Capt, Beavan on various Indian Birds. 419 



me on the 14th of August, 1865, at Kyodan, on the Salween 

 river, more than a hundred miles above Moulmein ; I shot it in 

 the act of feeding (probably on insects) in the inside of the 

 large flower of a plantain (Miisa, sp. ?). Its dimensions were as 

 follows: — Length 7*5, wing 3-5, tarsus '75, tail 1'95, bill 

 from front 1-7, extent 10*5 in, Theirides were dark brown, the 

 bill black, and the legs bright orange- yellow, the general colour 

 being a dark green, with the feathers centred with black. 



225. ^THOPYGA MILES. Himalayan Red Honey-sucker. 



I procured a fine specimen of this beautiful bird at Moulmein 

 on the 1st of September, 1865. It measured as follows: — 

 Length 4*875, wing 2*125, tail 1*75, tarsus -5, bill from 

 front -75, extent 6*25 in. Tail not fully developed; and 

 none of the feathers in it are scarlet. This spegies frequents 

 flowering trees, especially the Amherstia — and also low bushes 

 and annuals near the ground, when in flower. On the 22nd of 

 September, 1865, 1 obtained a specimen at Moulmein, on Custus 

 argxjroijlnjllus, a common weed there; I also observed it on my 

 trip up the river Salween, in villages, feeding on the flowers of 

 the cocoa-nut palm ; its note is a loud piping. The yellow striae 

 on the breast occur in this species as well as in the next to be 

 mentioned ; they are formed by the base of the scarlet feathers 

 being tinged with yellow in a lanceolate shape. 



227. jEthopyga GOULDTiE, Purplc-tailed Red Honey-sucker. 



A specimen of this beautiful bird was sent to me at Simla, by 

 Capt. Begbie, who shot it near Kotgurh, some fifty miles in the 

 interior, on the great Hindostan and Thibet road, but, I fancy, 

 low down at that place, in the valley of the Sutledge river; for 

 I do not think that this species frequents high elevations, 

 although sometimes in the summer found at Simla, where I 

 killed a male on the 12th of August, 1866. It was in my 

 garden, feeding on the flowers of Hibiscus. Length 5*875, 

 wing 2'25, tail 2*875, tarsus *5, spread of foot underneath 

 •8125, bill from front *5625, from gape -6875, extent 6*5 in. 

 Irides brown; bill and legs dark brown, the former being 

 almost black. The yellow on the breast has a few scarlet 

 marks ; and the purple so-called " shoulder-tuft " is not on the 



