200 
VIOLET-HEADED SUN-BIRD. 
Nedarinia violacea, Linn.bus. 
PLATE XVI. 
This bird, a native of Southern Africa, has, in the 
adult males, the head, sides of the neck, and chin, 
with the upper part of the back and bend of the 
wings, dark golden-green varied with purple and 
bronzed reflections ; on the upper part of the back 
the base of the feathers are olive, and are seen 
mixed with the dark and shining tint; the back 
and remaining upper parts, with the edges of the 
wings and tail-feathers, are yellowish oil-green ; the 
quills and tail pale umber-brown. On the centre 
of the breast and running round on each side the 
green colour of the neck, is a patch of brilliant 
violet-purple stretching up upon the throat and 
nearly bordering the lower part of the breast in a 
narrow crescent. The lower part and centre of the 
breast is deep reddish-orange, shading into gamboge- 
yellow on the flanks and under tail-covers. In the 
axillae we have the king’s-yellow tufts. The ex- 
treme length is nearly six inches. 
According to Le Vaillant, the female is rather 
smaller in size, and is of a uniform olive-green, — 
