474 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XV. 



(132) Arachnecthra zeylonica. — The Purple-rumped Sun-bird. 



Oates, No. 901 ; Jerdon, No. 232. 

 This is by far the commonest of the sun-birds. I have only seen it in 

 the low country and never on the hills. They usually go about in 

 pairs and congregate in flocks numbering twenty or more where there 

 is food. The nest is the usual bottle-shaped one with a domed entrance, 

 and the eggs are like those of the rest of the genus. They breed in 

 February and March. 



(133) Arachnothera longirostris. — The Little Spider-hunter. 



Oates, No. 909 ; Jerdon, No. 224. 

 Oates gives the distribution of this bird as '' the Western Ghats of 

 India from the Palni Hills to about the latitude of Belgaum." It is, 

 however, found throughout the hill range of Travancore from about 

 2,0l>0 feet upwards to 5,000 feet on the High Range. 



Family DIOEIDjE. 

 (134) Dictum concolor. — The Nilgiri Flower-pecker. 

 Oates, No. 916 ; Jerdon, No. 239. 

 Again Oates gives the Palnis as the southernmost habitat of this 

 bird. It is, however, common from the foot of the hills to the summits 

 throughout the range and is occasionally to be seen in the low country. 

 (135) Dicjeum erythrorhynchus.— Tickell's Flower-pecker. 

 Oates, No. 919 ; Jerdon, No. 238. 

 This is not so common as the last, but is found in the same localities. 

 A nest taken at Trivandrum on March 16th, 1902, was brought to me 

 and contained two voung birds and one fresh egg. The nest was 

 a beautiful pear-shaped structure, 3| inch long by 2 inches broad, 

 with an entrance at the top : it was composed of very fine vegetable fibres 

 mixed with down and was lined chiefly with the pappus of some flower. 

 It was suspended from the bough of a mango tree and was almost 

 entirely concealed by the overhanging leaves. The egg was pure white 

 and measured 15 mm. X 10 mm. 



Family PITTID^. 



(136) Pitta erachyura. — The Indian Pitta. 



Oates, No. 933 ; Jerdon, No. 345. 



This is a winter visitor and may be met with in the low country 



and on the hills up to 2,500 feet elevation. In the early morning and 



also well after sunset they may be heard whistling. 



