THE



Avicultural Magazine


THE JOURNAL OF THE

AVICULTURAL SOCIETY



Fourth Series. —Vol. XIII.—No. 10 —All rights reserved. OCTOBER, 1935.



THE MOMBASA COLLARED SUNBIRD


(Anthreptes collaris elachior)


This lovely little bird is one of the smallest of the African Sunbirds,

its rivals in this respect being Cinnyris hyfasciatus microrhynchus and

Cinnyris minullus. It is classified in the genus Anthreptes, of which

Malaccensis is the type and with which it seems to have very little in

common beyond the fact that in both the lower mandible is almost

.straight. In its movements and song it approaches certain members

of the genus Cinnyris, and we consider it and its allies to form the link

between the Anthreptinae and the more typical and specialized Sun-

birds of the genera Cinnyris and Nectarinia. We feel that had Shelley

had an opportunity of observing the Collaris group closely while alive

he would have been content to keep them in a separate genus, Antho-

dieta.


The present sub-species was first imported by Mr. Webb from

Tanganyika in 1934 and the West African race Hypovila was intro¬

duced by the same gentleman last spring. Elachior is smaller and

brighter than the other races, the yellow on the centre of the abdomen

being distinct from the paler shade of the flanks. The female only

differs from the male in the absence of a metallic throat and chest.


This little Sunbird is very fond of mealworms and other larvse,

which are said to form the greater portion of its natural diet. To the

south of its range it is replaced by the slightly larger Zambeziana.


A. C.


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