

white, the latter shaded with sulphur-yellow ; bill and legs black ; irides dark brown. Total length 

 4 inches, culmen 0'7, wing T95, tail 1*5, tarsus 0'6. 



Young. Similar in plumage to the adult female; but the upper parts are slightly shaded with olive, and 

 the underparts more strongly so with pale yellow. 



Hab. Palestine. 



The Palestine Sun-bird belongs to the green-backed or African division of the " Dark-metallic " 

 group, and is nearly allied to C. bouvieri and C. venustus : from the former it is distinguished by 

 the absence of the red pectoral band as well as by the colouring of the throat, and by the almost 

 black abdomen, while from C. venustus it may at once be recognized by the black instead of 

 buff breast. 



Little was known of the history of the present species before Canon Tristram's valuable 

 communications to ' The Ibis ' upon the birds of Palestine. Although a common species in that 

 country, especially in the Jordan valley and the neighbourhood of the Dead Sea, it was previously 

 to 1865 only represented in our European museums by the unique type specimen which was 

 collected by the Due de Vallombrosa. 



We shall quote very largely from Canon Tristram's notes with regard to its habits; and 

 further details, especially with respect to its history before the year 1865, may be found in 

 ' The Ibis ' for that year (p. 72). 



" Our first acquaintance with the Sun-bird," writes Canon Tristram, " commenced on the 

 last day of the year, at Jericho, when six specimens were obtained, close to our camp at Ain 

 Sultan, the day after our arrival. The oases of the plains of Jericho appear to be its metropolis ; 

 and we never met with it excepting in the immediate neighbourhood of water. But wherever a 

 few tamarisks, Zizyphus bushes, or graceful 'retem' shade a fountain or straggling pool in some 

 deep glen opening on the Dead Sea, there a few occur. The larger oases, however, of Jericho 

 at the north-west and Safieh at the south-east end of the Dead Sea are the resorts of great 

 numbers, which, though here to be found in almost every tree, are nowhere gregarious, but are 

 noisy and pugnacious, the males chasing each other with loud cries, and as tenacious of their 

 respective freeholds as Robins at home. The note is clear and monotonous, very much like the 

 call of the Willow- Wren, but sharper, and often reminding one of the Blue Tit, yet with a more 

 hissing sound. This is incessantly repeated from sunrise to evening, and the whereabouts of 

 the male bird can at once be detected ; but to see him is not so easy, a9 he ceaselessly hops in 

 the centre of the very thickest and most impenetrable scrub, and darts very quickly and suddenly 

 across the open from tree to tree. The male is extremely restless, and, as it twists and clings to 

 one twig after another in search of insects, reminds one of the Titmouse, much more than the 

 Creeper, in its actions. It has a curious jerking flap of the wings, opening and closing them 

 like Tichodroma muraria. Occasionally I have seen two rivals for the favours of a female 

 singing on the top of a tree, and puffing out the brilliant orange and red axillary tufts, which 

 only at such times are at all conspicuous. The female during the winter continually repeats the 

 same monotonous note, but almost always remains stationary, or creeping slowly about in the 

 very centre of a bush. 



