358 nectariniid^. 



</". Bill from gape quite J inch 



or more A. lotenia $ , p. 358. 



h'". Bill from gape well under 1 

 inch. 

 c 4 . Lower plumage rich yellow. A. pectoralis $ , p. 361. 

 d\ Lower plumage pale yellow. 



d\ Bill at gape -65 A. hasselti $ , p. 360. 



h 5 . Bill at gape -8. 



« 6 . Lateral tail-feathers 



very narrowly tipped. A. asiatica $ , p. 359. 

 /A Lateral tail-feathers 



very broadly tipped . . A. flammaxiUaris J, p. 362. 



c 5 . Bill at gape -9 A. andamanica $ , p. 363. 



f". Rump and upper tail-coverts 



red A. minima $ , p. 363. 



d'. Chin and throat ashy white; re- 

 maining lower parts bright yel- 

 low A. zeylonica 2 > V- 3*34. 



894. Arachnechthra lotenia. Loten's Sun-bird. 



Certhia lotenia, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 188 (1766). 



Nectarinia lotenia (L.), Blyth. Cat. p. 224. 



Arachnechthra lotenia (L.), Horsf. <§• M. Cat. ii, p. 743 ; Jerd. B. I. 



i, p. 372 ; Wald. Ibis, 1870, p. 23 ; Legye, Birds Ceyl. p. 563 ; 



Oates in Hume's N. fy E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 251. 

 Cinnyris lotenius (L.), Shelley, Mon. Nect. pp. xxviii, xxxvi, 177, 



pi. 56 ; Hume, Cat. no. 235 ; Gadow, Cat. B. M. ix, p. 00 ; Yidal, 



S. F. ix, p. 57 ; Butler, S. F. ix, p. 390 ; Davison, 8. F. x, p. 362 ; 



Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 137. 

 The Large Purple Honey-sucker, Jerd. 



Coloration. Male. The whole upper plumage metallic green 

 glossed with lilac, the upper tail-coverts metallic blue ; lesser and 

 median wiug-co verts lilac ; greater coverts aud wings brown ; tail 

 blue ; sides of the head aud neck green glossed with lilac ; cheeks, 

 chin, and upper throat metallic green ; breast rich metallic violet 

 changing to green at the sides ; a band of maroon below the breast ; 

 pectoral tufts rich yellow with a small intermixture of crimson ; 

 remainder of lower plumage snuff-brown. 



Female. Whole upper plumage, wings, sides of the head, and neck 

 greenish brown ; entire lower plumage very dull yellow ; tail 

 blackish, the lateral feathers broadly tipped with whitish. 

 Bill, legs, feet, and claws black ; iris deep brown (Davison). 

 Length about 5-5 ; tail 1*6 ; wing 2-3 ; tarsus *G ; bill from gape 

 1-2. The female is considerably smaller, the tail beiug about 1*3, 

 the wing 2, and the bill from gape 1. 



Distribution. Ceylon aud Southern India. On the west this 

 species extends north as far as Batnagiri, but on the east its limits 

 are undetermined. Davison found this bird at 5000 feet in the 

 Wynaad. 



Habits, Sfc. A uest found by Mr. E. H. Aitken in November 

 wa.s similar to the nest of A. zeylonica, and contained a young bird 



