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The chief character which distinguishes the present species from the other Scarlet-chested Sun- 

 birds is the black colour of the chin and upper portion of the throat. 



Its range is limited to the mountainous districts of Bogos and Abyssinia, and does not, 

 apparently, extend beyond the Blue Nile. In this district it is met with, Von Heuglin informs 

 us, from 3400 feet up to over 8000 feet in the Semien and Gala Mountains. It is generally to 

 be seen in pairs in the wooded districts near water, where it especially frequents the Euphorbia, 

 Dahlbergia, Cordia, and Acacia; and while searching for its food among the flowers and under 

 the bark it may be seen climbing and fluttering from bough to bough, while the pretty and 

 varied notes of its somewhat weak voice enliven the woodlands. He found the males in full 

 plumage at all seasons, excepting in July and August, and considers it possible that they do not 

 go through a regular change of plumage. I believe him to be perfectly right in regarding his 

 former statement of its inhabiting the White-Nile district to be an error, based upon his having 

 confounded C. acik with the present species. 



Although Von Heuglin speaks of this bird as abundant in Abyssinia, Mr. Blanford did not 

 find it common, but met with it occasionally about Senafe in the upper part of the pass, and in 

 the Anseba valley, keeping, however, to the surrounding highlands. Mr. Jesse found it rare in 

 the valleys near Senafe in April and May, but more common, though not plentiful, during July 

 and August, between Kokai and the river Anseba. 



According to Antinori it arrives in Bogos in May ; and he there collected many specimens at 

 Keren. One of these had a few metallic greenish-gold feathers at the junction of the black and 

 red on the throat, a variety which has also been remarked upon by Von Heuglin, and of which 

 I have also a specimen before me collected by Esler in Bogos Land. 



The specimens above figured and described were collected by Mr. Esler in Bogos ; the adult 

 male is in my own collection ; and the female and immature male are in the British Museum. 

 The illustration represents a fully plumaged male and a young male, or male in moult. 



Biippell mistook the present species for C. gutturalis of South Africa, " le Sucrier Protee " 

 of Levaillant, and called it Cinnyris jwoteus. 



