SUNBIRDS 73 



famosa), with its yellow shoulder (pectoral) tufts, and 

 long tail-feathers. This bird changes to a dull brown 

 colour during the winter months, which is the garb of 

 the female bird at all seasons. It is a common species 

 throughout South Africa, excepting Lower Natal and 

 Rhodesia, where it is scarce and local. In spring the 

 males may sometimes be heard indulging in a short, 

 soft song of full melodious notes. 



They build a large pear-shaped nest of grass and fibres 

 bound with cobwebs and vegetable down, and lined with 

 hair and feathers, &c. The two eggs are of a pale brown 

 colour, closely marked with dots and blotches of dark 

 brown and greyish. 



The Bifasciated Sunbird (C. mariquensis) has the head, 

 neck, throat and back metallic-green ; below the throat 

 there is a narrow cross-band of steel-blue, succeeded by 

 a much broader one of dark red ; rest of under surface 

 black. This bird is not found in Cape Colony. We 

 observed it in pairs on the Crocodile Eiver, north of 

 the Magaliesberg in the Pretoria district. 



In this locality we found the White-breasted Sunbird 

 (C. leucogaster) by far the commoner species. Indeed, 

 the latter bird was seen in parties of three to six 

 individuals during the last week in December, 1906, 

 exploring the native trees, then laden with fruit, for 

 insects, and diligently sucking 'the blossoms of a parasitic 

 plant then in bloom. 



In the Albany district of Cape Colony the commonest 

 species is the Greater Double-collared Sunbird (C. afer), 

 easily distinguished by its larger size and by almost the 

 whole breast being bright scarlet, which is divided from 

 the green throat by a narrow band of steel-blue. 



