NECTARINIA LOTENTA.
Loten’s Sun-Bird.

Certhia lotenia, Linn. Syst. Nat. tom. i. p. 188.—Ib. Gmel. Edit. tom. i. pars i. p. 483.—Lath. Ind. Orn. vol. i. p- 286.

Loten’s Creeper, Lath. Gen. Syn. vol. ii. p. 715.—Ib. Gen. Hist. vol. iv. p. 235.

Certhia polita, Sparm. Mus. Carls. tab. 59.—Lath. Ind. Orn. vol. 4. p. 287.

Cymnyris politus, Vieill. 2nde edit. Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat. tom. xxxi. p. 502.—Ib. Ency. Méth. Orn. part ii. p. 586.

Lotenia, Vieill. Ency. Méth. Orn. part i. p. 590.

Certhia purpurata, Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. viii. p. 201. pl. 28.

Cinnyris purpurata, Steph. Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool. vol. xiv. p. 230.

Nectarina lotena, Blyth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng. vol. xii. p. 978.—Ib. Cat. of Birds in Mus. Asiat. Soc. Calcutta,
p. 224.—Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 98, Nectarinia, sp. 50.—Jard. Nat. Lib. Orn. vol. xiii.
Sun-birds, pl. 23.

The Purple Indian Creeper, Edw. Gleanings, p. 116. pl. 265. upp. fig.

Le Soui-manga pourpre, Vieill. Ois. Dor. tom. ii. p. 29. pl. 11.

Polished Creeper, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp. vol. ii. p. 159.—Ib. Gen. Hist. vol. iv. p. 245.

 

By those who are not in the habit of investigating the minute differences which distinguish closely allied
species, the present bird might be easily confounded with Nectarinia Asiatica, from which, however, it is
perfectly distinct ; the V. Lotenia being of a much larger size, having a much longer and more curved bill,
and the whole of the abdomen brown instead of black. The females of the two species resemble each other
more closely than the males, but as each accords with the respective sizes of their mates, they also may be
readily distinguished. I do not possess examples of the young of this bird, and I am therefore unable to
say if they exhibit the same parti-coloured plumage as the young of N. Asiatica: that they will do so to a
certain extent I have no doubt; but I believe that the black will not extend down the centre of the abdomen
as in the immature birds of that species.

The range of V. Lotenia appears to be more limited than that of WV. Asiatica, the southern portions of the
Indian Peninsula and the island of Ceylon being the only localities whence I have seen specimens ; but
Mr. Blyth states that examples from the Carnatic have been presented to the Museum of the Asiatic Society
at Calcutta by Mr. Jerdon.

Mr. Layard states that ‘‘ this species is exceedingly plentiful in the southern and midland districts of
Ceylon, but is not so common in the north as V. Aseatica.”

The male has the head, all the upper surface and wing-coverts deep shining purple, passing into green on
the lower part of the back and rump; chin and sides of the neck deep shining green, passing into purple on
the breast, and bounded below by a narrow band of deep red; on each side the chest a tuft of scarlet and
yellow feathers ; wings and under surface brown; tail dull black, the outer feathers margined with purple ;
bill and feet black.

The female has all the upper surface brown ; under surface pale yellow ; tail brownish black, the outer
feathers tipped with white.

The Plate represents two males and a female of the natural size.