468 
Birds of Celebes: Nectariniidae. 
coverts; tail-feathers edged with steel-blue 
Nr. 8520). 
(Manado [cf], III. 71; Meyer 
Measurements. 
Wing 
Tail 
Tarsus 
Bill from 
forehead 
a. (C 12211) [(^) ad. Lotta, 12. Y. 93 
58 
36 
14.5 
16 
b. fC 12214) [(^] ad. Lotta, V. 93 
58 
35 
13 
15.5 
c. (0 312) [cf] ad. Manado, m. 71 
59 
37 
14.5 
d. (Nr. 9335) [o’] ad. Celebes ...... 

38 
15.5 
e. (C 12213) [cf] ad. Banka Id. 11. Y. 93 
59 
38 
_ 
15 
/. (C 12212) [o’] ad. Manado tua Id., 14. lY. 93 . . . 
61 
41 
14 
g. (Nr. 8520) [cf] juv. Manado, MI. 71 
56 
37 
14.5 
16 
h. (Nr. 8519) [g ?] juv. Manado 
53 
34 
14 

Skeleton. 
Length of cranium . . . . 31.0 mm Length of tarso-metatarsus 
14.0 mm 
Greatest breadth of cranium 
Length of humerus 
Length of ulna 
Length of radius . 
Length of manus . 
Ijength of metacarpus 
Tjength of digitus I 
Length of digitus II 
Length of digitus III 
Length of femur 
Length of tibia 
Length of fibula 
Distribution. North Celebes — Minahassa (Wallace 
Manado tua Is. (Nat. Coll, in Dresd. Mus.). 
cranium . 
10.7 
■» 
Length of digitus I . . . . 
9.0 » 
13.0 
» 
Length of digitus II . . . . 
8.5 » 
16.2 
» 
Length of digitus IH . . . 
10.9 » 
14.3 
Length of digitus lY . . . 
9.0 * 
14.7 
Length of sternum .... 
15.0 * 
IS . . . 
7.7 
‘ » 
Greatest breadth of sternum . 
10.0 » 
2.3 
Height of crista stemi . . . 
5.5 * 
6.2 
Length of coracoideum . . . 
11.7 =» 
I . . . 
1.6 
•» 
Length of scapula .... 
14.0 » 
11.3 
Length of clavicula .... 
11.5 » 
20.0 
» 
Length of pelvis 
16.0 » 
7.0 
» 
Greatest breadth of pelvis . . 
11.0 » 
n 7, Meyer c 5, etc.); Banka and 
I his Sun bird appears to be a local species, having its affinities with II. 
porphyrolaema of South Celebes from which it differs by its red back and breast. 
In the countries to the west it is most nearly related to Nectarophila hasselti (T.) 
which ranges from Burmah to Sumatra, Borneo and Java, a species with a red 
breast, but black back and mantle. For convenience’ sake we draAV the line 
of generic separation as Salvadori and others have done between Ilermotimia 
grayi and Nectarophila hasselti, though the points of distinction are very small 
indeed; Hermotimia has the bill straighter and the ridge of the culmen sharper, 
Nectarophila has the bill more decurved for the terminal half and the culmen 
more rounded, lo speak of Ilermotimia as a Papuan genus in Celebes would 
be likely to convey a wrong impression. 
The Cinnyridae afford striking cases of sexual differences of coloration, 
though less remarkable than what is seen in the Paradiseidae and Gallinae. The 
bright colouring of the males causes them to be shot by collectors in much 
larger numbers than the females, and the latter are generally scantily represented 
in Museums. Whilst the males have become differentiated into a number of 
striking types of coloration, a curious sameness runs through the females. Of 
