20 FRIENDS OF THE AGRICULTUEIST 



heads. It is generally placed in a protea bush or bunch of 

 heath, and usually contains two eggs, which vary from a very 

 pale to reddish-brown ground colour, and are sometimes 

 marked with pencillings and blotches of blackish, and 

 sometimes of brown. 



The Cape Sugar-Bird {Promerops cafer) is of a sombre 

 brown colour, with the vent and under tail-coverts bright 

 yellow. The males sport long curved tail-feathers. Length 

 of male about 18 inches, whereof the tail is 11 inches ; female 

 9| inches. This species is confined to the Cape Colony. 

 The nest^ — a rare one in the Eastern Cape districts during 

 recent years — can be seen low down on the left of the picture, 

 and is rather indistinct. 



The second species is a scarcer bird, and does not extend 

 to the Cape, being only a winter visitor to Natal. It is 

 called the Natal Sugar-Bird (P. gurneyi), and has a shorter 

 tail than the Cape species. Length only 11 inches, tail 6| 

 inches. The feathers of the forehead and crown are of a 

 deep chestnut-red, with pale shaft markings, whereas these 

 regions in the Cape species are buff-brown. 



SUNBIRDS 



The Sunbirds are all friends of the agriculturist, but owing 

 to their architectural skill in nest building we will include 

 them under a more special heading. 



TIT-BABBLERS 



Of the Tit-babblers (Parisoma), the Uttle Eed-vented 

 species (P- subcceruleum) is perhaps the best known bird 

 in its grey and white plumage, streaked throat, and chest- 

 nut-red vent and under tail-coverts. It is not uncommon 



