176 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ORNITHOLOGY OF INDIA. 



voice is weaker, and not nearly so shrill as that of A. bengalensis ; 

 it feeds on small fish ; after which it plunges, keeping under 

 water for some considerable time." 



146 quat.— Rhyticeros narcondami, Bume. (2). 



This species, which we only met with on the island of 

 Narcondam, was fully described, Stray Feathers, 1873, p. 411. 

 I have nothing now to add in regard to it. 



147 bis.— Palaeornis magnirostris, Ball. (18). 



This species is, in my opinion, distinct from the Ceylon bird, 

 which must apparently bear Linnaeus' title of eupatrius. 



Within our range there ai'e at least three well-marked and 

 immediately distinguishable species which have been confounded 

 under the name Alexandria which latter, according to Lord 

 Walden and Dr. Finsch, really applies to P. Java?iicus, Osb., 

 from Java and Borneo. 



I have, however, already fully discussed this question (vide 

 ante, p. 9), and need not here dwell further on this point. 



The following are dimensions of fine adult Andaman 

 males : — 



Length, 22 to 24 ; expanse, 24 to 26 ; wing, 8'25 to 8*62 ; 

 tail, from vent, 13 to 15 ; tarsus, 0*7 to 0"82; bill measured 

 from nostril to point, 1 "5 to 1*62; height of upper mandible 

 measured at the base of the latter, 93 to 0*96. 



Contrast these dimensions with those of a fine, apparently 

 adult, Ceylon bird, in which the length of the bill similarly 

 measured is 1*25 and the height 08. 



Even these dimensions fail to convey an adequate idea of the 

 enormous difference in size of the bills in adult males of the 

 two species. 



In the Andaman birds the legs and feet vary from pale 

 to deep orange, the soles are flesh colored, the claws darkish 

 brown. The bill is deep crimson, the lower mandible paler 

 and tinged with orange. The i rides are a light yellow, or 

 creamy yellow, the orbital skin pale orange. 



I said [p. 11] when discussing the allied races hitherto all 

 confounded under the Linnean name Alexandri that good 

 specimens must be compared ; now these wretched parrots have a 

 habit of dirtying themselves, and smearing their feathers over 

 with different kinds of gum to such an extent that the speci- 

 mens become worthless for purposes of comparison ; and 

 this is the case with my birds from the Cocos, and though they 

 agree, as far as I can judge, with the Andaman birds, the breast 



