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NECTARINIA GOALPARIENSIS. 



Goulpourah Sun-Bird. 



Goulpourah Creeper, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. p. 221. pi. lxxiv. 

 Cinnyris miles, Hodgs. Ind. Rev. 1837, p. 273. 



labecula, McClell. in Proc. of Zool. Soc, Part VII. p. 167. 



Nectarinia Seheriae, Tickell, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng., vol. ii. p. 577. 



Goalpariensis, Royle, 111. Him. Bot., vol. ii. pi. 7. fig. 1.— Blyth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng., vol. xii. 



p. 969.— Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 98. — Blyth, Cat. of Birds in Mus. Asiat. Soc. 



Calcutta, p. 223.— Jard. Nat. Lib. Sun-Birds, pp. 230, 267, pi. 27. 





No one of the beautiful long-tailed Nectarinice appears to be more widely dispersed over the northern and 

 eastern portions of India than the N. Goalpariensis, which, as its name implies, and as is stated by Latham, 

 is to be found at Goulpourah ; it has also been obtained by Captain Tickell near Seheria in Borabhim ; by 

 Captain Boys at Bumourie ; figured by Dr. Royle as an example of a tropical form from Deyra Doon ; and 

 Mr. Blyth states that it inhabits the sub-Himalayan regions generally, Central and Southern India, Sylhet, 

 Aracan, and the Tenasserim provinces. 



Of its habits and economy very little has been recorded ; Captain Tickell states that he observed it 

 flitting about the low willow bushes in the dried bed of a stream, and that it has no song, but a loud chirp. 

 Captain Boys says its food consists of honey and insects ; and Dr. Royle figures the nest of a pendulous 

 form, but unfortunately has given no account whatever respecting the bird or its habits. 



The male has the forehead and crown dark metallic greenish purple ; on the nape a broad band of 

 dark olive-green ; back and wing-coverts very dark blood-red ; wings brown margined with olive ; across 

 the rump a fan-shaped mark of pure yellow ; upper tail-coverts glossy green ; two central tail-feathers 

 very dark glossy purplish green ; lateral tail-feathers brown, glossed with rich purple on the basal three- 

 fourths of their outer webs ; throat and breast fine light blood-red, within which, proceeding from beneath 

 the lower angle of the bill down either side, is a narrow line of beautiful steel-blue ; abdomen pale olive- 

 green, darkest where it meets the scarlet ; irides dark brown ; upper mandible black ; lower mandible 

 brown ; legs and feet greyish black. 



The female has the upper surface olive-green, becoming much paler beneath ; under surface of the 

 shoulder white ; central tail-feathers olive-yellow ; lateral tail-feathers blackish brown, tipped with white and 

 margined externally with olive-yellow. 



The Plate represents two males and a female of the natural size, on the Clematis montana. 



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