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Show 284 MISS NEWBIGIN ON T H E [Feb. 18, Pirst, as to the distribution of metallic colours in the two families.-In the Sun-birds, the metallic tints are usually, though not invariably, confined to the male sex, and this in spite of the fact that the nests are domed. In the male, brilhant patches of colour frequently occur on the upper surface of the head and on the throat. Bather less frequently the contour-feathers of both the upper and lower surface show metallic tints (e. g., Nectarinia famosa). On the other hand the rectrices very frequently show a longitudinal band of colour, or, more rarely, the central two may be wholly metallic (e. g., JEthopyga seherice). The tail-coverts are frequently metallic, the wing-coverts only rarely so, and the wing-quills hardly ever show any metallic colouring. Thus, in general, the metallic tints occur on the feathers in two ways. There may be a broad transverse band of metallic colour occupying the whole of the visible part of the feather ; this occurs especially on the head and throat, more rarely on the general contour-feathers. Again, the metallic tinting may occur as a longitudinal band of varying width at the edges of the feather; this is especially seen in the rectrices, more rarely in the case of the greater wing-coverts. In some cases these longitudinal bands may become so much widened as to occupy the whole of the feather: this seems only to occur in the central rectrices. As to the range of metallic colour in Sun-birds, it is readily seen that the commonest metallic colours are green, blue, and violet; a reddish violet is more uncommon, and a pure bronze-red and a golden yellow seem both to be absent. This last point is of interest in view of the fact that red and yellow (lipochrome) pigments are very widely spread in the family. In Humming-birds metallic tints occur in both sexes, but are usually more brilliant in the male. They very frequently occur on the general contour-feathers, the colour being then often a bronze-green, which is not sharply confined to a transverse band, but fades away gradually behind. The metallic colours which are especially characteristic of Humming-birds, however, occur, as is well known, in patches of extraordinary brilliancy either on the bead as a crest, or on the lower surface, especially of the throat. The feathers forming these patches are peculiarly modified, and may display any of the colours of the spectrum including ruby-red and golden-yellow-the colours which are so markedly absent from the metallic feathers of Sun-birds. The rectrices of Humming-birds not infrequently display metallic colour, which may be distributed over the whole feather or may be limited to a transverse band near the tip. Longitudinal bands of metallic colour such as those of the Sun-birds do not seem to occur. Pigmental colours among Humming-birds are not remarkable for brightness of tint, being usually shades of grey or dull brown. The only marked exception is the colour called by systematists " rich chestnut" or " cinnamon," which is often limited to the males, as for example in Eustephanus fernandensis 3. In this connection it may be noticed that not only are metallic tints |