.OS 



This brilliantly coloured Sun-bird is the type of the genus Cinnyris, and belongs to the " dark 

 metallic" group. Its nearest ally is C. habessinicus ; but it is readily distinguished from that bird 

 by the violet instead of green throat. 



It is entirely confined to the West- African region, ranging from Senegal to the Congo. The 

 assertion made by Levaillant that it inhabits Great Namaqua Land and builds in decayed trunks 

 of trees is fallacious ; and we are assured by Dr. Dohrn that Erman also committed an error in 

 recording this species as found on Prince's Island. 



In the northern portion of its range it has been collected by Marche at Ruffisque, Mboa, 

 and Daranka, on the peninsula of Cape Verd, and at Sierra Leone. We have also examined 

 specimens from Senegal, Gambia, Casamanze, and Bissao, on the Gold Coast from Wassaw, Cape- 

 Coast Castle, Abrobonko, Accra, Aguapim, and the river Volta. From the Camaroons it has been 

 recorded by Reichenow ; Du Chaillu collected it in the Gaboon ; and, according to Hartlaub, 

 there is a specimen from the Congo in the Berlin Museum. 



On the Gold Coast it is the commonest species of Sun-bird, and was met with by myself and 

 Mr. Buckley very evenly distributed throughout the open country in the neighbourhood of Accra 

 and the forest districts of Aguapim and Abrobonko. In the forests scores might be seen flitting 

 around the blossoms of the large flowering-trees in company with many other species. They 

 were also common, though generally in pairs, about the cocoanut-trees at Cape-Coast Castle and 

 the small bushes on the arid plains of Accra. At a short distance the males generally appear 

 entirely black ; for as they mostly frequent the higher boughs, the reflections from their unrivalled 

 plumage rarely catch the eye. In February and March about half the specimens we met with 

 were in full plumage, and, I presume, would in another month's time commence breeding; but 

 we are not acquainted with the nest and eggs of this species. 



Mr. Ussher writes: — "This beautiful little bird is widely distributed on the Gold Coast. 

 There are very few places where the active little creature cannot be observed sitting on flowering- 

 shrubs and succulent plants. He generally selects some middling-sized shrub or bush for his 

 nest ; and he appears exceedingly attentive to the female during incubation. 



"At certain seasons of the year (about the months of December and January) great numbers 

 can be observed flitting over the huge tulip-shaped scarlet flowers of a species of Bombax, which 

 is of frequent occurrence in the open spaces of the forests of Fantee, the trees being at this time 

 entirely denuded of foliage ; so that the birds can easily be obtained by collectors, although in the 

 upper branches they are almost invisible from their small size and quick movements. At this 

 period they appear to associate freely with other birds ; and from two trees in the neighbourhood 

 of Cape Coast I have obtained specimens of N. splendida, N. superba, N. adelberti, N. chloropygia, 

 N. subcollaris, N. cyanocephala, N. cyanolcema, and N. cuprea, &c. &c. After each shot they 

 mostly plunged down en masse into the low bushes, but returned almost immediately to their 

 feeding-grounds. The beauty of the plumage of N. splendida and N. superba can only be under- 

 stood by those who have seen them while alive or immediately after death, as the colours soon 

 become dull." 



The specimens here figured and described were collected by myself in Fantee. 



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