254 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ORNITHOLOGY OF INDIA. 



would be the most appropriate trivial name for the species' of 

 this genus. 



693.— Eulafoes javanensis, Osbech. (40.) 



After having very carefully examined a large series of Anda- 

 man and Nicobar birds I compared them with equally large 

 series from Malacca, Thyet Myo, Tipperah, the Darjeeling and 

 Kumaon Terais, Sumbulpore, Raipore, and the Tributary Mehals. 

 I confess that I am unable to see where the line is to be drawn 

 between javanensis, andamanensis, and intermedia. 



Of all the Indian races of this species with which I am 

 acquainted, that from the Tributary Mehals has the smallest bill, 

 and is the one nearest approaching in size to religiosa. 



Dr. Jerdon remarks that : — " The hill myna of Southern India 

 {religiosa) occurs in the thick forests of the Northern Circars as 

 far as Groomsoor, extending west into the wooded portion of the 

 Nagpore territories." As a matter of fact, however, the species 

 which occurs immediately north and north-west of Goomsoor 

 in the valley of the Mahanuddy and the forests of the Tri- 

 butary Mehals and the Sumbulpore District is mUch more closely 

 allied to intermedia than to religiosa ; in fact it is intermedia 

 with a very small bill, and with the lappets as in this species, 

 and not with a bare streak on either side of the middle of the 

 occiput running up to the crown so as to divide the whole occi- 

 pital feathers into three narrow tongues, as in religiosa. 



If we compare the Sumbulpore birds with specimens from 

 Malacca, the latter have such very much larger and more massive 

 bills that did no intermediate links occur, I would afc once accept 

 the two races as distinct species ; but the fact is that every pos- 

 sible gradation of size of bill and bird appears to occur. 

 Kumaon and Sikim birds have very much larger bills than the 

 Sumbulpore specimens, birds from Tipperah are larger still, in 

 fact one specimen from Tipperah is not distinguishable from 

 Malaccan birds ; Thyet Myo birds again are about the same 

 size as those from Sikim. The Andaman birds have bills quite as 

 long or longer even than the Malaccan ones, but as a rule they 

 are not so deep. But then again they vary much inter se, and out 

 of twenty-four specimens whose bills I have carefully guaged, 

 I find one or two with bills within one hundredth of an inch as 

 deep as those of several of the Malaccan birds. Under any 

 circumstances the Andaman bird is, it seems to me more nearly, 

 akin to the Malaccan javanensis than to the typical intermedia; 

 but as with really large series, such as I have of these birds, I 

 find it impossible to draw any definite line between the three 



