THE BIRDS OF NORTE CaCEAR, 5 



away. The remaining three are in shape broad, blunt ovals, measuring 

 •55'' X -42" ; '55" X -42" and '54" X '41". They are white, speckled 

 and blotched with light brown, which has a somewhat violet tinge. 

 The markings are mostly longitudinal in character, some few being 

 mere blurry blotches, and they are more numerous towards the larger 

 end, where there is a faintly indicated ring, especially in one egg, in 

 which also the specks are darker than they are in the others. 



(356) ^THOPYGA GOULDi^.^ — Mrs. Gould's Sun-bird. 



Hume, No, 227 ; Oates, No. 988. 



The colour of the metallic parts on the head of this bird varies greatly 

 in different specimens and in different lights. In some birds the whole 

 of these portions are of an intense copper -hue, and they vary from this 

 through purple and violet-copper to a deep purple-blue, the prevailing 

 tint being a purple or violet-copper. On the tail, however, and upper 

 tail coverts blue always predominates in the gloss. Again, the amount 

 of scarlet on the breast varies considerably, in some birds this being 

 almost absent, at other times the breast being freely splashed with it. 



In some few, very old, birds the second and third pair of rectrices 

 have a certain amount of blue gloss on them and, more often, this 

 metallic colour is present to the very tip of the central ones. It maybe 

 noted also that the centre rectrices are partially metallic-blue on the 

 under surface. 



The bill appears to be lighter coloured in the young than in the 

 adult bird, and I have noticed this also in other species of this genus. 



I believe that the easiest key to the discrimination of the females 

 of this genus will be found to consist in the shape and size of the bill 

 combined with the presence, or otherwise, of the rump band. 



Thus JE, gouldice can be discriminated from the others of the first sec- 

 tion by its smaller and less curved bill; and, in the second, ySJ. ignicauda^ 

 by the straightness of its bill as well as by its heaviness at the base. 



A description of two nests will suffice for the some half-dozen which 

 I have seen. In shape they are the same as that of ^, ignicauda 

 already described, but are somewhat more loosely put together. The 

 larger nest of the two mentioned is over 7" in length, including the 

 supporting grasses, etc., by about 2'65" in breadth. The entrance, 

 vdiich is about an inch from the top of the chamber, is just 1*1" in 



