THE BIRDS OF LIBERIA 719 
Anthreptes collaris hypodilus (Jardine and Fraser). Violet-throated Sunbird 
Nectarinia hypodilus Jardine and Fraser, Contrib. Orn., p. 153, 1851: Fernando Po. 
Small, 4 inches; back green with blue reflections, wings and tail blackish brown, the feathers 
of the former edged with olive, those of the latter with a green or blue sheen; throat green with a 
narrow purplish band dividing the green of the throat from the bright yellow of the belly. Female 
similar but chin and throat pale yellow. Senegal to Angola. 
This is a West African race of a widespread species, and is not uncommon in 
low growth along the edges of clearings. 
Anthreptes rectirostris (Shaw). Orange-banded Sunbird 
Certhia rectirostris Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. 8, pt. 6, p. 246, 1811: locality unknown. 
Small, 4 inches; male steely green above with blue reflections, becoming olive green on rump; 
wings and tail blackish, narrowly edged with olive green; throat pale yellow, passing into a shining 
green band on breast, succeeded by a narrow band of orange; a yellow tuft on each side of breast; 
belly gray becoming yellow posteriorly and on under tail-coverts. Female, olive green above, 
throat yellowish white becoming clearer yellow on belly. Senegambia to Gold Coast. 
Bittikofer found this a not uncommon species, and secured specimens at 
Schieffelinsville, Hill Town, Paynesville, and Robertport. He points out that 
the immature birds in yellowish plumage may be distinguished from immature 
hypodilus by the smaller, more lanceolate first primary. We found a pair nesting 
at Peahtah, on October 16, the nest placed high in a tangled vine hanging from 
some trees in an open spot. Again, on the 31st of the same month, we found a 
female in a finished nest that as yet had no eggs. It was six feet from the ground 
in a kola tree in the deserted village of Bomboma. The globular nest was made 
of many small bits of stems more or less held together by webs and prettily lined 
with soft white vegetable silk. The outside was hung with bits of spider web in 
which faded kola blossoms were entangled. 
Anthreptes tephrolaema (Jardine and Fraser) 
Nectarinia tephrolaemus Jardine and Fraser, Contrib. Orn., 1851, p. 154: Fernando Po. 
Like A. rectirostris but throat paler gray, the golden-green breast-band broader, belly and under 
tail-coverts pale grayish yellow. Liberia to Angola. 
The only record is that of a specimen taken by W. P. Lowe at Settra Kru on 
the south coast (Bannerman, 1912, p. 234), January 14, 1911. Its known range 
is thus extended from Angola to Liberia. 
Anthreptes gabonica (Hartlaub) 
Nectarinia gabonica Hartlaub, Journ. f. Orn., vol. 9, pp. 13, 109, 1861: Gaboon. 
Length 4.5 inches; above grayish brown; shoulders and upper tail-coverts often with greenish 
wash; a narrow forehead and eyebrow stripe, and another below the eye; below white, breast 
washed with brownish; tail grayish brown, edged with greenish exteriorly and white on inner side; 
all but middle pair of feathers white-tipped: Gambia to the Congo. 
To this species Bittikofer (1889, p. 118-119) finally refers the gray females 
previously recorded by him (1885, p. 170) as Cinnyris venustus and (1888, p. 212) 
Anthreptes tephrolaema. It is apparently confined to the vicinity of streams, for 
he found its nests of pouch-like form, hanging from twigs or dead limbs about 
three feet above the water. 
