50 CINNYRIS SHELLEYI. 



Towards its most nortliern range the first known specimens 

 of this species were collected by Von Heuglin and Antinori in 

 the Rek country, which is watered by the Gazal river, and 

 the former naturalist informs us that it is generally distributed 

 over this part of the country to the west of the Bahr-el-Jebel, 

 frequenting the flowering trees in the damper parts of the 

 highland forests, and in March was beginning to assume its 

 breeding plumage. 



Cinnyris shelleyi. 



Cinnyris shelleyi, Boyd Alexander, Bull. B. 0. C. viii. p. 54 (1899) ; id. 

 Ibis, 1899, p. 556, pi. 11, North Zambesia. 



Adult male. Entire head, neck, back and lesser wing-coverts metallic 

 green with a golden gloss on back of head, neck and mantle ; wings and tail 

 black. At the base of the metallic green throat is a narrow steel blue 

 collar followed by a broad bright scarlet pectoral-band, the feathers of which 

 are partially barred with steel blue, remainder of the under parts blackish 

 brown. " Bill and legs black ; iris dark brown " (Boyd Alexander). Total 

 length 4 - 65 inches, culmen 0-85, wing 2-5, tail 1*7, tarsus 0-65. 



Adult female. Similar in plumage to that of C. mariquensis. Above pale 

 brown with a slight wash of olive yellow on the back and upper tail-coverts ; 

 wings and tail darker brown with partial pale margins to the feathers ; an 

 incomplete buff eyebrow. Beneath yellowish buff inclining to white on the 

 chin ; chest slightly mottled with the dusky centres of the feathers. Total 

 length 4-65 inches, culmen 085, wing 2-5, tail 1'7, tarsus 0'65. 



Shelley's Bifasciated Sunbird inhabits North Zambesia. 

 My friend, Mr. Boyd Alexander, has done me the honour of 

 naming this beautiful Sunbird after me. He discovered the 

 species about sixty miles below where the Kafue river falls 

 into the Zambesi, close to 31° E. long. The pair, both adults 

 in full breeding plumage, were shot the latter end of December, 

 being at the time in company with a number of Chalcomitra 

 gutturalis, and like that species were busy in extracting the 

 nectar from the acacia blossoms. The note of the male was 

 a small flute-like whistle. 



