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Mr. Chapman from the lake regions. It is found both in open and wooded localities, and 

 generally singly." 



Mr. Burchell, in his ' Travels in South Africa,' gives the following account of his meeting 

 with it on the banks of the Ongeluks river: — "I left the waggons to go in search of some 

 beautiful birds which I had observed in the acacia-wood along the river, fluttering about the 

 flowers of a kind of Salvia (sage), from which with their long, slender, curved bill they extracted 

 the honey without settling. They proved to be the same kind of Sugar-bird (N. chalybea) which 

 I had seen in the vicinity of Cape Town. Their elegance and beauty, added to their soft delicate 

 warbling notes, engaged my admiration and attention for a long time ; and it was indeed with 

 reluctance that I permitted my desire of having this bird in my collection, to overcome my 

 natural feelings and induce me to kill it. With much less hesitation I plucked some of the 

 flowers from which they had been sipping, it was the most showy plant at this time in bloom." 



During my visit to South Africa I frequently observed this species flitting round the high 

 tufts of grass or the aloes, which were the only plants then in flower. At Ceres, in Cape Colony, 

 it was very abundant amongst the grass and low bushes by the river-bank ; at Cape Town and at 

 Mossel Bay it was extremely common ; and I also met with it at Algoa Bay, Durban, and 

 Pinetown. 



It has been collected by Mr. Packard at Port Elizabeth and East London. 



We are informed by Mr. Ayres (Ibis, 1868, p. 43) that in Natal "these Sun-birds appear to 

 be most plentiful in July and August, the females being the more numerous. In habits and 

 appearance they resemble N. afra. When the peach-trees are in full blossom the Sun-birds may 

 be seen actively engaged in sucking the nectar, and in taking the small insects from the blossoms ; 

 the males chasing each other away from their mates with many a rapid evolution, so that it 

 requires a good eye to follow them. They have a very sweet, though not a loud, song ; and many 

 a time have I sat under a bush the bird was on, only a few feet above my head, and listened with 

 pleasure to his sweet warblings." 



I have examined an adult male of this species in the Cambridge Museum, labelled " Senegal," 

 which was formerly in the Swainson collection. The locality is undoubtedly an error. 



The figures in the accompanying illustration represent the male in full plumage and in 

 partial moult. I have not in this instance figured the female, as it is so similar to that of 

 C. afer, that I consider to have done so would have been superfluous. 



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