NECTARINIA flaveola, xw. 

 Ye llo ze-hcllied Nerta rinia . 



Generic Character. —See PI. 117. 



Specific Character. 



N. nigricans, iiifrcijiaxa ; mento, supcrciliis rcctriciumque trium exfe- 

 riarum apicibiis, albis ; fascid 7iropygiaJi olixaced. 



Blackish brown ; beneath yellow ; chin, eyebrows, and tips of the 

 three outer tail-feathers white; band on the rump olive, 



Certhia flaveola. Gmelin, 479. Lat/i. Ind. Oni. v. 1. p. 297. Gen. 



Zool. V. 8. ;j. 248. Turton, p. 297. 

 Certhia, No. 33. Brisson. Orn. v. 6. App. p. 117. Si/n. 2. p. 19. 

 Black and yellow Creeper. Edwards, pL 122. pi. 362. Lath. Syn, 



V. 2. p] 1^1. Gen. Zool. v. 8. /;. 248. Turton. p. 297. 

 Le Guit-Guit Sucrier. Vicill. Ois. Dor. Cert/i. pi. 51. p. 102. 



1 HIS pretty little bird, under different varieties of plumage, 

 appears to be scattered over the greatest part of tropical 

 America, and is one of the most common of its tribe. The 

 best, and indeed the only detailed account of its economy, 

 is given by M. Vieillot ; who remarks, that its nest is sus- 

 pended on the tops of those tall climbing plants, which, in 

 those countries, form a matting over the most lofty trees : 

 the entrance to the nest is at the bottom ; the interior is 

 divided into two compartments, in one of which only the 

 young are contained. It feeds both on siiiall insects, and 

 the nectar of flowers. All the above synonyms refer to the 

 different varieties authors have enumerated of this species. 

 Most of these have a white spot at the base of the exterior 

 quills ; others vary in having the throat entirely black ; and 

 some again have a yellow rump ; but none of these agree with 

 the variety here figured, which I believe came from Trinidad. 

 Probably a more perfect knowledge of these supposed varie- 

 ties will show they contain two or three distinct species. 



Notwithstanding the shortness of the bill, this is a decided 

 Neclarit/ia, according to a natural, but not an artificial arrange- 

 ment. It forms, in some degree, a passage from the shining- 

 coloured Nectarinice of America, to the short-billed Melli- 

 p/uiga of the southern hemisphere. On a future occasioiv 

 I shall offer more detailed observations on the genus Dicxv-um 

 of Cuvier. 



The figure is the size of life ; and, with the specific charac- 

 ter, renders ;i ftuiher description unnecessary. 

 PI. u-;;. 



