NECTAEINIID^: CINNYRIS 287 



This species is found rather commonly in Pondoland, Natal and 

 Zululand, and extends through the greater portion of Swaziland, 

 the Transvaal, Matabili and Mashonalands as well as Portuguese 

 East Africa. It is very abundant in the Zambesi valley, and was 

 obtained by Dr. Holub at Pandamatenka. 



Habits. This large and brilliantly coloured Sunbird, although 

 not so abundant as C. amethystinus, is common in Natal and Zulu- 

 land during the entire year, but, during the hot season, it leaves the 

 coast for the cooler highlands. It feeds largely upon the nectar of 

 flowers, and, like some of the other Sunbirds, is particularly attracted 

 by the scarlet blossoms of the " Kaffir Boom." I have also noticed 

 this species return, day after day, together with Black Sunbirds, 

 Gurney's Sugar-birds, and Cape Weaver-birds, to an Australian 

 "Bottle-brush," and feed with avidity on the sweet juice of the 

 flowers, as well as on the various insects that frequented them. It 

 feeds also on spiders, small grubs, caterpillars, and termites. During 

 the breeding season the male has a very sweet song of several clear 

 " warbling " notes. The call-note of both sexes is a loud and shrill 

 "chirp." The nest, completed about the end of December in Natal, 

 is suspended from the extremity of the branch of a fruit tree, the 

 outer twig of a bush, or the drooping leaves of a "Gum-tree" or 

 " Black Wattle." It is pear-shaped, built of dry grass, wool, fibres 

 of bark or the stems of plants, matted together with cobwebs, and 

 ornamented with bits of bark and lichen. The lining is usually of 

 hair or feathers. The side- entrance is always sheltered by an over- 

 hanging porch. The two eggs are greyish, thickly mottled and 

 streaked with brown and purplish-brown. They measure 0'75 x 

 0-52. 



*~ 

 164. Cinnyris amethystinus. Black Sunbird. 



Le sucrier velours, Levaill. Ois. d'Afr. vi, p. 160, pi. 294 (1808). 

 Certhia amethystinus, Shaiv, Gen. Zool. vii, p. 195 (1811). 

 Nectarinia amethystina, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 79 (1867). 

 Cinnyris amethystinus, Shelley, Monogr. Cinnyr, p. 269, pi. 84 (1877) ; 



-Sharpe, ed. Layard's B. 8. Afr. pp. 315, 831 (1884) ; Gadow, Cat. 



B. M. ix, p. 97 (1844). 

 Chalcomitra amethystina, Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 4 (1896). 



Description. Adult male. All over a soft velvety black with a 

 purplish shade ; centre of crown brilliant metallic-green ; cheeks, 

 throat, least wing and upper tail-coverts rich metallic violet-purple, 

 changing to coppery-red in some lights. 



