PROMEBOPID^E. 81 



part, I consider it identical with N. Senegalensis, but have not had an 

 opportunity of comparing a specimen from Natal with one from Dama- 

 r aland. 



135. Nectarinia GEnea. (Vieii.) Encyc. Meth., 



p. 599 ; Soul Manga Bronze", Le Vail., pi. 297. 



UPPER parts, chesnut-brown, shading into blue, green, or 

 violet ; wings and tail, bronzed-black ; lower parts black, 

 shading olive ; bill and feet bright black ; eyes red ; tuft 

 under wing, bright yellow ; bill very strong and curved. 

 The female has a smaller and less curved bill ; wings and 

 tail olivaceous ; bill and feet brown. 



Builds in holes of trees ; lays 4 to 6 eggs, rosy white, spotted with 

 red. According to Le Vaillant, inhabits Zwartiand, and the vicinity 

 of Sunday's JRiver ; but I believe it to be the Ceylon species, N. 

 Lotenia, and not an inhabitant of South Africa. 



136. Nectarinia Pusilla. (Vieii.) Le 



Sucrion, Le Vail., PL 298. 



HEAD and neck of male, chesnut, brightened with glimmer- 

 ing shades of blue, purple, and green ; lateral and middle 

 tail-feathers bronze ; the rest of the upper parts dead, purple 

 maroon ; rump and upper tail-coverts, brilliant purple ; 

 under parts of the body, orange-red ; bill and feet blackish ; 

 eyes maroon. The female much less. All the upper parts 

 of body and wings, olive, yellowish-green ; rest of plumage 

 pale-yellow ; bill and feet brown-black. 



According to Le Vaillant, who knows nothing of its nest nor 

 economy, it inhabits the neighbourhood of Van Staden's River, and 

 is only found in the winter season. Sundevall declares it is a manu- 

 factured species ; Nee. Zeylanica, forming the principal portion of it. 

 I agree with him. 



137. Nectarinia Oardinalis. (Vieii.) Le 



Cardinal, Le Vail., PL 291 ; Cuv., VoL 2, p. 364. 

 THE male bird has all the upper parts, including the tail- 

 coverts, the two long tail-feathers, and also the breast, of a 

 rich green, shot with gold, most brilliant on the top of the 

 head ; from the breast, all the lower parts are of a soft 

 carmine colour ; wing and lesser tail-feathers shot green and 

 gold, upon a black ground ; bill and feet black ; eyes brown. 

 The female is smaller than the male, of less brilliant, though 

 similar colours above; but the body and lower parts ara 

 yellow, and she wants the two long feathers. 



Le Vaillant says he met with this bird only in the mountain 



K 



