Birds of Soui/ieni Cameroon. G09 



nest^ and might be likened to a j-ope tliree feet long Avitli 

 an enlargement two-thirds o£ the way down for the nest 

 proper ; but the materials are not twisted like a rope^ and 

 consist of small pieces of light twigs, weed-stems, and dry 

 leaves, all held together by a tangle of the black hair-like 

 vegetable fibres so often seen in nests. These fibres (/roio 

 out of the bits of twigs, &c., and the bird had chosen such 

 l)its as had the fibres attached. The inside of the nest is 

 lined with fine soft bark-fibres. The whole was hung on a 

 thorny shrub. Both the eggs (Nos. -11)3, 494) measure 

 18x13 mm. 



[They are of a rather long oval shape and devoid of gloss. 

 The pale buff-coloured ground is almost obscured by dense 

 mottlings of various shades of dark brown, which cover 

 almost the entire shell. — W. R. O.-G.] 



ClNNYRIS JOHAiW.E. 



Reich. V. A. iii. p. 485. 



Nos. 2918, 4214. Both c? ad. Bitye. 



The liquid contents of the stomach of one of these birds 

 was tasted and found to be sweet. I believe that the 

 principal food of the adults of all species of Cinnijris is 

 the nectar of flowers, not insects. Remains of spiders, 

 however, were found in the same stomach. 



CiNNYRis cHLOROPYGius. (Plate XI. figs. 24-26, eggs.) 



Bates, Ibis, li>09, p. 64. 



Cinnyris prenssi Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 338. 



I have seen this very common little Suubird hovering 

 before flowers in the manner of Humming-birds, but not for 

 long at a time. 



Females of this species (Xos. 4027, 4185, 4210) and 

 two others not preserved, all shewing evidence of sitting 

 or of recent laying, were brought with their nests. These 

 were found in all seasons, the months being ]\Iarch, May, 

 June, November, and December. The nests were made 

 of the same materials as those of C. obscurns, with the 

 addition of a decoration of white lichens on the outside and 

 a lining of down like thistle-down. 



