506 TlilELIID^. 



Adult male. General colour above browu, rather more dusky on 

 the mantle and upper back, lighter and more fulvous-bro-vrn on the 

 lower back and rump ; upper tail-coverts light rufous ; tail-feathers 

 entirely rufous-brown, with lighter rufous edgings ; wing-coverts 

 like the back, the greater coverts dusky, externally like the back; 

 quills dusky brown, externally dull olivaceous brown, the secondaries 

 entirely of the latter colour ; forehead and crown deep orauge-nifbus, 

 the feathers tipped with distinct spots of black ; hinder crown and 

 nape black ; lores, feathers round the eye and above the ear-coverts 

 ashy white, mottled with blackish margins to the feathers, the 

 hinder part of the eyebrow fulvescent with paler shaft-lines ; ear- 

 coverts pale fulvous with lighter shaft- streaks ; cheeks, throat, and 

 underparts pure white, with a slight ashy shade on the chest ; thighs 

 fiilvoiis-brown ; axiUaries and under wing-coverts white, with ashy- 

 fulvous edges : quiUs dusky brown below, ashy whitish along the edge 

 of the inner web ; " hill black, the mandible whitish lead-colour ; legs 

 and feet pale pinkish lead-grey ; iris Indian red " (A. Everett). Total 

 length 6 inches, culmen 0-65, wing 3, tail 2'5, tarsus 0"S. 



Adidt female. Similar to the male iu colour, and having the soft 

 parts the same. Size rather smaller. Total length 5'5 ruches, 

 culmen 0-6, wing 2-8, tail 2-2, tarsus 0-8. 



This species is a diminutive of M. mar/niim, from which it differs 

 in its smaller size, somewhat paler coloration, more rufous tail, and 

 in the lighter rufous of the forehead, the feathers of which are very 

 distinctly tipped with black, scarcely any trace of which is visible 

 in the larger species. The imder surface wants the ashy spots on 

 the throat, which are conspicuous in 21. magnum. 



In the Eyton collection were two types marked " original speci- 

 men " of Mcdacoptcron cinereum of Eyton. One of these birds is 

 tSctaria affinis (Blyth) ; and the other is a Proparus or AJcippe, 

 usually so called. It is impossible that either of these can be the 

 actual type of M. cinereum ; for Eyton describes the species as 

 being similar to the female of his M. magnum, but much smaller. 

 The female of J/, magnum he describes as " smaller than the male, 

 with the head and nape ferruginous, spotted with black."' As Mr. 

 Hume has surmised, the descriptions are taken from poorly prepared 

 Malaccan skins. The male of 31. magnum is recognizable both 

 from Eyton's description and his type ; but the female (the tj'pe 

 of which was missing from the Eyton collection) was evidently 

 nothing but a male of the smaller species of rufous-headed Mala- 

 copferon ; or it might be a specimen of the allied M. lepidocephalum. 

 This is quite probable, as the latter bird comes from Sumatra, and 

 has the " head and nape rufous." Bad as the descriptions are, it is 

 doubtful if Eyton would have overlooked the black nape of M. cine- 

 reum. I think, however, that Mr. Hume's explanation is the most 

 feasible, viz. that Eyfon guessed at the sexes of M. magnum, and 

 that his supposed female was really a male of the smaller kind ; and 

 thus the latter should stand as M. cinereum, the description of which 

 is referable to the smaller species also. 



Huh. Malayan peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. 



