that it occurred in small patches of vegetation sparingly scattered in a land of desert and barren 

 rock. When I first came across specimens, towards the end of January, the males were in winter 

 plumage ; but in the course of the next month all rapidly acquired their breeding-livery, and 

 those shot in March had completed their moult. This bird is very probably confined to Balu- 

 chistan and the low portion of Fars, in Southern Persia, perhaps ranging along the north-east 

 coast of the Persian Gulf; but it has not been obtained in the neighbourhood of Bushire or 

 Shiraz. It may extend northward across the deserts of Sistan to the Helmund and Afghanistan ; 

 and it may possibly inhabit Kelat ; but in Sindh it appears to be replaced by If. asiatica. In 

 December, near Maskat, in Arabia, I saw a Nectarinia which I had at the time no means of 

 shooting ; it was not in breeding-plumage ; and I cannot form an idea as to whether it was the 

 present species or N. osea, or an undescribed form." 



In the north-eastern provinces of India, and eastward into Burmah, the more violet-shaded, 

 long-billed variety, A. intermedia, Hume, is generally to be met with. From Chota Nagpore. 

 Mr. Ball observes (Str. F. 1874, p. 396): — "It is nearly always to be found on the parasitical 

 species of Loranthus and on Grislea tomentosa when in flower." 



According to Mr. Blyth (J. A. S. B. xii. p. 978), "it visits the neighbourhood of Calcutta 

 only in the cold season, when it is not uncommon. On its arrival both sexes are clad in the 

 plumage referred to If. currucaria by Sykes ; and before they leave all have more or less com- 

 pletely assumed the nuptial dress. In Nepaul it is probably a summer visitant only. I have 

 lately procured the young of this species, which is dark olive-green above, and tolerably bright 

 yellow on the underparts. To this plumage would succeed the purple breeding-dress ; and the 

 Cinnyris striguia, Hodgson, would seem to be founded on a specimen which had begun to throw 

 out the purple feathers as a long central stripe from chin to breast. I have found a skin referred 

 by Mr. Hodgson to the female of his C. striguia, but which has no trace of 'greenish yellow' on 

 the underparts, these being uniform dull albescent. As far as I can make out from the con- 

 dition of the specimen, I should judge it to be an old female (If. mahrattensis) in non-breeding 

 plumage." At Maunbhoom, in the vicinity of Barrackpore, Captain Beavan found it on the 15th 

 of April to be breeding, and very common. 



In the eastern district of the Irrawaddy delta Mr. Armstrong records it (7. c.) as extremely 

 abundant in the neighbourhood of Rangoon and Syriam ; but he only met with it two or three 

 times between Elephant Point and China Bakeer. In Upper Pegu, according to Mr. Oates (Str. 

 F. 1875, p. 87), it is very common. "Birds in black plumage are the rule here, the so-called 

 winter plumage being rarely seen." 



So much has been written upon the breeding of this species that I consider it would be 

 superfluous for me to give here more than a slight sketch of what has already appeared in print. 

 Mr. Layard (Ann. Nat. Hist. 1853, p. 155) describes the nest as "an elongated domed structure, 

 generally suspended from the extremity of a twig of some low bush, and artfully covered with 

 cobweb, in which," he says, " I have often seen the spiders still weaving their toils, having 

 extended the web to the surrounding branches, thus rendering the deception still more effective ; 

 and it would seem that the birds are aware of it, and left their helpers undisturbed." 



Dr. Jerdon (B. India, i. p. 371) writes: — "A pair built their nest just outside my house- 

 door at J ulna. It was commenced on a thick spider's web, by attaching to it various fragments 



