AVIFAUNA OF CHOTA NAGPUR. 401 



These two Assam specimens are very much larger than any of 

 the other birds ; but otherwise I see nothing to distinguish them. 



97.— Pericrocotus speciosus, Lath. (271.) 



The Large Minivet occurs pretty generally throughout the 

 heavy jungle and forests of Chota Nagpur ; occasionally, too, 

 it is met with in mango groves. Towards Gangpur and Raigur 

 I found it more abundant than elsewhere. Captain Beavan 

 found it " tolerably plentiful at Maknee in Manbhum in January 

 1868 in flocks nearly all composed of females or young males.'" 



Colonel Tickell says : — u Rare, indiscriminately spread through 

 the jungles, sometimes solitary, at others flying in small 

 parties/' 



So far as my observation goes this bird constantly migrates 

 from one part of the jungle to another, and small parties may 

 be seen flying off to new feeding grounds at a considerable 

 height above the trees. Often these parties consist exclusively 

 of females, but the males are sure to be met with in the same 

 tract of country. 



P. andamanensis, Tytler, from the Andamans,* I was disposed 

 to identify with this species, but Viscount Waldenf and Mr. 

 Hume consider it to be distinct. The difference consists in 

 little else than the somewhat smaller size of the bird. In his 

 remarks on this species Viscount Walden gives for comparison 

 the following dimensions of a Manbhum specimen, g Wing 

 4'6 ; tail 4*5. A perfect giant, the difference being greater 

 between it and ordinary specimens of speciosus than between 

 the latter and andamanensis. 



Mr. Hume says that particularly fine specimens of speciosus 

 have the wing from 4 - l to 4 - 2. I should add that he points out 

 minor differences by which andamanensis is to be distin- 

 guished. 



The following are measurements of specimens from various 

 localities which are now in my possession 



