AllACHNOTHERA. 



006. Arachnothera magna. Ike Larger StreaJced Spider-hunt, r. 



Cinnyris magna, Hodt/s. Ind. Hev. 1837, p. 272. 



Arachnothera magna (Hodgs.), Blyth, Cat. p. 221 ; Horsf. # M. Cat. 

 n, p. 727; Jerd. B. I. i, p. 360; Stoliczka, J. A. S. B. xxxvii, pt. 

 11, p. 23 ; Hume, S. F. iii, p. 85 ; Gammie, S. F. v, p. 385 ; Shelley, 

 Man. Nect. pp. xlix, 347, pi. 112; Hume % Dav. S. F. vi, p. 173 ; 

 Hume, Cat. no. 223 ; Oates, B. B. i, p. 327 ; Bingham, S. F. ix, 

 p. 169 ; Gadow, Cat. B. M. ix, p. 105 ; Hume, S. F. xi, p. 79 ; 

 Oates in Hume's N. $ E. 2nd ed. li, p. 268. 



The Large Spider-hunter, Jerd. ; Dom-siriok-pho, Lepch. ; Yedonq- 

 pichany, IJhut. 



Fig. 101. Head of A. magna. 



Coloration. Forehead and crown olive-yellow, each feather with 

 a large black patch in the centre ; lesser and median wing-coverts 

 the same; remainder of the upper plumage olive-yellow, with 

 distinct broad black shaft-stripes ; greater wing-coverts and ter- 

 tiaries olive-yellow with black shafts ; primaries and secondaries 

 dark brown, margined with olive-yellow; tail olive-yellow, each 

 feather with a band of black near the end, followed on all but the 

 median pair by a lighter patch of pale yellowish ; sides of the head 

 like the back, but paler ; the entire under plumage pale yellowish, 

 each feather with a broad streak of black. 



Bill black : iris brown ; legs orange-yellow ; claws yellow. 



Length 7 ; tail 2 ; wing 3'7 ; tarsus -8 ; bill from gape 1-8. 



Distribution. The Himalayas, from Bilaspur in the Sutlej valley 

 (according to Stoliczka, I. c.) to the extreme east of Assam ; the 

 valley of Assam ; the Khasi hills ; Manipur ; Arrakan ; Tenasserim 

 as far south as Tavoy and the Thoungyeen valley. This species is 

 probably spread over the whole of Burma, but I failed to meet with 

 it in any part of Pegu west of the Sittoung river. It occurs up to 

 5000 feet. 



Habits, <$fc. Breeds from May to August, constructing an open 

 cup-shaped nest of vegetable fibres felted together and minted 

 with dead leaves, and lined with grass. The nest is attached by 

 half its rim to a plantain-leaf, to which it is sewn by very numerous 

 threads. The eggs, usually three in number, are brown speckled 

 with purple, and measure about -95 by -7. 



YOL. II. 2 B 



