The BRILLIANT HALF-BILL (_Hemignathus lucidus_), one of the most beautiful
members of this group, is olive-green upon the entire mantle, shading
into grass-green on the top of the head and at the edges of the wings. A
stripe over the eyes, and the sides of the head and throat are orange-red;
the breast is bright yellow, the belly of a paler shade, and its lower
portion greenish grey. In young birds the back and region of the eye
are olive-green, the under side light greenish grey, and the belly pale
yellow. This species is six inches long, but of this measurement one inch
and three-quarters belong to the tail, and one inch and a quarter to the
beak; the lower mandible does not exceed eight lines in length. We are
without particulars as to the life of this bird, except that it inhabits
the Pisang plantations.
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The HANGING BIRDS (_Arachnocestra_) are recognised by the great length of
their slightly-curved beak, the base of which is as broad as it is high;
the upper mandible is delicately incised, and the entire bill of almost
equal thickness, only tapering gently towards the extremity; the legs are
slender, the toes long, and the wings (in which the fourth, fifth, and
sixth quills exceed the rest in length) of moderate size; the tail is
short and rounded.