SYNOPSIS. 
Genus NECTARINIA, Illigeh. 
Nectarinia, Illiger, 1811 ^ Certhia, Linnseus = Melli- 
suga, Yieillot, 1816 = Cinnyris, Cuvier, 1817.* 
Gen. Characters. — Bill slender, curved, very fine and acute 
at the tip, dilated at the base, edges of the maxilla fold- 
ing over the mandible, mandible narrow in depth at the 
base, edges of both minutely and regularly denticulated ; 
tongue lengthened, slender, with a shortly bifid fringed 
apex, the edges for the whole length turned over in- 
wards, forming a double tube ; wings, with the third 
quill longest, first short, nearly spurious; tail even, 
lengthened and much "graduated, or with the two centre 
feathers only elongated ; tarsi and feet fully developed, 
the hallux lengthened and with its claw proportionally 
strong. Types, N. famosa , chalybea , amethystina, lotenia 
Note. India and Africa, principally within the tro- 
pics. Colours of the plumage brilliant ; often with 
metallic lustre. 
SPECIES WHICH HAVE BEEN EXAMINED. 
N. afra, Linnecus, 1766. 
Certhia afra , Linn. Svst. Nat. i. p. 186, 1766+ ; Gm. Linn, 
i. p.476 (syn. exc.) ; Lath. Ind. Om. i. p. 286 (syn. 
exc.) ; Shaw, Gen. Zool. viii. p. 192 (syn. exc.). — Cin- 
nyris smaragdinus , Vicill. Enc. Method. Orn. p. 595 
* We here use the signs proposed by Mr. Strickland : — 
^ less than, = equal to, greater than. 
+ Edit. 12 is quoted throughout. 
