50 Lord Walden on the Sun-birds 



authors. Lesson's account differs widely from that given by 

 Vieillot ; but neither agrees with any Nectarinia since discovered 

 in Timor or other eastern locality. Dr. Pucheran in this instance 

 does not assist us. It seems to be a good species, with yellow 

 pectoral tufts, allied to Clialcostefha insicjnis (Jard.). 



Cinnyris subflavus, VieilL, torn. cit. p. 494, "Flnde'' (1819). 

 The type is no longer extant {fide Pucheran, torn. cit. p. 485). 

 Apparently an jEthopijga of the subsection represented by ^. 

 gouldioi, if not that bird itself. 



Two species, N. amasia and N. eximia, are included by Mr. 

 G. R. Gray in his lists of the birds of New Guinea and its 

 Islands (P. Z. S. 1858, p. 190; 1861, p. 433) as inhabitants 

 of New Guinea. I have failed in tracing the species to which 

 the title amasia refers. Mr. G. 11. Gray quotes no author ; and 

 Dr. 0. Finsch (Neu-Guinea, p. 163)*, who attriljutes the title to 

 Lesson, gives no reference. N. eximia is probably Tennninck's 

 species — A. pectoralis (Horsf.) — and has crept into the Tables 

 by oversight. 



Cinnyris eques, Less., has been generically separated both by 

 its discoverer and by Reichenbach, from the true Sun-birdv-?. 

 The last author having taken it out of Lesson's incongruous genus 

 Phylidonyris (Tr. d'Orn. p. 299, 1831) made it the type of his 

 genus Cusmeteirn (Nat. Syst. i. Supp. ; Handb. p. 283, 1853). 

 Lesson obtained his type-specimen in Waigiou. On comparing 

 examples from Mysol a very considerable difference in the dimen- 

 sions is found. 



Longitudo 

 Rostr. a nar. Alfe. CaudjB. Tarsi. 



Waigiou -63 2-75 25 -76 



Mysol -48 2-25 1-75 -66 



The tarsus in the Mysol species is not much shorter than in 

 that of Waigiou, but is less robust. The colouring of the plumage 

 only differs in being paler. I propose the title of Cosmeteika 

 -V~ BiixiMA for this species. 



This imperfect sketch of the eastern Sun-birds I shall con- 



* Of the twenty species referred to Kectarinia by Dr. 0. Finscli (/. c) 

 at least nine belong to the genus MyzomeJa. Dr. Fiuscli's Table of distri- 

 bution, in other respects, requires revision. 



