LEIOTKICIIIN^E. 



263 



The next bird differs from the rest of this group by its bright 

 [)lumage, and the scale-like feathers of the head, 

 (jen. Myzovnis, Hodgson. 



Char. — Bill rather long, slightly curved, slender, entire; nostrils 

 almost closed by an iuipending scale; gape with a few line vibrissa; ; 

 wings much graduated ; 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th qiulls sub-equal and 

 longest ; tail short, even ; tarsus moderate ; outer toe much syn- 

 dactyle ; claws moderately curved ; hind claw large. Plumage 

 soft, dense, and copious, very pully over the rump ; feathers of 

 the head scale-like ; tongue brushed. 



'J'his genus is unhesitatingly placed by all modern Systematists 

 in the situation now given to it. It lias some of the characters of 

 the Nectarinia', viz. the scale-like character of the feathers of the 

 head and its blight plumage; but the white tips to the C[uills, and 

 the red bar on the wing are characters which point out its relation 

 to this sub-family. 



629. Myzornis pyrrhoura, Hodgson. 



J. A. S., XII. 98-1— Blytu, Cat. 521— Housf., Cat. 403— 

 Gould, Birds of Asia, pt. VIII. pi. 7. — L/io sagvit-pJw, Lepch. 

 i. e. the Mountain Honeysuckcr. 



'J'UE FiRE-TAILEI) FlOAVER-PECKER. 



Descr. — General colour fine lively grass-green, becoming bright 

 emerald green on the forehead and crown, the feathers of which 

 have black centres ; lores deep black, which color is continued 

 through the eyes ; under parts paler, with a slight rufous cast on the 

 throat and upper part of breast ; lower tail-coverts yellow ; wing- 

 coverts and tertiaries green, like the back; primaries black, the 

 first eight with white tips, and mostly edged white; the secondaries 

 edged red and white, and with a white spot on their tips ; tail 

 with the central feathers green, faintly edged externally with red, 

 and tipped dark ; the other all dusky internally, red on their outer 

 webs, and black-tipped. 



Bill dusky brown; legs fleshy ; irides brown. Length 5^ inches; 

 wing 2f ; tail 2 ; bill at front -^ ; tarsus f . 



This very beautiful bird is rare at Darjeeling, and I only shot 

 one, myself, close to the station. It was clingujg at the time to the 



