482 MMELIIDiE. 



abdomen, as well as the under tail-coverts, fawn-bufF ; thighs also 

 of the latter colom-, but somewhat washed with brown ; under 

 wing-coverts and axiUaries fawn-colour ; quills dark brown below, 

 light fulvous dong the margin of the inner web ; " bill fleshy white 

 or yellowish white ; legs and feet sickly yellow or whitish in some, 

 tinged in parts with yellowish ; eyeKd yellowish ; iris wliite, or 

 white faintly tinged with green " {Legge). Total length 9-8 inches, 

 culmen 0*95, wing c5"95, tail 4'25, tarsus 1-25. 



The adult female resembles the male in plumage. 



Immature Inrcls are very similar to adults {Legge). 



Hah. Ceylon and llamisserum island. In the former locality it 

 is common in the low country from the Jaffna peninsula and the 

 north-west coast down both sides of the island to the extreme south 

 (c/. Legge, I. c). It is said to occur on the peninsula of India ; but 

 the evidence appears to me to be at present doubtful. 



a. Ad. sk. Ceylon. Huo'h Cumiug,Esq. 



b, c. Ad. sk. Ramisserum island. Maior Vincent Legge [P.l. 

 d. Var. sk. Ceylou. Major Vincent Legge [P.]. 



14. Crateropus somervillii. 



TimaUa somer\illei, Si/kes, F. Z. S. 1832, p. 88; id. J. A. S. Beng. 



iii. p. 536 (1834) ; jerd. Madr. Journ. x. p. 257 (1839) ; Gray, 



Gen. B. i. p. 228 (1846). 

 Malacocercus somervillei, Blyth, J. A. S. Beng. xiii. p. 368 (^1844) ; 



Jerd. III. Ind. Orn. text to pi. 19 (1847) ; Horsf. Sf Moore, Cat. 



B. E.I. Co. Mus. i. p. 219 (1854) ;' Jerd. B. Ind. ii, p. 63 (1863) ; 



Blyth, Ibis, 1867, p. 6; Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 279, no. 4111 



(1869) ; Fairbank, Sir. F. 1876, p. 258 ; Hume, t. c. p. 456 ; id. 



Str. F. 1879, p. 97 ; Vidal, Str. F. 1879, p. 64. 

 Malacocercus sykesii, Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p. 63 (1863). 

 Malacocercus griseus, Swinh. Ibis, 1865, p. 416 (nee Gm.). 



Adult. General colour above light brown, the head a little more 

 dusky than the back, and uniform, the feathers of the back with 

 whitish shaft-lines ; rump and upper tail-coverts sandy buff, with 

 pale shaft-lines to the feathers, these parts contrasting with the back ; 

 wing-coverts ashy brown with pale shaft-lines ; quills dark brown, 

 the innermost paler brown, externally ashy brown : tail-feathers 

 rlifous-brown, the outer feathers paler towards their ends : lores 

 dull whitish ; sides of face light ashy brown ; throat dusky brown, 

 with ashy margins to the featliers, producing a somewhat mottled 

 appearance ; the fore neck and chest also ash}', with fulvous shaft- 

 streaks ; remainder of under surface light tawny buff, the under 

 wing-coverts deeper and more fawn-coloured ; quUls dark brown 

 below, paler brown along the edge of the inner web : " bill horny 

 yellow ; legs dirty yellow ; iris pale yeUow " (Jerdon) ; " iris 

 yellowish yvhiie'' (Vidal). Total length 9-5 inches, culmen 0-95, 

 wing 4-1, taU 4, tarsus 1*45, 



Hah. Bombay, and has been obtained at Matheran, ranging 





