178 ALLEN'S naturalist's LIBRARY. 



Adult Male. — Head and neck black, except a white band 

 between the eyes, and the long, hairy, maroon-coloured crest 

 which covers the hinder part of the head ; upper-parts rich 

 green, glossed with steel-blue ; wings dark brown, mixed with 

 buff, except the inner coverts and scapulars, which are maroon, 

 glossed with purplish-blue ; under-parts black, glossed with 

 blue. Total length, io*8 inches; wing, 5*5; tail, 2*3; tarsus, 1.7. 



Adult Female. — Head blackish-grey, moderately crested ; rest 

 of the plumage bright grass-green, washed with grey on the 

 belly, except the wings, which resemble those of the male, but 

 the inner wing-coverts and scapulars are mostly chestnut, only 

 edged with maroon, and but slightly glossed. Size rather smaller. 



Range. — From Southern Tenasserim and Western Siam, 

 south through the Malay Peninsula to Sumatra, Java, Billi- 

 ton, and Borneo. 



Habits. — The only notes on the habits of this bird worth 

 recording are those by the late Mr. W. Davison, who writes : 

 " This species is always found in small parties of six or eight 

 or more, males and females, keeping to the dense forest, and 

 never venturing into the open, living on berries, seeds, tender 

 shoots and leaves, and insects of various sorts. They do not 

 scratch about nearly so much as \.\\q Arbor kolas, and are much 

 quicker and more lively in their movements, much like a Quail, 

 running hither and thither. They rise well before a dog, but 

 it is hard to flush them without. Their note is a soft, mellow, 

 pleasant whistle, which is chiefly heard in the morning, but 

 which they also utter when calling to each other after they 

 have been separated. Like that of A. rujigularis, their note 

 is very easily imitated, and they will answer the call readily." 



THE BLACK WOOD-PARTRIDGES. GENUS MELANO- 

 PERDIX. 



Mela?ioperdix, Jerd. B. Ind. iii. p. 580 (1864). 

 I'ype, M. nigra (Vig.). 

 Tail short, soft, and rounded ; composed of twelve feathers ; 

 more than half the length of the wing. 



