IN JERDON OR STRAY FEATHERS. 385 



415 bis. — Trochalopteron ruficapillum, Blyth. 



Nearly affined to T. erythrocephalus, (Vigors), from which it 

 is distinguished by having the chin and. broad supercilia ash 

 grey ; forehead greyish ; throat, front of neck, and breast 

 rufous, with an admixture of golden yellow on the last ; no black 

 spots on the nape and breast, but darker lunate markings in 

 place of them ; rest as in T. erylhrocephalum, to which T. 

 chrysopterum, (Gould), inhabiting an intermediate range of ter- 

 ritory, is also closely affined. Common at Cherra Poonjee. — 

 Blyth. 



432 bis.— Malacocercus striatus, Swains. 



" A comparison of specimens of M. striatus I obtained in 

 Ceylon with M. malabaricus in the Calcutta Museum, left me 

 in great doubt as to the reason for separating them specifically, 

 and I cannot but think they will ultimately be included under 

 the same name. The depth of the stria? in 31. striatus varies 

 with age. In a well-grown young bird there is not a trace of 

 striae on the tertiaries, and they are very indistinct on the 

 tail. In a fully adult bird, now before me, the striation exactly 

 agrees with Jerdon's desci'iption of that character in M. mala- 

 baricus : " the tertiaries are very obscurely striated, but the tail 

 is distinctly so." The distinctive character of M. striatus has 

 hitherto been shown by comparing it with M. terricolor ; but 

 it should have been placed by the side of the Malabar species. 



(l Young birds are slightly rufous. 



"Bill pale yellow; irides pale buff; feet pale yellow."— 

 Holdsworth. 



Swainson's original description is as follows : — " Entirely 

 light brown ; wings and tail darker ; quills marked by trans- 

 verse dark lines ; bill and feet yellow ; margin of the quills 

 changeable greyish white." 



The plate represents the tertiaries and rectrices as very 

 strongly transversely rayed. 



Blyth says {Ibis, 1867, 300) :— 



" This very closely resembles M. terricolor, but has the ter- 

 tiaries and tail much more distinctly marked with cross striae 

 seen at all angles of reflection, and the under parts are more 

 deeply tinged with rufous." 



