CINNYEIS ZEYLONICTJS. 
(CEYLONESE SUN-BIRD.) 
CertJiia zeylonica, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 188, “Ceylon” (1766), 
Cinnyris zeylonicus (L.), Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. i. p. 409 ; Shelley, Monogr. Cinnyr. pt. i. 
(1876); Hume, Str, Feath. 1877, p. 270; Fairbank, t.c. p. 398, 
Nectarinia zeylonica (L.), Jard. Monogr. Sun-birds, pp. 213, 261, pi. 20 (1843) ; Blyth, Cat. 
B. Mus. A. S. B. p. 226 (1849) ; Layard, Ann. «& Mag. Nat. Hist. 1853, xii. p. 174 ; 
Gould, B. of Asia, pt. xix. pi. 4 (1867). 
Leptocoma zeylonica (L.), Horsf. & Moore, Cat. B. Mus. E. 1. Co. ii. p. 740 (1856); Jerdon, 
B. of Ind. i. p, 368 ; Hume, Nests and Eggs, i. p. 147 (1873) ; Ball, Str. Feath, 1874, 
p. 396; Legge, Ibis, 1875, p. 275. 
NectaropMla zeylonica (L.), Walden, Ibis, 1870, p. 37 ; Holdsw. P. Z. S. 1872, p. 434 ; 
Morgan, Ibis, 1875, p, 315. 
Cinnyris zeylonica, Davidson & Wender, Str. Feath. 1878, vii. p. 79. 
Ceylonese Creeper, Latham; The Amethyst-rmiped HoneysucJcer, ^erdioxi-, Humming -bird of 
Europeans. 
Mai sutika, lit. “ Flower Honey-bird,” Sinhalese ; Than-kudi, lit. “ Honey-feeder,” Ceylonese 
Tamils. 
Adult male. Total lengtli 4T to 4-5 indies ; wing 2'05 to 2‘15 ; tail 1'35 ; tarsus 0’6 j middle toe and daw 0‘45 to 
0-48 ; bill from gape across to tip 0'64 to 0-7. Some hill-specimens are more robust than those I have obtained 
in the low country, but do not measure larger in the bill. 
Iris red and variable in tint from brick-colour to vermilion ; legs and feet black. 
Head above to the nape, together with the point of udng, brilliant metallic green ; hind neck and its sides, upper back, 
scapulars, and a band across the chest deep maroon-red, the feathers at the origin of the scapulars metallic bronze ; 
lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts brilliant amethystine purple ; wings brown, edged, except on the outer 
primarios, with dull ferruginous red ; tail dull black, the lateral feathers with pale tips ; chin, throat, and cheeks 
metallic purple-bronze ; beneath, from the maroon pectoral band, primrose-yellow, paling to white on the flanks 
and under wing-coverts ; under tad-coverts washed with yellow. 
Some specimens have the green of the head tinted with amethystine (the centre portion of the feather being of this 
colour), and the amethystine of the rump glossed with brilliant metallic steel-blue ; some specimens, again, have the 
two outer tail-feathors tipped whiter than others. 
Female. Total length 3‘95 inches ; wing 2'0 ; bill, gape to tip (straight) 0-65. 
Iris brick-red, in some as intense as in the male ; bill, legs, and feet blackish brown. 
Upper surface greyish brown, washed with greenish on the back ; wings edged with duller rufous than in the male : 
a pale supercilium ; chin and throat greyish white ; breast washed with yellow ; two outer pairs of rectrices tipped 
white. 
Young (nestling : coU. Shelley, India). Bill 4-6 inches across arc to tip ; wing 1‘65. 
Head and back olivaceous brown ; a faint light supercilium ; wings plain brown, the secondaries faintly edged with 
yellowish brown ; longer upper tail-coverts and tail blackish, the outermost feathers smoky white, the next two 
tipped with the same colour ; beneath primrose-yellow, tinted with greenish ; the throat albescent. 
Ymng male. “ Similar to the adult female, excepting that it is less ashy above and slightly more olive-brown in colour ; 
the eyebrows yellowish ; chin, throat, and under tail-coverts sulphur-yellow.” {Shelley, Monogr.) 
Ohs. I much neglected the collecting of these beautiful birds while in Ceylon, their lovely plumage, as far as I was 
concerned, generally ensuring their safety ! I therefore procured no very young birds ; but, in addition to the fact 
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