88 CHALCOMITRA. 



time in September and October. Very common on Table 

 Mountain. The nests are domed, but, unlike those of any other 

 South African Sunbird, are never pendent, nor have they any 

 projecting porch over the entrance. All I have seen (seven 

 or eight) have been built in thick tufts of heath from a foot 

 to eighteen inches off the ground, the sides of the nest attached 

 to the twigs of heath. Nest constructed of small flexible twigs 

 of heath, dry grass and narrow downy leaves, thickly lined 

 with the soft white petals of a protea (usually). 



" Eggs two, white, dotted all over, but most thickly round 

 the greater diameter with small spots and streaks of greyish 

 brown. They measure 0*65 x O^S." 



Genus IV. CHALCOMITRA. 



Form very similar to that of Cinnyris ; tail always square, and the entire 

 mantle brown, sometimes inclining to velvety black in adult males. 



Full plumaged males always have metallic colours on the forehead ; the 

 other metallic coloured portions of the plumage are confined to the crown, 

 wing-coverts, upper tail-coverts and throat. 



Females and young birds have no metallic colours, and sometimes the 

 species to which specimens of these belong can only be determined by their 

 measurements and habitat. 



The genus is confined to tropical and South Africa, and comprises about 

 twelve known species. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



a. Entire forehead of metallic colours . . . males in full plumage. 

 a 1 . A broad scarlet chest-band. 

 a 2 . Upper throat metallic green. 

 a 3 . No metallic colours on the wing. 

 a 4 . Metallic green mustachial-band 

 much broader ; wings and tail 

 paler, cinnamon brown . . . scnegalcusis. 

 b i . Metallic green mustachial-band 

 much narrower ; wings and 

 tail bronzy brown ... . acik. 



