82 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



regions of Great Namaqualand : he neither found the nest nor the 

 eggs. Le Vaillant's original specimen is in the Leyden Museum, and 

 is composed of portions of N. Chalyhea, with a red stomach inserted. 

 1 should think likewise the long tail-feathers had been stolen from 

 JV". Famosa. 



138. Nectarinia Splendida. (Shaw.) ICuv., 



VoL 2, PL 3 6 ; Certhia Coccinigastra, Lath. ; Sucrier 

 Ehoulissant, Le Vail, PI. 295, Fig. 1 ; Gin. Bomhy- 

 sinws, Vieil. ; Jard. Sunbirds, PI. 5 ; Cinnyris Lucidus, 

 Less. 



Male. — Head and neck, brilliant shades of purple, violet, and 

 blue; the breast and body darker, spotted with glowing 

 red, golden-yellow, and green ; the back, shoulders, rump, 

 and upper tail-coverts, vivid green and gold ; wing and 

 tail-feathers velvet-black ; bill and feet black ; eyes maroon. 

 Female. — Above uniform brown ; tail and wings shaded 

 with olive -green ; lateral tail-feathers'j|'edged with dull 

 white ; lower parts greyish ; bill and ^feet brown-black. 

 Length, 3|" ; wings, 2^". 



Inhabits Great Namaqualand, towards Fish River, according to 

 Le Vaillant, and builds in mimosas. Eggs white, four or five in num- 

 ber. I have never met with it in this country, nor has any one since 

 Le VaiUant'a time. It is a native of Senegambia, Guinea, and Congo. 



139. Nectarinia Pulchella. (Linn.), pi. En. 



070, f. 1. ; Cuv., Vol. 2. p. 364 ; Cinnyris Caudatus, 

 Vieil. ; Swain., Nat. Lib., Vol. 8, p. 123; C. Pul- 

 chellus, Vieil, Ois. dO'r. t. 41 ; Sucrier Cossu, Le 

 Vail., PI. 293, Fig. 1. 



Head, neck, shoulders, and upper wing-coverts, changeable 

 green, everywhere shot with gold, toned red on the scapu- 

 laries; breast crimson, margined with yellow ; the rump and 

 upper tail-coverts, brilliant violet, glancing purple, or steel- 

 blue ; wing and shorter tail-feathers, blackish- brown ; the 

 two long tail-feathers red-gold; bill brown, short, and 

 straight. The female somewhat smaller ; body also yellow ; 

 but the head, neck, shoulders, and rump are greyish-red, 

 shaded olive, and slightly shot with gold ; wing and tail 

 feathers reddish-olive ; bill and feet brown ; tongue long. 



Inhabits Namaqualand, and lives chiefly ou jasmines. JS'est un- 

 known. A Senegal species not found in South Africa by any one 

 since Le Vaillant's time ; and it is doubtful if he did so. 



