CREEPER. 235 



In the British Museum. It is probably a further Variety of the 

 Ceylonese Creeper, though M. Audibert is of opinion, that it is a 

 distinct species. 



24— LOTEN'S CREEPER. 



Certhia Lotenia, Lid. Orn. i. 286. Lin. 1SS. Gm. Lin. i. 483. 



■ Madagascariensis viridis, Bris. iii. 641. pi. 33. 4. Male. Id. 5. Fem. Id. 8v. ii. 



p. 12. 

 L'angala-dian, Buf.\. 510. Ois. dor. ii. 19. pi. 3. djeune Age, pi. 4. 

 Grirupereau verd de Madagascar, PI. enl. 575. 2. 3. 

 Angaladian Creeper, Shaw's Zool. viii. 194. pi. 27? 

 Loten's Creeper, Gen. Syn. ii. 715. 



LENGTH five inches and a quarter. Bill fourteen lines, black ; 

 tongue long, compressed at the end ; head, neck, and all the upper 

 parts green gold ; between the bill and eye a narrow line of velvet 

 black ; beneath from the breast black, separated from the green on 

 the neck, by a transverse bright, violet band, one line and a half 

 broad; the lesser wing coverts of this colour, the middle ones 

 green gold ; greater coverts very fine black, outwardly edged with 

 green gold ; quills and tail the same ; legs black. 



The female said to have the breast, belly, sides, and thighs, under 

 wing and tail coverts dirty white, spotted with black ; wings and 

 tail black, but less bright ; but this is probably a young bird ; for 

 M. Adanson says, both sexes are alike. 



In the collection of General Davies were two birds, very 

 similar; that said to be the male, had the head, neck, back, rump, 

 and wing coverts green gold, with a copper or purplish gloss, espe- 

 cially on the back ; across the breast a bright crimson band ; beyond 

 this, also the wings and tail, black. 



Hh2 



