270 
Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected 
the new feathering of the head, mantle, and under parts 
being as in the adult female, interspersed with a few metallic 
feathers, some of which still shew the shaft-scales. 
$, immature. 14 March.—This bird is in full moult, and is 
obviously changing from the second plumage to the full 
adult, as all the old feathers are very much worn, the long 
central tail-feathers being worn to a thread; the head, 
mantle, and under parts have hardly started to change, but 
what feathers are appearing, are metallic. 
$. 23 June.—This specimen is in full moult and has 
practically assumed its complete adult feathering, only a 
few worn dull feathers being left on the head and nape, 
lower flanks, and under tail-coverts. 
When the series in the Rudd Exploration Collection is laid 
out along with the fine series of immature males in the 
Museum Collection, the sequence of plumage appears very 
complete. 
This large Sun-bird was commonly noted in Namaqua- 
land, the Cape Peninsula, the Knysna district, Natal and 
Zululand, and the South-Eastern, Eastern, and North- 
Eastern Transvaal, but was not seen anywhere in the 
Portuguese country. It frequents the more open hill-sides 
and mountainous districts, seldom occurring in densely 
wooded localities and never inside the forests. It especially 
frequents localities where Proteas abound and feeds on the 
nectar of these and other flowering shrubs when in season, 
varying its diet with insects. When they are in flower, it 
can always be found where Aloes of the Aloe arborescens group 
exist. 
The males are rather pugnacious, especially in the breeding- 
season, and chase each other with swift and twisting flight, 
the metallic plumage shining in the sun. This species is seen 
in pairs, but more often singly. The call of both sexes is a 
loud chirrup, the males often indulging in a loud and not un- 
melodious song uttered from the top of some twig or shrub. 
1 have not discovered an occupied nest. 
The soft parts are:—Irides hazel ; bill, legs and toes 
black.] 
