326 DR. H. DOHRN ON THE BIRDS OF PRINCE'S ISLAND. [June 12, 



5. Nectarinia hartlaubi, Verreaux. 



Not uncommon ; the male birds seem to occur more frequently 

 than the females. The colouring of adult birds is known ; young 

 birds are very much like old females ; by-and-by the yellow feathers 

 of the throat and breast are changed into grey, and soon after begin 

 to show blue metallic spots. Haviug observed these different stages 

 of growth at the same time, I think that the time of hatching and 

 breeding of these birds must be very irregular. According to the 

 assertion of the natives they keep their nests during the whole year. 

 I found great difficulty in getting a specimen ; they build it in well- 

 protected spots, hidden among bushes ; it hangs down from a branch ; 

 and it is egg-shaped, with a small circular aperture on one side some- 

 what above the centre. It is 7-8 inches long, the diameter of the 

 centre about 4 inches, of the aperture only 1| inch. Its outside is 

 woven of grass and pieces of dead leaves ; inside it is well fitted with 

 a thick and soft layer of cotton collected from different plants. 



I doubt if this" species has been found in Angola, mistakes in 

 locality in these parts being very common ; for cruisers and merchant 

 vessels usually touch at several places of the coast and the adjacent 

 islands, and, if special care be not taken, collections from different 

 places are easily mixed up together. 



6. Nectarinia fraseri, Jard. 



This species lives in higher regions than N. hartlaubi, and fre- 

 quents the branches of trees. The male bears a strong resemblance 

 to the female of the former species, with the exception of the yellow 

 axillary feathers, the greyish-brown legs, and the rather grey breast. 

 Also the iris is less dark than in N. harliaubi. The female is smaller, 

 without the yellow feathers. I have not seen the nest, nor young 

 birds, nor eggs. 



The name for these two species in the island is " Beixa-flores. 



7. Cuphopterus dohrni, Hartl., nov. gen. et nov. sp. (PI. 

 XXXIV.) 



Char. gen. Rostrum mediocre, subrotundatum, carinatum, via 

 emuryinatum, tomiis pallidis, subpellucidis ; culmine apicem 

 versus arcuato, defiexo, gonyde ante apicem adscendente ; vi- 

 brissis vix ullis. Alee breves, caudce basin parum superantes ; 

 remiye primo spurio, quarto lonyissimo, quinto vix breviore. 

 Cauda lonyiuscula. Pedes satis robusti; tarsus longiusculus, 

 scutellatus ; digitus externus et internus subtsquales ; ungues 

 parvi, debiles. 



Char. spec. Supra obsolete olivaceo-cinerascens, pileo magis cine- 

 rascente ; uropyyio subolivascente ; alis et cauda dorso conco- 

 loribus, subalaribus et flexura alee albis ; remigum marginibus 

 intends basin versus albis ; gutture circumscripte albo ; loris 

 obscurius tinctis ; abdomine albido-jlavescente ; hypochondrio- 

 ru/fi itiuculis nonnullis longitudinalibus fasciaque pectorali me- 

 dialiter angusiatn cinerascentibus ; rostro brunnescentc, man- 



