224 NECTARINIID^E. 



Hal). From the N.-W. Himalayas, through Nepaul and Assam to Burmah 

 and Tenasserim. Occurs, according to Gates, commonly throughout Southern 

 Pegu (from Rangoon up to Pegu), and further North in the hills. In Tenasserim 

 Davison found it generally distributed, and Captain Bingham met with it in the 

 Thoungyeen Valley. Its occurrence is recorded from Nepaul, Dehra Doon, 

 Kumaon, Upper Assam, Bhamo, the Bhootan Dooars, Darjeeling Moulmein 

 and Rangoon. It frequents flowering trees and shrubs, subsists chiefly on 

 the nectar or honey found in flowers, but it also seems to consume a consider- 

 able number of minute insects. 



A race of &. -siparaja (^E*. nicobarica, Hume,) is said to be found in the 

 Nicobars. 



728. JEthopyga ignicauda (Hodgs.), Cab. Mus. Uein. i. p. 103, 



note (1850); Reich. Handbk., Scansorice, p. 302, No. 705, pi. 585, figs. 3973- 

 75 ; Jerd.* B.Ind. i. p. 365, No. 228 (1862) ; Wald., Ibis, 1870, p. 36; Jerd., 

 Ibis, 1872, p. 17; Shelley, Monog. Nect, p. 45, pi. 15. Cinnyris ignicaudus, 

 Hodgs* Ind. Rev. ii. p. 273 (1837). Cinnyris rubricauda, Blyth, J. A. S. B. 

 xi. p. 192. Nectarinia phoenicura, Jard.> Monogr. Sun-birds, pp. 242, 270, 

 pi. 29. Cinnyris epimacurus, Hodgs. in Gray's Zool. Misc. 1844, p. 82. The 

 FIRE-TAILED RED-HONEYSUCKER. 



Crown of the head, throat and foreneck rich dark shining purple, shaded 

 laterally with brilliant violet ; lores, cheeks and ear-coverts glossless or sooty 

 black ; nape, back of neck, hind part of supercilium, centre of mantle and of 

 back, also the upper tail coverts, outer webs of tail feathers, and entire 

 lengthened central tail feathers bright scarlet-crimson ; .a yellow band across 

 the rump and lower back; wings and their coverts dusky, edged .on their 

 outer webs with greenish olive ; chest bright yellow, washed with scarlet in the 

 middle ; rest of under surface of the body bright yellow, tinged with greenish 

 in some. Bill black ; legs brown ; irides brown. 



The male in winter plumage is olive green above ; rump and under surface 

 of body yellow ; chin, cheeks and part of neck blue grey with a greenish gloss ; 

 breast washed with fiery red ; tail and upper tail coverts intense igneous red. 



The female is olive green above, rather brown on the crown and throat ; 

 rump yellow ; tail washed with rufous and tipped paler ; foreneck, sides of 

 neck and head dull olive grey ; rest of under parts olive yellow. 



Length. 7 inches; wing 2'2 to 2-25; tail, the middle feathers, 3-9 to 4-2 

 inches; lateral feathers, 28 to 3 ; culmen 075 to 0-9 ; tarsus 0-63. 



Hab. Nepaul and Assam, also Sikkim, at Darjeeling and Bhootan and 

 Sylhet. Jerdon says it appears in considerable numbers at Darjeeling during 

 the month of May, at which time they are then putting on their nuptial 

 plumage. It is not known where they go to breed, but it is probable they do 

 so somewhere at the foot of the hills. 



