CINNYRIS VERREAUXI. 809 
famosa: indeed, we never observed it near habitations. It is plenti- 
ful on the top and about the sides of Table Mountain. At the 
Knysna, we found it in abundance among the uncultivated hill-sides, 
away from the timber. We saw a pair building a pendant, domed 
nest, with a projecting: portico over the entrance, at Cape Delgado, 
on the East Coast of Africa. The nest was hung at the extreme end 
of a drooping branch of a Caswarina, close to the sea heach; not 
far off was the nest of CO. gutturalis.. 
Mr. Andersson gives the following note:—“<I have found. this 
species pretty abundant in Little Namaqua Land ; but, to the best of 
my knowledge it is not an inhabitant. of Great Namaqua or Damara, 
Land, though Mr. Layard informs me that Mr. Chapman brought 
- specimens from the Lake country. It is found singly and.in pairs, 
often also in flocks, frequenting the slopes of hills and mountains, 
whence it descends to the lower grounds, but only during the 
flowering season of thé garden plants and trees, amongst which it is 
especially fond of the sweet scented orange. blossom, With the 
exception of such excursions, it is not migratory. The male bird. 
has a brisk, pleasant song. With regard to its supposed occurrence 
near Lake N’gami as stated above, we agree with Captain Shelley as 
to the identification of the species being in this case incorrect. 
Adult male.-—Head, neck, throat and shoulders. shining green ; 
breast shining violet ; back, wings, and tail olive green; belly and 
vent deep orange and yellow; side-tufts yellow; centre feather of 
tail prolonged about 11 inch beyond the rest, and darker. Total 
length, 61”; wing, 22”; tail, 3” 2’’’. Captain Shelley states that 
during the rainy season the male loses its bright colours, and 
assumes a plumage almost identical with that of the female. 
Adult female.—Above dull brownish-green, the rump tinged with 
greenish-yellow; below tinged with yellow, especially on the belly 
and vent. Total length, 5 inches; culmen, 0°85; wing, 2; tail, 2; 
tarsus, 0°65. 
Fig. Shelley, Monogr. Oinnyride, part iil. 
295. CINNYRIS VERREAUXI. Mouse-coloured Sun-bird. 
- According to Captain Shelley, our first authority on the sun- 
birds, this very local South African form “may be readily distin- 
tinguished by the peculiar colouring of its plumage, the upper parts 
being of an olive-shaded ashy-brown, with only the ends of the 
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