28 Lord Walden on the Sun-birds 



Certhia philippensis, part., Mej'en, Reise, Theil iii. p. 206 

 (1834). 



Cerlhia sperata, It., 2, Meyen, torn. cit. p. 207, 6 adult., 

 " Manilla,^' nee Linn. 



Certhia philippensis , Briss,, torn. cit. p. 613, no. 4, t. 30. f. 2, 

 $ vel d juv., "Ins, Philipp.,'^ descr. orig. (1760). 



Certhia philippina, L., S. N. ed. xii. i. p. 187, no. 2, ''Philipp." 

 (1766), ex Briss., no. 4 (?). 



Nectarinia pectoralis, Horsf., ap. G. R. Gray, Genera, iii. A.pp. 

 p. 33, ex BuflF. PI. EnL 576. f. 4, nee Horsf. 



Nectarinia jugularis, (L.), Von Martens, J. fiirOrn. 1866, p. 13, 

 no. 49 ; Id. Preuss. Exped. Ost-Asien, p. 189. 



Hab. Philippine Islands (Jardine, Von Martens). 



Brisson described three speeies of Certhia from the Philip- 

 pines, which appear to have all belonged to the present species. 

 His "no. 10,'^ collected by Poivre, was founded on the adult 

 of an undoubted Philippine Nectarinia, a species since referred 

 by common consent, except Reichenbach^s, to C. juyularis, L. 

 To this species of Brisson no binomial title has ever been directly 

 given by any author. Linnaeus identified it with his own C. 

 zeylonica, one of those blunders of his which have since led to so 

 much confusion. Brisson's speeies " no. 6 " was described from 

 a Philippine specimen in Aubry^s cabinet; on this Linnseus 

 founded his C. jugularis. From Brisson^s original account, 

 we may conclude that the type was either a young male of 

 his "no. 10," or else an adult male of that species in postnuptial 

 plumage. Species "no. 4" was described by Brisson from 

 a Philippine individual also in Aubry^s collection. Its identifi- 

 cation is rendered uncertain by our being still totally unac- 

 quainted with authenticated females of the only two Sun-birds ac- 

 tually known to inhabit the Philippines, iVecto-op/w7a sperata and 

 A. jugularis, or with either of these species in young male plumage 

 before the metallic feathers appear. But if the title C. philippina, 

 L., was founded on species " no. 4" of Brisson, it must merge in 

 either N. sperata or A. jugularis; and therefore the. identification 

 is of little importance. I say, if founded on Brisson's species 

 " no. 4>," as about this there is some doubt ; for, while Linnaeus 

 cites Brisson's diagnosis only, his own contains a character not 



