544 VISCOUNT WALDEN ON BIRDS FROM TENASSERIM. [Nov. 22, 



by a more trenchant line. In the Tenasserim specimens the rufous 

 dies away into the yellow ; in them also the bill is decidedly longer, 

 while in all the other dimensions they are inferior to the Sumatran 

 bird. 



Brown figured and described this species, in his 'Illustrations,' from 

 a specimen said to have been from the " East Indies." Gmelin, in 

 error, gave Ceylon as its habitat, although he founded his M. singa- 

 lensis on Brown's description and plate. Latham fell into the same 

 mistake ; and hence in all the authors we find Ceylon recorded as 

 the native country of Gmelin's species. Temminck, fully aware that 

 Gmelin had previously described it, gave it another name ; and 

 Mr. Blyth, in 1843, unconscious that it had been previously named, 

 gave it as a new name the one already used by Temminck. Mr. 

 Blyth was the first author who referred the species to Swainson's 

 genus Anthreptes, instituted for the reception of Certhia malaccensis, 

 Scop. =Nectarinia javanica, Horsf., and chiefly characterized by the 

 stouter and straighter bill — with which species it appears to me to 

 be closely allied. Dr. Cabanis has, in the ' Museum Heineanum/ 

 separated it from Anthreptes, and made it the type of a new genus, 

 Chalcoparia. 



Tippera is the most northern region from which this species has 

 hitherto been recorded. It is unknown in India to the westward of 

 that country ; and we possess no authentic record of its occurrence 

 in Ceylon. Motley and Dillwyn state that this species occurs in 

 Labuan ; but specimens have to be compared. 



13. Dictum cruentattjm, (Linn.). 



Certhia cruentata, Linn. S. N. ed. 12, 1766, p. 187. 



Certhia coccinea, Scop. Del. Fl. et Faun. Insub. 1786, pars 2. 

 p. 91. n. 63. 



Nos. 56, 58, 66, 78, tf; 49, 57, 69, $ . Moulmein. 



" 5 . Bill and legs dark leaden ; irides dark brown. Some black 

 hairs on the head mixed with the scarlet feathers. Has the usual 

 habits of the genus, frequenting high trees in flower. An especial 

 favourite is a Cathartocarpus (Cassia Jlorida, Vahl) when in flower. 

 The call is a shrill piping, something like the ticking of a loud watch, 

 but of course not regular, and more quickly repeated. It occasion- 

 ally descends to flowering shrubs in the gardens. Tolerably common 

 about Moulmein, but very difficult to procure, as it is almost im- 

 possible to see it amongst thick foliage without the aid of glasses. 

 The note described above is generally uttered when starting in flight; 

 another note when at rest may be syllabized tee-tee-tee." 



Dr. Jerdon gives Scopoli's title the precedence ; but that of Lin- 

 naeus, founded on Brisson's description of Edwards's plate, is senior. 

 Sonnerat's species, Scopoli's type, was said by that traveller to be 

 from China. By Mr. Blyth ( j. A. S. B. 1845, p. 558, in note) the 

 Indian species is said to be common at Malacca. Specimens from 

 that peninsula that I have seen slightly differ, by being smaller, 

 having a shorter bill, and by the black portion of the plumage being 

 deep blue (rather than deep green) black; the red plumage is also 



