362 



Those found in Car Nicobar, Bompoka, Trinkut, Camorta, and Kat- 

 chal have the culmen short as in birds from the Malay peninsula 

 and islands ; those found in Oondul have the bill extremely long, 

 the culmen measuring about -85. These two races differ, however, 

 in no other respect and I do not propose to separate them. 



Distribution. The Nicobar Islands as above, extending to the 

 Malay peninsula and all the adjacent islands. 



Habits, fyc. Yery partial to the flowers of the cocoanut-palm. 

 Breeds in the Nioobara in January and February, constructing a 

 nest similar to that of A. asiatica, but larger and coarser. An egg 

 measured *61 by '45 and was greyish brown speckled with darker 

 brown, some of the spots being surrounded by a purplish tinge. 



898. Arachnechthra flammaxillaris. The Burmese 

 Fellow-breasted Sun-bird. 



Nectarinia flammaxillaris, Blyth, J. A, S. B. xiv, p. 557 (1845) ; id. 



Cat. p. 226. 



Cyrtostomus flammaxillaris (Bl,), Horsf. fy M. Cat. \\, p. 739. 

 Arachnechthra flammaxillaris (BL), Wald. Ibis, 1870, p. 24 ; Hume, 



N. 8f JE. p. 154 ; Hume Sf Dav. S. F. vi, p. 192 ; Oates in Hume's 



N. # E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 260. 

 Cinnyris flammaxillaris (BL}, Shelley, Mon. Nect. pp. xxvii, xxxv, 161, 



pi. 51 ; Hume, Cat. no. 234 ter ; Gadow, Cat. B. M. ix, p. 83 ; 



Oates, B. B. i, p. 320. 



Coloration. Male. Forehead, crown, sides of the head, back, 

 scapulars, rump, and upper tail-coverts olive-yellow ; tail black, the 

 middle feathers narrowly tipped with white, the others progressively 

 with larger white tips ; chin, throat, and breast rich metallic 

 purple, bordered by rich steel-blue; below the breast a band of 

 orange-red, and another, broader, below the orange band black ; 

 axillaries flame-red ; abdomen, sides of the body, vent, and under 

 tail-coverts yellow ; wings and coverts brown, edged with greenish 

 brown ; under wing-coverts yellowish white ; edge of the wing 

 bright yellow. 



Female. Upper plumage, wings, and tail like the male, but the 

 lower plumage entirely yellow. 



Iris light brown ; eyelids plumbeous ; legs and claws deep 

 bluish black; mouth light salmon-colour; bill blackish. In the 

 breeding-season the mouth becomes livid. 



Length 4*5 ; tail 1*4 ; wing 2-1 ; tarsus '55 ; bill from gape '8. 



Distribution. The greater part of Pegu and the whole of 

 Tenasserim. Blyth also records this species from Arrakan. It 

 extends into Siam, Cochin China, and the Malay peninsula. 



Habits, $c. Breeds from February to August, constructing a nest 

 similar to that of A. asiatica, with a porch over the entrance, and 

 laying two eggs which are greenish white, marked with greyish 

 ash, and measure about *6 by '45. 



