12 NEODREPANIN.<£. 



Subfamily. NEODREPANINiE. 



This subfamily is only represented by a single known species. It 

 resembles the Nectariniidce in the very peculiar structure of the tongue ; 

 in adult males the upper surface is adorned with rich metallic colours, and 

 the form of the wind-pipe may be similar. 



It differs from the Nectariniida in the cutting edges of the bill not being 

 serrated, the sides of the head wattled in adult males, and in the tail being 

 abnormally short and less than half the length of the wing, in all of 

 which characters it resembles the Philcpittida , as well as in the style 

 of plumage of the females and all being confined to the island of 

 Madagascar. 



These are reasons for my ending the Suborder Oligomyoda with the 

 family Philepittidce and beginning the Oscines with the family Nectariniida. 



Neodrepanis coruscans. 



Neodrepanis coruscans, Sharpe ; Shelley, Mon. Nect. p. 1, pi. 1 (1876) 

 Madagascar ; Hartl. Vog. Madag. p. 94 (1877) ; Milne Edw. and 

 Grand. Hist. Madag. Ois. I., p. 289, pis. 106 a , 107", 108 1 (1882) ; 

 Gadow, Cat. B. M. ix., p. 2 (1884) ; Shelley, B. Afr. I. No. 4 (1896). 



Adult Male. Above steel blue ; wings and tail black, the feathers of the 

 former partially edged with yellow, those of the latter with steel blue. 

 A large bare greyish blue eye wattle. Beneath yellow. Total length 

 4-1 inches, culmen 1-15, wing 2, tail 1, tarsus 0-6. Ampasmanhave 

 (Crossley). 



Adult Female. Above olive with a green gloss ; wings dark brown, the 

 feathers broadly edged with yellowish olive. Beneath pale yellow passing 

 into pale ashy olive on the throat. Total length 4 inches, culmen 1, 

 wing l - 95, tail 1, tarsus 055. Ampasmanhave (Crossley). 



The Wattled Sunbird is a native of Madagascar. It is 

 apparently nowhere common, for the natives seem to have no 

 name for this species. The type was procured by Crossley in 

 1874 near Antananarivo where Deans Cowan also collected 

 specimens. 



According to M. Grandidier it inhabits the western and 

 most elevated portion of the band of forest which extends 

 over the eastern slope of the highland plateau, where he 

 found it, in parties of three or four, round the flowers of the 



