Vol. xix.] 80 



partner Mr. D. M. Stauley at or near tlieir farm '' Helvetia " 

 on the Portuguese frontier, about 50 miles south of Melsetter. 

 It contained 41 specimens/ which were referable to 22 species. 

 Amongst these were two examples of an apparently new 

 Sun-bird which it was proposed to call 



Nectarinia arturi, sp. n. 

 (^ . Supra fusca, plumis viridescente cupreo marginatis, dorso 

 inferiore et alarum tectricibus laete purpureo-cupreis : 

 subtiis niger, gula et pectore purpureo-cupreis : rostro 

 et pedibus nigris. Long. tot. 80 poll. ; alse 2'9; caudae 

 rectr. mediis 4'3, lateral. 2"3. 



Hab. Rhodesia meridionalis orientalis. 



Obs. Affinis N. kilimensi et forma omnino sirailis, sed 

 uropygio et pectore purpurescente cupreo nitentibus insignis. 



Dr. Sclater added the following remarks : — This bird, 

 which is certainly new to the South-African Avifauna, 

 has been hitherto referred to Nectarinia kilimensis *, from 

 which species, however, I consider it to be distinct, in 

 agreement with Dr. Bowdler Sharpe, who first pointed out 

 its differences to me. There is a series of 14 specimens of 

 N. kilimensis in the British Museum from various localities 

 in British East Africa and Uganda, which are all alike in 

 their characters, and different from N. arturi. 



My son Arthur, after whom I have named the bird, has 

 given me the following notes upon it : — 



"This is one of our commonest Sun-birds at Helvetia and 

 in the neighbourhood, and may often be seen perched on the 

 Bananas, Cannas, and other flowering plants in the gardens, 

 searching for insects and honey. One specimen (no. 31, a 

 male) I shot myself on March 14th, 1906, from the verandah 

 of my house, the other (no. 40, also a male) was obtained 

 by a neighbour at Wolverhampton Farm, three miles off, on 

 Feb. 13th, 1906, and given to me in the flesh. 



"The stomach of no. 31 contained insects and some thick 

 liquid." 



Besides this new Sun-bird there were examples in the 

 collection of two other species new to the South-African 



* Cf. Report of the Soutli African Mus. 1905, p. 6. 



