All rifjhti reserved. ArniL, 1913. 



BIRD NOTES: 



THE 



JOURNAL OF THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB 



Fairy Blue-Birds (Trenn). 



By Wesi.ky T. Pagk, F.Z.S., ktc. 



All the ,s])ccie,s of Irena are called Fairy Blue Bii'ds, 

 aiul I think all should bo given a distinctive name, the title 

 "The Fairy Blue Bird," all. I think, will agree should go to 

 Irom piielJa, and I have .suggested for general use names 

 for the other species in the following notes, which cannot 

 bo entirely descriptive. The colouration of Irena is similar 

 through all the species, but with one or two exceptions the 

 arrangement of the colour areas varies sufficiently to allow 

 of the species being picked out fairly readily. The varying 

 length of the tail -coverts is also distinctive in most of the 

 species. 



The genus has a fairly wide range, viz., Ind. Penins., 

 Indo-Chinese countries, Malayan Penins.; Java, Sumatra, 

 Borneo, and the Philippine Islands. 



The " key to species " given below is compiled from 

 Vol. III. of the British Museum Catalogue. It should prove 

 of general interest to aviculturists, and enable them to place 

 any specimens of these exquisites which may reach the English 

 market. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



'' ri/d/K 111(1 sttra Lliuleriieath dee]i puri)lisli-blue ; mantle same 



colour. 



'' fiirc'isii \ Underneatli black ; under tail-coverts reaching 



''(■riiin/er I to the lip, or even beyond the tip of the taib 



''])urll<i Under tail coverts not reaching to the tip of 



the tail, falling short by more than the length 



of the tar.^us. Enamelled blue feathers of a 

 " purplish shade. 



" iiri'i'diilii Enamelled blue feathers of a dull verditer. 



" r//(iiH'(l ITnder tail-coverts reaching nearly to tip of the 



" tail, not falling short of it by so much as the 



" length of the tarsus. 



( th'w Ihe Ihit. Mux. Cal. Vol. TTI 



f. 265). 



