408 



lined with leaves or grass (often with green leaves) on a fork of a 

 tree, and lays usually two eggs, but sometimes only one, broad oval 

 in shape, white or buff thickly mottled and blotched with blood-red, 

 reddish or yellowish brown, and measuring about 2'03 by 1*72. 



Genus MACHJERHAMPHUS, Westerman, 1848. 



This remarkable genus has been placed by ornithologists gene- 

 rally near Pernis, which it resembles in its densely feathered lores. 

 At the same time the peculiar very compressed bill a ad wide gape 

 .and the long unequal toes and claws show the present to be a very 

 aberrant and specialized form. It comprises two species one 

 inhabiting South Africa and Madagascar, the other a Malay bird 

 found also in Southern Tenasserim. 



The bill is small and excessively compressed anteriorly, so that 

 the sharply curved culmen forms a narrow keel; cere very thin 

 and inconspicuous, the feathering of the lores extending almost to 

 the elongate narrow quasi-longitudinal nostril. Gape very broad. 

 A nuchal crest present. Feathers of lores dense but not scale- 

 like, without bristles in the Indian species. Wings long, the 3rd 

 quill longest ; tail moderate, square, lower tail-coverts long. Tarsus 

 only feathered at the base in front, naked portion reticulated ; toes 

 very long, unequal, outer much longer than inner, but the inner 

 -claw much larger than the outer and nearly equal to the hind claw, 

 middle claw slightly dilated on the inner side. 



1250. Machserhamphus alcinus. The Slender-billed Pern. 



Machserhamphus alcinus, Westerm. Bijd. t. d. Dierk. i, p. 30, pi. 

 (1848) ; Sharps, Cat B. M. \, p. 342 ; Hume, S. F. iii, p. 269 ; 

 id. Cat. no. 57 ter ; Hume 8r Dav. S. F. vi } p. 24 ; Gurney, Ibis, 

 1879, p. 464 ; Oates, B. B. ii, p. 206. 



Coloration. Black more or less tinged with brown, except the 

 feathers on the upper and lower eyelids and on the throat and middle 

 of the breast, which are white : a black stripe from the chin down 

 the middle of the throat. In some specimens, probably immature, 

 there is more white on the breast, and indications of bars on the 

 tail-feathers, and a Malacca skin shows a narrow white collar. 



Bill black ; cere very thin (apparently black) ; irides bright 

 yellow ; legs and feet pale plumbeous (Davison). 



Length of a male 18 ; tail 7 ; wing 14'4 ; tarsus 2-4 ; mid-toe 

 without claw 1-9 ; bill from gape 1*8. 



Distribution. Malay Peninsula, Borneo, and New Guinea ; a single 

 specimen was obtained by Mr. Hough at Malewoon in the extreme 

 south of Tenasserim. Nothing is known of the habits, but the bird 

 is very probably crepuscular. 



Genus BAZA, Hodgson, 1836. 



This is another generic type the relations of which are very 

 doubtful. It has been referred by different naturalists to the Kites, 

 to the Falcons, and to the Honey-Buzzards. 



