212 
INDIAN NECTARINIADjE. 
We come next to examine the species of India 
and her islands ; they extend generally over the 
continent, reaching to a very high elevation among 
the Himalayas, while they are also found on the 
Malay peninsula and the vast archipelago of the 
East Indian islands. The forms resolve themselves 
almost into two, — those having the tail square, and 
those having that member more or less graduated. 
Of the first, the birds show a smaller, thickset, and 
more compact form than the African square-tailed 
species ; they have generally a coronal and gular 
patch ; the under parts are frequently banded with 
one or more distinct colours, and they possess yel- 
low or orange axillary tufts ; their distribution 
seems to be chiefly, but not exclusively, the plains 
or Lower Continental India, and the islands. The 
second, possesses brilliant colouring, often a coronal 
patch, but instead of that on the throat, we have 
lines or stripes of resplendent feathers on the sides 
of the maxilla, and reaching down on the neck, 
the centre tail-feathers often extend beyond a pro- 
portional graduation. These seem to bo most fre- 
quent in Alpine India, Nipaul, &c. 
We have found considerable difficulty in making 
out these correctly. An idea has been taken up 
that they are subject to considerable variety, which 
seems scarcely to bo the case, many species being 
closely allied, yet at the same time, when in adult 
plumage, pretty constantly and regularly marked. 
