Mr. H. E. Dresser on Eurystomus orientalis. 101 



me. In his key to the species, Mr. Sharpe states that E, 

 orientalis and E. Icetior have the terminal half of the tail 

 black, not shaded with purplish blue, whereas E, calonyx has 

 the terminal half of the tail black conspicuously washed with 

 purplish blue. I find, however, that the blue on the tail 

 varies so greatly that it is best to separate the specimens 

 into three categories, viz., those having the basal half of the 

 tail only washed with blue, those having the tail from half 

 to two-thirds washed with blue, and those having the tail 

 washed with blue above two-thirds of its length, the two latter 

 being, according to Mr. Sharpe, referable to his E. calonyx. 



I may remark that the specimens from the Andamans vary 

 less inter se than those from any other locality, and that they 

 have, as pointed out by Mr. Sharpe, the bill rather larger, 

 in that respect somewhat resembling Eurystomus eras- 



