152 ADDITIONAL NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF TENASSERIM 



116.— Harpactes erythrocephalus, Gould. 



By no means a common bird, and only found in the higher 

 hills, generally in evergreen forest. 



I procured two males and a female in the Thoungyeen valley. 



Male. — Length, 12 - 8 ; expanse, 175 ; wing, 6 0; tail, 7-7; 

 tarsus, 0"60; bill from gape, 11. 



Fore part of bill horny ; remainder, with gape and eyelids, 

 rich cobalt blue ; legs and feet a light fleshy purple ; irides 

 brick red ; claws horny. 



Female, (caught off eggs, a note of which is given below). — 

 Length, 12 - 5 ; expanse, 18'8; wing, 55 ; tail, 73 ; tarsus, 0*6 ; 

 bill from gape, Tl. 



Bill, legs, feet, etc., as in male ; irides a rich crimson. 



On the 11th March I found a nest of this bird containing 

 two eggs almost pure white, blunt oval in shape and one of 

 which measured 1'08 by 090. The nest was iu the head of 

 a stump leaning over the Queebaw choung, (a feeder of the 

 Meplay) at its sources, and consisted merely of a little hollow 

 dug out of the rotten wood at the top at a height of about 

 8 feet from the ground. A Kareu who was with me mauaged 

 to catch the female alive with his hand as she sat on her nest, 

 but unfortunately broke one of the eggs. 



116 ter.— Harpactes oreskios, Tern. 



The very commonest of common birds wherever evergreen 

 forests occur, and therefore, of course, throughout the Thoun- 

 gyeen valley. 



It has a feeble, croaking, querulous note, and a stupid, flus- 

 tering, noisy way of flying off its nest on any one's approach, 

 which in nine cases out of ten, direct attention to it. For 

 notes on its nidification, see S. F., Vol. V., pp. 50 and 82. 



117.— Merops viridis, Lin. 



Except in heavy forest land this little bird is almost as 

 common in Tenasserim as in the North- West Provinces of 

 India. 



It crosses the Dawna range into the Thoungyeen valley, 

 and is found in suitable spots all along the river. 



It is a permanent resident and breeds there. 



118.— Merops philippinus, Lin. 



This bird being partially migratory is often overlooked ; but 

 it is common nearly all the year round at Kaukarit on the Houn- 

 draw river, where it breeds in April and May in the sandy 

 banks of the Kaukarit choung. 



