E17DKBPA.NIS. AEAOHNECHTHEA. 17 



there are traces of lavender-grey markings underlying the chestnut 

 and sometimes a few specks and lines of dark purplish-red. Three 

 examples measure respectively : -5 by -38 ; -51 by -39 ; -53 by -39. 



S. Samar, Philippine Islands, 19th July. J. Whitehead, Esq. [C.]. 



Genus EUDREPANIS, Sharpe. 



Eudrepanis pulcherrima {Sharpe). 

 (Plate I. fig. 9.) 



Eudrepanis pulcherrima, Shelley, Monogr. Ned. p. 81 (1876-80) ; Ogilvie- 

 Grant ^ Whitehead, Ibis, 1898, p. 342 : Sharpe, Hand-l. v. p. 40 

 (1906). 



.iEthopyga pulcherrima, Gadow, Cat. Birds B. M. ix. p. 31 (1884). 



Three eggs of the Short-tailed Yellow-backed San-bird resemble 

 those of ^thopyga siparaja of the first or commoner type, but are 

 rather more duU in colour. Three examples measure respectively : 

 •55 by -43 ; -55 by -42 ; -54 by -44. 



3. Paranos, Samar, Philippine Islands, J. Whitehead, Esq. [0.]. 

 26th June. 



Genus AEACHNECHTHEA, Cab. 



Arachnechthra asiatica (Lath.). 

 (Plate I. figs. 14 & 15.) 



Cinnyris asiaticus, Shelley, Monogr. Nect. p. 181 (1876-80) ; Legge, B. 



C&jhn, p. 666 (1879). 

 Cinnyris asiatica, Gadow, Cat. Birds B. M. ix. p. 56 (1884) ; Nehrk. Kat. 



Eiersamml. p. 77 (1899). 

 Arachnechthra asiatica, Oates, Fauna Brit. Ind., Birds, ii. p. 359 (1890) ; 



id., ed. Hume, Nests Sf Eggs Ind. Birds, ii. p. 252 (1890) ; Sharpe, 



Handnl. y. p. 41 (1906). 



The eggs of the Purple Sun-bird are normally of a narrow, 

 pointed oval shape and they are moderately, and in some instances 

 highly, glossy. Mr. Hume thus describes them : — " The ground- 

 colour is greenish- greyish- or brownish-white ; in some but 

 little, in others almost entirely obscured by the markings. These 

 latter, always minute and ill-defined, are grey, purplish-grey, brown, 

 or greyish-brown. A certain number of the eggs are pretty uni- 

 formly speckled and freckled over the whole surface, but in the 

 majority the markings are densest towards the large end^ where 

 many exhibit more or less perfect caps or zones, and to which 

 locality in some few specimens the markings are exclusively 

 confined." 



The eggs measure from '6 to "7 in length, and from "45 to '48 in 

 breadth. 



