PASSERINE. 317 



arcuated beak, which is not longer than the head, is depressed and 

 widened at base. They inhabit the East Indies, are very small, and 

 generally have some scarlet in their plumage. 



Melithreptus, Vieill. 



The tail not worn; beak extremely long, and curved almost into a 

 semicircle. From the South Sea Islands. One of them, 



Certhia vestiara, Sh. ; Vieill. Ois. Dor, II, pi. 52, and Gal. 181, 

 is covered with scarlet feathers used by the Sandwich islanders 

 in the manufacture of the beautiful mantles of that colour, 

 which they so highly prize. (l) 



CiNNYRis, Cuv.(2) 



Tail not worn; edges of the two mandibles of the long and very 

 slender beak, finely serrate; the tongue, which is susceptible of 

 protrusion, terminates in a little fork. They are small birds, the 

 males of which, during the nuptial season, are ornamented with 

 metallic colours, approaching in lustre to those of the Humming- 

 bird, of which, in this respect, they are the representatives in the 

 eastern continent, they being principally found in Africa and the 

 archipelago of India. They live on the nectar of flowers, which 

 they suck up with their bills; their disposition is lively, and their 

 notes very agreeable. The beauty of their plumage has made them 

 a common ornament of our cabinets, but as it is very different in 

 both sexes during the winter, Sec. it becomes an extremely difficult 

 matter to characterize the species. 



The tail, in most of them, is equal.(3) 



erythropygia, Lath. 2d supp., is probably tlie female; the Nedarinia ruhicosa. 

 Tern. Col. f. 2 and 3, does not appear to differ from it. C txniata, Sonner. II, 

 Voy. pi. evil, fig. 3; C. cantillans, lb. Id. 2; Motacilla hirundinacea, Sh. Nat. 

 Misc. No. 114. 



(1) Add Cerih. obscura, Vieill. Ois. Dor. II, pi. liii; C.pacifica,ld. pi. Ixiii; the 

 other species of this naturalist belong to very different genera, chiefly to the Phi- 

 ledons, &c. 



(2) The Greek name of some very small unknown bird. The natives of Mada- 

 gascar call them Soui-mangat, i. e. eat-sugar. Vieillot has adopted the above 

 name and genus. Gal. 177. 



(3) Certh. spkndida, Sh. Vieill. 82; C. caffici, Edw. 347; C. siiperba, Vieill. 

 22; C. lotenia, Enl. 575, 2,3, Vieill. 34; amethystina, Vieill. 5 and 6; chcdybxa, 

 Enl. 246, 3, Vieill- 10, 13, 18, 24, 34, SO; omnicolor, Seb. I, 69, 5;cuprea, 

 Vieill. 23; purpurata, Edw. 265, Vieill. 11; cyanocephala, Vieill. 7; Z. zeilon- 

 ica, Enl. 576, 4; Vieill. 29, 30; dubia, Vieill. 81; senegaknsis, Vieill. 8; spe- 

 rata, Enl. 246, 1, 2; Vieill. 16, 32, of which the kpida of Sparm. 35, is the female; 

 madagascariensis, Vieill. 18; currucaria, Enl. 576, 3, Vieill. 31; rubro-fusca, 

 Vieill. 27 ,fuliginosa, Vieill. 20; maculuta, Vieill. 21; venusta, Vieill. 79; 



