318 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
breeding-season than at other times of the year, when it resembles 
the female, whose colouring is of the most sombre description. 
Le Vaillant tells us that this bird nests in the hollows of trees; but 
this differs from my experience, as I have always found its nest 
suspended from the branch of some low acacia. The nest is chiefly 
composed of soft grasses and the fine inner bark of trees, and is 
lined with a quantity of feathers. I found the young just fledged 
on April 3rd.’ We agree with Mr. Andersson that Le Vaillant’s 
account of the nidification is incorrect, nor do we believe that any 
sun-birds build their nests in the holes of trees. Mr. Ortlepp found 
the species incubating near Colesberg in the usual domed nest 
suspended from a tree: it was composed of wool and fibres, lined 
with feathers and goat’s hair. The eggs were of the abnormal 
number of three, white, spotted with intensely dark purplish brown 
and pale purple spots, chiefly forming a close-set ring near the 
obtuse end. Axis 63’’’; diam. 4}'’’. 
Top of head, back of neck, and wing-coverts, brown shot with, 
dull violet; throat, changing violet and olive-green; wings and 
tail brown-black, slightly shaded with violet; chest, belly and under 
tail-coverts white, more or less clouded; axillary tufts brilliant - 
scarlet and orange; inside of wing black; eyes, bill, and feet, 
brown. Length, 5’’; wing, 2”’ 4’”’; tail, 1’’ 9’’’.. Female: uniform 
greyish-brown on the upper parts; below dirty white. 
Fig. Shelley, Monogr. Oinnyride, part ii. 
803. Crynyris TALATALA.* South African White-breasted Sun-bird. 
(Plate VIL.) 
This is a species not known from the Cape Colony, and was first 
discovered by Sir Andrew Smith, who met with it during his 
Expedition, in the country between the Orange River and Kurri- 
chaine. Mr. T. Ayres has met with it in Natal, and Captain Harford 
kindly forwarded us specimens from that colony with the accom- 
panying note:—“ This species always goes in pairs: and I havo 
hardly ever seen many together. They keep company very often 
with the ‘ White-eyes’ (Zosterops), and utter a note similar to theirs.” 
Two eggs, sent by the above-named gentleman from Natal, resem- 
bled those of N. famosa, but were paler and less densely speckled : 
* Nectarinia talatala on plate. 
i 
