212 INDIAN NECTARINIAD.E. 



"VVe come next to examine the species of India 

 and her islands; they extend generally over the 

 continent, reaching to a very high elevation among 

 the Himalayas, while they are also found on the 

 Malay peninsula and the vast archipelago of the 

 East Indian islands. The forms resolve themselves 

 almost into two, those having the tail square, and 

 those having that member more or less graduated. 

 Of the first, the birds show a smaller, thickset, and 

 more compact form than the African square-tailed 

 species ; they have generally a coronal and gular 

 patch ; the under parts are frequently banded with 

 one or more distinct colours, and they possess yel- 

 low or orange axillary tufts; their distribution 

 seems to be chiefly, but not exclusively, the plains 

 or Lower Continental India, and the islands. The 

 second, possesses brilliant colouring, often a coronal 

 patch, but instead of that on the throat, we have 

 lines or stripes of resplendent feathers on the sides 

 of the maxilla, and reaching down on the neck, 

 the centre tail-feathers often extend beyond a pro- 

 portional graduation. These seem to be most fre- 

 quent in Alpine India, Nipaul, c. 



We have found considerable difficulty in making 

 out these correctly. An idea has been taken up 

 that they are subject to considerable variety, which 

 seems scarcely to be the case, many species being 

 closely allied, yet at the same time, when in adult 

 plumage, pretty constantly and regularly marked. 



