Mr. Webb’s Collection from the Cameroons



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and lively disposition, and tlie latter, a female, on account of its striking

colour. Seven species of Sunbirds, six being new, were represented,

Anthreptes tephrolcema tephrolcema, A. collaris hypodila, Cyanomitra

verticalis cyanocephala, Chalcomitra angolensis ongolensis, Cinnyris

minullus minullus, and C. superbus superbus. The most interesting

were the Cyanomitra, a genus not before imported alive, and Cinnyris

minullus, the smallest of the African Sunbirds, while for beauty of

plumage Chalcomitra angolensis and Cinnyris superbus must be given

an equal place. Mr. Webb was certainly lucky, as well as skilful, in

procuring angolensis, undoubtedly a very rare species in the locality

he visited. A new Glossy Starling, Lamprocolius purpureiceps, was

a splendid introduction to aviculture, and must be counted one of the

finest species of a very beautiful genus.


Among the Ploceidce the pair of Pirenestes ostrinus rothschildi

were of extraordinary beauty, and Malimbus cassini was the finest

of that interesting genus of insect-eating Weavers, other species repre¬

sented being M. nitens and M. scutatus. The insectivorous Negro

Finches, of which there were three species, Nigrita fusconata fusconata,

N. bicolor brunnescens, and N. canicapilla canicapilla, were among

the more striking additions to aviculture, and it will be interesting

to see if they prove willing to breed. It was pleasant indeed to see a

new sub-species of Mandingoa, namely M. nitidula schlegeli : it is

certainly more beautiful than the forms which arrived from South and

East Africa last year. To complete the list we must mention

Spermophaga pustulata, perhaps not so good as the species brought

back last year from the Usambaras, and two extremely lovely

Waxbills Estrilda nonnula and E. atricapilla.



A. C.



