NOVITATES ZOOLOGICAE XXV. 1918. 303 



(9) Dissemiiru.s jxiradiseus malabaricus. 



Lanius malabaricus Lath., Ind. Orn. i. p. 66. 1790, Malabaria. 



Malabaricus is a smaller bird than grandis, wtli comparatively a still shorter 

 tail, smaller bill, and ranch smaller crest. 



Habitat. The whole of India south of the habitat above defined for grandis. 

 It is not easy, of course, to exactly define the range of this bird in the north, as 

 where grandis and malabaricus meet the two subspecies intergrade and inter- 

 mediate specimens are met with which may be assigned to either. Birds from 

 the Central Provinces and Orissa seem invariably to belong to the northern 

 race, having very full crests and an average wing measurement of over 165 mm. 

 In the west the two forms seem to meet about Khandesh or a httle north of that 

 district, the birds from that part of India having rather small crests, but wings 

 averaging over 160 mm. 



Wing average, 152 mm. (142-167) ; tail, up to 415 mm. ; bill, 26-29 mm. 

 (28 birds). 



(10) Dissemurus faradiseus ceylonensis. 



Dissemurus ceylonensis Sharpe, Cat. Birds B.M. iii. \>. 264 (1877), Ceylon. 



A very small bird with a very small crest and a comparatively shorter tail. 

 It differs from the Javan bird in being larger and in having a small crest, whilst 

 from typical paradiseus it differs in being a good deal smaller. 



Habitat. The island of Ceylon only. 



Wing average, 146 mm. (139-156) ; tail, up to 340 mm. ; bill, 27-28 nmi. 

 (21 birds). 



Only one specimen in the British Museum series has a wing over 150 mm. 



Chaptia aenea. 



This httle Drongo does not appear to vary in colour throughout the whole 

 of the area in which it is found, such variations as have hitherto been alleged 

 to constitute cUfferences between geograpliical races being merely incUvidual. 

 The principal of these are first the colour of the gloss, which ranges through 

 greenish blue, purple-blue, and purphsh, secondly the amount of grey visible on 

 the rump, and thirtUy the depth and purity of the black of the lower plumage. 

 Faihng therefore colour variation, we are thrown entirely upon measurements 

 as a means for tUfferentiating between the various geographical subspecies. 



I have been able to examine 149 specimens of Chaptia in the British Museum 

 and 62 in the Tring Museum, giving the following results : — 



Wiug average. Tail. 



123-4 mm. (118-132) 120-6 mm. (109-128). 



122-4 mm. (115-1-29) 118-9 mm. (108-130). 



124-2 mm. (123-126) 118-1 mm. (104-122). 



122-8 mm. (117-130) US-O mm. (105-1-24). 



117-0 mm. (107-122) 110-0 mm. (102-120). 



118-5 mm. (111-124) 112-0 mm. (97-116). 



118-0 mm. (114-123) 112-0 mm. (107-116). 



132-0 mm. 126 mm. 



131-9 mm. (1-27-135) 121-0 mm. (107-125). 



