68 CINNYRIS SOUIMANGA. 



acacias in search of the honey and small insects on which they 

 feed, often hiding themselves in the chalice of the larger 

 flowers. They were very active in their habits and constantly 

 uttered a short song which resembled that of the Blue Tit but 

 more feeble. They were generally seen singly or in company 

 with Zosterops mayottensis. It is well known to the French 

 colonists as the " Colibri." 



Cinnyris souimanga. 



Cinnyris souimanga (Gm.), Shelley, Mon. Nect. p. 245, pi. 76 (1876) ; 



Gadow, Cat. B. M. ix. p. 43 (1884) ; Eidgway, Proc. U. S. Nat. 



Mus. 1895, p. 526 Gloriosa Is. ; Shelley, B. Afr. I. No. 38 (1896). 

 Nectarinia souimanga, Milne Edw. and Grand. Hist. Mad. Ois. i. p 



277, pis. 105, 106 a , 107, 107 a ; Scott Elliot, Ann. Botany, 1890, p 



261 ; Sibree, Ibis, 1891, pp. 429, 440. 



Adult Male. — Head, neck, mantle and lesser wing-coverts deep metallic 

 green with lilac bronze reflections, lower back and upper tail-coverts olive, 

 wings and tail blackish. The metallic green throat shades off into a narrow 

 steel blue collar next to which is an irregular maroon brown chest-band, 

 followed by a broader one of brownish black flanked by bright yellow 

 pectoral-tufts ; remainder of under parts buff shaded with yellow down the 

 centre of the body. Total length 4-5 inches, culmen 0'7, wing 2-2, tail 1-6, 

 tarsus 0'6. Madagascar (Verreaux). 



Adult Female. — Upper parts and sides of the head olive with a slight 

 indication of a buff eyebrow. Cheeks and under parts olive-shaded buff, 

 with the dusky bases of the feathers showing as partial bars on the throat. 

 Total length 4 inches, culmen 0'7, wing 2, tail 1-4, tarsus 06. Madagascar 

 (Crossley). 



The Madagascar Buff-breasted Sunbird is confined to the 

 islands of Madagascar and Gloriosa. 



These Sunbirds are bold, active and gregarious, generally to 

 be met with in parties of fifteen to twenty together, in the 

 bushy plains and along the slopes of the hills, constantly on the 

 move, now diving their bill into the flowers to sip the honey, 

 then capturing some tiny insect iu its flight, and follow up 



