THE BIRDS OF BANGKOK. 209 



IhiJnls, tlv. This l.nnl is a resident species, and is a tivijueiit visitor 

 to our f^-ardens, where it must attract attention owing to its general 

 resemblance to a Humming-bird. Tiie male, whose metallic purplish 

 blue throat and breast are very noticeable, has (juitea pretty little song 

 in tlie breeding season. The birds are generally to be seen in pairs, and 

 they are very partial to the large, brightly coloured flowers of the 

 Hibiscus, into which, while clinging to a convenient stalk, they insert 

 their heads and long curved bills for the nectar and minute 

 insects on wliicli they feed. They are nnable to poise themselves in 

 the air above a flower, as Humming-birds do, except for very brief 

 intervals, and then only as a preliminary to settling on a stem. Their 

 ordinary note is a double one, li':eet-lti:eet. 



Go (903). Authothreptes malaccensis (Scop.). The 

 Broicn-ihroated Smi-hird. 



Aiilliatlinjit,:^ mid<tcr('ii>'i'--<, Ogilvie-Graiit, Fasc. JFiilny. Birds (I'JOri), 

 11. 7:3 : Itoliiiisoii, .lomn V. M. S. Mus. V (1915), p. IS'J ; id. Ibis 

 I'.ll.'t, p. 767. 



Anthiijitcs iiiiiIkccii.-^/s, G\ Idenstulpc 1916, [i. 34 



Siamese, i^n nw UP (Nok kin-pli). 

 JDescripiion. Length about 127 mm. (5 in.). Male. Forehead, 

 crown, nape and sides of the neck metallic green or lilac, according to 

 the angle from which viewed ; rump and upper tail-coverts metallic 

 vioK't pur[ile ; lores and sides of the head dull brownish green ; 

 a stripe from tiie gape down the lower side of the throat, metallic 

 purple ; chin and throat cinnamon-brown ; lower plumage yellow, 

 tinged with green on the flanks and vent ; under wing-coverts and 

 axillaries yellowish white ; outermost i)airof tail-feathers brown, the 

 others becoming successive!}' darker (until those in the middle of tho 

 tail are dark bluish brown ), and with a gradually increasing amount 

 of metallic purple or green on the outer webs ; lesser wing-coverts 

 metallic purjde ; median and greater wing-coverts olive-brown, tipped 

 ^\ith cinnamon ; quills brown, edged with olive-groen. Female. Up- 

 per plumage dull yellowish green ; sides of head greenish yellow, the 

 ear-coverts dark ; lower plumage yellow, greenish on flanks ; tail brown, 

 very narrowly tipped paler, and with all the feathers, except the outer- 

 most pair, edged with yellowish green on the outer webs ; wings and 



VOL. 11, MAY 1317. 



