NOVITATES ZOOI.OOICAE XXVI. 1919. 



291 



SOME NOTES ON THE GENUS SURNICULUS. 

 By E. C. STUART BAKER, F.L.S., F.Z.S. 



IN Volume XX. of Novitates Zoologicae, p. 340 et seq., Stresemann has 

 dealt at some length with the genus Surniculus, but I cannot agree with 

 all his conclusions. 



He recognises only one species, S. lugubris, which he subdivides into four 

 geographical races . (1) <S. I. higubris, Java, Bali, and Ceylon ; (2) S. I. brachyurus, 

 Malay Peninsula and Sumatra and Borneo ; (3) S. I. dicruroides, N. India, 

 Burma, and Siam ; and (4) S. I. velutinus, Philippines. 



In the first place there are, in my opinion, two distinct species, Surniculus 

 lugubris and Surniculus velutinus. Superficially the adults of the two are very 

 simUar in general appearance, though the latter has a brighter, deeper blue gloss 

 on the upper plumage than has the former and the underparts are a velvety black 

 rather than a brown-black. In velutinus also the white fringes to the tail feathers 

 are much more developed. The young are, however, entirely different, for whilst 

 in the lugubris group the young are black profusely spotted with white, the 

 young in the velutinus group are a rather bright rufous brown all over, with the 

 white markings, if any, confined to the outer tail feathers. As S. musschenbrocki 

 Rowley apparently belongs to the same group as velutinus, this takes priority 

 and the latter becomes a subspecies of the former. 



Surniculus lugubris varies considerably in size, as is shown in the accom- 

 panying table compiled from the collection in the British Museum collection : 



The measurements of this cuckoo are very puzzling ; roughly there seems 

 to be a big northern form covering India, Burma, and Siam, and a small one 

 inhabiting peninsular Burma and Siam, the Malay States, and the Islands, and 

 this division is further confirmed by the comparative length of tail, which averages 

 much shorter in the southern than in the northern form, and in the former 

 also, is squarer in shape. 



Over nearly the whole area, however, individual birds are obtained which 

 are absolutely at variance with these conclusions, and it is probable that Surni- 

 culus, which is known to be partially migratory, sometimes wanders very far 



• In the Tring Museum there are specimens with tails up to 147 mm. 



