330 Capt. Bcavan on the Avifauna 



bird; and Col. Ty tier has therefore separated the latter as a 

 distmct species. Mr. BIyth's evidence is also on the whole in 

 favour of its being distinct. I here quote it : — " Two more 

 specimens from Port Blair, but still wanting the deep ferrugi- 

 nous colouring on the rump and upper tail-coverts ; however^ it 

 is faintly indicated, and that intense colouring is probably 

 peculiar to old males. There can be no doubt about the cor- 

 rectness of the identification. Length of a fresh specimen 

 7^ in. by 12 in., closed wing 4| in., tail 3 in., bill to gape \\ in. ; 

 its colour yellow, leaden-blue at base of lower mandible. Legs 

 ochreous-yellow ; the tarse 1 in." (J. A. S. B. 1859, p. 274). 

 But later he says, " of Temenuchus ertjthrojjygius, nobis, I have 

 seen no Andaman example yet with distinctly rufescent upper 

 tail-coverts " (J. A. S. B. 1860, p. 106). Col. Tytler has kept 

 numbers alive, and is very familiar with the bird in all its 

 phases of plumage, and says that the old males never do get 

 the rufescent upper tail-coverts of the true T. erythro'pygms. 

 We are therefore, I think, fully justified in considering the 

 Andaman bird a distinct species. 



The following is a brief description taken from specimens in 

 Col. Tytler's Museum : — Head, neck, throat, and abdomen pure 

 white ; back and upper tail-coverts pure ashy-grey ; under 

 tail-coverts white, with a very faint tinge of rufous ; wings and 

 middle tail-feathers dark glossy black with green reflections ; 

 the outer tail-feathers tipped with creamy yellowish-white, most 

 broadly so on the outermost pair, and decreasing towards the 

 middle; irides pale yellow (?); the legs also yellow. The female 

 diff'ers from the male in having scarcely any green reflections on 

 the wings, and the young is yet more dully coloured than the 

 female. The species is very abundant on Boss Island, frequent- 

 ing gardens and building in the neighbourhood of houses. It 

 is very fond of ripe fruit, especially plantains. 



68. Calornis affinis, A. Hay. 



" Not uncommon on the main island. I obtained the young 

 in August" (R. C.T.). 



G9. Calornis cantor (Gmclin). 



"Not uncommon in January and February" (R. C. T.). 



