94 CHALCOMITRA GUTTURALIS. 



Adult Male. Similar to C. acik, but of a more uniform darker velvety 

 brown, and the least series of wing-coverts bright metallic violet, which 

 latter character also readily distinguishes it from C. senegalensis. Total 

 length 5'5 inches, culmen 1-1, wing 3, tail 2-2, tarsus 0-7. Pinetown, 30. 4. 

 75 (T. L. Ayres). 



Adult Female. Similar to that of C. seneqalcnsis and C. acik. Total 

 length 5 inches, culmen 1, wing 2-75, tail 2, tarsus 07. Pinetown, 3. 4. 75 

 (T. L. Ayres). 



The Southern Scarlet-chested Sunbird ranges from Angola 

 into Damaraland and from thence throughout eastern Africa, 

 from Natal to 1° N. lat. on the Somali coast. 



In western Africa the species has been found by Welwitsch 

 at Loanda, by Monteiro at Colombo on the Quanza, at Katom- 

 bella and Benguela. Anchieta informs us that it is known to 

 the natives of Rio Chimba and Capangombe as " Mariopinda," 

 at Humbe and the Cunene as " Kanzola," and that it has a 

 sweet and varied song. Mr. Chapman found the species 

 common in the Okovango valley and in the Lake Ngami 

 district, but did not see it in Damaraland proper, where, 

 according to Andersson, they are not common, but in July, 

 1866, he met with it at Objimbinque and remarks : " They seem 

 chiefly to seek their food amongst the ' tobacco ' trees now 

 growing so abundantly in the bed and on the banks of the 

 Swakop. Can the increase of this tree of late years have 

 brought more of these birds ? I hardly remember to have 

 seen them at Objimbinque previously." 



Mr. T. L. Ayres has sent me several specimens collected by 

 him at Durban and Pinetown, where he tells me it is migratory, 

 only arriving in the summer season and is never very abundant 

 there. According to Messrs. Butler, Feilden and Reid, it is 

 said not to be uncommon in the hot months near Maritzburg. 

 In Zululand Messrs. R. B. and J. D. S. Woodward collected 

 specimens at Eschowe, Ulundi and Santa Lucia Lake, and 

 found the species abundant amongst the aloe-blossoms. Mr. 



