SYNOPSIS. 261 



<J Above, head, neck, back and less, w.-covers, blackish 

 green, with purple lustre ; rump and up. t.-covers steel-blue ; 

 w. brownish black ; t. nearly square, centre feathers only elon- 

 gated, black, the latter narrowly edged with violet, slightly 

 spatulate at the tips. Below, throat, fore part of the neck, and 

 upper breast, blackish green, bordered with a distinct collar of 

 clear blue ; lower breast, belly, and vent, pale kingVyellow ; 

 und. t.-covers yellowish white, tipped with yellow ; bill, tarsi, 

 and feet, black. Length, 6 in. ; of bill to forehead, 4-10ths ; 

 of w. to long, quill, 2 in. 1-1 Oth; long feathers exceed the 

 square tail 2 in. 



Hal. N. E. Africa, south of Suchet, Riippell. Southern 

 Arabia, Dongola, Abyssinia, Ehrenb. Nubia, Dongola, Temm. 



N. ZEYLONICA, Linnaeus, 1766. 



Certhia zeylonica, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 1 88 (syn. exc.) ; 

 Gm. Syst. i. p. 482 (syn. exc.) ; Lath. Ind. Orn. i. 

 p. 285 (syn. exc.) Ceylonese Creeper, Lath. Gen. Hist, 

 iv. p. 227 (syn. exc.) Cinnyris sola, Jerd. in Madras 

 Journ. ii. p. 128. Souimanga a ceintwe maroon, Vieill- 

 Ois. Dor. p. 37, pi. xvi. (syn. exc.). 



Above, crown extending to the occiput, deep olive-green, 

 with green and purple reflections ; less, w.-covers similar, with a 

 much greater tint of purple ; cheeks and auriculars, deep um- 

 ber-brown ; back and sides of the neck, back, and scapulars, pur- 

 plish brown ; lower back and up. t.-covers, amethystine-purple ; 

 w. umber-brown, edges of the feathers paler ; t. nearly black, 

 exterior feathers tipped with grey, on the outer for a third of 

 its length. Below, chin, throat, and fore part of the neck, 

 amethystine purple, the breast crossed by a bar of purplish 

 red, continued from the brown colour of the upper parts; 

 lower breast and belly kingVyellow, shaded to a paler tint 

 on the flanks, vent, and und. t.-covers ; bill, tarsi, and feet, 

 dark brownish black. Length, 4 hi. to 4 in. 2-10ths ; of bill 

 to forehead, 6-10ths; of w. to long, quill, 2 in. 2-10ths. 



Hob. Ceylon, Linn. Continental India. Carnatic, more than 

 any other part of the peninsula, Jerd. Note. Varies in the de- 

 gree of purple on the coronal patch ; gular patch steel-blue ; 



