346 NECTAKINITDiE. 



hi, p. 319 ; Shelley, Mon. Neet. pp. xxv, 87, pi. 30 ; Hume fy Bar. 



S. F. vi, p. 183 ; Hume, Cat. no. 231 ter ; Gadow, Cat. B. M. ix, 



p. 12. 

 Chalcostetha insperata, Hume, S. F. hi, p. 320 (1875). 

 Ohalcostetha pectoralis (Temm.), Oates, B. B. i, p. 317. 



Coloration. Male. Forehead, crown, and nape metallic green ; 

 lores, sides of the head, and back black ; scapulars, lesser and 

 median wing-coverts, lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts 

 metallic green suffused with lilac; greater coverts and quills dark 

 brown margined with purple ; tail deep blue margined with 

 metallic purple ; chin and throat metallic copper-colour, surrounded 

 by lilac-purple, which colour also covers the whole breast ; pectoral 

 tufts bright yellow ; abdomen, sides of the body, and under tail- 

 coverts dull brownish black. 



Female. "Forehead, crown, and nape brown, edged with grey; 

 upper plumage dull olive-green ; quills brown, edged \a ith the 

 colour of the back ; tail black, all but the median pair of feathers 

 tipped white; feathers round the eye, sides of the head, chin, and 

 throat pale grey ; breast, abdomen, and sides of the body yellow; 

 vent and uuder tail-coverts pale yellowish white. 



The young resemble the female, and the young male moults into 

 adult plumage at the first autumn. 



Less and feet black or bluish black ; bill black ; iris dark brown 

 {Hume lJ' Davison). 



Length about 5*5; tail 2*1; wing 2*3; tarsus "55; bill from 

 gape # 8. 



Distribution. The extreme southern point of Tenasserim and 

 Patoe Island, extending clown the Malay peninsula to the islands. 



Genus ^THOPYGA, Cabanis, 1850. 



The genus JEihopyga contains those Sun-birds, the males of 

 which have the middle pair of tail-feathers produced beyond the 

 next pair and the lower back or rump yellow. The females are 

 not so easy to diagnose. They resemble each other very closely 

 and also the females of the next genus Arachnechihra, but they 

 may be distinguished from the latter by the general green tone of 

 the lower plumage. 



In this genus the bill is slender and well curved downwards and 

 the covering-membrane of the nostril is bare. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Chin and throat crimson. 



a'. Middle tail-feathers exceeding next pair 

 by more than length of tarsus. 

 a". Crown and tail metallic green ; tail 



2-7 /E. seheHee S , p. 348. 



b". Crown and tail metallic violet; tail 



2-4 JE. andersont <S , p. 340. 



