292 NECTAEINIIDJ3 CINNYEIS 



belt of bush that fringes the coast of South-east Africa and is rarely 

 met with inland much beyond its limits. It is seldom seen on the 

 higher trees, but hunts assiduously through the lower growth of 

 bushes in search of small insects and the saccharine juices of various 

 flowering shrubs. Its call-note is a moderately loud single or double 

 " chirp." During the breeding-season the male frequently sings 

 from the top of a bush, in a low and soft warbling strain. The 

 nest, domed like that of all African Sunbirds, is suspended from 

 the outer twigs or drooping leaves of a bush. It is built of fine 

 dry grass, bark fibres, and sometimes cobwebs ; the interior is lined 

 with hair and feathers. The two eggs are whitish, thickly mottled 

 and spotted with markings of light and dark purplish-brown. They 

 measure O70 X 0-52. 



169. Cinnyris olivaceus. Olive-coloured Sunbird. 



Cinnyris olivacea, Smith, III. Zool. S. Afr. Birds, pi. 57 (1839) ; 



Shelley, Monogr. Cinnyridce, p. 289, pi. 91 (1877) ; Sharpe, ed. 



Layard's B. S. Afr. p. 310 (1884) ; Gadow, Cat. B. M. ix, p. 78 



(1884). 

 Nectarinia olivacea, Jardine, Sunbirds, pp. 186, 253 (1843) ; Layard, 



B. S. Afr. p. 78 (1869). 

 Cyanomitra olivacea, Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 5 (1896). 



Description. Adult male. Above, olive-green, darker on the 

 crown, yellower on the upper tail-coverts ; wings and tail dark 

 brown, the feathers edged with olive-yellow ; below, pale olive- 

 yellow ; pectoral tufts bright yellow. 



Iris dark brown ; bill, legs and feet black. 



Length 5-50; wing 2-70 ; tail 2-50 ; tarsus 0-65 ; culmen 1-10. 



Adult female. Similar to the male in plumage, but slightly 

 smaller. 



Length 5-00; wing 2-40 ; tail 2-00 ; tarsus 0-65; culmen 1-00. 



Distribution. From Eastern Cape Colony through Natal and 

 Zululand to Portuguese East Africa. 



Habits. This inconspicuous Sunbird, entirely without metallic 

 plumage, is chiefly confined to the coast bush on the east coast, 

 but ranges for some distance inland. It frequents both the higher 

 trees and bushes, and, according to Ayres, " is particularly fond of 

 shady banana groves, taking the nectar from the long drooping 

 flowers of the plant, and chasing one another about with great 

 pertinacity." 



