288 NECTAKINIID^] CINNYEIS 



Iris dark brown ; bill, legs and feet black. 



Length 5-60; wing 2-90 ; tail 2-10; culmenl-15; tarsus O65. 



doling male. At first resembles the female ; at a later stage the 

 front of crown and throat are as in the adult ; the lower throat 

 sooty black ; remaining plumage as in the female. 



Adult female. Above, earth-brown tinged with olive ; wings and 

 tail dark brown, the wing-coverts and secondaries with pale edges ; 

 below, mottled with dark brown and yellowish, the throat browner, 

 the abdomen and under tail-coverts yellower ; edge of wing whitish. 



Wing 2-50 ; tail 1-80. 



Distribution. Cape Colony to the east of Swellendam, ranging 

 throughout Natal, Zululand, Swaziland, and the Transvaal, and 

 extending as far north as the Limpopo Eiver. Not found on the 

 west coast. 



Habits. In its habits the present species closely resembles the 

 Scarlet-chested Sunbird, both frequenting much the same locali- 

 ties and visiting the same flowers in search of nectar and insects. 

 In Natal the " Kafiir Boom," a tree that bears bright scarlet 

 blossoms in winter when otherwise destitute of foliage, is a favourite 

 hunting ground with both species, and so closely does the nearly 

 black plumage of C. auietliystinus assimilate in colour with the 

 dark naked branches of the tree, that as long as the bird is still, it 

 is not easily distinguished on its perch. At other times this Sun- 

 bird visits the flowers of the Cape honeysuckle, the aloe, mimosa, 

 and many other shrubs. Occasionally it feeds on insects, but not, 

 I imagine, to any great extent. It is found most numerously on 

 the outskirts of the forest or bush, in gardens, fruit-orchards or 

 among the trees and bushes that fringe rivers and streams. The 

 male has a clear and pleasant song, and a somewhat loud and shrill 

 call-note. 



The domed pear-shaped nest is suspended from the twig of a 

 bush, the extremity of one of the boughs of a fruit-tree, or some- 

 times, at a considerable height, from the long pendent leaves of a 

 blue gum-tree. It is rather roughly built of dry grass, small 

 twigs, bits of bark, and cobwebs, and is lined with feathers and 

 hair ; usually an overhanging portico shelters the small side 

 entrance. The eggs, always two in number, are cream-coloured, 

 thickly spotted, mottled and streaked with purplish-brown and 

 dark grey ; they measure 0*72 x 0*50. 



