NOVITATES ZOOLOGICAE XXV. 1918. 297 



Central India : 30 birds, Rictal spot present in all but one. 



Wing average, 14r7 mm. (128-156); tail average, 151-7 mm. (142-168); 

 bill about 22'5 mm. 



South India : 24 birds. Rictal spot present in all but 3 from Travancore. 



Wing average, 140'3 mm. (129-144); tail average, 155'5 mm. (143-IG7); 

 bill about 230 mm. 



Ceylon : 8 birds. Rictal spot present in all. 



Wing average, 133-0 mm. (125-143) ; tail average, 153-3 mm. (135-165) ; 

 bill about 20-0 mm. 



Burma : 36 birds. Rictal spot present in all but 2. 



Wing average, 143-9 mm. (134-151); tail average, 145-0 mm. (125-165); 

 bill about 22-0 mm. 



China : 32 birds. Rictal spot present in 6, absent in 26. 



Wing average, 142-8 mm. (130-155) ; tail average, 149-2 mm. (130-165); 

 biU about 22-0 mm. 



Hainan : 13 birds. Rictal spot absent in all but 2. 



Wing average, 142-4 mm. (130-152); tail average, 145-3 (128-100); bill 

 about 2r8 mm. 



Siam : 5 birds. Rictal spot present in all. 



Wing average, 140-5 mm. (139-142) ; tail average, 146-0 mm. (143-150) ; 

 bill about 20-0 mm. 



Formosa : 20 birds. Rictal spot present in 8, absent in 12. 

 Wing average, 148-2 mm. (139-155); tail average, 145-5 mm. (131-152); 

 bill about 23-5 mm. 



Java : 12 birds. Rictal spot just visible in one bird, absent in the rest. 

 Wing average, 129-0 mm. (121-136); tail average, 146-4 mm. (130-165); 

 bill about 2 TO mm. 



The above shows that Dicrurvs ater seems to fall into 6 fairly satisfactory 

 groups, though there are some debatable points with which I deal under the 

 headings of the various races. 



The oldest name for the species is Muscicapa atra of Hermann, whiLli there- 

 fore stands as the specific name for the various forms. 



(1) Dicrunis ater ater. 



Muscicapa atra Hermann, Obs. Zool. p. 208 (1804), Tranquebaria. 



Dicrurus marrncercus Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. ix. p. 588 (1817). 



Muscicapa biloba Licht., Verz. p. 52, Ind. Orient. 



Dicrunis indicus Steph., Shaw's Qen. Zool. xiii. p. 139, India. 



Dicrurus balicassius Sykes, P.Z.S. 1832. ]p. 80 (nee Linn.) Dekkan (corr. Africa). 



Type Loadity : Tranquebaria. 



A medium-sized bird with a proportionately long tail and largish bill. 

 This form is undoubtedly very close to the Burmese bird, but is on the 

 average smaller and yet has a tail which is 6 mm. longer than it is in that bird ; 



