362 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



fiavigastra, Eyton^ eq\ui.lly as large as A. chrysofjcnys; A. inornafa 

 and -4. luodesta, Eyton ; all from Malacca. 



Wc now come to the typical Sun-birds, of rich and often metallic 

 plumage, which were named Cinnyris by Cuvier, but to which the 

 prior appellation given by Illiger, Nectariniay is now applied. 



They are birds with bill long or moderate, slender, slightly 

 curved ; the tip acute and entire ; the edges minutely denticulated ; 

 base of upper mandible overlapping the edge of the lower one ; 

 nostrils short, oval, and basal, placed in a fossa. The wings are 

 rounded ; 1st quill short ; 4th usually the longest; the tail moderate 

 or long, even or graduated ; tarsus longish, slender. 



They have, of late, been greatly sub-divided ; and as Horsfield, 



, Gray, and others have adopted these divisions, I shall follow them here. 



Birds of this family are called Shakar-Mora, i. e., Sugar-eater, H. — 



Man-change or Phul-chingi, Beng. — Munaga-jitta, Tel., i. e. 'the birds 



of the Erythrina flower.' — Sag-vit-pho, Lepch. — Chong-jip, Bhot. 



Gen. jEthopyga, Cabanis. 



Char. — Bill of moderate length and curvature ; tail graduated, 

 with tlie central tail-feathers much elongated. 



Two or more groups may be found in this genus. The first has 

 the predominant colour fine scarlet or red, and the rump usually 

 sulphur-yellow (whence Cabanis's name). They are found both in 

 India and Malay ana. 



A lesser section may be made of those which have the throat 

 and breast of the same red as the back, and the tail glossy-green 

 or purple. 



225. .ffithopyga miles, Hodgson. 



Cinnyris, apud Hodgs., Ind. Rev. 1837 — Bltth, Cat. 1351 

 (partly) — HoRSF., Cat. 1066 — Nect. Seherite, Tickell. — C. 

 labecula, McLell. — C. goalpariensis, Rotle, 111. Him. Bot., 

 pi. 7, f. 1 — Gould's Birds of Asia, pi. 



The Himalayan Red Honey-sucker. 



Descr. — Forehead and crown of head dark shining metallic 

 green, more or less glossed with purple ; hind-head, cheeks, and 



