484 BUDYTES FLAVA AND RAYI. 



settled only by a person who shall study both for a long period, 

 compare them in all their stages, carefully observe their habits, 

 and collect a great number of specimens, nests, and eggs. 



BuDYTES FLAVA AND BuDYTES RaYI. 



On comparing ten French specimens of Budytes jiata with 

 ten British specimens of Budytes Rayi^ I find no appreciable 

 difference in the bill, feet, claws, wings, or tail. Five French 

 specimens have the head, hind-neck, and cheeks greyish-blue, 

 with a white streak over the eye ; two have the head greyish- 

 blue, with some yellowish-green feathers interspersed and 

 white eyebands, which are yellow behind ; another has the 

 head greyish blue and yellow, half of the eyeband white, the 

 other half yellow ; another has the head yellowish-green, and 

 the eyeband yellow. In all, the cheeks are greyish-blue, ex- 

 cept the last, in which it is green. But in another, differing 

 in no other respect, the head is yellow anteriorly, green behind, 

 the eyeband yellow, the cheeks green. In all, the lower parts 

 are pure yellow ; but the chin, or upper part of the throat, in 

 those which have the head greyish blue and the eyeband white, is 

 more or less white. Some of them which have the head greyish- 

 blue have the feathers tipped with green. In all, the colours are 

 brighter than in British specimens, in none of which is there pure 

 greyish-blue on the head, that part being greyish-brown or 

 brownish-grey when the tips of the feathers are abraded. The 

 two green-headed French specimens agree precisely with two 

 British specimens, and are obviously of the same species ; but 

 unless as to the colouring of the head, neck, and cheeks, there 

 is no difference between them and the others ; and even the 

 colours of the other parts are precisely similar. On the whole, 

 I am much inclined to think that the two species are distinct; 

 but more extended observations than have hitherto been made 

 are necessary to settle the question. One character by which 

 they may be distinguished in all stages is this : — In Budytes 

 flava, the base of the feathers on the head is greyish-blue, 

 while in Budytes Rayi they are brownish ; hence, when the 

 tips and margins are abraded, the parts are bluish-grey in the 



