on sunbirds in their native haunts.



107



plenty of olcl lava was lying about and where a hot spring had its

source. Above the lava field a great number of protea hushes grew

and, whilst I was admiring the beautiful vegetation and was listening

to the sweet song of a Totta finch, I saw a grey bird with a long

tail fly up above the hushes and accomplish a dance in which the

long tail feathers played a conspicuous part. After the dance he

perched on the top of a protea bush, drinking from the honey which

is abundant in the big flowers, which resemble those of a phylocactus.

It was a male Promerops cafer, and it was a delight to watch its

graceful movements.


In the same place there were lots of double-handed sunbirds,

which all feasted on the honey of the protea flowers, and were

singing lustily. It is quite remarkable the amount of honey a single

protea flower will hold. When at their best they will hold quite a

tablespoonful and not counting the caffir boys they are, I was told,

in great demand with the baboons.


I now mounted a kind of steep rocky wall, and after that,

following the slope of the mountain, sat down near the top in a

very wild-looking place full of rocks and stones, enjoying the view

of the country below me. I had not been there very long when my

attention was drawn by the little song of a bird which seemed to be

in my immediate proximity, and looking round I saw quite a small

bird gorgeously attired, which was sitting on a sharp piece of rock

almost within reach of my hand. Close by it, was its sober-looking

female, which, apparently having just bathed, was cleaning her grey

feathers, sitting in an erica bush.


The little male of this species ( Anthrobaphes violacea ) is

certainly one of the finest birds one can imagine. The head and

mantle are of a metallic green : the throat is black; the back is

brownish ; the underside is of a beautiful reddish orange ; and the

two middle tail-feathers are lengthened considerably ; the bill is

long and slender. Now and then the bird stopped singing and went

to join the female in the erica bushes, probing the flowers for honey

or insects. Occasionally, having had enough of singing and feeding,

the male would leave its rock and fly straight up to perform an aerial

dance, returning afterwards to the female. And thus, without taking

the slightest notice of my presence, they followed their mode of life



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