250 NECTARimiDiE. 



^tliopyga vigors! (Sykes). Vkjovs's Tellow-hached 

 Sun-bird. 

 ^thopyga vigorsii (Si/kes), Jerd. B. Ind. \, p. 303. 



Mr, Ludovic Stewart sends me the following note regarding the 

 breeding of tliis Svni-bird : — " I found a nest of yEthopiif/a vii/nyfti 

 at Maliableshwar carefully liidden in a trellis of passion-flower in 

 the verandah of my liouse. It was purse-shaped, of moss and 

 lichen outside, and soft pappus of a composite plant \\ithin, a 

 round opening near the top, but no slielf over the ojiening. I did 

 not take the nest (June 8), as it contained three young." 



Messrs. Davidson and Wenden, writing of the Deccan, say : — 

 " Fairly common along the ghats and breeds at Mahableshwar." 

 And Mr. II. Wenden further remarks : — " 17th Sept., found 

 nest suspended irom bush growing out of face of cutting at upper 

 entrance of No. 19 tunnel, Bhore Ghats. Shot both male and 

 female. Missed the latter twice, but that did not deter her return- 

 ing to the nest each time within a couple of minutes after being 

 fired at, 3 eggs quite fresh. Saw several other pairs about. On 

 21st Sept. found another up a hill-side, about 200 yards from 

 where I got the first. It was suspended from ihe outer end of 

 a branch, o feet from ground." 



The egg of this species, sent by Mr. Wenden, is a moderately 

 broad oval distinctly pointed towards one end. The shell, though 

 very fine and delicate, is entirely glossless. The ground-colour 

 appears to have been white, but it is everywliere so thickly freckled 

 over with dull pale yellowish brown, that nothing certain can be 

 said in regard to it. Besides this freckling there are several 

 clouds and ill-defined spots of a darker shade of the same brown, 

 and near the large end a single excessively fine twisting hair-Hne 

 which is almost black, ft measured 0"63 by 0'4S. 



.ffithopyga saturata (Hodgs.). The Blarlc-hreastcd Yelhw- 

 hacl'cd Siiii-hu'd. 



^Ethopvga saturata {IIod(/s.), Jerd. li. Iiid. i, p. 367 ; Hume, lioiiffJi 

 Draft N.i>,- E. no. -I-MI 



The Black-breasted Yellow-backed Sun-bird, according to Mr. 

 Hodgson's notes and drawings, builds a beautiful, pear-shaped, 

 hanging nest, about 0-5 inches in length by 3 in breadth at the 

 broadest part. Tlie nest is hung at the end of a slendiT thorny 

 twig, and is composed of moss, bound together with little strips of 

 bark and vegetable fibre, and is lined with the soft down ov jiappus 

 of some astei'aceous plant. The entrance is almost immediately 

 below the point of suspension, and is screened by an awning, 

 which projects about an inch and hides more than half of the 

 entrance-hole. They began to lay, it appears, in April, two or 

 three being the number of the eggs, which, however, are neitlier 

 described nor figured. Like the rest oE this genus, it breeds only 

 once in the year. 



