DESCRIPTIONS. 165 



tallic lustre, the under surface of the body banded 

 with some bright shades of steel-blue, red, or 

 yellow. The birds now alluded to may be thus 

 characterised : 



NECTARINIA, Illiger. GEN. CHARACTERS. Bill slender, 

 curved, very fine, and acute at the tip, dilated at the 

 base, edges of the mandible folding over the maxilla, 

 maxilla narrow in depth at the base, edges of both mi- 

 nutely and regularly denticulated ; tongue lengthened, 

 slender, with a shortly bifid fringed apex, the edges for 

 the whole length turned over inwards, forming a double 

 tube ; wings, with the third quill longest, first short, 

 nearly spurious ; tail even, lengthened and much gra- 

 duated, or with the two centre feathers only elongated ; 

 tarsi and feet fully developed, the hallux lengthened 

 and with its claw proportionally strong. Types, N. 

 famosa, chalybeia 9 amethystina. 



Note. India and Africa, principally within the tro- 

 pics. Colours of the plumage brilliant ; with me- 

 tallic lustre. 



