NECTAraNiNJ;:. 365 



green ; breast and belly bright yellow, with sometimes a tinge of 

 flame-colour about the middle. 



Bill black ; legs brown ; irides brown. Length 5^ inches ; wing 

 2^ ; tail 3 ; bill y% ; tarsus ^ inch. 



The female is dull olive-green, paler beneath, slightly cinereous 

 on the back. 



This Honey-sucker is found throughout the Himalayas, from 

 Kumaon to Sikhim, and extends to Assam, Sylhet, and Arracan. 1 

 know not at what elevation it occurs, as I did not myself pro- 

 cure it at Darjeeling ; but imagine that it does not reach a high 

 elevation. 



228. ^thopyga ignicauda, Hodgs. 



Cinnyris apud HoDGSON, Ind. Pwev. 1837— Blyth, Cat. 1354 

 — HoRSF., Cat. 1069. — Cin. rubricaudata, Blyth — Ncct. pha3ni- 

 cura, Jardine, Nat. Libr., pi. 29. 



The Fire-tailed Red Honey-sucker. 



Descr. — Male in summer plumage. Head violet; nape, back of 

 neck, and back, very rich scarlet ; lesser coverts and scapulars 

 glossless green ; a yellow band across the rump ; wings dusky, 

 edged greenish ; upper tail-coverts scarlet ; tail, with the length- 

 ened middle feathers, scarlet-crimson ; the outer feathers red 

 externally, dusky on their inner webs, and greenish at the tip ; 

 throat and fore-neck intensely rich, dark, shining purple in the 

 middle, and brilliant violet laterally ; lores and ear-coverts glossless 

 black ; the rest of the under parts bright yellow, passing into 

 greenish on the flanks and lower tail-coverts. 



Bill black ; legs brown ; irides brown. Length 7 inches ; wing 

 2^ ; tail (middle feathers) 4 to 5 inches ; bill in front | ; tarsus y^g. 



The male in winter plumage is ollve-grecn above ; rump and 

 beneath yellow; chin, cheeks, and part of the neck, blue-grey, 

 with a greenish gloss ; breast dashed with fiery red ; tail and 

 upper coverts intense igneous-red. The female is wholly olive- 

 green, paler and yellowish beneath ; upper tail-coverts and breast- 

 spot igneous. 



This fine Honey-sucker is found in the Eastern Himalaya?, from 

 Nepal to Bootun, and extends into Assam and Sjlliot. At 



