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Dr. E. HopJcinson—Sunbirds



Purple-rumped Sunbird, Amethyst-rumped Sunbird ( L. zeylonica

(Linn)). Z. 620. Hab. : India and Ceylon. Plates : Shelley, Mon.,

pi. 45 ; Nat Libr., xvi, pi. 20. When first imported uncertain, but

Finn brought some from India in 1897, which did not five to

reach England (A.M., 1899, p. 42). Nzig., p. 109, says : “ has

lived for many years at the Berlin Zoo. ... In their native country

they are commonly kept and fed on sugar-water, honey, jam, and

raspberries.” “ The most common species in captivity before the

War ; it has not been seen since ” ( Avic., i, p. 255). Mr. Ezra

and many others have kept it. See also B.N., 1912, pp. 233, 250 ;

A.M., 1913, p. 289 ; 1918, p. 154.


Abyssinian Splendid Sunbird ( Cinnyris habessinicus (Hempr. and

Ehrenb.)). Hab. : Abyssinia to N.E. Uganda. Plate : Shelley,

Mon., pi. 63. One reached the Zoo in November, 1931. New to

the collection [Report, 1931).


Bifasciated Sunbird (C. b. bifasciatus (Shaw)). Hab.: Gabon to

Mossamedes and across to Uganda. Plate : Shelley, Mon., pi. 66.

M. Delacour obtained some in 1920 (Avic., i, p. 155), but did not

these turn out to be the subspecies which follows ?


East Coast Bifasciated Sunbird ( C. b. microrhynchus (Shelley)).

Z. 621. Hab. : East Africa coastal districts. Plate : Shelley,

Mon., pi. 67. The Zoo record the only one I know.


Mariqua Sunbird (C. mariquensis (Smith)). Z. 624. Hab. : South

Africa. Plates : Shelley, Mon., pi. 65 ; Nat. Libr., xvi, pi. 4.

First imported in 1914 to France (Nzig., p. 109), and one was

exhibited at the 1927 Crystal Palace Show (A.M., 1927, p. 86).

Mr. Ezra had one in 1930.


White-breasted Sunbird (C. talatala (Smith, 1836)). (C. leucogaster,

v., 1819, not available.) Hab. : South Africa. Plate : Shelley,

Mon., pi. 71. Count Segur had the first in 1914 (Nzig., p. 109 ;

Avic., i, p. 255), the first and only importation, I think.


Greater Double-collared Sunbird ( C. afer (Linn)). Z. 622. Hab. :

South Africa. Plates : Shelley, Mon., pi. 77 ; Nat. Libr., xvi,

pi. 2, m & f. France, 1914, as the above, and our Zoo has also

had it.


Lesser Double-collared Sunbird (C. chalybceus (Linn)). Z. 623.



