18. CENTBOPUS. 345 



Centrococcyx intermedius, Hume, Sfr. F. i. p. 454 (1873) ; id. ^• 

 Davison, op. cit. vi. p. 108 (1878) : Cripps, op. cit. vii. p. 26<i 

 (1878) ; Hume. op. cit. viii. pp. 89, 155 (1879) ; Bingham, op. cit. 

 ix. p. 1U9 (^1680) ; lieid, op. cit. x. p. 28 (1881) ; Oaten, f. c. p. 196; 

 id. Handb. B, Brit. Burmah, ii. p. 12tj (1683) ; iSalvad. Ann, 

 3Ius. Civ. Gen. (2) iv. p. 583 (1887) ; id. op. cit. v. p. 5G9 (1888). 



Centrococcyx maximus, Hume, Str. F. i. p. 454 (187'3). 



Centropiis iuleimedius, Gates, Str. F. v. p. 145 (1877). 



Centrococcyx acbeenensis, Hume, Str. F. vi. p. 171 (1878). 



Adult male. General plumage black, with the wings and upper 

 back chestnut ; head, neck, and chest glossed with purplish blue ; 

 remainder of the body, lower back, upper tail-coverts, and tail 

 glossed witli purplish green ; primaries with brown ends ; inner 

 secondaries sliglitly tinted with broMii : under wing-coverts glossy 

 black : " bill and legs black ; iris crimson " (Davison). Total length 

 22 inches, culmcn l'G5, wing 8'8, tail 12';3, tarsus 2*3. 



Adult female. Similar in plumage to the male. Total length 20*o 

 inches, culmen 1*8, wing 8'3, tail 11-2, tarsus 2-2. 



Immature. Plumage duller than in the adult and generally of a 

 greener shade ; sides of head and front of neck with bufly white 

 spots, increasing into bars on the body ; mantle, some of the wing- 

 coverts, and the innermost secondaries barred with black ; upper 

 tail-coverts uarrov/ly barred with buff; tail glossy greenish black, 

 with no blue shade. 



It will be seen from the above synonymy that I have been unable 

 to satisfy myself respecting the alleged distinctions which have 

 induced ornithologists to recognize such a number of different 

 forms of this Lark-heeled Cuckoo. My experience of the large 

 series which is now in the possession of the British Museum 

 induces me to believe that there is no constant character, either in 

 plumage or in dimensions, which can be found available for the 

 separation of any of the alleged species ; on the contrary, a perfect 

 gradation both in size and coloration unites every so-called race. 



Hah. Indian Peninsula and Ceylon ; Burmese Countries to China ; 

 Malayan Peninsula and Indo-Mulayan Islands. 



a-e. Ad. sk. Ceylon. Seebohm Coll. 



f-n. Ad. sk. Ceylon, Dec, March, April Tweeddale Coll. 



(.S. Chapman cV H. yevili). 



o,p. cJad.sk. Ragam Corale, Cevlon, Julv Hume Coll. 



(Hart), 



q. Ad. St. India. General Ilardwicke 



[P.]. 



r. 5 ad. sk. Colachul, Feb. Hume Coll. 



s, t. Ad. sk. Anjango, Travancore, Dec. Hume Coll. 



{F. Bourdillon). 



u. Ad. sk. Travancore. Eyton Coll. 



v-a'. Ad. et Malabar. Seebohm Coll. 



imm. sk. 



b'. $ ad. sk. Coonoor Ghat, April Tweeddale Coll. 



{.It. a. W. It). 



