CINNykis asiaticus. 
(THE PUKPLE SUN-EIKD.) 
Certhia asiatica, Lath. Ind. Orn. i. p. 288 (1790). 
Cmnyris asiaticus (Lath.), Lesson, Man. d’Orn. p. 36 (1828) ; Shelley, Monogr. Cinnyr. pt. iv. 
(1877) ; Fairbank, Str. Feath. 1877, p. 399. 
Cinnyris mahrattensis (Lath.), Jerd. Cat. B. S. Ind., Madr. Journ. 1840, xi. p. 224. 
H^ectarmiamahmttensis (Lath.), Jard. Monogr. Sun-birds, pp. 222, 264, pi. 24 (1843); Kelaart 
(Nectarina errore), Prodromus, Cat. p. 49 (1852). 
Ifectarinia asiatica (Lath.), Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. A. S. B. p. 224 (1849) ; Layard, Ann. & Mag. 
Nat. Hist. 1853, xii. p. 175 ; Gould, B. of Asia, pt. viii. pi. 2 (1856). 
Arachneclithra asiatica (Lath.), Jerdon, B. of Ind. i. p. 370 (1863); Walden, Ibis, 1870, p. 20 ; 
Holdsw. P. Z. S. 1872, p. 434; Hume, Nests and Eggs, p. 151 (1873); id. Str. Feath. 
1873, p. 174; Ball, Str. Feath. 1874, p. 396; Legge, Ibis, 1875, p. 285 ; Morgan, tom. 
cit. p. 315 ; Flume, Str. Feath. 1875, p. 87 ; Fairbank, ibid. 1876, p. 256; Armstrong, 
tom. cit. p. 313; Flume, Str. Feath. 1878, B. of Tenass. p. 190. 
Arachmchthra intermedia, Hume, Ibis, 1870, p. 436. 
Nectarinia hrevirostris, Blanf. Ibis, 1873, p. 86. 
Purple Indian Creeper, Edwards; The Yellow-winged Creeper-, Sugar-Creeper, Maliratta 
Creeper, Eastern Creeper, Latham ; The Short-billed Purple Honey-bird, Kelaart ; The 
Purple IloneysucJcer of some ; Purple Humming-bird, Europeans in Ceylon. Jugi-jugi 
at Bhagalpur ; Hunbarg in Sindh, Blyth. 
Gewal kurulla, Sinhalese ; Tahn-Tcudi, Ceylonese Tamils. 
Adult male. Length to forehead 3-7 inches ; bill along culmen 0-73 to 0-77 ; wing 2-2 to 2-3 ; tail 1'4 ; tarsus 0-55 ; 
middle toe and claw 0-5. 
Iris deep brown ; bill, legs, and feet black. 
Breeding plumage. Head, back, scapulars, lesser wing-coverts, upper tail-coverts, and the sides of the neck and throat 
brUliaiit metallic green, glossed on the back a,nd upper tail-coverts with purple, the basal portion of the feathers 
on all these parts being black, and the metallic hue confined to the terminal parts ; wings dark brown, the greater 
coverts and secondaries edged with purple ; tail black, glossed with purple, and the feathers edged towards the 
base with green ; chin, centre of throat, and chest lilac-purple, glossed with green, and changing into metallic blue on 
the chest ; across the breast a narrow dull maroon band ; beneath this to the under tad-eoverts black, glossed with 
purple, which is glossed in some lights with green ; under tail-coverts broadly margined with purple ; on the 
sides of the breast, concealed beneath the closed wing, a bright yellow tuft, streaked with orange-red. 
In those specimens which have come under my notice in Ceylon the maroon pectoral band has always been present, 
but, as I have not examined a large series, it may be absent in some birds. Captain Shelley says that he has found 
it thus in about half the examples he has seen, irrespective of locality. 
Nmi-hreeding plumage. Head, back, scapulars, and upper tail-coverts mouse-grey, with a short yellowish-white 
supercilium ; ning black, the lesser covert s edged with metallic green, the greater series and the inner secondaries 
with purple ; tail black, edged with metallic green j under surface variable, in some rather bright yellow, in others 
whitish tinged only with yellowish ; a broad stripe of purple from the chin down the fore neck and breast ; thighs 
dark brown. 
This plumage in Ceylon is acquired in November and December in the Western Province ; and, while in a state of 
moult, specimens are procured with both upper and under surface mingled with summer and winter feathers ; the 
broad throat-stripe becomes clearly defined before the breast loses the metallic feathers. 
