of a dull greyish-brown colour, minutely mottled all over. Axis,
10'" ; diam. 6"'.
In Natal, writes Mr. Ayres, they frequent " tbe open country,
feeding upon tbe nectar of tbe various kinds of aloes abounding in
some localities and also on tbat of some species of lilies wbicb are
numerous in many of tbe valleys. When disturbed, they generally
fly right away; unless their attention is attracted by some flower or
by others of their own species.” Mr. Andersson observes :—“ It is
usually found ‘permanently established where it has once taken up
its abode. Its food consists of insects and the saccharine juices of
flowers, in search of which it flits incessantly from one flowering
tree to another, now settling and now hovering, but glittering all the
while in the sunshine like some brilliant insect or precious gem.
The male in addition to the beauty of its plumage possesses a very
pleasant warble.”
General colour, shining malachite green; wings and tail blackish;
pectoral tufts brilliant yellow; two centre tail-feathers prolonged three
inches beyond the rest. Total length, 9" ; wing, 3" ; tail, 6" 5'".
Female.•—Above dull brown tinged with green, below greenish
yellow, brightest on the belly and vent, mottled with brown on the
throat and chest, under tail coverts whitish. Length, 6" 5 tail, 2" 3'".
The young male resembles the adult female.
Fig. Shelley, Monogr. Oinnyridce, part 1.
2 9 4 . A nth ko ba ph e s violac ea .
South African Wedge-tailed Sun-bird.
Nectarinia violacea, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 78.
Captain Shelley writes as follows :—“ The South African Wedgetailed
Sun-bird forms, I consider, the connecting link between the
African genus Nectarinia and the Oriental JEthopyga : to the former
it is allied in the shape and length of its bill, and in not possessing
the loose downy feathers on the middle of the back, which are so
characteristic of the genus AEtkopyga,, while to the latter it shows
its affinities in the form of the tail. This last character, together
with the metallic colouring of the least series of wing-coverts, and
the orange yellow breast distinguish it from all the other members
of the family.”
This sun-bird appears to affect wild, uncultivated country and
mountains, more than the other species, G. chalybceus, 0. afer, or N.
famosa: indeed, we* never observed it near habitations. It is plentiful
on the top and about the sides of Table Mountain. At the
Knysna, we found it in abundance among the uncultivated hill-sides,
away from the timber. We saw a pair building a pendant, domed
nest, with a projecting portico over the entrance, at Cape Delgado,
on the Bast Coast of Africa. The nest was hung at the extreme end
of a drooping branch of- a Cusuarina, close to the sea .beach; not
far off was the nest of- G. guttural/is.
Mr. Andersson gives the following- note:—“ I have found this
species pretty abundant in Little Namaqua Land; but to the best of
my knowledge it is not an inhabitant of G-reat Namaqua or Damara
Land, though Mr-. Layard informs me that Mr. Chapman brought
specimens from the Lake country-. It is found singly and. in pairs,,
often also in flocks, frequenting- the slopes of hills and mountains,
whence it descends to- the lower- grounds, but only during the
flowering season of the garden plants and trees, amongst which it is
especially fond of the sweet scented orange blossom,. With the
exception of such excursions, it is not migratory. The male bird,
has a brisk, pleasant song. With regard to its supposed occurrence
near Lake N'gami as stated above, we agree with Captain Shelley us
to the identification of the species being in this case incorrect.
Adult male.—Head, neck, throat and shoulders shining green ;
breast shining violet; back, wings, and tail olive green; belly and
vent deep orange and yellow; side-tufts yellow ; centre feather of
tail prolonged about 1J ineh beyond the rest, and darker. Total
length, 6^"; wing, ; tail, 3 "'2 "'. Captain Shelley states that
during the rainy season the male loses its bright colours, and
assumes a plumage almost identical- with that of the female.
Adult female.—Above dull brownish-green, the rump tinged with
greenish-yellow; below tinged with yellow, especially on the belly
and vent. Total length, 5 inches ; culmen, 0'-85 ; wing, 2; tail, 2 ;
tarsus, 0-65.
Fig. Shelley, Monogr. Ginnyridoe, part iii.
295. C in n y r is v ek r ea ux i. Mouse-coloured Sun-bird.
According to Captain Shelley, our first authority on the sun-
birds, this very local South African form “ may be readily distin-
tinguished by the peculiar colouring of its plumage, the upper parts
being of an olive-shaded ashy-brown, with only the ends of the