138 Lord Walden on a further Collection of 



been moulted. Thus the basal part of one of the median rec- 

 trices is more or less green, while the remainder is of a mixed 

 amethystine and greenish hue. Its fellow rectrix, a new fea- 

 ther not fully grown, is coming in of a pure amethystine 

 colom\ Several of the upper tail-coverts are green at their 

 base. It would therefore appear that the old feathers have 

 the power of changing their colour fix)m green to ame- 

 thystine. 



75, ? Oriolus melanocephalus, Linn. S. N. i. p. 160. no. 3 

 (1766). 



"S. Andaman: March 23, c^, 29, d 2, iris carmine, legs 

 greenish plumbeous, bill carneous ; April 24, j ; May 10, $ ." 



The five examples in the collection differ from true O. me- 

 kmocephalus by being smaller and by wanting the charac- 

 teristic broad yellow outer margins of the two iiuiermost ter- 

 tiaries and feathers. The remaining tertiaries, as well as all 

 the secondaries, exhibit much less yellow on their edges and 

 at their tips. The Andaman black-headed Oriole in this 

 respect resembles true O. ceylonensis ; but in the latter species 

 the secondaries possess very bold terminal yellow spots. Only 

 one specimen is of a bird in perfect plumage. If it represents 

 the normal characters of the race, the Andaman bird may 

 have to be specifically separated. In their dimensions the 

 Andaman, Burmese, Ceylonese, and Malabar birds are about 

 equal, the average length of the wing being five inches. But 

 the Burmese form only difi'ers from true 0. melanocephalus 

 by being smaller, the average length of wing in that species 

 from the Himalayas, Bengal, Central India^ and Assam being 

 five and a half inches. 



76. Geocichla albogularis, Blyth, J. A. S. B. 1847, p. 146, 

 " Nicobars.-*^ 



Geocichla innotata, Blyth, op. cit. 1858, p. 270, "Anda- 

 mans;^^ Ball, Str. Feath. i. p. 69. no. 61 ; Blyth, Append, to 

 Mouat, Andaman Isl. p. 360. no. 36 (1863). 



" S. Andaman: March, April, May, 6 $ , iris umber-brown, 

 bill dark brown, lighter at base of mandible, legs pale flesh- 

 colour." 



