THE BIRDS OF THE NATUNA ISLANDS 115 



Description.— Tji)e, adult male, U.S.N.M. No. 174859, Pulo 

 Midei, Natuna Islands, May 23, 1900; Dr. W. L. Abbott. Pileum 

 shining metallic grass green, posteriorly with golden reflections; inter- 

 scapulum and sides of head and neck, velvety black; rump and upper 

 tail coverts, shining metallic myrtle green with violet reflections; tail 

 metallic dusky slate blue, basally duller and more brownish; wings 

 fuscous-black, the lesser coverts shining metallic myrtle green with 

 violet reflections; throat and jugulum, shining metallic Rood's violet 

 with bluish reflections, which alter the general tone toward pansy 

 violet; chin similar but decidedly more bluish; breast, upper abdomen, 

 and sides of body, rather bright garnet brown; rest of abdomen fus- 

 cous-black; flanks, thighs, and crissum, fuscous ; lining of wing brown- 

 ish black. 



Five specimens are in the collection, as follows: 



Adult male (type), U.S.N.M. No. 174859, Pulo Midei, May 23, 

 1900. 



Adult male, U.S.N.M. No. 174861, Pulo Midei, May 23, 1900. 



Adult male, U.S.N.M. No. 174860, Pulo Midei, May 24, 1900. 



Adult male, U.S.N.M. No. 174858, Pulo Seraia, May 29, 1900. 



Juvenal female, U.S.N.M. No. 174862, Bunguran Island, July 24, 

 1900. 



None of the adults show any indication of molt, but the ju venal 

 female is in process of changing both wing quills and contour feathers, 

 having acquired on the upper surface a large part of the first autumn 

 plumage, and on the lower surface a considerable portion. 



This new race seems to be most closely allied to Cinnyris brasiliana 

 eumecis. It dift'ers from Cinnyris brasiliana brasiliana of the Malay 

 Peninsula in its larger size and in the lighter, brighter, less grayish (more 

 yellowish) upper surface, and duller, more olivaceous lower surface of 

 the female. Though we have seen no fully adult females of this 

 form, our comparisons have been made with both adult and juvenal 

 females of Cinnyris brasiliana brasiliana and Cinnyris brasiliana 

 eumecis, and the differences above set forth are evident at a glance. 

 Furthermore, it seems to be, except for the bill, the largest of all the 

 known races of Cinnyris brasiliana. 



Measurements are given in Table 40. 



Doctor Abbott found this bird fairly common on Pulo Midei, and 

 the commonest sunbird on Pulo Seraia. 



