ECTDREPANIS. ARACHXECHTHRA. 17 



there are traces of lavender-grey markings underlying the chestnut 

 and sometimes a few specks and lines of dark purplish-rod. Three 

 examples measure respectively : '5 by "38 ; '51 by '39 ; "53 by •39. 



3. Samar, Philippine Islands, 10th July. J. Whitehead, Esq. [C.]. 



Genus EUDREPANIS, Sliarpe. 



Eudrepanis pulcherrima {Sharpe). 

 (Plate I. fig. 9.) 



Eudrepanis pulcherrima, /S/ie//ej/, Monogr. Ne.ct. p. 81 (1876-80) ; Or/ilvie- 

 Grant ^ Whitehead, Ibis, 1898, p. 242 ; Sharpe, Hand-L v. p. 40 

 (1900). 



.^thopyga pulcherrima, Gadow, Cat. Birds B. M. is. p. 31 (1884). 



Three eggs of the Short-tailed Yellow-backed Sun-bird resemble 

 those of ^Et7iopi/(/a slparaja of the first or commoner type, but are 

 rather more dull in colour. Three examples measure respectively : 

 •55 by ^43 ; -55 by ^42 ; -54 by -44. 



3. Paranos, Samar, Philippine Islands, J, Whitehead, Esq. [C.]. 

 26th June. 



Genus ARACHNECHTHRA, Cab. 



Arachnechthra asiatica (Lath.). 

 (Plate I. figs. 14 & 15.) 



Cinnyris asiaticus, Shelley, Moiiogr. Nect. p. 181 (1876-80) ; Legge, B. 



Ceylon, p. 566 (1879). 

 Cinnyris asiatica, Gadoxc, Cat. Birds B. M. is. p. 56 (1884) ; Nehrk. Kat. 



'Eiersamml. p. 77 (1899). 

 Arachnechthra asiatica, Oates, Fauna Brit. Ind., Birds, ii. p. 359 (1890) ; 



id., ed. Hume, Nests 8^- Eggs Ind. Birds, ii. p. 252 (1890) ; Skarpe, 



Hand-l. v. p. 41 (1906). 



The eggs of the Purple Sun-bird are normally of a narrow, 

 pointed oval shape and they are moderately, and in some instances 

 highly, glossy. Mr. Hume thus describes them : — " The ground- 

 colour is greenish- greyish- or brownish-white ; in some but 

 little, in others almost entirely obscured by the markings. These 

 latter, always minute and ill-defined, are grey, purplish-grey, brown, 

 or greyish-brown. A certain number of the eggs are pretty uni- 

 formly speckled and freckled over the whole surface, but in the 

 majority the markings are densest towards the large end^ where 

 many exhibit more or less perfect caps or zones, and to which 

 locality in some few specimens the markings are exclusively 

 confined." 



The eggs measure from -6 to -7 in length, and from ^45 to -48 in 

 breadth. 



