Capt. Beavan on various Indian Birds. 407 



Harpactes orescius*. 



I procured this handsome Trogon in Burmah, on Korkarit 

 Island, in the middle of the river Salween, on the 17th Au- 

 gust 1865. Its dimensions were as follows: — Length 11, 

 wing 4-625, tail 6*75, tarsus '5, bill from front '625, extent 13 

 inches. The bill and skin of the eyes and feet were bright blue in 

 colour. The head, throat and neck a greenish-yellow, extend- 

 ing to halfway down the breast, where it is met by orange- 

 yellow, which latter merges into bright yellow on the belly and 

 under tail-coverts. The back and upper tail-coverts are of a 

 rufous-maroon. The wings are banded with black and white ; 

 the tail is black, with its outer feathers tipped with white, and 

 some of them white for a considerable distance along their 

 length. This beautiful Trogon lives in the thick forest jungle, 

 where there is but little underwood and progression is easy for 

 the naturalist, and is found in flocks or small parties of eight 

 or ten. Each bird seems, however, to forage entirely "on his 

 own hook "; it suddenly darts out from the tree it may be seated 

 on, seizes an insect, and, after devouring it on a branch, sits 

 there so very silently and quietly that it is next to impossible 

 to see it. They are not shy ; but the colour of their plumage 

 assimilates so closely to that of the surrounding foliage 

 that observation is very difficult in consequence. The female 

 resembles the male in plumage, but is altogether more dully 

 coloured. Having previously expended all my shot, I killed 

 one with a bullet ; but it was too much knocked about to pre- 

 serve. 



117. Merops vtridis. Common Indian Bee-eater. 



Occurs about Moulmein during the whole of the rainy season; 

 but although residing there from July 2nd to October, 1865, 

 I did not observe it breeding there. I mention this with re- 

 ference to Dr. Jerdon's statement that " Mr. Blyth observed 

 them breeding near Moulmein as late as the middle of August." 



122. Nyctiornis athertoni. Blue-necked Beetle-eater. 

 I procured my first specimen of this handsome bird at Moul- 



* Cf. Lord Walden's paper on birds collected by me in the Tenas- 

 serim provinces of Burmah (P. Z. S. 1866, pp. 537^56). 



