T R A C H Y P Ï Ï O N U S PUR P U R A T US.
( T H E P U R P L E B A R B E T .)
Trachyphonus purpuratus
Capita- purpuratus
T. sexibus similibus : supra
(1851) Vorr. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. p. 260.
(1851) Strickl. Contr. Orn. p. 135.
(1854) Bp. Consp. Volucr. Zyg. p. 12, sp. 24.
(1854) Haiti. Journ. f. Orn. p. 195, No. 407.
(1857) „ Syst. Orn. West Afr. p. 175, No. 522.
(1859) Verr. P. Z. S. p. 399.
(1861) Heugl. Ibis, p. 164.
(1868) G. R. Gr. Cat. Brit. Mus. Capit. p. 18.
(1863) Goffin, Mus. Pays Bas. Bucc. p. 71.
uropygio omnino nigro : hypochondriis nigris, sulpbureo punctatis.
Hab. in provinciâ Gabonensi Africa? occidentalis.
alike; forehead, top of the head, and a narrow stripe down each side of the
neck, dark crimson; occiput, nape, back, and shoulders, dull black, broadly margined with
metallic blue-black; lesser wing-coverts pure white; wings and tail, brownish black; in
some specimens a few of the feathers of the upper tail-coverts are narrowly pencilled at
the tip with sulphur yellow; throat and upper breast, the feathers of which have a
lanceolated appearance, t h e web being divided at the tip, black, with broad silver-grey tips;
below this is a narrow but distinct band of fiery red; breast yellow; flanks and the rest of
the under-surface jet black, with large drops of yeUow at the tips of the feathers. Beak
yellow, orbital skin yellow, legs and feet dark plumbeous. Length 9", wing 4", tail 3."8,
tarsus 1".
Hab. Gaboon, near the Camma and Moonda rivers (Duchaittu).
This species is nearly allied to T. goffini, from which, however, it is not difficult to
distinguish it, on account of its conspicuous black flanks, with round yellow spots and the
naked yeUow orbital skin. A further distinctive character is the fiery red band across the