316 Dr. 11. B. Sharpe on Birds 



92. ClNNYRlS FUSCA. 



Cinnyris fusca (V.) ; Sharpe, ed. Layard, pp. 317, 832 

 (1875-84); Gadow, Cat. B. ix. p. 75 (1881); Stark, Faun. 

 S. Afr., Birds, i. p. 290 (1900). 



Elaocerthia fusca Shelley, B. Africa, ii. p. 115 (1900). 



a. S imm.; b. S juv. Deelfontein, Feb. 10-28, 1901. 



c. (J mini.; d. $ ad. „ March 1-4, 1902. 



e-h. <$ ad. et imm.; i. ? ad. Deelfontein, May 20-31, 

 1902. 



k-r. d ad. et imm. ; s. ? ad. Deelfontein, Aug. 2-13, 

 1902. 



t. S ad. Deelfontein, Oct. 8, 1902. 



The young male, shot by Seimund with a catapult in 

 February 1901, resembles the adult female, but is altogether 

 more tiuged with yellow on the head, cheeks, and under 

 surface of the body. During the first moult of the young 

 males in February and March, it would seem that the throat 

 and centre of the body are the first parts to assume the 

 adult plumage, and the variation in the orange or scarlet 

 pectoral tufts is very marked. If there were a non-breeding 

 dress in this species, we should expect to find it in specimens 

 killed in May, which is the autumn season in South Africa, 

 but we have fully pluraaged males emergiug from the brown 

 stage, and one young male in the latter plumage, but with a 

 black metallic-glossed throat. In August again the same 

 plumages are met with, and the birds are moulting. It 

 would look, therefore, as if the birds bred indiscriminately 

 at different seasons of the year. 



[Fairly common with us; found in the dog-wood bushes.] 



93. Cinnyris chalybea. 



Cinnyris chalybeus (L.) ; Sharpe, ed. Layard, pp. 314, 831 

 (1875-84); Gadow, Cat. B. ix. p. 37 (1884); Shelley, B. 

 Africa, ii. p. 76 (1900) ; Stark, Faun. S. Afr., Birds, i. 

 p. 284 (1900). 



a. £ imm. Deelfontein, Jan. 23, 1901. 



b. 2 ad. „ Feb. 28, 1902. 



c. d. S ad. „ March 23, 25, 1902. 



