190 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 



B. — Bill stout ; lower mandible swollen. 



(1) Sexes dissimilar ; lower parts white and yellow ; 

 nostrils covered with hairs. 



Acmonorhyncus vincens (Legge's Flowerpecker). 



(2) Sexes alike ; lower parts ashy-yellow streaked 

 with greenish-brown ; nostrils exposed. 



Piprisoma squalida squalida (Thick-billed Flower- 

 pecker). 



Dictum erythrorhyncum. 



TickelVs Flowerpecker. 



Dicseum erythrorhyncum (Gates, Vol. II., p. 381); Dicseum, 

 minimum (Legge, p. 574). 



Description. — Upper parts ashy-olive, slightly tinged with 

 green towards the nimp ; wings and coverts brown, the coverts 

 and inner secondaries with paler edges ; tail blackish-brown ; 

 lores and cheeks whitish, darkening on the ear coverts ; 

 lower parts grayish-white, the s'des of the chest darker, the 

 centre of the breast and abdomen tinged with buff. 



BiU, dark brown above, fleshy beneath ; iris brown ; legs 

 and feet brownish slate-colour. 



Length 3*3; wing 1*8; tail • 95 ; tarsus * 5 ; bill from 

 gape '45. 



Distribution. — Common all over the Island at all elevations. 

 It occurs over the greater part of India and in portions of 

 Burma. 



Habits. — Our smallest bu*d. It is generally found wherever 

 there are trees infested with the parasitic Loranthus, on the 

 berries of which it feeds with avidity. In the forest it also 

 feeds on the berries of jungle creepers. Usually not more 

 than two birds are seen together. It is a restless little species, 

 continually darting from branch to branch. The cry is a 

 sharp, but weak little chirp. The breeding season appears to 

 be from April till August. The nest is generally a pear-shaped 



