Genus— MYZO MELA. 
Myzomela Vigors and Horsfield, 
Trans. Linn. Soc. (Lond.), 
Vol. XV., p. 316, footnote, 
Feb. 17th, 1827. Type (by 
original designation). . .. Meliphaga cardinalis Vigors and Horsfield 
= Certhia sanguinolenta Latham. 
Very small “ Honey-eaters ” (probably Sun-birds) with long curved bills, 
short wings, short square tail and small legs and feet. The bill is delicate 
and well curved, equal to or a little longer than the head, anteriorly laterally 
compressed and curving gently downward, posteriorly straight and little basally 
expanded, where the nasal groove is long, the nostrils linear and the operculum 
leathery and prominent, nasal bristles missing and rictals obsolete: lower 
mandible delicate, the interramal space comparatively long and feathered 
almost one-third the length of the bill; depth at base of both the mandibles 
a little less than the width. Coloration showing more or less red. 
The wing is short but really long for the size of the bird, the first primary 
very small, only about one-tliird the length of the second, which is about equal 
to the seventh, being less than the sixth; the third, fourth, and fifth are 
subequal and longest. 
The tail is square and comparatively short. 
The legs and feet are small, the tarsus shorter than the bill; the tarsus 
shows anteriorly half a dozen scutes with a tendency to booting, posteriorly 
bilaminate. The toes small, the claws rather long and sharp, the hind-toe 
and claw not longer than the middle toe and claw, the inner toe and claw 
shorter than the outer toe and claw and just exceeding the middle toe alone. 
As above noted these may be Sunbirds, but at present I have no data on 
the subject, as when Forbes monographed the genus he gave no morphological 
details but mentioned the minutely serrate cutting edges of the mandible, which 
is a Nectarinioid feature. 
Key to the Species. 
Back black; red throat divided from under-surface 
by a black band .. .. .. .. M. erylhrocephala 
Back red ; no band dividing red throat from 
under-surface.. .. .. .. .. M. sanguinolenta. 
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