Cii;j 



ANTHODIJ]TA ZAMBESIANA. 



(ZAMBESI COLLARED SUN-BIRD.) 



Nectarinia collaris, Kirk, Ibis, 1864, p. 320. no. 43 (nee Vieill.) ; Hartl. P. Z. S. 1867, p. 824 ; 



Finsch & Hartl. Ost-Afr. p. 223. no. 102 (1870); Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1873, p. 713. no. 18. 

 Anthodiceta collaris, Cab. in Von der Decken's Reis. Ost-Afr. iii. p. 28. no. 21 (1869). 



6 similis A. collari, sed metallice aurato-cupreus potius quam viridescens ; secondares viridi ut in A. hypodila 

 limbatis, nee colore metallico ut in A. collari. 



Hab. in Africa, orientali. 



Adult Male. Similar to A. hypodila, but with a bright golden copper shade, and having the edges of the 

 inner quills glossed with golden copper, and with no metallic edges to the other quills. Total length 

 4 inches, culmen Oo, wing 2-0, tail To, tarsus - 6. 



Adult Female. Similar to the male, but entirely yellow underneath. Total length 3 - 6 inches, culmen 0'5, 

 wing 1*95, tail 1*5, tarsus 06. 



Hab. Eastern Africa, from Mombas as far south as the Zambesi. 



The present bird is thoroughly intermediate between the Collared Sun-birds of South and West 

 Africa; but yet it seems to me to differ sufficiently from both to deserve a separate title. In 

 general appearance it resembles A. collaris ; but it has the olive-yellow edgings to the secondaries 

 like the West-African A. hypodila, but glossed on the inner feathers with a deep golden shade. 

 I have already noticed how important a character is the colour of the edgings of the secondaries 

 in distinguishing these little birds ; and in a large series of them, from every locality which they 

 are known to inhabit, I have seen nothing like the golden copper of the Zambesi bird. The male 

 individual in the British Museum, which I make the type of my new species, was collected by 

 Dr. Kirk at Shupanga, in the Zambesi. I may add that Mr. G. R. Gray appears to have noticed 

 its difference, as he has marked the specimen "N. collaris, var." 



Dr. Kirk states that it was " found near Shupanga and Lena, but was not very common : 

 its nest was seen suspended to grass-stalks." It has also been procured by the same gentleman 

 at Zanzibar, as well as by Bojer. Mr. Wakefield and Baron von der Decken also met with it at 

 Mombas. 



We know nothing of its habits and economy ; but it doubtless strictly resembles in this 

 respect its very near allies A. collaris and A. hypodila. 



The figures are taken from specimens in the British Museum. 



