344 



on rare occasions, and only then for a very brief interval. The males 

 have a short but pretty song in the breeding-season. The Sun-birds 

 build elaborate pensile nests at the end of branches or attach them 

 to the underside of a broad leaf, such as that of a plantain (Huso). 

 They usually lay two eggs, which are always, so far as is known, 

 spotted. 



After examining all the known species of Sun-birds I find that 

 without exception they are characterized by having both mandibles 

 of the bill serrated on the terminal third of their length. This 

 character suffices to separate them from all the other Passeres 



Fig. 98. Bill of Anthothreptes malaccensis (enlarged), to show serrated edges 

 of mandibles. 



except the Dicceidce, and from these they may be distinguished by the 

 shape of their bill, which is long, fine, and cylindrical, whereas in 

 the Dicceidce it is short and triangular. Under these circumstances 

 the key to the families of Passeres (vol. i, pp. 8, 9) is susceptible of 

 being considerably improved and simplified by deleting section a 4 , 

 Tongue non-tubular and b*, Tongue tubular. The Nectariniidce 

 may then be entered under section b' together with the Dicceidce, 

 thus : 



b'. Both mandibles finely and evenly serrated on the 



terminal third of their edges. 

 c". Bill long, fine, and cylindrical ; primaries invari- 

 ably ten Nectariniidae. 



d". Bill short and triangular ; primaries either nine 



or ten Dicaeidae. 



I find also that, for reasons explained in their proper place, the 

 genus Chalcoparia cannot be placed among the Nectariniidce. The 

 position of this genus is undoubtedly among the Liotrichince in the 

 family Crateropodidce, probably near Myzornis. 



It has frequently been asserted that the males of many species 

 of Indian Sun-birds have a distinct summer and winter plumage. 

 After examining the very large series of Sun-birds in the British 

 Museum, I am convinced that this is never the case. Full- 

 plumaged males of all the common species, and it is of these that 

 the assertion has been made, shot in every month of the year, 

 or at such frequent intervals as to practically amount to the same 

 thing, are in the National Collection, and prove that the adult males 

 never change their colours. Young males are to be found through- 

 out their first year in immature plumage, and these have probably 



