8o BIRDS OF THE PLAINS 



Loten's. However, the latter has a much longer and 

 stouter beak, and is very abundant in Madras, while the 

 purple bird is comparatively rare, so that the Madrassi 

 is fairly safe in setting down all the purple birds he sees 

 as Loten's honeysuckers. If, however, he espies a purple 

 sunbird, with an unusually short bill, a bird that sings 

 like a canary, he may be certain that that particular 

 one is A. asiatica. If the cock Loten's sunbird is 

 clothed in purple and fine linen, that of the yellow 

 species {^A, zeylonica) may be said to be arrayed in a 

 coat of many colours, each of which is so beautiful as 

 to defy imitation by the painter. There is a patch on 

 the crown which appears metallic lilac in some lights 

 and emerald-green in others. His neck and upper back 

 are dull crimson, the lower back, chin, and throat are 

 brilliant metallic purple. The tail and wing feathers 

 are dark brown. There is a maroon collar below the 

 throat, and the plumage from this collar downwards is 

 bright yellow. Verily, Solomon in all his glory was not 

 arrayed like one of these. 



The hens of all three species are homely-looking 

 birds, difficult to distinguish one from the other. The 

 upper plumage of each is dingy brown and the lower 

 parts dull yellow. Many ornithologists declare that 

 sexual dimorphism, such as is here displayed, is due to 

 the greater need of the hen for protection when sitting 

 on the eggs. These people allege that if the hens of 

 brightly plumaged species were as showy as the cocks, 

 they would be conspicuous objects when brooding, and 

 so fall easy victims to birds of prey. This is a theory 

 typical of the arm-chair naturalist, or of him who studies 



