EHOPODTTES. 233 



July; the nest is a loose platforai of twigs, with two or three 

 white chalky eggs, measuring about 1*46 to 1*05. 



1124. Rhopodytes diardi. Diard's Green-billed Mall-oha. 



Melias diardi, Lesson^ Traite (HOrnith. p. 132 (1831). 

 Phoenicophseiis tristis, apud Blyth, J. A. S. B. xi, p. 928 ; xii, p. 246. 

 Zanclostomus diardi, Blyth, Cat. p. 76; Horsf. ^ M. Cat. ii, p. 690; 



Blyth, Birds Burm. p. 81. 

 Rhopodytes diardi, Cah. ^ Heine, Mus. Hein. 'w, p. 61 ; Sharpe, 



P. Z. S. 1873, p. 604, fig. 9 ; Hume Sf Dav. S. F. vi, p. 163 ; Hume, 



Cat. no. 215 bis ; Oates, B. B. ii, p. 122 ; Shelley, Cat. B. M. 



xix, p. 390. 



Coloration. Almost the same as that of R. tristis. The narrow 

 line of feathers on the lores black ; head and neck dark ashy 

 grey ; lower hind-neck, back, rump, wings, and tail, the latter two 

 both above and below, rich glossy metallic green, passing into 

 blue ; all the tail-feathers tipped with white, less broadly than 

 in R. tristis. Lower parts ashy, chin whitish, the rest dark, 

 becoming blackish on the abdomen. 



Bill pale green ; irides dark brown ; bare orbital space crimson ; 

 edges of eyelids black ; legs and feet dark plumbeous green 

 (Davison). 



Length about 15 ; tail 9 ; wing 5 ; tarsus 1*25 ; bill from 

 gape 1-4. 



Distribution. Prom the neighbourhood of Mergui throughout 

 Southern Tenasserim and the Malay Peninsula to Sumatra. 



Habits, Sfc. Similar to those of R. tristis, which this species 

 replaces south of Mergui. 



1125. Rhopodytes sumatranus. TheSimatran 

 Green-billed Malkoha. 



Cuculua sumatranus, Raffl. Trayis. Linn. Soc. xiii, p. 287 (1822). 

 Zanclostomus sumatranus, Blyth, Cat. p. 76 ; Horsf. ^- M. Cat. ii, 



p. 689. 

 Rhopodytes sumatranus, Cab. Sf Heine, Mus. Hein. iv, p. 62; Hume 



^ Dav. S. F. vi, p. 164; Hwne, Cat. no. 215 ter; Shelley, Cat. 



B. M. xix, p. 391. 

 Poliococcyx sumatranus, Sharpe, P. Z, S. 1873, p. 606, fig. 14 ; Oates, 



B. B. ii, p. 123. 



Nostrils long, oblique. 



Coloration. Narrow band of feathers on lores black, a few white 

 feathers sometimes, not always, present above the bare orbital 

 area ; head above dark ashy grey, passing on the neck into 

 metallic green, which covers the remainder of the upper surface ; 

 quills and outer tail-feathers steel-blue above and below ; all the 

 tail-feathers with moderate white tips. Chin and throat ashy; 

 breast darker, with a wash of glossy green ; abdomen and lower 

 tail-coverts deep bay. Shafts of head- and neck-feathers black, 

 but not conspicuous. 



