350 ON TWO SPECIES OF BATRACHOSTOMUS. 



^ Analogy however is against there being a great difference in size 

 and shape of bill, and in the plumage of the two sexes in birds 

 of this family, and I have therefore (having had these birds 

 by me for several years now without being able to secure further 

 specimens or information in regard to the species) ventured 

 to characterize it as distinct. 



Castaneus adult so far as the general tone of coloring goes 

 is closely connected with both B. moniliger, Layard (not 

 Blyth, as Jerdon and Holdsworth give it) and B. affinis, 

 Blyth. For comparison I reproduce Mr. Blyth's original des- 

 criptions of both species. Mr. Holdsworth I may note, in his 

 paper on Ceylonese birds, P. Z. S., 1872, p. 420, says : — ■ 

 " Mr. Blyth tells me that Jerdon's description of this species 

 was taken from a Ceylon specimen/' but this is not quite 

 correct. Blyth's description is from a Ceylon specimen, while 

 Jerdon's is merely a slightly paraphrastic transcription of 

 Mr. Blyth's. 



The latter gentleman remarks (J. A. S., XVIII.. p. 806.) 

 cc B. moniliger, Layard, a little smaller than B. javanensis 

 (Horsfield, No. 404) which it greatly resembles at the first glance, 

 but differs considerably in the details of its markings. Color of 

 the upper parts, throat and breast, bright bay or rufous brown, 

 the latter without spots except a torque of white spots margined 

 above with black above the breast, and another separating the line 

 of the breast from that of the abdomen ; belly and lower t tail 

 coverts contrasting pale isabelline, with similar but smaller 

 spots, and a slight dusky mottling over the flanks : coronal 

 feathers long, the occipital tipped with white bordered above 

 with black, forming a white nuchal ring almost or quite con- 

 tinuous with the torque below : over the eye a pale rufescent 

 supercilium ; and the lengthened and erect loral plumes are 

 tipped with black and whitish at the extreme tip : most of the 

 wing-coverts are tipped with a large ovoid pure white spot 

 bordered above with black ; the tertiaries are pale, and delicately 

 mottled with dusky, each having also a minute terminal black 

 and white spot, and the primaries are black, having their outer 

 webs broadly margined with the color of the back ; the scapu- 

 laries also have smaller terminal black and white spots, and the 

 uppermost are pale like the tertiaries ; tail mottled and obscurely 

 banded, the bands terminating externally in a series of whitish 

 spots, successively more developed and distinct on the outer 

 feathers. In form the tail is somewhat peculiar, its lateral halves 

 separating into two distinct lobes, whence the closed tail appears 

 furcate. Length about 10 inches; of wing 4| inches; and tail 



