598 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol.39. 



part of abdomen, the sides, and flanks washed with bhie, most heavily 

 on the first mentioned, the crissum faintly bluish or grayish, not pure 

 white; under wing-coverts exteriorly hyacinth blue, otherwise slate 

 gray mixed with wliite; axillars dull white washed with blue; thighs 

 slate gray tinged with blue. 



Measurements. — Eighteen males: Wing, 66.5-72.5 (average, 70.5); 

 tail, 63.5-72.5 (average, 70); exposed culmen, 9.5-12.5 (average, 

 11.3); tarsus, 14.5-16.5 (average, 15.6) mm. Nineteen females: 

 Wing, 64-70 (average, 67.1); tail, 62-71.5 (average, 67.2); exposed 

 culmen, 10-11.5 (average, 11); tarsus, 14.5-16.5 (average, 15.6) mm. 



Type-locality. — Great Karimon Island, eastern coast of Sumatra. 



Geographical distribution. — Malay Peninsula north to Lower Siam; 

 Sumatra; Great Karimon Island; Lingga Island; Banka Island; 

 Billeton Island; Borneo; Daat Island; Java; Lombok; Sumbawa; 

 Flores; Alor Island. 



Authors have heretofore considered the birds of this species inhab- 

 iting the Malay Peninsula and various neighboring East Indian 

 islands identical with those from the Philippine Archipelago, which 

 represent true Hypoihymis azurea,"- but a careful comparison of 

 series from both regions indicates that the former may well be sub- 

 specifically separated on the strength of characters given above. It 

 differs conspicuously from HypotTiymis azurea opistJiocyanea ^ of the 

 Anamba and Tambelan islands, in its much inferior size, usually more 

 whitish abdomen of the male, and usually less bluish lower tail- 

 coverts and axillars. From the Indian Hypoihymis azurea coeruleo- 

 cephala, the range of which it probably meets in Tenasserim or there- 

 abouts, it is distinguishable in the male by the much more bluish 

 abdomen, flanks, and sides; less purely white, that is, more grayish 

 or bluish, crissum and axillars; and darker, more purplish blue upper 

 parts. The birds from the Malay Peninsula are the most whitish of 

 any on the posterior lower parts, showing thus an inclination toward 

 Hypoihymis a. coeruleocephala; but birds from Trong, Lower Siam, 

 are just like those from farther south; from which fact we may infer 

 that the range of H. a. prophata extends still some distance to the 

 northward along the Malay Peninsula. Occasional specimens from 

 Borneo, eastern Sumatra, and neighboring islands have the lower 

 tail-coverts decidedly bluish. Birds from Tapanuli Bay, north- 

 western Sumatra, are like Hypothymis a. prophata in size and in color 

 of the lower parts of both male and female, but the crown averages 

 rather darker, less contrasted with back, and they thus verge some- 

 what toward the Banjak Islands form. 



a Muscicapa azurea Boddaert, Tabl. Planch. Enlum., 1783, p. 41. 

 bSeep. 602. 



