160 ANTHOTHREPTES GABONICA. 



and February. From Fernando Po there is one of Fraser's 

 specimens in the British Museum. 



The type of the species, which was in Verreaux's collection, 

 came from Gaboon. Here the species has since been met with 

 by Marche at the Ogowe river. On the Loango coast 

 specimens have been collected by Falkenstein at Chinchonxo 

 and by Lucan and Petit at Landana. From Banana at the 

 mouth of the Congo Mr. Buttikofer received from Mr. van der 

 Kellen a nest, one egg, and a bird in spirits, dated September 

 28. By dissecting this specimen he proved from the form of 

 the tongue that the Stiphrornis alboterminata, Reichen., is an 

 Anthothreptes. The nest and egg were, he informs us, exactly 

 similar to those he found in Liberia, and by mistake referred 

 to Cinnyris venustus, of which he wrote : " The nests of this 

 species are found along rivers, fixed to the end of overhanging 

 boughs. They are not different in size and structure from 

 those of G. chloropygia, but have a grey appearance. The eggs, 

 generally two in number, are ashy grey, slightly washed with 

 violet, and irregularly varied with dark lines and spots." 

 They measured 0-64 by 0-8. " Collected 20th of December." 

 Mr. Sjostedt found these birds frequenting the mangrove 

 swamps in Camaroons, and the nests he met with were 

 suspended by twigs close to the surface of the water. One 

 of these nests contained a single young bird, which was similar 

 in plumage to its parents but with the abdomen yellow, the 

 base of the bill paler, feet black, and iris brown, not deep red 

 or reddish brown as in adult birds. 



When I published my Monograph of the Nectariniidse I 

 was struck with the similarity of the style of plumage of this 

 bird and the females of A. longuemarii, and knowing of no 

 specimen of this form sexed as male, I referred those from 

 the north to A. rectirostris and the others from the south to 

 A. tephrol&ma, thinking it probable that the females of the 

 two species would be very similar in plumage. 



