( 23G ) 



Witli regard to the differences of the /rm'i/rg we all agree more or less, 

 inasmnch as we consider the females and vonng of J'J. orio/talis to be deeper 

 rnfous cinnamon below, with larger, less numerons, and always cinnamon-rufons 

 (not whitish) spots above, and with wider rufous-cinnamon bars on wings and 

 tail, while those of J'J. ajanocephaUis are less rnfons beneath, have much mori' 

 numerous, smaller, and more or less whitish spots above, narrower and more 

 buffy bars on wings and tail. Most authors, however, have been more or less 

 uncertain, about the males especially. Shelley gives no key to the males of 

 orientalis, cyanocejilialu, and rufJcenter. Finsch (]i. lUl) admits that in many 

 instances the adnlt black males are not distiiiguishalile. I have said exactly 

 the same with regard to those of E. c/anocejihala everettl and E. orientalis 

 nifiventer (p. ii32). Nobody will consider the present status as an entirely 

 satisfactory one, and I believe it is not mainrainable. 1 have come to the- 

 following conclusions. 



Although the females of most of the forms are rather different, they pass, 

 in some instances, through a stage almost perfectly similar to that of other 

 forms. It is not probably true, that any two forms breed in the same area. Their 

 alleged occurrences in the same i)laccs are partly erroneous, partly e.xceptional 

 cases of stray birds. Therefore it is more logical to treat nearly all the forms 

 of the genus as subspecies of one species, to be called E. orientalis, which is 

 the oldest name in the genus. They may thus be distinguished as follows :— 



1. 



?. Crown of head with longitudinal whitish spots; tail with narrow whitish 

 bars ; underside whitish, thickly and widely barred with glossy blackish brown. 

 S ad. "Witli a somewhat greenish gloss, wing about 187 — 197 mm. 

 Nestling black ; immature birds more rnfous than M\v.\ifemales. 

 1. — Eudynamis orientalis lionoratus (L.). 



Cuculiis lionoratus Linn., Syst. Nat. ed. xii. 1766. p. 169 (ex Brisson : 

 habitat in Malabaria !). 

 India, Ceylon, Andamans, Nicobars, east to Clhina. 



Exactly like E. orientalis lionoratus, but a little larger ; ? generally more 

 rnfescent, not so white. Nestlings black. Wing of cJ ad. about 198 — 220 mm. 

 2. — Eudynamis orientalis malayana (_'ab. & Heine. 



Eudynamis malayana Cab. & Heine, .Uus. Ilein. iv. p. 52 (1862). 

 Sunda Islands. 



3. 



Very similar to E. o. lionoratus and E. o. malayana, but ¥ still more rufous 

 as a rule, bars underneath narrower. Wing of S ad. about 192 — 200 mm. 

 Nestling black. In this form as well as in E. o. lionoratus and malayana 

 the rnfescent bars on the tail (and wings) are very much wider in the young, 

 much more narrow in the &ihi\[. females. This is an important character for the 

 understanding of the Papuan and Moluccan forms. 



3. — Eudynamis orientalis mindanensis (L.)- 



Cuculus mindanetisis Linn. Syst. Nat. ed. vii. p. 169. 1766 (ex Brisson : 

 Mindanao). 



Philippine Islands to Sanghir. 



