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DR. LATHAM'S SUN-BIRD. 



Nectarinia Lathami, JARDINE. 



WE possess a specimen of a Sun-bird from some 

 part of Continental India, closely allied to that we 

 have now represented, and also to the Certhia 

 Siparaja of Sir Stamford Raffles' catalogue. From 

 the Goalparah Sun-bird it differs in a slight general 

 modification of the tints of the plumage, in the yel- 

 low of the rump being much deeper, and in the 

 coronal patch, upper tail-covers, and tail being 

 steel-blue instead of metallic-green, and in the tail 

 being shorter and more regularly graduated. Sir 

 Stamford's bird is from Sumatra; no mention is 

 made of the yellow rump, while, in the catalogue 

 appended to that gentleman's Memoirs, N. mysti- 

 coles, Temm. from Java is quoted. A comparison 

 of the birds may serve to distinguish them. The 

 entire length is four inches four-tenths ; that of the 

 bill to the forehead, six-tenths. Above, the forehead 

 to the line of the eyes is steel-blue, with a play of 

 colour ; the upper tail-covers and edges of the tail- 

 feathers, except the outer, are of the same tint, and 

 the tail itself, nearly black, has a very strong gloss 

 of bluish purple ; the back and sides of the neck, 

 cheeks, back, and lesser wing-covers, are rich 



