NECTARINIID^: ANTHOTHREPTES 297 



171. Anthothreptes collaris. , Collared Sunbird. 



Le sucrier gamtocin ou a cordon bleu, Levaill. Ois. d 'Afr. vi, p. 174, 



pi. 299 (1808). 



Cinnyris collaris, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. xxxi, p. 502 (1819). 

 Nectarinia collaris, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 77 (1867). 

 Anthodiseta collaris, Shelley, Monogr. Cinnyridcz, p. 339, pi. 110 



(1877) ; Sharpe, ed. Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 320 (1884). 

 Anthothreptes collaris, Gadow, Cat. B. M. ix, p. 116 (1884) ; Shelley 



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



Anthothreptes collaris. 



Description. Adult male. Above, including the head and least 

 wing-coverts, metallic golden-green ; greater coverts and secondaries 

 brown edged with metallic-green ; primaries brown edged with 

 olive-yellow ; tail-feathers black edged with metallic-green ; throat 

 metallic golden-green bordered below by a pectoral band of violet ; 

 rest of under surface yellow ; pectoral tufts bright yellow. 



Iris brown; bill, legs and feet blackish. 



Length 3-90 ; wing 2-10 ; tail 1-50 ; tarsus O65 ; culmen 0'50. 



Adult female. Eesembles the male above, but the entire under 

 surface of body is yellow. 



Young. Eesemble the female ; nestlings even showing the 

 metallic plumage of the adult female, according to Captain Shelley. 



Distribution. From the Gamtoos Eiver in Cape Colony, where 

 it was first discovered by Levaillant, eastward through Eastern 

 Cape Colony, where it is rather locally distributed, to Natal and 

 Zululand. In Natal it is a common species, according to my own 

 observations, both on the coast and inland, but Mr. Ayres remarks 

 " these birds are decidedly scarce, though found throughout 

 Natal." 



Habits. These beautiful little Sunbirds frequent low, flowering 

 bushes and are rarely seen on the higher trees. I have met with 

 them in Natal, in winter, both in the thick bush near the coast, and 

 among scattered bushes in somewhat exposed localities further 

 inland. At this season they were invariably in large or small 



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