226 



PECTORAL OR DARK-BREASTED SUN-BIRD. 



Nectarinia pectoralis, HORSFIELD. 

 PLATE XXV. FIG. 1. 



WE have specimens of this species from the collec- 

 tion of the London Zoological Society, furnished to 

 them by the East India Company, and procured 

 from Java ; we give it, therefore, as identical with 

 the bird described by Dr. Horsfield, and that figured 

 by Temminck in the Planches Coloriees ; it is also 

 very near to the Certhia Philippensis olivacea of 

 Brisson, and the Grimpereau olive des Philippines 

 of Buffon, Planches Enluminees, but in neither the 

 description of the one, nor the figure of the others, 

 is the frontal patch of steel-blue indicated. 



The entire length of the specimen before us is 

 within a tenth of four inches ; that of the bill to the 

 forehead seven-tenths. Above, the plumage is dark 

 yellowish oil-green, on the forehead a patch of steel- 

 blue, extending backwards to a line with the exte- 

 rior angle of the eye, and with a narrow streak of 

 the rich colour passing over each; wings umber- 

 brown, feathers edged with yellow oil-green; tail 

 black, somewhat graduated, the feathers, except 

 the centre ones, tipped with white, on the outer to 

 the extent of nearly half the feather. Underneath, 



