CHALCOMITEA. EL JUOCEETHIA . 25 



Chalcomitra gutturalis, Shelley, Birds Afr. ii. p. 93 (1900) ; Sharpe, 

 Hand-l. T. p. 50 (1906). 



An egg of the Southern Scarlet-chested Sun-bird is of a wide 

 oval form, slightly pointed and devoid of gloss ; the ground-colour 

 is white, finely spotted and speckled all over with grey and olive- 

 brown. It measures -65 by 'SI. 



1. East Africa {Nehrkarn Coll.). Crowley Bequest. 



Chalcomitra amethystina {Shaw). 

 (Plate I. figs. 19 & 20.) 



Oinnyris amethystinus, Sharpe, ed. Layard, Birds S. Africa, p. 315 



(1876-84) ; Shelley, Monogr. Nect. p. 269 (1876-80) ; Kuschel, J.f. O. 



1895, p. 346. 

 Cinnyris amethystina, Gadow, Cat. Birds B. M. ix. p. 96 (1884) ; Nehrk. 



Kat. Eiersamml. p. 78 (1899). 

 Chalcomitra amethystina, Shelley, Birds Afr. ii. p. 103 (1900) : Sharpe, 



Hand-l. v. p. 51 (1906). 



The eggs of the Amethyst Sun-bird are extremely variable. 

 Two examples in the Collection are regular ovals and of a greyish 

 cream-colour, longitudinally smeared with purplish-grey and 

 spotted with dark sooty-brown, these markings being much blurred 

 and smudged. Two other. eggs are narrow ovals and of a darker 

 shade of greyish cream-colour, longitudinally streaked and smeared 

 with pale lavender-grey and very sparingly spotted with dark 

 brown. Other specimens are of quite a different character, being 

 cream-coloured, densely mottled all over with brown and lavender- 

 grey. Eight examples measure from '69 to -81 in length, and from 

 •6 to -55 in breadth. 



Genus ELiEOCERTHIA, Eeichenh. 



Elseocerthia fusca ( Vieill.). 



Cinnyris fuscus, Shelley, Monogr. Nect. p. 285 (1876-80).. 



Cinnyris fusca, Gadow, Cat. Birds B. M. ix. p. 75 (1884); Kuschel, 



J. f. O. 1895, p. 346 ; Nehrk. Kat. Eiersamml. p. 77 (1899). 

 Elaeocerthia fusca, Shelley, Birds Afr. ii. p. 115 (1900) ; Sharpe, Hand-l. 



V. p. 52 (1906). 



Eggs of the White-vented Black Sun -bird are of a regular oval 

 form or slightly pointed, and are almost devoid of gloss. They vary 

 considerably in colour and markings : four have the ground-colour 

 greenish-white, finely mottled and clouded with lavender-grey and 



