16. corsTCHUs, 63 



black, with a slight gloss on the upper surface ; throat and chest 

 dark grey, with no perceptible gloss ; rest of under surface white, 

 with a slight brownish tinge on the sides of the body ; wings as 

 in the male, but rather browner ; four centre tail-feathers dark 

 brown, the next one on each side brown with an oblique portion 

 white, occupying the greater part of the outer web and extending 

 onto the inner one towards the tip, the next feather ou each side 

 brown only at the extreme base, the two outermost entirely white. 

 Total length 7"5 inches, culmen 0-8, wing 3-8, tail 3-6, tarsus 1-05. 

 Young. Much browner and more dingy than the adults, the 

 rnmp-feathers indistinctly, the primaries clearly margined T\ath 

 rusty brown ; the white of the wing-coverts more cii'cumscribed 

 than in the adults, and many of the coverts with dusky cross lines, 

 the brown external ones spotted with rusty ; feathers of the throat 

 pale rusty buff, with dusky-grey margins. 



The following is a description of typical C. musiciis : — 

 Adult male. Glossy purplish black above, including the throat and 

 breast ; rest of under surface pure white, the flanks greyish ; under 

 wing-coverts purplish black, with narrow margins of white to the 

 greater series ; wings black, with the coverts white, forming a large 

 patch extending down the wing, some of the median secondaries 

 being externally white ; six centre tail-feathers black, the rest 

 white with the base of the inner web blackish, increasing in extent 

 towai'ds the centre of the tail ; bill and feet black ; iris chocolate. 

 Total length 8-5 inches, culmen 0-9, wing 4-1, tail 3-8, tarsus 1-3. 



Adult female. Blackish grey, with a slight gloss ; the throat and 

 breast dark grey ; rest of under surface white, the flanks brownish ; 

 tail as in the male. 



A description of typical C. amcenus is here added : — 

 Adult male (East Java ; Wallace). General colour glossy blue- 

 black above as well as below, the flanks slightly greyish and the 

 vent aud under tail-coverts whitish, more or less mottled with 

 black ; wiug black, with the usual white shoulder-patch and streak 

 down the secondaries ; six centre tail-feathers black, the three 

 outermost pure white with a small spot of black at the extreme 

 base of the inner web. Total length 9 inches, culmen 0'8, wing 4' 15, 

 tail 4-4, tarsus 1*2. 



Adult female (East Java ; Wallace). Much duller than the male 

 above ; underneath entirely cinereous ; wing as in the male ; tail 

 with six centre feathers black, the rest white with a basal spot of 

 black on the inner web, extending a long way up the latter on the 

 third feather. Total length 9 inches, culmen 0-9, wiug 3-75, 

 tail 3-7, tarsus 1-2. 



The geographical distribution of the Dh:iyal birds is of great 

 interest ; and so gradual is the transition of one supposed species to 

 the other, and so uncertain are the characters for their specific 

 separation, that I have deemed it best to recognize but a single actual 

 species, though at the same time giving an idea of the races in the 

 list of specimens. 



lloughly speaking, the Indian Dhayal bird may be distinguished 



