CINNYRIS MINIMUS. 



(THE TINY SUN-BIRD.) 



Cinnyris minima, Sykes, P. Z. S. 1832, p. 09; Jerdon, Cat. B. S. India, Madr. Journ. 1840, 



xi. p. 22G. 

 Wectarimia minima (Sykes), Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. A. S. B. p. 22G (1849); Layard, Ann. & 



Mag. Nat. Hist. 1S53, xii. p. 175. 

 Nectqrinia minuta, Jard. Mongr. Sun-birds, pp. 224, 265, fig. titlepage (1843). 

 Nectarina minuta (errore), Kelaart, Prodromus, Cat. p. 119 (1852). 

 Nectaropkila minima (Sykes), Walden, Ibis, 1S70, p. 40; Holdsw. P. Z. S. 1872, p. 434. 

 Leptocoma minima, Horsf. & Moore, Cat. B. Mus. E. I. Co. ii. p. 472 ; Jerdon, B. of Ind. 



i. p. 3G9 (1863) ; Hume, Nests and Eggs, i. p. 150 (1873) ; Fairbank, Str. Feath. 1876, 



p. 265 ; Bourdillon & Hume, t. c. p. 392. 

 ' 'irmyris minimus, Sbelley, Mongr. Cinnyr. pt. iv. (1877) ; Fairbank, Str. Featb. 1877, p. 398. 

 The Tiny IloncysucJcer, Jerdon, B. of India. 



Adult male (Travancore). "Length 3 - 5 to 3-7 inches; wing 1-8 to 1-81, expanse 5-37 to 5*62; tail rO to l'l : 

 tarsus 0-48 to 0-5." (Hume.) 



Iris brown (light hazel, Fairbank); bill, legs, and feet black. 



Adult male. "Forehead and crown metallic green ; lores, cheeks, and ear-coverts black; back and sides of the neck, 

 upper back, scapulars, and hast and median series of wing-coverts dark red; lower back, rump, and upper 

 tail-coverts bright red, strongly glossed with steel-blue, making these parts in certain lights appear rich 

 metallic lilac; remainder of the wings and tail brownish black; chin and throat metallic lilac; crop and front of 

 the chest dark red ; remainder of the breast, abdomen, thighs, and under tail-coverts yellowish white; pectoral 

 tufts sulphur-yellow; under wing-coverts and inner margins of the quills white." (Shelley.) 



In non-breeding plumage Messrs. Hume and Davison state that the males assume the garb of the female, except that 

 they "retain invariably the amethystine-glossed rump, and usually a little red about the shoulder of the wing." 

 A male in this stage in Captain Shelley's collection measures: — wing 1*9 inch; tail 1*2; tarsus - 5 ; middle 

 toe with its claw - 4; bill across arc to tip U'52. 



Head, hind neck, and interscapular region brownish olive, brightest on the forehead and crown ; lower back, scapulars, 

 tips of lesser wing-coverts, and rump rich maroon-red ; upper tail-coverts the same, but brighter and illumined 

 with metallic lilac ; wings deep brown ; tail black-brown ; beneath from the chin to the under tail-coverts 

 primrose-yellow, with a dusky wash across the chest. 



Adult female. Wing 1"75 iuch. 



Above with the wing-coverts olive-brown, like the male in non-breeding plumage; wings dark brown; the primaries 



edged pale : rump and upper tail-coverts dull maroon-red ; tail blackish brown, edged with fulvous-brown : 



bi tieath pale yellowish. 



' . '■ Differs from the adult male in having the upper half of the head and neck olive, aud the entire under- 



parts very pale yellow." (Shelley.) 



Obs. I quote the following interesting information from Messrs. Hume and Davison's notes lo Capt. Shelley 

 respecting the change of the male to the non-breeding dress, and from which it will appear that the female attire 

 i< donned for a short time only: — "About April some of the males begin to doff the brilliant nuptial plumage; 

 early in May some may be obtained in full non-breeding plumage ; but during May some may still be obtained in 

 the nuptial garb. In June most of the birds have assumed the complete non-breediug dress ; but a few will still be 

 found that have ouly partially moulted. After the first of July not a bird is to be seen iu the nuptial dress. 

 During September they begin to assume their wedding garb ; by the eud of that month a good many males are 

 in perfect plumage ; aud by the middle of October every bird is in the gay nuptial attire." 



