270 PROMEHOPIDJE PKOMEROPS 



Holub <& Pelzeln, Ornith. Siidafr. p. 74 (1882) ; Sharpe, ed. Laijards 

 B. S. Afr. p. 305 (1884) ; Gadow, Cat. B. M. ix, p. 283 (1884) ; 

 Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 6 (1896). 



Promerops caffer, Laijard, B. S. Afr. p. 74 (1867). 



" Zuiker-vogel " of the Dutch, in common with the Sunbirds. 



Description. Adult male in breeding plumage. Above pale brown, 

 the feathers with dark brown centres : wings dark brown, the shafts 

 of the primaries white ; rump and upper tail-coverts olive-yellow ; 

 tail feathers greyish-brown, their shafts dark brown ; the stiff shaft- 

 like feathers of forehead and crown buff-brown merging into brown 

 on the occiput ; lores black, prolonged down the sides of the throat ; 

 sides of head and neck rufous-brown ; ear-coverts brown ; cheeks 

 and upper throat white, separated by a black streak, the shafts of 

 many of the feathers prolonged into bristles ; lower throat and upper 

 breast rufous-brown, many of the feathers with white shafts and 

 tips; vent and under tail-coverts bright yellow; rest of under 

 surface white, broadly streaked with brown on the sides and flanks ; 

 under wing-coverts brown ; under surface of quills dusky. 

 Iris dark brown ; bill, legs and feet black. 



Length 17'00 to 19-50; wing 3'80 ; tail 11-5 to 14-00 (the 

 six centre feathers prolonged from 6'25 to 8'75 beyond the next 

 longest) ; the three outer feathers on each side much graduated ; 

 tarsus 0-90 ; culmen 1-30. 



Adult female. In colour like the male but paler ; the tail much 

 shorter. 



Length 9-50 ; wing 3' 30; tail 5-10; tarsus 0-85; culmen 1-20. 

 Young. Hatched naked, but soon becoming covered with 

 black down. On first leaving the nest the upper surface is brown, 

 the feathers with rufous margins and tips ; cheeks, throat, edge of 

 wing and centre of abdomen white ; malar streak black ; remaining 

 under surface of body a lighter brown than the back ; under tail- 

 coverts brownish. 



Distribution. Confined to Cape Colony, and most abundant 

 towards its south-western extremity, becoming rare to the east of 

 Grahamstown. Its range appears to coincide with that of certain 

 sugar-bushes (proteas). 



Habits. The Cape Long-tailed Sugar-bird is rarely found at 

 any great distance from its favourite protea-bushes but in districts 

 where these shrubs grow luxuriantly these birds are frequently very 

 numerous and generally resident. When not nesting they are 

 usually met with in flocks of a dozen or more, busily engaged in 



