NO. 1411. BIRDS FROM MOUNT KILIMANJARO— ORERHOLSER. 929 



HELIONYMPHA," new genus. 



Chars, (/en. — Similar to Oinnyrf's, but tail very uiucli long-er than 

 wing-, the central feathers narrow and elongated, projecting nearly 20 

 millimeters beyond the others. 



Type. — Ginnyris nectarinioides Richmond. 



The above-presented characters so trenchantly separate this form 

 from all the others of this intricate group that there seems little ques- 

 tion of the propriety of instituting this new genus. From yEtho2)yga 

 it may be distinguished by the more strongly curved bill, and b}^ the 

 shape of the tail, which is, with the exception of the long- middle 

 feathers, rounded instead of wedge-shaped. It is so widely differ- 

 ent from Nectafrlnid and Hedydijma that no formal comparison is 

 necessary. 



HELIONYMPHA NECTARINIOIDES (Richmond). 



Oinnyris nectarinioides Richmond, Auk, XIV, 1897, p. 158 (])lains east of Mount 

 Kilimanjaro, East Africa). 



Two adult males — one the type of the species, the other from 

 Aruscha-wa-chini, southwest of Mount Kilimanjaro. To the remarks 

 of Doctor Kichmond^ there is nothing- to be added, except that the 

 broad pectoral band of the second specimen is deep reddish orange 

 instead of vermilion, 



NECTARINIA CUPREONITENS Shelley. 



Nedarinia cupreonitens Shelley, Men. Nect., 1876, ]>. 17, j)!. vi, fig. 1 (Abyssinia). 



One specimen, an immature male, from Mount Kilimanjaro, 5,0(»() 

 feet, December 14, 1889. It is in process of acquiring- tiie full gieen 

 plumage. If JVecfariniaxneigularix Sharpe'' is really even sul)specitic- 

 ally distinct from JV. cupreonitens^ of which we are not at all assured, 

 our bird of course belongs to the former. This species is indeed v<'ry 

 close to N. famemi., and were it not for the peculiar shape of the 

 slender bill we should be inclined to consider it ]»ut a subspecies of 

 the latter. 



NECTARINIA JOHNSTONI Shelley. 



Nectarinia johnaloni Shelley, Proc. Zonl. Soc Loud., issf), |.. '2'27 (Mount Kili- 

 manjaro, 11,000 feet. East Africa). 



Of this i-are, beautiful, and interesting- sunbird Doctor Abl)ott 

 obtained a tine series of ten adult males in perfcK-t plumage, together 

 with two adult females. They were collected in November and Decem- 



«?'/Azo;, sol; vv/,i</)r/, nympha. 



6 Auk, XIV, 1897, p. 158. 



clbis, 1891, p. 444 (Sotik, British East Africa). 



