294 Mr. T. Ayres on the Ornithology of Transvaal. 



as the preceding oue^ and with much the same habits^ though, 

 being smaller, it is scarcely so conspicuous. 



[I find that in the six specimens sent by Mr. Ayres, the 

 length of the bill from the forehead is about 1"2 inch, with 

 hardly any perceptible variation ; in one male the wing-mea- 

 surement is 3*3 inches, in one female 3*4, in two males and 

 one female 3"45, and in the remaining male 3*5 . — J. H. G.] 



314. CiNNYRis AFRA (Liun.). Greater Double-collared 

 Sun-bird. 



This Sun-bird is common in the Rustenburg district, feed- 

 ing about the flowers of the plantains in gardens, and about 

 the dark rose-red blossoms of a parasitic plant which is very 

 plentiful on many of the bush trees and shrubs. 



315. CiNNYRis TALATALA, Smith. Auderssou^s Sun-bird. 

 Male, Rustenburg, August 9th. Irides umber-brown ; bill, 



tarsi, and feet black. 



This species is common in the same localities as the pre- 

 ceding one. 



316. CiNNYRis AMETHYSTiNA (Shaw) . Amethyst Sun-bird. 

 Male, Rustenburg, August 3rd. Irides, bill, tarsi, and 



feet black. 



This Sun-bird is very plentiful in some localities, notably 

 about " Oliphants Nek,'^ a pass in the Magaliesbergen, about 

 twelve miles from Rustenburg, where there is a good deal of 

 bush and much parasite plant. 



317. Upupa africana, Licht. South-African Hoopoe. 

 This species is not by any means uncommon ; it is found 



solitary or in pairs, frequenting wooded localities. 



318. Iruisor erythrorhynchus (Lath.). Red -billed 

 Wood-Hoopoe. 



Male adult, Rustenburg, June 7th. Irides dark umber; 

 bill, tarsi, and feet bright crimson. 



Male, young, Rustenburg, June 7th. Bill black ; tarsi and 

 feet pale red. 



The loud note of these birds is frequently heard amongst 

 the trees j but it is not always easy to get within shot of them^ 



