THE ISLANDS OF THE BAY OF BENGAL. 179 



and sides of the head including cheeks and ear-coverts and lower 

 portion of lores and excluding these black stirpes, a pale drab 

 brown, with, in most specimens, the faintest grey tinge at the 

 base of the occiput. 



The nape, and that portion of the upper back immediately 

 adjoining it, similarly colored to the occiput ; but with more 

 or less of a yellowish tinge on the centre, and a bluish tinge 

 on the margins of the feathers. Specimens vary a good deal 

 in this respect, in some this greyish brown patch extends quite 

 to the interscapulary region, while many adult males have 

 not the slightest tinge of grey on the occipital region, or 

 blue on the margins of the nape feathers. The middle back, 

 scapulars, and all the coverts, except the larger ones of 

 the primaries, a yellowish green, most tinged with yellow on 

 the median, and later secondary greater coverts. The prima- 

 ries and their greater coverts, black or nearly so, the latter 

 tinged at their bases, on their outer webs, with indigo blue. 

 The primaries, except the first, suffused at their margin on 

 the outer webs, and towards the tips with verdigris green ; 

 but with an indigo blue tinge, inside the green margin, on the 

 outer webs towards the bases. The secondaries blackish brown 

 on the inner webs ; verdigris green, brightening on the later 

 ones, on the outer webs, and a tinge of the same color on the 

 inner webs at the tips near the shafts. The tertiaries are brighter 

 green, on both the webs, on the visible portions, hair brown 

 on the inner webs towards their bases. Lower back, rump, 

 and upper tail coverts, and entire lower parts (except the base 

 of the throat, below the junction of the mandibular stripes, 

 which is unicolorous or nearly so with the head) a very bright 

 grass green. The eight lateral tail feathers, the basal half 

 of the central tail feathers, and the basal two-thirds of the 

 next pair, a rather dull, somewhat yellowish green. The cen- 

 tral tail feathers with the terminal one-half greyish brown, 

 the extreme tips tinged with green, and the basal portion of 

 this grey brown part tinged with dull yellow at the margins. 

 There is a faint glaucous blue tinge at the extreme base of 

 these feathers. The next pair on either side have the terminal 

 one-third, the same grey brown, but tinged throughout with a 

 dingy yellowish green shade. The entire lower surface of the 

 tail is dull golden yellow. The lower surface of the quills 

 and of the greater lower coverts, dark or blackish brown, 

 wing lining and axillaries colored much like the rump. 



The female closely resembles the male, except that, first, 

 the upper mandible is black ; and secondly, that in fine specie 



