568 
CINNYEIS ASIATICIJS. 
probably confined to Baluchistan and the low portion of Fars^ in Southern Persia, perhaps ranging along 
the noi'th-east eoast of the Persian Gulf ; but it has not been obtained in the neighbourhood of Bushire or 
Shiraz.” He goes on to say that near Maskat, in Arabia, he saw a Nectarinia which may have been this 
species. In Tenasserim Mr. Davison says it occurs from Pahpoon to about Yea, the most southerly point 
where he ever observed it being about a day^s march north of the river Yea. 
Habits. This beautiful species has very similar habits to the last ; but it does not seem to frequent large 
trees as mueh. It is very lively in its aetions, fluttering and poising itself over flowers while it extraets the 
nectar from them, and is constantly giving out its sharp but not unpleasant little chirping notes ; its song in 
the breeding-season is not so loud nor so varied as that of its larger relative. It feeds on small flies and 
insects, especially spiders, as well as honey ; and it is constantly opening and elosing its wings, both when 
flitting about the branches in search of food and when singing in a state of rest on some pi’ominent twig. 
Blvth remarks that he has taken so large a spider from its stomach that he wondered how it could have been 
swallowed. 
Out of the breeding-season I have observed that the male birds associate together in little troops, and 
they may be seen in a variety of different plumages while moulting. 
Nidification . — In the south of the island the Purple Sun-bird breeds in April, May, and June, but in the 
north it nests as late as August. In this month Mr. Holdsworth writes of a nest being constructed in the 
verandah of his bungalow at Aripu " It was fastened,” he says, “to the end of an iron rod hanging from 
the roof and once used for suspending a lamp. The birds showed very little fear, although I was for several 
days sitting within a few feet of the nest, engaged in the preparation of specimens.” The nest is generally 
suspended from the outspreading branches of a shrub or from the lateral down -hanging boughs of small trees; 
it is, like the last described, made of grass interwoven with hairs and covered often with spiders’ webs ; it is 
pear-shaped, tapering to the point of suspension, and with the opening near the top and shaded ^vith a little 
hood which projects slightly ; the interior is lined with cotton and feathers. Layard, in referring to the nest 
being artfully concealed with cobweb, writes that he has “ seen the spider still weaving her toils, having 
extended the web to the surrounding branches, thus rendering the deception still more efiective ; and it 
would seem that the birds were aware of it and left their helper undisturbed.” In his exhaustive article on 
the nesting of this Sun-bird Mr. Hume thus describes the construction of the nest : — “ A little above the centre 
of the oval a small circular aperture is worked, and just above it a projecting cornice, 1 to 1^ inch wide, is 
extended ; then — on the opposite side of the oval — the wall of the nest, which is ready some days before the eggs 
are laid, is pushed or bulged out a little so as to give room for the sitting bird’s tail. The bulging out of 
the back of the nest is one of the last portions of the work, and the female may be seen going in and out, 
trying the fit, over and over again. When sitting, the little head is just peeping out of the hole under the 
awning.” Nests which are not built in a perpendicular direction appear not to be provided with this hood 
or awning. We gather from the article in question that the nest is constructed in the most varied situations, as, 
indeed, Mr. Holdsworth’s experience in Ceylon proves. In India verandahs seem to be frequently chosen ; and 
consequently, being so much under observation, few bii’ds have had so much written concerning their nesting 
habits. Mr. Adam observes that they are very fond of tacking on pieces of paper, light-coloured feathers, &c. 
to the outside of the nest, and that, in one instance in which he watched the construction of a nest, the male 
“ never assisted the female in the slightest degree ; he seemed exceedingly happy, fluttered every now and 
then about the nest, and after each careful inspection he was so seemingly pleased with the handiwork of 
his mate that he perched on an adjoining branch and poured forth a joyous strain, flapping his wings and 
making his axillary feathers rotate in the most extraordinary manner.” Two is the usual number of eggs, 
but sometimes three are laid; the ground-colour is greenish white, and they are closely marked with small 
specks of brownish and greyish brown; these markings are generally almost confluent at the large end. 
Mr. Hume gives the average size of fifty eggs as 0’64 by 0‘46 inch. 
