72 CINNYRIS ABBOTTI. 



construction of the nest occupies about eight days. Two eggs 

 are laid and the period of incubation is thirteen days. The 

 young are born blind, but open their eyes on the seventh 

 day. The male has a very sweet song, reminding one of 

 the American house wren, Troglodytes aedon." 



Cinnyris abbotti. 



Cinnyris abbotti, Ridgway, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1894, p. 372; 1895, 

 p. 523 Assumption Is. 



Adult Male. — " Similar to C. aldabrensis, but with under parts posterior 

 to maroon bay pectoral-band almost entirely sooty black, with flanks more 

 or less extensively light yellowish grey ; upper tail-coverts glossy violet 

 black tipped with metallic greenish blue. Total length 3 inches, culmeu 

 0-70, wing 2-22, tail 162, tarsus 067." Type. Assumption Is., 18. 9. 92 

 (W. L. Abbott). 



Adult Female. — " Similar to that of C. aldabrensis" (Ridgway). 



Abbott's Sunbird is apparently confined to the small island 

 of Assumption in the Indian Ocean, about twenty miles south 

 of Aldabra Island. 



Here four specimens, including the type, were collected 

 September 18, by Dr. W. L. Abbott. 



Cinnyris afer. 



Cinnyris afer (Linn.), Shelley, Mon. Nect. p. 249, pi. 77 (1876) ; Ayres, 

 Ibis, 1879, p. 294 Bustenburg ; Sharpe, in Oates' Matabele, p. 310 

 (1881) ; Butler, Feilden and Reid, Zool. 1882, p. 246 Natal; Gadow, 

 Cat. B. M. ix. p. 35 (1884) ; Rendall, Ibis, 1896, p. 170 Transvaal ; 

 Shelley, B. Afr. I. No. 39 (1896). 



Adult Male. — Head, neck, back and lesser wing-coverts golden green ; 

 upper tail-coverts and a narrow collar at the base of the green throat 

 violet shaded steel blue ; wing brown ; tail black with a narrow white edge 

 to the outermost feather ; a broad bright scarlet pectoral-band and yellow 

 pectoral-tufts ; remainder of the under parts pale ashy brown. Total length 



