16 DICMW^. 



Nectariiiia ignita, Begbie, Ann. Sj- Mag. Nat. Hist. xvii. p. 408 



(1846). 

 Dicieuin coccineiim, Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 100 (1847); Horsf. Sf 



Moore, Cat. B. E.I. Co. Mus. ii. p. 747 (1856) ; Jerd. B. Ind. i. 



p. 373 (1862); Bhjth, His, 1866, p. 305; Beavan, Ihi.s, 1869, 



p. 421 ; Godwin-Austen, J. A. S. Beng. xxxix. p. 99 (1870) ; Jerd. 



Ibis, 1872, p. 18. 



Adult male. General colour above bright scarlet, the mantle 

 slightly mottled with black bases to the feathers ; scapulars and 

 wing-coverts glossy steel-blue ; quills blackish, externally edged 

 with glossy steel-blue, broader on the secondaries ; tail-feathers 

 blue-black ; lores, feathers above the eye, ear-coverts, cheeks, sides 

 of throat, and sides of neck black, with scarcely any steel-green 

 gloss, and extending in a narrow line along the rami of the lower 

 jaw and down on to the sides of the upper breast ; throat and under 

 surfaces of body creamy buff, including the thighs and under tail- 

 coverts, the flanks and sides of body ashy grey ; axiUaries and under 

 wing-coverts pure white ; quills dusky below, ashy whitish along 

 the edge of the inner web ; " bill and mouth black ; legs and feet 

 black; iris dark brown ; eyelids plumbeous" {E. W. Oates). Total 

 length 3-3 inches, culmen 0-45, wing 1-85, tail 1, tarsus 0-45. 



Adult female. General colour above yellowish olive, a little 

 deeper on the hind neck and mantle ; the head with dusky centres 

 to the feathers, producing a slightly mottled appearance ; rump and 

 upper tail-coverts bright scarlet ; scapulars and wing-coverts duU 

 steel-green, edged with olive ; quills dusky brown, with narrow 

 olive margins ; tail-feathers blue-black ; ear-coverts pale brown ; 

 lores and cheeks ashy fulvous, mottled with dusky bases to the 

 feathers ; throat and under surface of body light ochraceous buff, 

 ashy olive on the sides of the throat, sides of body, and flanks ; 

 axiUaries and under wing- coverts white ; quiUs dusky below, 

 whitish along the edge of the inner web ; "mouth flesh-coloured" 

 (E. W. Oates). Total length 3-25 inches, wing 1-8, tail 0-95, tarsus 

 0-5. 



Ohs. Some of the females, apparently very old birds, have a dis- 

 tinct reddish shade on the upper parts. 



A young female collected by Mr. Oates is lighter olive-yeUow 

 above, and has the throat and fore neck more ashy ; the rump and 

 upper tail-coverts are saffron-yellow, with some bright scarlet 

 feathers intermixed. 



Hub. South-eastern Himalayas, throughout the Burmese countries, 

 and Southern China to Hainan, and down the Malaj'an peninsula 

 to Java and Sumatra. 



a, 6. c? 2 3.d. sk. Hainan. R. Swinhoe, Esq. [C.]. 



c. (S ad. sk. Cochin China. M. E. Pierre [P.]. 



d. cJ ad, sk. Assam {McClelland). India Museiun. 



e,f. d ? ad.sk. Nepal. B. H. Hodgson, Esq. [P.]. 



g^h.tS; «. 2 ad.sk. Nepal (^^r/c/sow). India Museum. 



k S ad. sk. Calcutta (Blgth). India Museum. 



/, m. d" ? ad. sk. Thayetmyo. W. T. Blanford, Esq. [P.]. 



n,o. (S 2 sk. Pegii, Aug. and Nov. E. W. Oates, Esq. [C.]. 



