RED-BREASTED SUN-BIRD. 



Nectarinia pulchella, LINN^US. 



PLATE XVIII. 



LE YAILLANT gives Senegal as the country of this 

 Sun-bird, stating that it is also found in Southern 

 Africa, but not beyond the " Great River" in the 

 Caffre country, where it frequents the forests ; Mr. 

 Swainson, in his Birds of Western Africa above 

 quoted, remarks that it " seems to be particularly 

 common in Senegal, from whence great numbers 

 have been recently sent to Europe as articles of 

 commerce ;" and we have ourselves received speci- 

 mens which appear identical, and which have sup- 

 plied the accompanying figure and description, from 

 the vicinity of Sierra Leone. The adult male is 

 both above and below of a rich golden-green, upon 

 the crown, throat, and breast seeming more in- 

 tense from the structure of the feathers. The centre 

 of the breast is crossed by a bright collar of yel- 



owish carmine red, shading off upon the belly into 

 gamboge-yellow, and there running to a point along 



he centre; the vent, wings, and tail are black, 

 under tail-coverts tipped with shining bluish green ; 

 the centre tail-feathers or long coverts are black, 

 edged at the base with the green of the upper parts. 



