244 DICRTJRID^. 



Adult. Uppei' surface of body greenish steel-black, highly metallic, 

 the ground-colour of the plumage grej'ish, the rump and upper tail- 

 coverts less distinctly glossed with green ; wings metallic steel- 

 colour, the primaries black, only washed externally with metallic 

 coloiir ; tail purplish black, glossed with metallic colour on the outer 

 webs ; lores and sides of face dull black ; rest of under surface 

 greyish black with a slight greenish gloss, the lower throat and 

 chest spangled with metallic tips of steel-green ; under wiug-coverts 

 black, slightly glossed with steel-colour ; bill and feet black ; iris 

 deep brown*. Total length 9 inches, culmen 0"85, wing 4'75, tail 

 4-75, tarsus O-O. 



Hab. The whole of India, ranging into Assam and Burmah. 



a. Ad. sk. Travancore. Capt. Biddulph [C.]. 



b,c. Ad. sk. Malabar. Purchased. 



d,e,f,g. Ad.sk. Nepal. B. H. Hodgson, Esq. [P.]. 



h, i, k. Ad. sk. Is azeerah. Upper Assam R. B. Sharpe, Esq. [P.]. 



(Dr. Reid). 



I. Ad. sk. Burmah. Capt. Stackhouse Pinwill 



[P.]. 



2. Chaptia brauniana. 



Chaptia braimiana, Sicinh. Ibis, 1863, p. 269 ; id. ih. 1866, p. 399 ; 

 Grarj, Hand-l. B. i. p. 287 ; Sidnh. P. Z. S. 1871, p. 378. 



Adult. General colour above glossy greenish black, with a slight 

 purplish tinge, this shade of colour spreading uniformly over the 

 entire back, rump, and upper tail-coverts ; wings uniform with the 

 back, the primaries black, glossed with metallic ; tail very much 

 forked, purplish black, glossed on the outer webs with glossy steel- 

 blue ; lores and sides of face deep black ; throat and breast black, 

 spangled with metallic steel-blue, somewhat tinged with purple ; 

 the rest of the under surface dull grey, lighter on the lower flanks, 

 and somewhat washed with metallic green near the breast, the 

 under tail-coverts glossed with green ; under wing-coverts black, 

 glossed with purple ;• bill and legs black ; iris blackish brown. Total 

 length 9-7 inches, culmen 0-8, wing 5-15, tail 5-2, tarsus 0-55. 



Hah. Island of Formosa. 



o. Ad. sk. Formosa. Robert Swinhoe, Esq. [C.]. 



3. Chaptia malayensis t, 



Chaptia malayensis, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xv. g. 294 {ex A. Hay, MS.) ; 

 id. Cat. B. Mus. A. S. B. p. 200; Gray, Gen. B. iii. App. p. 13; 

 Bp. Cofisp. i. p. 350; Horsf. ^- Moore, Cat. B. 3Ins. E.I. Co. 

 p. 393 ; Moore, P. Z. S. 1854, p. 271 ; Jerd. B. Ind. i. p. 434 ; 



* Mr. Gates gives the following note on the soft parts of specimens killed in 

 Upper Pegu : — " Iris pinkish bazel ; eyelids purplish gi'ey; bill, legs, feet, and 

 claws black." 



t ]}rymonax niger. Less. Rev. Zool. 1839, p. 167, has been doubtfully referred 

 by some authors to this species ; but I cannot agree in the identification. 



