SYNOPSIS. 265 



(J Above, steel-blue, varied with green and purple reflec- 

 tions ; w. brownish black ; t. black, feathers edged with steel- 

 blue. Below, chin, neck, and upper breast, steel-blue, inclining 

 to green and violet ; fore part of the neck of a deeper and more 

 violet tint, showing a central mark running downwards for the 

 whole length of the gular patch ; across the lower breast a 

 very narrow band of purplish red (sometimes partial, some- 

 times entirely wanting) ; belly, vent, and und. t.-covers, black, 

 latter tipped with steel-blue ; axillary tufts king's-yellow, over- 

 laid with orange-red ; bill, tarsi, and feet, black. Length, 4 in. 

 1-1 Oth to 4 in. 5-lOths ; of bill to forehead, 7-10ths ; of w. to 

 long, quill, 2 in. 1-1 Oth to 2 in. 2-10ths. 



$ " Above, greenish brown-grey, quills dusky, tail black. 

 Below, pale yellow, darkest on the throat." Jerd. 



Hob. Continental India and the Peninsula. Summit of the 

 Nylgherries, Jerd. Nipaul, Hodg. S. Africa, Col. Sykes (re- 

 qiiiring confirmation). Note. If correct in N. asiatica for a 

 syn., the bird should bear that name, being given in the Ind. 

 Orn. hi 1790. Varies in the shade of steel-blue and purple, 

 and hi the distinctness and colour of the reddish pectoral band. 

 Differs from N. lotenia in proportion of bill, black belly and 

 vent, reddish orange on axillary tufts. 



N. MINIMA, Sykes, 1832. 



Cinnyris minwta, Sykes, Proc. Zool. Soc. April, 1832, 

 p. 98 ; Jerd. Mad. Journ, 1840, p. 128. 



(J Above, crown and nape metallic-olive ,with purple reflec- 

 tions (texture soft) ; sides of the neck, back, rump, and up. 

 t.-covers purplish scarlet-red, on the lower back and t.-covers, 

 varied with pale bluish purple ; w. umber-brown, t. blackish 

 brown. Below, neck, throat, and up. breast amethystine-pur- 

 ple ; belly, vent, and und. t.-covers deep primrose-yellow ; bill, 

 tarsi, and feet, wood-brown. Length, 3 in. 6-10ths ; of w. to 

 long, quill, 1 in. 8-10ths. 



9 Above, head, cheeks, back of the neck, and up. back, yel- 

 lowish oil-green ; less, w.-covers, lower back, and up. t.-covers, 

 purplish scarlet-red, with a slight tinge of bluish purple ; w. 



