feathers glossed with metallic green.” Below it is pale ashy-brown
in colour, with the pectoral tufts bright scarlet. Sir Andrew Smith,
who first named the species, writes!—“■ Only a very few specimens
of this bird have yet been found in South Africa, and none, as far
as I know, within the limits of Cape Colony: Kafirland, and the
country eastward of it, towards Port Natal, furnished the specimens
we possess. Like the other species of the group, it feeds upon
small insects; and these it collects partly from the branches and
leaves of brushwood and dwarf trees, and partly from flowers; but
as far as my experience goes, I should be inclined to consider them
as giving a preference to insects. In those I examined I found the
bulk of the contents of the stomach to be insects, though at the
same time each contained more or less of the saccharine juice.”
Captain Shelley met with the species near Durban, and-Mr. T. L.
Ayres has forwarded several specimens to him from Pinetown. A nest
obtained by the latter gentleman was suspended from the outer twigs
of a bush, and was composed of dried grass, and lined with feathers
and horserhair, being very similar in structure to that of Anihodiceta
collaris. Mr. T. Ayres notices that in Natal he has only seen these
birds in the coast bush, and not so plentifully as most other species
of Nectarinise, Captain Shelley also states that in its habit of frequenting
the low thick bush it differed from 0. olivaceus, which he
only met with in the large scattered trees in the more open country.
Captain Harford, when staying at Pinetown, never met with the
species, but he tells us that along the coast and on the Umgeni they
were very plentiful, especially about the time when peach-trees were
in blossom. We must add that Lord Tweeddale’s collection contains
a specimen said to have been procured in the Zambesi,
Above brownish; head, upper, and lateral parts of neck, back,
and shoulders, dark bluish-green, with a strong metallic lustre;
wings and tail black-brown ; under parts yellowish-grey; tufts
under the wings brilliant scarlet. Total length, 5'g inches; culmen,
0*9; wing, 2-45; tail, 2 ; tarsus, 0‘7.
Fig. Shelley, Monogr. Cinnyrid(e, part ii,
296. C in n y r is oiijVACEUS. South-African Olive Sun-bird.
Necta/rinia olivacea, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 78,
Of this species Sir Andrew Smith observes:—“ In the same
country in which we found C, verreauxi, we discovered another
species of the genus Cinnyris, which appears to us undescribed.”
It was subsequently described and figured by him (111. Zool. S. Afr.,
Aves, pi. 57) as O', olivaceus. All the specimens which we have
seen have been from the colony of Natal, whence Captain Harford
sent us examplesaccording to his observations it breeds there
in November, the eggs being light brown, so profusely mottled
with purplish brown as: almost to conceal the ground-colour.
Captain Shelley found them rare at Durban, but at Pinetown in
February and March they were far more common, being usually seen
in pairs among the tall trees which grow by the sides of the watercourses
; they appeared to him to prefer the higher branches to the
low, tangled brushwood. Mr. Ayres also writes i—“ These birds are
common on the coast and for some distance inland; they are particularly
fond of shady banana groves, taking the nectar from the
long drooping flowers of the plant, and chasing one- another about
with great pertinacity. The plumage of the female is not so bright
as that of the male.”
The plain olive f colouring of this bird is its most distinguishing
character; both sexes have a yellow pectoral tuft. The colour of
this species, above, is intermediate between grass and olive-green,
the head being strongly tinged with blue; below it is light
yellowish-green, with an orange tint on the throat, and on each
axilla there is a small tuft of brilliant yellow feathers. Length,
from the base of the bill to the point of the tail, 6"; bill, V 3'".
Fig. Shelley,, Monogr. Ginnyridce, part 2.
297. C in n y r is gut tural is. Scarlet-chested Sun-bird.
Necta/rmia natalensis, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 80.
This fine species is not an inhabitant of the Cape Colony, and it
does not appear to descend further than Natal. Here it breeds,
according to Captain Harford, who has sent us specimens. Mr. T.
Ayres has also found it breeding in that colony, and he states that
it “ hangs its nest on the outer twigs of trees, at no great height
from the earth and frequently over water.” Captain Shelley has
received several examples from Pinetown and Durban, sent to him
by Mr. T. L. Ayres, who informs him that in this district it is
migratory, only arriving there in the cold season, and is never very
plentiful. Mr. T. E. Buckley writes :—“ I only met with this bird
in the Matabili country about the Imguisi and Samouqui rivers, and