IN JERDON OR 9TRA.Y FEATHERS. 369 



The female has the whole top of the head and crest black, 

 spotted with white ; and a young bird of that sex had the 

 lower part of the back black, faintly barred with white, with 

 crimson feathers appearing among the others ; the bill in this 

 bird was onl} r two-thirds the length of that in the adult. 



Layard states that the irides of this species are red-brown ; 

 but I think he must have been mistaken, as in four specimens 

 I obtained at Nuwara Eliya, and which I myself prepared, 

 the irides were buff, those of the young bird being rather, 

 paler than the others. 



Bill greenish white ; irides buff ; feet greenish slate. — 

 Holdsworth. 



168 bis.— Dry ocopus martius, Lin. 



Male. — Genei'al colour glossy black, slightly tinged with brown 

 on the forepart of the under surface ; quills and tail blackish 

 brown ; crown of the head crimson, narrowing into an occipi- 

 tal crest on the nape ; bill bluish white, blackish towards the 

 point ; feet dark grey ; iris light yellow. Total length, 18 

 inches; culmen, 2"6 ; wing, 90 ; tail, 70; tarsus, 1*3. 



J*'ernale. — Similar to the male, but somewhat duller in plu- 

 mage, and inclining to brown. Always to be distinguished 

 by the crimson on the head being confined to a patch on the 

 occiput, and not extending on to the forehead. Total length, 

 ]8 inches; culmen, 2*3; wing, 9*2; tail, 72; tarsus, 13. 



The young birds are similar to the adults, excepting that 

 the bill is not so strong, the black not so pure, and the red on 

 the crown of the male not so largely developed, nor so bright 

 as in the old birds. — Sharpe and Dresser, " Birds of Europe." 



182 bis.— Brachypternus ceylonus, Forst. 



This bears just the same relationship to B. aurantius and 

 puncticollis (also iuhabiting Ceylon) that Chrysocolaptes strick- 

 landi does to C. delesserti, being wholly crimson above, but 

 with a black rump (as in other Brachypterni) . — Blyth. 



193 te?\— Megalsema zeylonica, Gm. 



Sexes alike ; body green ; the head and neck dark earthy 

 brown ; the feathers of the neck longitudinally streaked towards 



