Mhiivets. 
Of this family the above is the only species found in the Gambia, 
where however it is distinctly rare. I have only seen them about three 
times, and then they have been in small parties feeding with other birds on 
ripe Soto trees, where their actions reminded me forcibly of the Goldcrests, 
aslikeiheni they are particularly fond of hanging and hopping upside down 
below the twigs, which they are searching for insects among the clusters of 
the small green fruits of the tree. 
NECTARINIID^. 
Sunbirds are in many places numerous, and from the lovely metallic 
plumage of many of them, very noticeable, especially so in the gardens at 
Bathurst, where the}' flit from shrub to shrub or climb like Tits about the 
branches, calling to each other continually with short sweet chirps. Four 
species at least are quite common here, but the others are much rarer, and 
many of these I know onh' from descriptions, though I have doubtless seen 
some of them without recognising them. JolofF names for all the vSunbirds 
are Maraniluslus, Tenitem, Temtenian, Wef. 
Hedydipna platura. YELLOW-BREASTED LONGTAILED SUN- 
BIRD. 
Range. West Coast from Senegal to vSierra Leone. (,Sh). 
In this species the male is a metallic green bird with a bright yellow 
breast. In the adult the two central tail feathers are elongated and 
expanded at their tips, but these are either lost every year, or do not reach 
full length in the first year, as one often sees the birds with these feathers 
either absent or only just projecting beyond the rest of the tail. In 
December, 1904, I have a note, " Many have lost their long tails," and 
again in November, 1905, which would be just after the end of the breeding 
season, another. " McCarthy Island : many have uo long tails now, or only 
very short ones." The female, as in most species of Sunbird, is a plain 
coloured bird, a dull brown and white with a faint tinge of yellow below. 
In Gambia I have never seen this bird in Bathurst, but at McCarthy Island 
and at other places up the river it is quite common. 
(To be C07iii7iued. ) . 
By D. Dewak, I.C.S., F.Z.S. 
Were a beauty competition of the birds of India held I 
am sure that the Minivets would be well in the running for the 
first prize. To say this is to bestow high praise, for India teems 
with beautiful birds. All the colours of the rainbow appear in 
the bird population of that naturalist's El Dorado. The greens 
are represented by the Paroquets, the Chloropses, the Fruit 
