

apicatis : supercilio indistincto et angusto flavido : plaga, anteoculari fusca : facie laterali dorso con- 

 colori : genis pallide flavidis : gula nigra, plumis vix cinerascenti limbatis : corpore reliquo subtus 

 pallide flavido, pectoris plumis basaliter branueis et minute bruuneo terminatis : hypocbondriis longi- 

 tudinaliter pallide brunneo notatis : subalaribus albidis, basaliter brunneis : remigibus infra brunneis, 

 intiis conspicue albido marginatis. 



Hab. in Africa meridionali et meridionali-occidentali. 



Adult Male. Velvety black with a lilac-bronze gloss ; wings and tail of a more coppery shade ; forehead 

 and crown metallic emerala-green, with a few of the feathers on the occiput inclining to golden yellow ; 

 least series of wing-coverts violet-shaded steel-blue ; upper tail-coverts, chin, and throat rich metallic 

 lilac ; chin slightly tinted with copper-colour, and the edges of the throat with violet ; bill and legs 

 black; irides dark brown. Total length 5'3 inches, culmen 1T5, wing 2'9, tail 2, tarsus - 7. 



Adult Female. Upper parts ashy olive ; wings, upper tail-coverts, and tail dark brown, with ashy-olive 

 edges to the feathers, excepting a few of the outer wing-coverts, which are edged with white ; the edges 

 of the outer tail-feathers and narrow tips to a few of the other tail-feathers white ; sides of the head 

 dusky olive shading into black in front of the eyes ; eyebrows and cheeks yellowish buff; chin and 

 throat black, the feathers partially edged with grey; under surface of the body buff with black 

 triangular centres to the feathers, most visible on the chest, less so on the sides of the body and under 

 tail-coverts, and almost hidden on the abdomen ; under surface of the wings dark brown with the edges 

 of the coverts and inner margins of the quills white ; the outer coverts tinted with yellow ; bill and 

 legs black; irides dark brown. Total length 19 inches, culmen Tl, wing 25, tail T8, tarsus 065. 



Male in nearly full moult. Similar in plumage to the female, excepting that the buff on the eyebrows and 

 cheeks is nearly absent; the throat is slightly darker and has a few metallic lilac feathers. 



Hab. South Africa, ranging as far as Angola on the western coast. 



The South-African Amethyst Sun-bird belongs to the " dark brown " group, named Chalcomitra 

 by Reichenbach, and to that section in which the front of the chest is not scarlet. Like C. kirkii, 

 it is distinguished from all the other Sun-birds by its velvet-like black plumage ; and these two 

 species are separated by the colour of their upper tail-coverts, which in the present species are of 

 a metallic amethyst-colour, while in C. kirkii they are black like the back. 



It is a common bird in many portions of South Africa, and ranges northward as far as 

 Angola, whence it has been recorded by Professor Bocage, as well as from Caconda, in Benguela, 

 where it was procured by Senor Anchieta. It nevertheless appears to be absent from that por- 

 tion of the south-west coast which lies between the Orange River and the Cape of Good Hope ; 

 for Mr. Andersson never met with it excepting at the Knysna ; and although we have frequently 

 received specimens from the Cape, we believe they were all collected in the more eastern 

 portion of the colony ; for, according to Mr. Layard, it is " an abundant species in the eastern 

 provinces, but never seen near Cape-town, and not very uncommon in the forest districts of the 

 colony." He adds : — " We have also received it from the neighbourhood of Swellendam, through 

 Mr. Cairncross, who informs us that the specimens sent by him were procured in the mimosa 

 trees which line the banks of the rivers flowing through that district. We saw it at the Knysna ; 

 and its habits appeared similar to those of the common C. chalybeus. 



