293 



CINNYBIS DUSSUMIEEL 



(SEYCHELLES SUN-BIRD.) 



Nectarinia dussumieri, Hartl. J. f. O. 1860, p. 340; E. Newton, P. Z. S. 1867, p. 344; id. 



Ibis, 1867, pp. 336, 341, 359. 

 Nectarinia seychellensis, Hartl. Orn. Madag. p. 35 (1861); Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 107. 



no. 1302. 



6 ad. supra saturate brunneus, plumis olivaceo niarginatis, abs dorso concoloribus : Cauda brunnescenti-nigra, 

 albo terrninata : subtiis olivaceus cinerascente lavatus : gutture saturate rnetallice viridi : facie laterab 

 pileoque concoloribus : fasciis pectorabbus aurantiaco-rubris, basabter sulfureis : rostro et pedibus 

 nigris : iride saturate brunnea. 



2 mari sirndis, sed fasciis pectoralibus uulbs et gutture pectoreque concoloribus distinguenda. 



Hab. in insulis Seycbellensibus. 



Adult Male. Upper parts, including tbe wings, dark brown, with tbe edges of tbe featbers sbaded with 

 olive ; tail brownisb black tipped with wbite, most broadly so towards the outer featbers ; underparts 

 olive-shaded asby brown ; cbin and tbroat deep metallic bottle-green ; sides of the bead the same 

 colour as the back ; pectoral tufts orange-red inclining to sulpbur-yellow at their base ; under surface 

 of the wings dark brown, with the coverts and the inner margins of the quills nearly white ; bill and 

 legs black; irides dark brown. Total length 4 - 6 inches, culmen 0'9, wing 2"4, tab T8, tarsus - 7. 



Adult Female. Similar in plumage to the adult male, excepting that the chin and throat are of the same 

 colour as the breast, and that it possesses no pectoral tufts. 



Male in moult. Similar in plumage to the female, or with the throat metabic, but with no pectoral tufts. 



Hab. Seychelles Islands. 



The Seychelles Sun-bird belongs to the " olive " group, and is most nearly allied to the West- 

 African C. hartlaubi, which it resembles in having the metallic portion of its plumage confined 

 to the throat, and from which it differs in being of a more dusky olive-colour, and in possessing, 

 during the breeding-season, bright orange pectoral tufts. 



This species is confined to the Seychelles, where it appears to be common to all the islands 

 of that group. It was first described by Dr. Hartlaub in honour of M. Dussumier, who sent two 

 specimens to the Paris Museum. 



Some valuable information respecting this little-known bird is given by Mr. Edward Newton 

 (Ibis, 1867, p. 341) : — " The ' Colibri ' (Nectarinia dussumieri) I found to be very common ; I saw 

 it at Mahe, Praslin, Ladigue, Felicite, Marianne, and Silhouette. When I first arrived the males 

 I shot did not show any yellow under the wing; but at Marianne, on 12th February, I obtained 

 two males which had the bright flame-coloured axillary tuft fully developed. At first I thought 



m2 



