Mr. E. Harffitt on the Genus Gecinus. 169 



'b 



rounded at the extremity; and the white central stripe is 

 more expanded and drop-like at the tip. Another male from 

 Kossoora^ June 25th {J. Darling, jun.), also in the Hume 

 collection, is evidently older than these two birds (although 

 it is still young) and quite of a different character ; the back 

 and the wings are of the general olive-green colour ; the 

 throat is brownish white, with dusky stripe-like spots ; sides 

 of the neck brown ; the fore neck and chest with only the 

 faintest tinge of green, the feathers having light centres, 

 forming an oval sjjot, with a dark shaft-streak ; the red on 

 the head of an orange-scarlet. 



Adult female. Differs from the male in the absence of the 

 red upon the crown and occiput, these parts being black, the 

 featliers of the crown edged with ashy grey : " legs and feet 

 dull green or dull brownish green ; claws greenish horny or 

 plumbeous ; irides brown or reddish brown ; eyelids plum- 

 beous or dark grey ; lower mandible greenish, or in some 

 clirome-yellow, except a brown or greenish-brown streak from 

 the angle of the gonys to the tip, and the tip ; upper man- 

 dible blackish" {Hume ^ Oates). Total length 11*5 inches, 

 culmen 1'45, wing 5*15, tail 4, tarsus 1"1. 



Nestling , female (April 12th). Differs from the male nest- 

 ling in having the forehead, crown, occiput, and nape black, 

 the bases of the feathers grey and darker than in the adult 

 female, the black on the tips of the feathers of the forehead 

 and crown being somewhat rounded spots, and not stripe- 

 like, as in older birds. 



In the Hume collection there is a very curious variety of 

 a female of the present species, from near Tavoy, May 29th 

 [W. Davison). It is of a buff-colour, both above and below, 

 with the usual markings ; the rump and upper tail-coverts 

 are bright olive-yellow, and a few of the feathers of the upper 

 parts and the concealed portion of some of the secondaries 

 are green ; the feathers of the crown, occiput, and nape are 

 brown, tipped with a paler brown ; the quills and tail-feathers 

 are brown, with the usual markings. It is quite clear that 

 this is only an example of faded plumage, as is shown by the 

 concealed portions of some of the secondary quills being 



SER. V. — VOL. VI. N 



