364 NECTAEINIID^!. 



Length 3*5 to 4 ; tail 1'3 ; wing 1*9 ; tarsus *6 ; bill from 

 gape -6. 



Distribution. The Western Grhats of India from about the latitude 

 of Bombay down to Cape Comorin ; Ceylon. This species is found 

 up to 6000 feet. 



Habits, fyc. Breeds in the Nilgiris in September and October, 

 making a nest of the usual type, and laying two eggs, which are 

 dull white marked with grey and brown, and measure about '62 

 by -42. 



901. Arachnechthra zeylonica. The Purple-rumped Sun-bird. 



Oerthia zeylonica, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 188 (1766). 



Nectarinia zeylonica (Linn.}, Blyth, Cat. p. 226. 



Leptocoma zeylonica (Linn.}, Horsf. fy M. Cat. ii, p. 740 ; Jerd. B. 



I. i, p. 368 ; Hume, N. $ E. p. 147. 

 Cinnyris zeylonicus (Linn.}, Shelley, Mon. Nect. pp. xxvii, xxxiii, 137, 



pi. 45 j Hume, S. F. v, pp. 270, 398 ; Legge, Birds Ceyl p. 569 ; 



Hume, Cat. no. 232 ; Gadow, Cat. B. M. ix, p. 64 ; Barnes, Birds 



Bom. p. 136. 

 Arachnechthra zeylonica (Linn.), Oates in Hume's N. 8f E. 2nd ed. 



ii, p. 263. 



The Amethyst-rumped Honey-sucker, Jerd. ; Shakar khora, Hind. ; 

 Man chungee, Beng. ; Than-kudi, Tain.; Mai sutika } Cing. 



Coloration. Male. Forehead, crown, and lesser wing-coverts 

 metallic lilac ; hind neck, sides of neck, back, scapulars, and median 

 wing-coverts dull crimson ; rump and upper tail-coverts metallic 

 purple ; tail black, with pale tips to the lateral feathers ; greater 

 coverts and quills brown, edged with rufous ; sides of the head 

 coppery brown ; chin and throat metallic purple ; a collar below 

 the throat maroon ; breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts bright 

 yellow ; sides of the body, axillaries, under wing-coverts, and the 

 inner margins of quills white. 



Female. Upper plumage ashy brown, the longer rump-feathers 

 tipped with rufous, the upper tail-coverts black ; tail black, the 

 lateral feathers tipped pale ; wings brown, margined with rufous ; 

 an indistinct narrow whitish supercilium ; lores and a streak 

 behind the eye dark brown ; sides of the head ashy ; cheeks, chin, 

 and throat pale ashy white ; breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts 

 yellow ; sides of body, axillaries, and under wing-coverts white. 



Iris dull red ; bill and legs black ( Cripps). 



Length about 4-5 ; tail 1'4 ; wing 2-3 ; tarsus -65 ; bill from 

 gape *6. 



Distribution. Ceylon ; India proper from Cape Comorin to 

 Bombay on the west ; thence the northern limits of this species are 

 difficult to trace, but it occurs at Dhulia in Khandesh, at Raipur 

 and Sambalpur in the Central Provinces, and at Lohardugga, and 

 Burdwan in Bengal. A line drawn through these places will pro- 

 bably indicate the ordinary northern limits of this bird. To the 

 east it is said to ba cointnou at Furreedpore in Eastern Bengal and 



