PYERHOPICUS. 51 



tail-feathers rufons with black spots, forming imperfect bars, ou 

 both webs, shafts of quills and tail-feathers light red ; lower parts 

 from throat olive-brown, reddish on the breast, dusky on the abdo- 

 men ; a few narrow rufous bands on the lower flanks and nnder 

 tail-coverts. 



The female wants the crimson half-collar. The young have pale 

 shaft-lines throughout the head and neck, and traces of bars on 

 the breast and abdomen. 



Bill pale greenish yellow ; irides reddish orange to brownish 

 red ; legs and feet very dark green {Davison). 



Length 11"5 ; tail 4; wing 5*75; tarsus 1*1; bill from gape 

 1-9. 



Distribution. From the Eastern Himalayas (Nepal, Sikhim, 

 Dafla hills) to the Malay Peninsula, throughout Burma and other 

 intervening countries. 



Habits, Sf-c. An inhabitant of dense underwood, keeping very 

 much to the ground, and rarely ascending a tree unless disturbed. 

 This bird is generally found in pairs or small parties, is very voci- 

 ferous and has a loud screeching call. The eggs do not appear to 

 have been observed. 



979. Pyrrhopicus ruhiginosus. The Malay Bay WoodpecJcer. 



Hemicircus rubiginosus, Sivainson, Birds W. Afr. ii, p. 150 (1837). 

 Picus melauogaster, Hay, Madr. Jour. L. S. xiii, pt. 2, p. 1-j3 



(1844). 

 Gecinus rubiginosus, Blyth, Cat. p. 59. 

 Venilia porphyromelas (Boie),Bonap. Cotisp. i, p. 128; Hume &)• Dav. 



S. F. vi, p. 143 ; Oates, B. B. ii, p. 40. 

 Venilia melanogaster, Horsf. Sf M. Cat. p. 665. 

 Lepocestes porpbyromelas, Salvad. Ucc. Born. p. 48 ; Hume, S. F. 



iii, p. 319 ; Huryitt, Cat. B. M. xviii, p. 382. 

 Blythipicus porpbyromelas, Hume, S. F. vii, p. 520 ; id. Cat. no. 176 



bis. 



Coloration. Male. Whole head brown, paler in front all round 

 the base of the bill ; feathers on each side of the neck behind the 

 ear-coverts tipped with bright crimson, forming blood-red patches ; 

 some of the malar feathers tinged red in some specimens ; whole 

 upper plumage from nape, including the edges of the quills, dull 

 crimson ; feathers of rump and upper tail-coverts, quills and tail- 

 feathers very dark brown with narrow bars of pale rufesceut 

 brown, well marked on outer webs of all wing-feathers, but 

 except on the tertiaries faint on the inner webs ; lo\At'r plumage 

 from throat very dark olive-brown, the breast with a reddish 

 tinge. 



The female wants the red patches behind the ears. 



Bill chrome-yellow, tinged with green towards the base ; irides 

 red ; legs and feet dark, varying in shade, generally purplish or 

 purplish brown {Davison). 



Length 9 ; tail 3 ; wing 4'8 ; tarsus '9 ; bill from gape 1*45. 



Distribution. Malay Peninsula, extending into Tenasserim as far 



e2 



