348 NECTARIN1ID2E. 



882. JEthopyga seherise. The Himalayan Yellow-backed 

 Sun-bird. 



Nectarinia seherise, Tickell, J. A. S. B. ii, p. 577 (1833). 



Cinnyris miles, Hodgs. Ind. Rev. ii, p. 273 (1837). 



Certhia goalpariensis, Royle, III. Him. Bot. p. Ixxvii, pi. 7 (1839). 



Nectarinia goalpariensis (Royle), Blyth, Cat. p. 223. 



^thopyga miles (Hodas.), Horsf. $ M. Cat. ii, p. 732 ; Jerd. B. 1. i, 

 p. 362 ; Ball, S.F. ii, p. 396 ; Hume, S. F. v, p. 122. 



^Ethopyga goalpariensis (Lath.), Hume, N. fy E. p. 146. 



^Ethopyga seherise (Tick.), Shelley, Man. Aect. pp. xxi, xxiii, 67, 

 pi. 22 ; Hume, Cat. no. 225 ; Gadow, Cat. B. M. ix, p. 18 ; Hume, 

 8. F. xi, p. 80 ; Oates in Hume's N. Sf E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 249. 



The Himalayan Red Honey-sucker, Jerd. 



Coloration. Forehead and greater part of the crown metallic 

 green; hinder part of crown and nape brownish green; back, 

 scapulars, lesser and median wing-coverts, sides of head and neck, 

 chin, throat, and breast crimson ; rump bright yellow ; upper tail- 

 coverts and middle pair of tail-feathers metallic green ; the other 

 tail-feathers brown, suffused with violet and edged with metallic 

 green ; greater coverts of wing and quills dark brown, margined 

 with olive-yellow; a long narrow moustachial streak metallic 

 violet ; abdomen, flanks, and under tail-coverts slaty greenish 

 yellow ; under wing-coverts and axillaries pale yellowish white. 



Female. General colour green, the centres of the feathers of the 

 crown dark ashy, the back, upper tail-coverts, and the margins of 

 the wing-feathers suffused with yellow and with a russet tinge ; 

 under wing-coverts, axillaries, and sides of the body clear pale 

 yellow ; chin, throat, and sides of head suffused with ashy ; middle 

 tail-feathers greenish, the laterals blackish tipped broadly with 

 white. 



Legs and feet dark brown ; upper mandible dark brown ; 

 lower mandible dark horny brownish yellow ; iris dark brown 

 (Hume). 



Male : length about 6 ; tail 2-7 ; wing 2-2 ; tarsus '55 ; bill from 

 gape -8. Female: length about 5 ; tail T8 ; wing 2. In the male 

 the middle tail-feathers project one inch beyond the tips of the 

 next pair ; in the female the middle tail-feathers are *75 longer 

 than the outermost feathers. 



Distribution. The Himalayas from Garhwal to Dibrugarh in 

 Assam up to 7000 feet in summer ; Cachar ; Sylhet ; the Khasi 

 hills ; Manipur. This species is also found in the plains, having 

 been recorded from Seheria in Borabhoom by Tickell and an ^Eiho- 

 pyga was seen in Singbhoom by Ball. It is commonly found along 

 the base of the Himalayas at all seasons, and it is probably resident 

 in all parts of its range, except the higher portions of the Himalayas. 



Habits, Sfc. Breeds from April to August, constructing a pear- 

 shaped nest suspended from the end of a twig not far from the 

 ground. The materials of which the nest is made are grass and 



