158



R. I. Pocock—The Collared Sunbird



THE COLLARED SUNBIRD (.ANTHOTHREPTES


COLLARIS )


By R. I. Pocock, F.R.S.


A notable and interesting addition to the Zoological Society’s

collection of birds is a pair of collared Sunbirds {Anthothreptes

collaris), presented by Mr. Harold Millar, the Director of the Zoological

Gardens in Durban, who has added much to our knowledge of the

ornithology of South Africa. I do not know whether this species

has ever been imported alive to England before. Possibly some

member of the Avicultural Society may have been fortunate enough

to possess it. At all events it appears to be quite new to our Gardens,

and makes a welcome appearance in the list of species exhibited by the

Zoological Society.


It belongs to the family Nectariniidse, and has been known for over

a hundred years, its first scientific title being Cinnyris collaris. There¬

after it passed through the genera Nectarinia and Anthodiceta, and has

found, let us hope, its final resting-place in Anthothreptes, a genus

which contains about a dozen species distributed over Africa and

Indo-Malaya, and is characterized by having the bill shorter than the

head, or at all events not longer, and only moderately curved, the tail

being square or slightly rounded owing to the approximate equality

in the length of the feathers.


The typical Collared Sunbird ranges, according to the late Di;. Stark,

from the Gamtoos River in Cape Colony, eastward through Eastern

Cape Colony to Natal and Zululand. Opinions differ as to the

frequency of its occurrence. Dr. Stark, for instance, described it as

a common species in Natal, whereas according to Mr. Ayres it is

decidedly scarce, though found throughout that province. Possibly

the discrepancy in these accounts is due to its abundance in certain

years and scarcity in others, owing to local causes, just as is the case

with some of our British birds.


Like all the Sunbirds it is a beautiful species, the adult male being

metallic golden-green on the head, back, and lesser wing-coverts ;

the greater coverts and secondaries are brown edged with metallic-

green ; the primaries brown edged with olive-yellow ; the tail-feathers



