Corrcspoudefice. . ' 19 
Correspondence. 
SEASONAL CHANGES OF I'LL MAUE OE THE PUKI'LE SUN- 
BlliD, Arachnechthra asiatica {Lath). 
Sir. — In VoL I., p. 344 of "The Fauna of British India,— Birds," 
we find the following statement : " It has frequently been asserted that 
■' thi' males of many speeies of Indian Sunbirds have a distinct summer 
"and winter plumage. After examining the very large series of Sunbirds 
" in the British Museum, I am convinced that this is never the case. 
" P'uU plumaged males of all the common species, and it is of these that 
" the assertion has been made, shot in every month of the year, or at 
" such frequent intervals as to practically amount to the same thing, are 
" in the national collection, and prove that the adult males never change 
"their colours. Young males are to be found throughout their first 
" year in immature plumage, and these have probably given rise to the 
" belief that a .seasonal change takes place in the adiilt ." In spite of the 
above statement 1 cannot help suspecting that some males at any rate 
do have a winter partial eclipse. Now that several of our members have 
been so successful in keeping the Sunbirds, perhaps they would kindly 
give us their experience in this matter . 
Hissar, Dec. 1913. HUGH WHISTLER. 
[Since receiving the above we have written to several members, who 
have kept or keep Sunbirds (including Mr. A. Ezra, who kindly sent a 
full annotated list of his species) and the following list is the result : 
in every case, except the Nepalese, we have had access to records from 
several sources. — Ed.]. 
Species in which the Males have a Disi inctivio Summer 
WiNTEu Plumage : 
Purple {Arachnechthra asiatica). — India. 
Greater Double-collared (Cinnyris afer). — S. Africa. 
Lesser Double -collared (C . chalyhcus ) . — S. Africa. 
Southern Malachite {Ncctarinia famosa). — S. Africa. 
Species in which the Males retain their Fhll Colour- 
ation All the Year Round, or have it modified to no greater extent 
than that of the English Chaffinch : 
Amethyst-rumped {Arachnechthra zeylonica) . — India. 
Black-breasted Yellow-backed {Ae. saturata). — Himalayas. 
Nepal Yellow-backed {Acthopyga nipalciisis) . — Nepal. 
*Red Y'ellow-backed {Ae . scheriac). — Himalayas. 
^Greater Amethyst {Cinnyris amethystinus) . — S. Africa. 
JThis species, Mr. Ezra remarks, does not go "out of colour," 
but when in moult the velvet black becomes dull, which soon regains its 
lustre as the bird goes through the moult. 
*This species does not go into eclipse plumage, but Mr. Ezra and 
others have found the blood -red hue fugitive in captivity, beccimiug dull 
orange ; even to this there are exceptions, as he knows of two specimens 
which have moulted back into a lovely red, 
