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West-African region. In the southern portion of its range, Angola, a strongly marked race 

 has been collected at Cambambe by Mr. Monteiro, and was described as a distinct species by 

 Dr. Hartlaub under the title of Nectarinia chalcea. 



In North-eastern Africa, according to Von Heuglin, the present species appears to be rather 

 rare ; he met with it, however, in Eastern Abyssinia and in the neighbourhood of the Sobat 

 river and White Nile, as far south as the Bari country, just above Gondokoro. He also believes 

 that he saw it in Bogos Land ; and in Prince Wiirtemberg's collection he examined a specimen 

 from the southern portion of Fazuklo, between Abyssinia and the White Nile. 



In West Africa it is widely and apparently very evenly distributed, from Senegal, whence it 

 has been recorded by Swainson, southwards into Angola. From the northern parts it has been 

 collected by Marche and De Compiegne at Joal, Bathurst, and Daranka ; and I have examined 

 specimens in Mr. Sharpe's collection from Dakah, on Cape Verd, Bathurst, Casamanse, Bissao, 

 and Bulama Island ; from the Gold Coast, my own and Mr. T. E. Buckley's large series from Cape- 

 coast Castle and Accra ; Mr. Blissett's specimens from Elmina ; and Governor Ussher's from the 

 river Yolta. Beichenow records it from the Camaroons and Cape Lopez. I have further examined 

 specimens from Munda river (Du Chaillu), Loppee, on the Ogowe [Marche), and in the Congo 

 district, from Landana (Petit) and from Kabinda (Sperling). All these specimens I find agree 

 perfectly in colouring and measurements with typical Cinnyris cupreus, although the specimen 

 from Kabinda was identified erroneously by Mr. Sharpe as Nectarinia chalcea ; and Professor 

 Barboza du Bocage has kindly forwarded to me the Nectarinia chalcea of his lists, which also 

 belongs to the typical race. 



The claims of Nectarinia chalcea, Hartl., to specific rank rest upon the unique type specimen 

 collected by Mr. Monteiro at Cambambe, in Angola, and now in the British Museum. This 

 s pecimen measures — length 4 - 7 inches, culmen 0*8, wing 2 - 5, tail T9, tarsus - 65, and in these 

 respects shows no specific characters. Its chief (and certainly a well-marked) peculiarity is the 

 absence of the fiery-red and lilac tints upon the metallic colour of the plumage. Another 

 character assigned is the green shade, which is very apparent under certain lights on the head, 

 neck, and back ; but this play of colours is visible almost, if not quite, to the same extent in 

 many of the other specimens, as for instance in those from the Gold Coast. These reasons, I 

 consider, fully justify. us in considering Nectarinia chalcea, Hartl., as only a race of Cinnyris 

 cupreus. It is one of those peculiar and puzzling forms by no means uncommon in this family, 

 and of which we have already instanced a very similar case with regard to C. asiaticus and its 

 varieties G. intermedins, Hume, and C. brevirostris, Blanford; and possibly something similar 

 occurs in the " Hermotimia" group, which, from not being properly understood, has forced us to 

 recognize so many very closely allied species. 



Cinnyris cupreus was first collected on the Gold Coast by Pel, where, according to Governor 

 Ussher, it is common throughout the district: this applies really to the more open portions of 

 the country ; for Mr. T. E. Buckley and myself never met with it in the forests of Abrobonko and 

 Aguapim, although we found it not uncommon at Cape-coast Castle, only a few miles from the 

 former place, and very abundant on the plains of Accra, which extend between the range of the 

 Aguapim Mountains and the sea-coast. 



At Accra it may be constantly seen perched on the topmost bough of some bush ; and at a 



