THE LONO-BILLED SPID EE-HUNTER 
Araclmothera longirostris langitositU (L^tk,) 
Description : — In the spider-hunters we do not meet with 
that striking: difference between the sexes displayed by the 
true sunbirds. Males and females are very similar in plumage 
and differ in detail only. Furthermore the males do not 
exhibit the bright colours seen in the sunbirds and both sexes 
partake more or less of that general greenish type of coloration 
common to the female sunbirds, Both sexes of the present 
species bear quite a strong resemblance to the female of Mak- 
lot's sunhird from which however they can be distinguished 
by the very long beak. 
The colour above is greenish or olive, but the tail is 
almost black with small whitish tips to the feathers. The 
throat and upper breast are greyish white and the underparts 
pale yellow. 
The iris is brown, the bill black and slate and the feet 
slaty or grey in colour. 
The total length is about 6 inches but the long curved 
bill which is one of the characteristic features of the bird may 
take up I A inches of this and so this spider hunter is really 
about the same in bulk as the brown -throated sunbird. 
The wing measures 2* inches or a little more. 
DistrWutt on :—Th\^ spider-hunter occurs in India, thence 
through Burma, Siam, etc., the Malay Peninsula to all the 
Malaysian islands and Celebes, 
Sub-species are recognised from various areas within this 
range. 
Status in Stngapare : — Fairly common in Singapore and 
particularly numerous on Fulau Ubin, Unlike the sunbirds, 
. the spider-hunters do not court publicity by appearing in the 
bushes, etc., by the side of the garden-paths and other con- 
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