I'KRICKOCOTUS. 



p. 206 ; vi. p. 508; viii. p. 1,1. More again a paler colouring and size are 

 allowed to make a species wing 4*65 to 5*0. 



Mr. Hume's remarks in regard to this latter are as follows : 

 From the neighbourhood of Tavoy we have a series of Volvocivora, which 

 cannot be referred to either V. melaschista, V. neglecta, V. intermedia, or 

 V. culminata or even V. avensis. They are paler than V. intermedia, and 

 a fortiori than V. melaschista * * * * Surely some allowance must be 

 made for the colouring of the different stages of the birds, their habitat, the 

 situatio-n they affect as well as the nature of such. Then again climatic in- 

 fluences and the time of year in which the specimens were collected. I cer- 

 tainly hold that all the species here referred intermedia, melanoptera, neglec/a, 

 and innominata are simply races or varieties of C. lugubris with wings ranging 

 from 4'o inches to 5*0. 



Gen. PericroCOtUS. Boie. 



Bill short,, rather broad at base, and high ; culmen slightly curved ; wing 

 long, 4th and 5th quills longest ; tail long, lateral feathers graduated; tarsi and 

 feet short and feeble. 



Mr. Sharpe has properly, like most authors, placed this group of brightly 

 coloured birds rvext to- the Ca?npephagincE. The Minivets form a group of 

 species very similar to- each other ; the males being for the most part clothed 

 in black and red (vermilion red), and the females in dusky and yellow. 

 They associate in small flocks and are always found on trees, actively hopping 

 from branch to branch in search of insects, upon which they feed. 



187. Pericrocotus speciosus, Lath. Ely. Cat. B. A. S. B. 1 158 ; 



Jerd. B. Ind. i. p. 419, No. 271 ; Stray F. ii. p. 208 . Oates, B. Br. Burmah, 

 i, p. 236 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. iv. p. 72. Phrenecornis princeps, Gould, 

 Cent. Him. B. pi. 7. The LARGE MINIVET. 



Male. Head, neck, upper back, wings, and two central tail feathers, glossy 

 black ; lower back, rump, upper tail coverts and under wings coverts rich 

 vermilion- red ; primaries black with a band of rich vermilion red across all 

 but the first three ; greater coverts black, very broadly tipped with vermilion ; 

 secondaries black, vermilion red at the base, the later ones with a vermilion 

 spot near the tip of the outer webs ; lateral tail feathers vermilion red. 



The female has the head, neck, upper back and central tail feathers light 

 ashy grey, tinged with greenish. Quills dusky black, with a deep yellow spot ; 

 four central tail feathers dusky, the outer pair tipped yellow, the others deep 

 yellow with some blackish markings at the base ; forehead, rump and upper tail 

 coverts greenish yellow, also the whole lower plumage. 



The young are like the female, but have the forehead tinged wit; 

 Bill and legs black ; irides deep brown ; eyelids grey. 



