44 Lord Walden on the Sun-birds 



32. Chalcostetha insignis^ (Jard.), Nat. Lib. xxxvi. p. 274 

 (1842), ex Temm. PI. Col. 258, f. 3. 



Nectarinia pectomlis, Temm., PL Col. livr. 23. t. 258. f. 3, 

 "Java,'' c? adult., descr. orig. (July 26, 1823) ; Muller & Sclil., 

 Verb. Nat. GcscIl Ned. Overz. Bez. Zool. Aves, p. 57, t. 9, f. 2, $ , 

 nest and egg. 



Nectarinia calcostetha (Jard.), op. cit. p. 263, "E. Ind. Is- 

 lands?," d, descr. orig. (1842). 



Cinniji'is macklotii, Bp., Consp. Av. i. p. 408, sp, 44, p. 850 

 (1850), ex Temm., t. 258, f. 3. 



Chalcostetha pector alls (Temm.), Cab. Mus. Heiii. i. p. 103. 



Nectarinia insignis, Gould, P. Z. S. 1865, p. 663, 6, " Pe- 

 nang," descr. orig. 



Nectarinia eximia, Horsf., apud Temminck, /. c. (nee Horsf.). 



Hab. Sumatra, Java (Muller) ; Pinang (Gould) ; Malacca 

 (Mus. nostr.) ; Siam ? (Mus. Brit.) ; Banjermassing (Sclater). 



First described and figured by Temminck (1823) under tbe 

 title of N. pectoralis, already employed by Horsfield for another 

 species. Sir W. Jardiiie (1842) therefore proposed for it the 

 title of N. insignis, having in the same work (Nat. Lib.) already 

 described an actual example of Temminck's species under the title 

 of N calcostetha {cf. J. A. S. B. 1843, p. 969, note). This specific 

 title Dr. Cabanis (1850-51) raised to generic rank and restored 

 Temminck's original specific name of pectoralis. Bonaparte 

 (1850), however, rejected Temminck's designation and proposed 

 that of macklotii. Finally Mr. Gould (1865) described a Pe- 

 nang example as new under one of the titles already published 

 by Sir W. Jardine. As Dr. Cabanis seems to be justified in 

 generically separating the group to which this Sun-bird most 

 nearly belongs, the name of insignis, Jard., takes precedence. 

 S. Miiller (/. c.) gives a most interesting account of the habits. 

 We have no positive proof that the alleged Malaccan examples 

 are not in truth of Sumatran origin. 



This species forms a link between Arachnechthra and the 

 Austi'o-Malayan species which constitute the genus Chalcostetha, 

 Cab. Though the type of Dr. Cabanis's genus, it is, strictly 

 speaking, an aberrant form of that grouj), more nearly affined, 

 however, to C. aspasia, C. proserpina, and others, than to A. 



