240 NECTARINIID^:. 



The female is slightly smaller; the upper plumage and the lesser wing 

 coverts are olive green ; ear coverts and cheeks slate colour ; greater coverts 

 and wings dark brown, edged with yellowish green ; tail brown, also edged 

 with yellowish green ; the lower surface of the body yellow. 



Length. $6 inches ; wing 2 ; tail I 6; tarsus 6. 



Hab. Bhootan, Assam, Sylhet, Tipperah, Arracan, Southern Pegu, Tenas- 

 serim, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java and Borneo. According to Hume 

 and Davison's notes, the most northern point from which this beautiful 

 Sun-bird has been obtained is the Bhootan Dooars ; thence it stretches 

 southward along the Brahmapootra, and eastward across into Assam, 

 the Khasia hills, Dacca, Chittagong and Pegu, avoiding, however, the 

 dry northern portion of the latter province, but being common enough 

 about Rangoon and the neighbourhood of Sittang in southern Pegu, 

 where Gates found it breeding from May to July or August. He says, " the 

 nest is hung from the tip of a branch, sometimes not far from the ground ; 

 at other times high up in a mango tree. It is always well protected by leaves, 

 and is a beautiful pear-shaped structure, constructed in most cases entirely 

 of black hair-like fibres, and ornamented exteriorly with cocoons, pieces of 

 bark and small twigs. The eggs, two in number, are pinkish white, marked 

 with brown and purplish brown. Except when breeding it is found generally 

 in small troops traversing the low bushes with a low twitter, and searching the 

 leaves for minute insects. At other times it frequents flowering trees and 

 shrubs, and parasitic plants, and is found in gardens as frequently as in 

 jungles. 



747. Anthothreptes malaccensis (Scop.)> Cab. Mus. Hem, i. 



p. 104 ; Blyth and Wald., B. JBurm. p. 142 ; Walden, Ibis, 1876, p. 348. 

 Anthreptes malaccensis, Reichb., Handbk. Scansorice, p. 305, pi. 588; Wald., 

 Ibis, 1870, p. 47 (pt.)j Hume, Sir. F. 1874, p. 473; Shelley, Monogr. Nect. 

 p. 316, pi. 101, fig. 2; Hume and Dav., Sir. F. 1878, p. 186; Hume, Str. 

 F. 1879, p. 90 ; Oates, B. Br. Burm. i. p. 324. Anthreptes celebensis, 

 Shelley, Monogr. Nect. p. 319, pi. 103, figs. 2 and 3. Certhia malaccensis, 

 Scop., Del. Flor. et Faun. Insubr., ii. p. 91. Nectarophila malaccensis, 

 StoL, J. A. S. B. xxxix. p. 301. The MALACCAN BROWN-THROATKD 



SUN-BlRD. 



Forehead, crown, nape, back and sides of the neck metallic green or coppery 

 red according to the light; lower back, rump, upper tail coverts and the lesser 

 wing coverts rich metallic violet ; median series of wing coverts, edges of the 

 greater coverts and a portion of the scapulars maroon brown ; remainder of 

 the wing dark brown with olive edges to the feathers; tail bluish brown, the 

 feathers edged with metallic violet and green ; lores and sides of the head dull 

 greenish yellow ; a stripe from the gape down the sides of the throat coppery 



