560 Mr. B. Alexander — An Ornithological 



slender branches of an acacia-tree, about 20 feet up. The 

 structure was flimsy and untidy, composed of fine grass 

 interwoven with fragments of skeleton-leaves, cobwebs, and 

 cocoons, and lined with the fluffy down of some weed. The 

 depth of the nest was 3 inches, the circular entrance being 

 about an inch from the top, the hole running perpendicularly 

 down. Not a yard away from it was a nest of bees; and we 

 noticed that the pair of Sun-birds constantly made use of 

 these bees as guides to some rich flower-store in the vicinity, 

 the male frequently following the course of the bees, and 

 more than once attacking a returning bee and carrying it off. 

 After we obtained the female, the male bird became very shy, 

 only to appear now and again above the high trees in the 



vicinity. 



The last locality where this species was observed in any great 

 numbers was some 60 miles below the mouth of the Kafue 

 river, which we reached on December 31. The laud was 

 low-lying and covered with groves of tall acacia-trees. The 

 birds were revelling among the freshly-opened blossoms. 

 About the middle of December, the commencement of the 

 rainy season in the Zambesi region, they begin to breed, and 

 by the time the young are hatched the store of insect- and 

 flower-life is abundant. At other times of the year partial 

 migrations of this species occur, the birds following in the 

 wake of rain-clouds. On several occasions we observed, 

 after a local shower, the particular locality was invaded soon 

 after by companies of these birds. 



All the male specimens, six in number, we obtained on 

 July 31 were in full breeding-dress. Further up the river, 

 at Zumbo, on November 10 and 13, and again on De- 

 cember 16, we collected for the first time five immature 

 males, which had only assumed the plumage of the adult as 

 far as the chin, throat, fore-neck, and chest. 



On examining our series and the dates on which the 

 specimens were obtained, it would appear that the full 

 plumage of the adult is not assumed till the second year. 

 The plumages of our immature males are perfect in their 

 way, showing no signs of a direct transitional change. 



