PBOMEROPID^. 71 



Measurements of a male and a female : — 



89. Cinnyris fusca (Viem.). White-vented Sun-bird. 



Le Siicrier namaqois, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 296. 

 Nectarinia fusca, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 

 1852; p. 158. 



„ „ Layard's Cat. No. 131. 



„ „ Chapman's Travels in S. A£r., App. p. 407. 



Cinnyris fv^ca, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 1284. 

 Nectarinia fiisca, Sharpe's Cat. No. 371. 



This is the commonest Sun-bird in Damara and Great 

 Namaqua Land, where it is really abundant, especially 

 towards the sea-coast. The scantier and more dreary 

 the vegetation the more common is this bird ; and though 

 unattractive in dress, it helps to enliven the monotonous 

 solitudes which it frequents, by its activity and pleasant 

 subdued warbling chirp. 



The male assumes a somewhat more attractive garb 

 during the breeding-season than at other times of the 

 year, when it resembles the female, whose colouring is 

 of the most sombre description. 



Levaillant tells us that this bird nests in the hollows 

 of trees ; but this differs from my experience, as I have 

 always found its nest suspended from the branch of some 

 low acacia. The nest is chiefly composed of soft grasses 

 and the fine inner bark of trees, and is lined with a 



