MESIA. 353 



shape a rather long obtuse oval. Thirty eggs average 21-1 x 

 15-1 mm. ; the extremes are 23'1 X 18'4 mm. and 19'3 X 14*3 mm. 

 Habits. Jerdon's Chloropsis is found either in pairs or small 

 parties frequenting trees in fairly open country, gardens, orchards, 

 small spinneys and light forest. It apparently is not found 

 in heavy forest such as is common in sub-Himalayan plains and 

 in parts of Southern India also. It is as active in its habits as 

 the rest of its relations, a sweet songster with an endless repertoire 

 of notes, both of its own and copied from other birds. Many of 

 its notes are very like those of the common King-Crow, though 

 softer and sweeter. It is a favourite cage-bird, feeding, both in 

 captivity and when wild, on fruit, seeds and insects. It is very 

 fond of small grasshoppers. 



(375) Chloropsis cyanopogon. 

 THE BLTJE-WHISKEKED CHLOROPSIS. 



Phyllomis cyanopogon Temm., PI. Col., 512, fig. i (1829) (Sumatra). 

 Chloropsis cyanopogon. Blanf. & Gates, i, p. 239. 



Vernacular names. None recorded. 



Description. Male. The upper plumage, tail, wing-coverts and 

 sides of the neck bright green, the forehead tinged with yellow 

 and inner webs of tail-feathers brown ; wing-quills dark brown 

 edged with green ; lores, cheeks, chin and throat black ; a line 

 over the lores and eye brighter green than elsewhere ; a short 

 moustachial streak blue; a line round the black throat greenish 

 yellow ; lower plumage light green. 



Colours of soft parts. Iris dark brown ; bill black ; legs and 

 feet dark plumbeous. 



Measurements. Length about 180 mm.; wing 81 to 85 mm. ; 

 tail about 30 to 33 mm.; tarsus about 18mm.; culmen about 

 15 mm. 



Female. Chin and throat green, the moustachial streak pale- 

 dull blue and feathers round eye yellowish. 



Distribution. The South of Tenasseriin down t!ie Malay 

 Peninsula to Sumatra and Borneo. South-West Siam. 



Nidification. Unknown. 



Habits. According to Davison the habits of this bird closely 

 resemble those of the Burmese Chloropsis. 



Genus MESIA Hodgsoja, 1838. 



The genus Mesia is very closely allied to Liothriv, differing 

 principally in the shape of the tail, which is rounded and a little 

 graduated. The bill is exactly like that of Liothrix but the- 

 nostril is covered by a peculiarly shaped membrane. 



VOL.I. 2 A 



