436 Mr. R. Swinhoe on two new Sun-birds from China. 



LII. — Descriptions of two new Species of Sun-birds from the 

 Island of Hainan, South China. By Robert Swinhoe, 

 F.Z.S. 



^thopyga Christinoe, n. sp. 



Crown of the head and back of the neck deep purplish 

 black, with beautiful dark metallic-green and coppery reflec- 

 tions ; sides of the face and neck, and the back, of the same 

 colour without reflections ; throat and breast rich maroon- 

 red, the former flanked along the maxilla with a line of dark 

 roundish feathers shot with steel-blue, green, and purple. 

 Scapulars rich brownish olive, the same colour tinging the 

 black of the back, and becoming greener as it broadly edges 

 the wing-coverts and secondary quills. Feathers of the wing 

 hair-brown, the primaries only slightly edged with olive. 

 Rump canary-yellow. Upper tail-coverts, two central tail- 

 feathers, and outer edge (more or less) of all the rest but the 

 outer feather glossy metallic dark green ; under part of cen- 

 tral rectrices and the main portions of all the others black, 

 the three outer ones being tipped with white increasing in 

 extent to the outer feather. Tail of twelve graduated feathers, 

 the two central with elongated tips. Below the maroon breast 

 crosses a band of olive-green, fading into the dingy yellowish 

 white of the under parts. Axillaries white, with a primrose 

 wash ; inner edges to quills creamy white. 



Bill blackish brown, paler on the lower mandible. Irides 

 deep brown. Legs leaden grey, with brownish claws. 



Length about 4^ inches ; wing 2 ; tail 2, including the pro- 

 tracted tips, which measure yjj ; bill from forehead f , well 

 curved, and somewhat thick. 



I procm-ed this novel and beautiful species in the moun- 

 tainous region of central Hainan. The above description is 

 taken from three male specimens. I unfortmiately did not 

 succeed in procm-ing a female. 



Arachnechthra rhizophorce, n. sp. 



Closely allied to A. flammaxillaris from the Tennasserim 

 provinces, from which it differs by having the forehead to the 

 top of the crown black, with steel reflections of purple, blue, 

 and green. 



Length about 4^ inches ; wing 2 ; tail 1^ ; bill |, bending 

 downwards from its middle. 



This is a very common species throughout Hainan, among 

 the mountains as well as among the marshes of the coast. 



