478 



In Pericrocotus the bill is half the length of the head, strong, 

 hooked and notched ; the nostrils are concealed by plumes ; the 

 wing is long and pointed, the tail greatly graduated, and the feet 

 weak. In all the species the sexes are very differently coloured 

 except in two, in which the colours are very dull and the difference 

 between the sexes comparatively trivial. 



The young bird resembles the female in general distribution of 

 colours, but the whole upper plumage is barred with white, each 

 bar being preceded by a black or brown line. 



The Minivets are strictly arboreal, going about in small flocks 

 and searching the leaves and branches of trees for insects. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Tail black and red ; upper tail-coverts red. 

 a' Crown and back glossy black. 



a". Tertiaries with isolated red oval 



drops. 

 '". First two primaries entirely black. 



a 4 . Tail exceeding 4 inches P. speciosus <5 , p. 479. 



6 4 . Tail not exceeding 3'5 inches. . P.fraterculus d 1 , p. 481. 

 b'". First three primaries entirely 



black. 



c 4 . Middle pair of tail-feathers en- 

 tirely, or nearly entirely, black. P. andamanensis c, p. 481. 

 d 1 . Middle pair of tail-feathers with 



the outer webs red P.flammifer $ , p. 482. 



c'" First four primaries entirely black. P.Jlamtneux <3 , p. 482. 

 b". Tertiaries with no isolated red oval 



drops. 

 d'". Under wing-coverts and axillaries 



crimson. 



e 4 . Tail about 4 inches ; black of 

 throat and red of breast meet- 

 ing in a straight line P. brevirostris <3 , p. 483. 



/ 4 . Tail about 3'5 inches ; black of 

 throat encroaching on red of 



breast in a rounded form .... P. neylectus $ , p. 484. 

 e'". Under wing-coverts and axillaries 



yellow P. iyneus <$ , p. 484. 



b'. Crown and back ashy or grey ; never 



black. 

 c". Wing considerably over 3 inches. 



/". Lower plumage bright scarlet . . P. solans <$ , p. 485. 



g'". Lower plumage rosy red P. roseus c? , p. 486. 



d". Wing not exceeding 3 inches. 

 h'". Lower plumage variegated ; 

 throat grey to black; breast 



scarlet P. peregrinus $ , p. 487. 



i'" Lower plumage entirely of one 



colour. 



</. Lower plumage pale yellow . . P. peregrinus 5 , p. 487. 

 A 4 . Lower plumage bright yellow. P. igneus , p. 484, 



b. Tail black and yellow ; upper tail-coverts 



yellow. 



