350 



of this species to the north and west are unknown, and it must 

 remain doubtful for the present whether this Sun-bird extends to 

 Arrakan or not. 



885. JEthopyga nicobarica. The Nicdbar Yellows-backed Sun- 



bircL 



^Ethopyga nicobarica, Hume, S. F. i, p. 412 (1873) ; Shelley, Mm. 

 Nect. pp. xx, 61, pi. 20 ; Hume, Cat. no. 225 bis ; Gadow, Cat. B. 

 M. ix. p. 22. 



Coloration. Male. Differs from JE. seherice in having the metallic 

 portion of the crown of very small extent and suffused with violet ; 

 the nape crimson ; the moustachial stripe lined with black interiorly ; 

 the exposed parts of the tail violet, not green. 



Female. Differs from ^E. seherice in wanting the yellow on the 

 flanks ; in having the tail 1'3 inches in length, the lateral feathers 

 being only '2 shorter than the middle pair ; and in having a much 

 broader and a pale-coloured bill. 



The male agrees with that of &. cara in having short middle 

 tail-feathers, but differs from it in having a smaller cap and the 

 moustachial stripe lined with black. 



Both Hume and Shelley are in error, I think, in asserting that the 

 female of this species has the throat red ; three specimens in the 

 Hume Collection, sexed as females ib is true, but having the throat 

 red, are in my opinion young males, and the females when obtained 

 will probably prove to be green birds without a trace of red, as is 

 the case with all the other species of this genus. 



This species differs from ^E. siparaja, which inhabits the Malay 

 peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo, in having a much longer bill. In 

 JE 1 . siparaja the bill measured at front is '6. 



Male : legs, feet, and upper mandible dark brown ; lower mandi- 

 ble pale brown ; iris brown. Female : upper mandible horny brown ; 

 lower mandible, legs, and feet yellow ; iris brown (Hume). 



Male: length about 5; tail 2 wing 2*1 ; tarsus *5; bill at 

 front -75. 



Distribution. The Nicobar Islands. 



886. .ffithopyga vigors!. Vigors's Yellow-backed Sun-bird. 



Cinnyris vigorsii, Sykes, P. Z. S. 1832, p. 98. 



^Ethopyga vigorsii (Sykes), Horsf. # M . Cat. ii, p. 733 ; Jerd. B. I. 



i, p. 363; Wald. Ibis, 1870, p. 33; Fairbank, S. F. iv, p. 255; 



Hume, S. F. v, p. 122 ; Cat. no. 226 ; Shelley, Mon. Nect. pp. xxi, 



xxiii, 71, pi. 23 ; Gadow, Cat. B. M. ix, p. 18 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. 



p. 135 ; Gates in Hume's N. fy E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 250. 



The Violet-eared Red Honey-sucker, Jerd. 



Coloration. Male. Forehead and central portion of crown 

 metallic green ; hinder part of crown and nape dull blackish ; sides 



