N E C T A R I N 1 A T A L A T A L A
axis, 9"'; diam. 6"", and rather truncated in shape. Mr. T. E.
Buckley found them common in the Bamangwato district, where
they were generally seen in pairs. The same gentleman obtained
them in Suaziland. A specimen, said to hare been obtained in the
Zambesi by the late Dr. Meller and formerly in the Editor’s collection,
is now in the British Museum. Mr. Andersson gires the
following note on the species, and it will be noticed that the colour
of the eggs, as stated by him, differs from that recorded abore:—
“ I only met with this exquisite little species in my jour-
neyings to the Okarango, in the neighbourhood of which rirer it
was rery abundant during the rainy season, being a migratory
species, and arriring a little before the commencement of the rains.
I also found it rery common, though exceedingly shy, on the edge
of the bush in Ondonga, where I obtained its nest on February 19th;
the nest was rery large and strongly built, and resembled in form
and material that of G. fuscus; it contained fire, small, oblong, and
pure white eggs. Another nest, taken on March 2 7th, also contained
fire eggs. This sun-bird is exceedingly lirely in its habits, and at
the approach of the pairing-season it becomes inspired with the
most lorely and exquisite melodies, being a concentration of the
softest trilling and melodious notes. I always found it either singly
or in pairs.”
General colour abore glossy green, tinged with blue in certain
lights, especially on the forehead and tail-corerts; neck and throat
beneath blue, tinged with green, changing into deep purple on the
breast, where it forms a bar succeeded by another of rery dark
brown; the rest of the under parts white, faintly tinged with yellow;
axillary tufts bright pale yellow; wing-feathers brown; tail-feathers
black, edged with iridescent green. Length, 4" 4///; wing, 2" 2'";
tail, 1" 6'"; bill, 9'", considerably curred.
The female resembles the male, but is all plain brown, tinted
white below.
Fig. Shelley, Monogr. Oinnyridce, part H.
304. C in n y r is m a r iq u en s is . Southern Bifasciated Sun-bird.
Nectarina, bifasciata, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 77.
If we are correct in separating these Bifasciated Sun-birds into
different races, the most southern of them must be called by Smith’s
name of mariquensis, as that of bifasciata is referable to the bird in