watch to catch the passing insects, which constitute their chief food. When they have eaten enough they often impale upon thorns their superfluous captures for later use as required, which habit has suggested the name of " Butcher-birds " for them in England, and for the same reason, coupled with the black and white plumage of the common South African species, some have there received the name of Fiscal Shrikes. The nest is a strong cup-shaped structure, generally placed in a bush a few feet from the ground, and the eggs, usually five in a clutch, are distinctly spotted. KEY TO THE FAMILIES AND SUBFAMILIES. a. Sides and back of tarsus bilaminated. a^. Bars of the feathers, when present in the young only, paler than the feathers themselves. a^. Tail of only 10 feathers; bill wide, and black like the general plumage ; rictal-bristles strong . DicruridcB. b^. Tail of 12 feathers ; bill narrower than deep at the nostrils, and, like the plumage, rarely black . Vangidce. b''-. Bars on the feathers, when present, in the young only, darker than the feathers themselves. c". Bill more flattened, not deeper than broad at nostrils ; upper mandible less hooked and notched ; shafts of some of the feathers of lower back with stifi', sharply pointed ends Campophaijldie. (/-. Bill deeper than broad at the nostrils ; upper man- of back dible strongly notched ; shafts of feathers normal LaniidcB. a^. Feathers of lower back normal ; nostrils at least partly concealed by the frontal bristles . LaniiiKB. b.^ Feathers of lower back soft and fluffy ; nostrils more free from frontal bristles LaniariincB. [June, 1912 12 166 DICRDRUS b. Sides and back of tarsus covered with scales .... Prionopida. c^. Eyelids and feathers of head normal ; bill deeper than broad at the nostrils, and blackish NilaincB. d^. Eyelids wattled ; either the head crested, or the bill and feet orange red Prionopina. Family I. DICBURID^l. Genus I. DICRUBUS. The Drongos have the bill black, wide at the gape, somewhat flattened, with a rather strong hook and a notch on the upper mandible near the end ; rictal-bristles strong ; nostrils covered with bristly plumes. Wing pointed ; 1st primary not less than half the 2nd. Tail of only ten feathers, often strongly forked, with the exterior feathers curved outwards towards their ends, sometimes nearly square. Tarsi and feet black, the former rather short. Plumage glossy black, rarely greyish ; iris red in adult. The eggs are generally three in a clutch, of a rosy white ground colour, with brown spots. The nests and voice somewhat resemble those of the Orioles, but the Drongos have apparently a great power of imitating the songs of other birds. Type. Dicrurus, Vieill. Analyse, pp. 41, 70 (1816); id. N. Diet. ix. p. 586 (1817) D. balicassius. Drongus, Eafin. Analyse, p. 67 (1815) nom. nud. ? Edohus, Cuv. Regn. An. i, p. 350 (1817) . D. forficatus. Bhuchanga, Hodgs. lud. Rev. i. p. 326 (1837) D.macrocercus. Musicus, Reichenb. Av. Syst. pi. 88, fig. 9 (1850) D. afer. Balicassius, Bp. C. E. xxxviii. p. 539 (1854) D. balicassius. The family ranges from the western side of Africa to the Phihppine Islands and Australia, and comprises about forty species, of which five are confined to the African continent and four to the Madagascar subregion. KEY TO THE SPECIES. a. Tail more forked ; depth of fork 1-25 to 2'5 inches. ai. Frontal feathers elongated and longer than the culuien . forficatus. b^. Frontal feathers not elongated.
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