MS. “Illustrations of Indian Ornithology ” 
347 
while “ the Himalayan bird is larger, and is always to be dis¬ 
tinguished by its white throatThe Javan bird seems to 
be generally somewhat smaller; but in all other respects I am 
unable to affirm that the characters stated are constant: an 
adult Javan example in my collection has the throat as white 
as continental individuals; and the under surface is not more 
richly coloured. 
A well-executed figure of Arachnothera magna , from a 
Darjeeling example, introduces the Nectariniidce. Colonel 
Tickell mentions having, on two occasions, obtained this 
species in Tenasserim. Captain Beavan obtained it at Moul- 
mein (P. Z. S. 1866, p. 540). Mr. Blyth enumerates it (B. 
Burma, No. 485) as a Tenasserim and Arracan species; and 
specimens collected by Mr. Davison at Kyouknyat and near 
Ye, are identified with it by Mr. Hume (Str. F. ii. p. 473). 
We may therefore assume that the Himalayan bird, and not 
the nearly allied A. aurata of Pegu, inhabits Tenasserim. 
The identification of Nectarinia seheria , Tickell (J. A. S. B. 
1833, p. 577), has, since its description, remained a matter of 
uncertainty; and in great hopes of finding materials suffi¬ 
ciently conclusive to settle the disputed point, I turned to 
Colonel TickelPs later observations in this work. JEthopyga 
miles (Hodgson) is the title he adopts for the first species of the 
genus described; and, as a synonym, among others, he adds 
N. seheria, Tickell. The plate, on which the two sexes are 
figured, is also entitled JE. miles , followed by the locality where 
the subject of the plate was procured, as is generally done 
throughout the work. This locality is stated thus—Seheria, 
Borabhoom, Bengal, 1833.” Here, on the face of it, we have a 
figure of the type; but on turning to the letterpress this con¬ 
tradictory passage occurs, “ The individual here figured was 
procured in the Tongu-ngoo district, Burma.” In his ori¬ 
ginal account of the discovery of N. seheria (/. c.), and in the 
letterpress in this work, where that account is given in much 
the same words, no mention is made of a female having been 
obtained; and yet a female is figured as being from Seheria. 
Nor in the letterpress is it mentioned where the female 
figured on the plate, and described in the diagnosis of JE. 
2 a 2 
