Family— NECT ARINIID 
Genus— CYRTOSTOMUS. 
Cyrtostomus Cabanis, Mus. Heine, Vol. I., p. 105 
(after Oct.), 1851. Type (by monotypy) .. Certhia jugularis Linne. 
This is only representative of the family of Sun-Birds at present allowed in 
the Australian avifauna. The family is very numerous in Africa and through 
India and further Asia, this sole true Sun-Bird occurring only in North 
Queensland, being thus a comparatively recent immigrant. 
Recently Shufeldt has observed {Emu, Vol. XIII., p. 9, 1913) that: 
“ Acanthorhynchus belongs among the Nectariniidae,” but as in that paper 
he also indicates some other anomalies existent in the “ Meliphagidse,” I am 
not disturbing the order at present, but decidedly agree that many of the 
Meliphagine genera require drastic rearrangement and that others will probably 
accompany Acanthorhynchus into this family. 
The present genus comprises very small birds with long, thin, curved 
bills, short rounded wings, short square tail and small delicate legs and feet. 
The bill is long and thin, much longer than the head, and almost straight 
for half its length, rapidly curves to a very fine tip; it is very slender anteriorly, 
but basally shows a little expansion, the basal edges spreading a little ; the 
culmen is also keeled basally, the nostrils appearing as linear slits in a short 
nasal groove with a noticeable horny operculum ; there are no nasal bristles 
and no appreciable rictal bristles ; the depth of the bill at the base is about 
equal to the width; the lower mandible is similarly slender with a very short 
feathered interramal space. The edges of both mandibles are very finely 
serrated for the anterior half, which must be for insect catching, not honey 
eating. 
The wings are short and rounded, the first primary small, only about 
one-third the length of the second which is about equal to the seventh, the 
third, fourth and fifth subequal and longest, the sixth a little shorter, the 
eighth and ninth little less and exceeding by a little the long secondaries. 
The tail is short and square, the upper tail-coverts about half the length 
of the tail-feathers, the lower a little more than half. 
E SBg g sgaMa ni 
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