19 19.] OrientalWoodpeckers and Barhets, 201 



I can see nothing in coloration to support this decision, 

 and over much of the northern area both phaioceps and 

 brachyurus, together with many intermediate individuals, 

 occur in great numbers. 



Micropternus hrachyurus phaioceps group. 

 This subspecies varies little more in size than does M. h. 

 hrachyurus, as the following shows : — 



N.W. India Wing 126-142 mm. Average 132. 8 birds. 



Nepal and Sikkini ... . „ 117-130 mm. „ 12.3. 35 „ 



Bengal and Behar ... . „ 112-123 mm. „ 116. 7 „ 



Assam to Tippera .... ,, 111-129 mm. ,, 118-7. 27 „ 



N.aud Central Burma. ,, 120-133 mm. „ lL'6-9. 18 „ 



S. Burma „ 117-131 mm „ 125. 29 „ 



S. Shan States „ 123-129 mm. ,, 125-5. 3 „ 



The above table therefore shows that we have a very 

 large form in north-western India, an isolated small form 

 in Bengal and Assam (practically all these latter are from 

 south of tlie Brahmapootra), and a third stretching from 

 Nepal and Sikkim right away to the extreme south of 

 Burma, where it meets true hrachyurus. 



Micropternus hrachyurus gularis group. 



Ceylon Wing 112-119 mm. Average 115-5. 16 birds. 



Travancore „ 110-120 mm. „ 116-4. 9 „ 



Neilgherries and Souili 



Madras „ 117-126 mm. „ 122-0. 13 „ 



N. of Neilgherries ... . „ 113-129 mm. „ 122-0. 16 ,. 



Of gularis, therefore, we have two possible races, one from 

 Ceylon and Travancore, with a wing of about 116 mm., and 

 a second from the rest of southern India, with a wigg of 

 about 122'0 mm., a difference of 6 mm. only, not supported 

 by any colour-differences. 



To summarize results by measurements, we have the 

 following : — 



Micropternus hrachyurus hrachyurus group. 



(1) Southern Malay Peninsula 



and Sumatra ^^"^'"g about 108-8 mm. 64 specimens. 



(2) Northern Peninsula, Burma 



and Siam „ „ 121-5 mm. 66 ,, 



q3 



