346 Mr. Blyth's Commentary 



Gray^ however, gives E. orientalis from Batchian and Ternate, 

 which is a mistake, also E. azureus, G. R. Gray, from Batchian, 

 and indicates E. pileatus, Reinw., from the Moluccas (P. Z. S. 

 1860, pp. 345-6). But is not the latter a synonym of Coracias 

 temmincki of Celebes ? In a collection received from the Batavian 

 Society by the Asiatic Society, Calcutta, a specimen of C. tem- 

 mincki was labelled C.pileata. In the British Museum catalogue 

 of mammalia and birds inhabiting New Guinea, Mr. G. R. Gray 

 further gives E. gularis, Vieillot, from that vast island. Are there 

 more than three (very slightly differing) Oriental races — orientalis, 

 azureiis, a.nd pacific us ? Radde's figure (Reisen &c. ii. taf. ii. fig. 2) 

 would seem to show that E. pacificus is the East Siberian form, 

 to which also belong Mr. Swinhoe's Chinese specimens now with 

 Mr. Tristram. That the Indian species should eat plantains, 

 always appeared to me very remarkable ; but one that I long kept 

 in an aviary would devour them eagerly, and would fly to me for 

 one when I had it in my hand*. Besides Eurystomus pacificus, 

 certain other species migrate on both sides of the equator, as 

 Acanthylis ciris, Cypselus pacificus, Cuculus str-iatus, and Eudyna- 

 mis mindanensis (?). According to Messrs. Mottley and Dillwyn, 

 Eurystomus orientalis "is a most active and lively bird, haunting 

 very tall jungle in parties of five or six together; these fly 



* The "plantain" of Anglo-Indians is the "banana" of the West; 

 and the "plantain" of the "West is the "horse-plantain" of Anglo- 

 Indians (on the principle of horse-radish, horse-chestnut, horse-leech, 

 &c.). The cultivated varieties of banana and plantain are endless; and in 

 Burma I found them to be as numerous as in Bengal, but all of them 

 different ! At Moulmein I observed a curious variety of the plant, bearing 

 three successive bunches, or rather loads, of fruit on the same stem of the 

 usual size, and each divided from the next by an interval and a coronet 

 of small leaves. The oldest bunch was nearly ripe, the next almost full- 

 gTOwn; and the third had the fruit just set, with the usual gi'eat heart- 

 shaped flower-bud beyond it ! Plantains are a great resource in hot 

 coimtries for feeding frugivorous animals ; and in Lower Bengal there is 

 also a never-failing abundant supply of prawns and shrimps (fom* species 

 of Penceiis, and a dozen or more of Palcemon of all sizes, from the great 

 Palannon carcinus downwards), upon the smaller of which not only the 

 smaller wading-birds generally, but sundry land-birds also, prey readily. 

 Again, the effluvium from the shrimps attracts numerous flies, upon which 

 for many months a fine white Tchitrca paradid and other fly-catching 

 species maintained themselves abundantly in my aviary. 



