DICJEUM. 375 



This family forms a connecting-link between the nine-primaried 

 and the ten-primaried Passeres, some of the genera possessing 

 nine of these feathers, and others ten. They all have twelve tail- 

 feathers. The nostrils are covered by a large oval process leaving 

 a lunar aperture ; the rictal bristles are short, but the naral bristles 

 are sometimes greatly developed. The tail is always short, and 

 the tarsus is never lengthened. 



The Flower-peckers are remarkable for the beauty of their nests, 

 which are frequently pear-shaped, and suspended from a branch. 

 The eggs are invariably white except in Piprisoma, in which they 

 are spotted. 



Key to the Genera. 



a. With nine primaries, the first reaching 



to the tip of the wing. 

 a'. Bill slender ; the lower line of the 



inferior mandible almost straight . . Dicjeum:, p. 375. 

 b'. Bill thick ; lower mandible swollen ; 

 its lower edge much angulate. 

 a". Tail rounded; nostrils covered by 



long hairs Acmonorhynchus, p. 381. 



b" . Tail square ; nostrils perfectly 



bare of hairs Piprisoma, p. 382. 



b. Wing with ten primaries, the first one 



small. 

 c . First primary about equal to the 



tarsus Prionochilus, p. 384. 



cl'. First primary not longer than the 



hind toe. . . * Pachyglossa, p. 385. 



Genus DI02EUM, Cuvier, 1817. 



The genus Dicceum contains eight species of Indian birds, which 

 are characterized by the possession of nine primaries and a slender 

 bill with the lower line of the inferior mandible nearly straight. 



Iu Dicomm the males of many of the species are brightly 

 coloured, aud in these cases the sexes differ in coloration ; in other 

 species they are more dully coloured and the sexes are alike. 



They are all without exception of very small size. They 

 frequent trees, generally at a considerable height above the ground, 

 and feed both ou insects and small berries. Their nests are 

 beautiful structures made of the finest and most delicate materials, 

 egg-shaped, and suspended from the tip of a branch. They all lay 

 white eggs, so far as is known. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Upper plumage with some red in it. 



a'. Whole upper plumage crimson .... D. cruentatum S , p. 370. 



b'. Rump only crimson D. cruentatum §, p. 370. 



c'. Back and rump bright orange-red . , D. trigonostigma c? , p. 377. 



d'. Rump only pale orange-red , . D. trigonostigma § , p. 377. 



