44 Little-knoion Birds from near Beira. 



after searching all round found the nest, with both parents on 

 a tree close by; after a few minutes both flew to the nest, but 

 neither entered. Returning to the spot the following day I 

 managed to shoot the male, but could not get the female, 

 although I waited hidden for more than two hours. The nest 

 contained three eggs, all slightly incubated, and was con- 

 structed, in the usual dome-shape of the Sunbirds, of bits of 

 bark, lichens, catkins, fine grass, and bound together with 

 cobwebs, and lined inside with a soft white silky substance 

 obtained from a species of cotton-grass found commonly 

 about the locality. 



The nest-tree was in a glade in very thick forest. 



Colour of eggs : white, two of which are spotted and 

 freckled all over (but more thickly at the larger end, forming 

 a zone) of dull red; the third egg is much less heavily marked, 

 but has the zone at the larger end very distinct. 



bi/es ot eggs . 8 xYg ' a ^le ' i6 -^le • 

 The general habits of this species, so far as my observations 

 go up to the present, are similar in many respects to those of 

 A. coUaris, and they may often be seen consorting with the 

 latter bird. They invariably inhabit the thick woods and 

 forests and are never seen out in the open like C.gutturalis, 

 C. kirki, and C. microrhynchus. They creep and flutter about 

 among the foliage in search of insects, which appear to be 

 their chief food. This species may often be seen and heard 

 hio-h up in large trees, and consort usually in pairs, but some- 

 times three or four are seen together. 



It appears to be a resident here, as I have observed it 

 throughout the year. It is distinctly scarce. 



[The procuring of another pair of this very distinct new 

 species of Sunbird and their eggs by Mr. Sheppard is of 

 great interest — Edd.] 



11. Rufous-breasted Ground Robin. Erythropygia 

 quadrlmrgata, Rchw. 



A nest was found on Nov. '22nd, 1909, placed in a hollow 

 on the top of a stump about 3 feet above the ground in 



