Malayan Ornithology. 393 



Rhopodytes sumatranus (Raffl.) The Green-billed Mal- 

 koha. 



From my note-book I extract the folio-wing account of this 

 non-parasitic Cuckoo : — 



" Kwala Kangsar, Perak, 16th March, 1877. This after- 

 noon I visited one of the nests I found yesterday, but the 

 owner of which I was then unable to identify ; to-day I shot it 

 as it rose from the nest. It is a most curious velvety-faced 

 bird, with the long tail, deeply-cleft beak, and short wings 

 characteristic of the Cuculidse. 



" In plumage its wings and upper parts are of a greenish 

 blue metallic colour, the tail-feathers tipped with white; 

 head, neck, and underparts dull ash-grey ; the head, throat, 

 and chin are covered with peculiar spiny hairs ; bare velvety 

 skin of the face scarlet, the very curved beak pale pea-green ; 

 the eyes are furnished with lashes. Length of bird, including 

 the tail, 16 inches. 



" The nest was a loosely-put-together structure of dry twigs, 

 slightly cup-shaped, and built at about 5 feet from the 

 ground, in a bush standing on the edge of a jungle-path. The 

 eggs, two in number, were nearly hatched ; they were \^ inch 

 in length, in colour white, but much stained with brown 

 matter. 



" The bird appears to build its own nest, and certainly 

 hatches its own egg ; for on two occasions during the last few 

 days I have stood close by and watched it sitting. It did not 

 utter any note or cry, not even when disturbed from its 

 nest.'' 



Unfortunately I neglected to determine the sex of this 

 bird, so cannot say whether it was the male or female which 

 was incubating. 



I got another near Kwala Kangsar during April ; but the 

 species is decidedly rare, and I saw very few specimens 

 among the many hundred skins I went through at Malacca. 



Rhamphococcyx erythrognathus (Hartl.). The Large 

 Malay Malkoha. 



Concerning this species, my note-book says : — 



'' Kwala Kangsar, Perakj 9th June, 1877. This afternoon^ 



