ARACHNECHTHRA. 359 



and an egg. The latter is described as being dirty brownish white 

 covered with dull brown marks. 



895. Arachnechthra asiatica. The Purple Sun-bird. 



Certhia asiatica, Lath. Ind. Orn. i, p. 288 (1790). 

 Nectarinia asiatica (Lath.), Blyth, Cat. pp. 224, 328. 

 Arachnechthra asiatica (Lath.), Horsf. $ M. Cat. ii, p. 743 ; Jerd. 



B. I. i, p. 370 ; Hume, N. fy E. p. 151 ; Wald. Ibis, 1870, p. 20; 



Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi, p. 190 ; Gates in Hume's N. 8f E. 2nd ed. 



ii, p. 252. 

 Arachuechthra intermedia, Hume, Ibis, 1870, p. 430 ; id. N. $ E. 



p. 154. 



Nectarinia (Arachnechthra) brevirostris, Blanford, Ibis, 1873, p. 86. 

 Arachnechthra edeni, Anderson, Yunnan Exped., Aves, p. 661, 



pi. xlix (1878). 

 Cinnyris asiaticus (Lath.), Shelley, Mon. Nect. pp. xxviii, xxxvi, 181, 



pi. 57 ; Hume, Cat. no. 234 ; Legye, Birds Ceyl. p. 566; Gadow, Cat. 



B. M. ix, p. 56 ; Scully, S. F. viii, p. 259 ; Gates, B. B. \, p. 321 ; 



Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 137. 



The Purple Honey-sucker, Jerd. ; Shaken- khora, Hind. ; Jugi jugi, 

 Bhagalpur ; Than kudi, Tana ; Gewdl kurulla, Cing. 



Fig. 99. Head of A. asiatica. 



Coloration. Male. The whole upper plumage, sides of the head 

 and neck, and the lesser and median wing-coverts metallic violet- 

 blue or greenish ; greater coverts and all the quills brown, edged 

 paler ; tail bluish black ; chin, throat, and fore neck metallic violet ; 

 breast like the sides of the neck ; a narrow band below the breast 

 coppery brown, of varying extent, sometimes absent ; the large 

 pectoral tufts mixed orange-red and bright yellow ; abdomen, vent, 

 and under tail-coverts violet-blacL 



Female. Upper plumage, wings, and sides of the head and neck 

 greenish brown ; lower plumage rather bright yellow ; tail dark 

 brown or blackish, the laterals narrowly tipped with white. 



Young males have generally a broad stripe from the chin to the 

 abdomen dark metallic violet ; the remainder of the lower plumage 

 yellow. 



Bill black ; iris hazel-brown ; eyelids plumbeous ; legs black ; 

 claws dark horn. 



Length 4-5 ; tail 1-5 ; wing 2-1 ; tarsus -6 ; bill from gape '8. 



Birds from Burma are remarkable for the rich tone of their 

 coloration, the prevailing tint being rich violet. In India, especi- 

 ally in the dry north-western portions, the prevailing tint is rather 

 green. Intermediate birds are also found ; and this variation of 

 colour, coupled with a bill which also varies remarkably in length 



