:4G 



Adult Male. Upper parts as well as the sides of the head and neck and the least series of wing-coverts deep 

 metallic green, with lilac-bronze reflections ; remainder of the wings dark brown, the feathers with 

 narrow pale edges, shaded with olive on the secondaries ; lower half of the back olive ; upper tail-coverts 

 dark brown; tail black, a few of the outer feathers with pale ends; in front of the eye a triangular 

 black patch of feathers ; chin and throat metallic green, of the same shade as the remainder of the 

 head, but shading off at the base of the throat into a narrow steel-blue collar ; at the base of the 

 metallic neck comes an irregular maroon-brown chest-band, followed by a broader one of brownish black ; 

 remainder of the underparts buff, shaded with yellow down the centre of the body, and with olive on the 

 flanks ; under tail-coverts buff, with broad triangular brown centres to the feathers ; pectoral tufts 

 bright yellow ; under surface of the wings dark brown, with the inner margins of the quills and the 

 coverts white, the latter tinted with yellow; bill and legs black; irides dark brown. Total length 4 - 5 

 inches, culmen (>7, wing 2 - 2, tail 1*6, tarsus 0'6. 



Adult Female. Upper parts, sides of the head, and the least series of wing-coverts olive ; a slight indication 

 of a yellowish eyebrow ; remainder of the wings dark brown, with narrow paler margins to the feathers ; 

 upper tail-coverts and tail brownish black ; cheeks and throat buff, slightly tinted with olive, and with 

 obscure dusky bars down the centre of the throat formed by the black basal portions of the feathers ; 

 under surface of the body pale yellow, shaded with olive on the flanks, and with obscure dusky mottling 

 on the front of the chest, owing to the dark colour of the basal portions and centres of the feathers ; 

 under tail-coverts dark brown, broadly edged with buff; bill and legs black; irides dark brown. Total 

 length 4 inches, culmen 0"7, wing 2, tail 1*4, tarsus 06. 



Hab. Madagascar. 



The name Souimanga (Sugar-eater) is the one by which this bird is known in Madagascar, where 



it is a fairly abundant species, and generally distributed over the island. 



The characters which will be found readily to distinguish this bird are the yellowish buff 



breast, the broad maroon and black chest-band, and the lower half of the back being olive and 



not of metallic colouring. 



In the north-eastern districts, according to Pollen and Van Dam, it is particularly abundant 



about the shady mimosa trees in the plain which extends at the base of the hills on which stands 



Fort Hova, at Anourontsanga (Mourounsang). It feeds chiefly from the flowers of the Acacia 



lebbec. 



Mr. E. Newton gives the following notes upon this species : — " The song is strong, loud, and 

 very like a Willow-Wren's. We observed it everywhere between Tamatave and Ankera Madinika, 

 where we left the forest. On October 31st, near Ranomafana, I watched a hen bird of this 

 species building for some time." The nest, which had not at that time been roofed over, " was 

 placed on a low bush near the ground, and much exposed. . . . Outside it was built of coarse grass 

 and decayed leaves, untidily put together ; inside it was lined with the down of some grass or 

 reed." In another article he writes : — " Common everywhere. On the 1st of October, paddling 

 up the Hivondiona, I found a nest of this bird, containing two eggs, on the bank, almost over- 

 hanging the water; it was a domed one, and very prettily placed in some tall grass, the blue 

 flower of a Lobelia bicolor almost closing the entrance. It is composed outwardly of broad 

 leaves of grass, decayed, and a little moss ; over the entrance it has a sort of projecting porch of 



