74 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



The Sub-Family, PROMEROPIN-ffi, or Sunbirds, 



have the bill more or less long, slender, curved, with the 

 sides compressed to the tip, which is acute, and the lateral 

 margins sometimes finely serrated ; the nostrils basal, and 

 the opening clothed by a membraneous scale ; the wings 

 moderate ; the tail more or less long, with middle feathers 

 sometimes prolonged beyond the others ; the tarsi usually 

 short ; the toes moderate, the outer toe rather longer than 

 the inner, and united at its base ; the claws moderate, curved, 

 and acute. 



Genus PROMEROPS, Brisson. 



Bill lengthened, slender, rather curved, with the base 

 broad, and the sides compressed to the tip, which is acute and 

 emarginated ; the gonys lengthened and slightly curved ; the 

 nostrils lateral, basal, placed in a lengthened groove, with 

 the opening linear, and closed by a membraneous scale ; wings 

 moderate and rounded, with the fourth quill the longest ; the 

 inner webs from the second to the fifth are broad and emar- 

 ginated near the middle, especially the latter one ; tail 

 lengthened, graduated, and composed of narrow feathers, the 

 two middle much longer than the others ; tarsi as long as the 

 middle toe, strong, and covered with broad scales ; toes 

 moderate, the outer toe longer than the inner, and united at 

 its base, the hinder toe long and strong ; the claws moderate, 

 curved, and compressed. 



121. Promerops Gaffer, Cuv., Vol. 2, P . 46 o ; 



Upupa Promerops, Linn. ; Meliphaga Caffra, Ed. ; 

 P. Capensis, Less. ; Cinnyris Longicaudatus, Vieil., 

 Ois d'Or, t. 4 ; Le Vail, PI. 287 and 288. 



ABOVE, uniform cinerous-brown ; greyish on the forehead, 

 and rufous on the sides of the neck ; chin whitish, with a 

 brown moustache ; under parts mottled rufous, grey, and 

 white ; vent a fine yellow. Length, 7" ; wing, 3f" ; tail of 

 male often extending 14". 



This honey-eater differs considerably in all its habits from the sun- 

 birds with which it is associated. It is generally found in spall parties, 

 the members of which, though acting much in ^concert, still maintain 

 their individuality. They follow one another to favourite bushes, 

 chase each other, or feed amicably side by side, and if one is alarmed- 

 and flies off, the rest generally follow ; yet they cannot be called 

 gregarious in the strict sense of the word. They are fond of perching 

 on the summit of high bushes, particularly Proteaccea, from the flowers 

 of which they extract thejr food, consisting of insects, and the limpid, 



