BIRDS OF TENASSERIM. 83 



Coverts, and an imperfect nuchal collar wanting- on the middle 

 of the nape for about three-quarters of an inch) sooty black; 

 the whole of the feathers of the head and nape very narrowly 

 margined at the tips with pale dingy greenish blue, resulting 

 in a regular banding of these parts, the bands being about 0"1 

 apart. 



All the coverts, except the lesser ones, and the quills very 

 narrowly margined with dull greenish blue, rather brighter 

 colored on the median coverts, which are margined at the tips 

 also, and which exhibit exactly at the tips a rather brighter 

 spot of blue in the middle of the dull blue margin. 



The tail rather purer black and faintly shaded with a deep 

 blue. 



The imperfect collar above referred to bright ferruginous ; 

 the back and rump silvery blue. 



The upper tail-coverts deep blue — a point specially referred to 

 by Blyth, but not noticed by either Sharpe or Schlegel. 



The greater part of the lores ferruginous buff. In the female 

 a small streak of the same color at the gape just below the eye. 



The ear-coverts and cheeks dusky greenish blue, the dusky 

 bases of the feathers shewing through more or less in different 

 specimens. 



The chin and throat white, more or less tinged with fulvous 

 buff. 



On either side of the breast a blackish dusky patch. 



In the male the whole of the rest of the breast dusky blue, 

 mottled with white, the bases of the feathers only being white, 

 the terminal portion blue. 



Middle of abdomen, vent, tibial plumes, lower tail-coverts, 

 wing-lining and axillaries varying in different specimens from 

 nearly pure white to pure buff ; flanks and sides similar, but 

 broadly streaked with blackish dusky. 



In the female the breast, abdomen, vent, lower tail-coverts, 

 sides, flanks, wing-lining are a bright ferruginous buff, most 

 ferruginous on the breast, sides and edge, of the wing. There 

 is no dusky streaking on the sides and flanks of the female. 



All six specimens examined, two of which were actually 

 breeding when shot, are precisely similar. 



135 ter . — Alcedo meninting, Horsf. (6). 



Bankasoon. 



Confined to the extreme south of the province. 



[I have only met with this species in the extreme south of 

 the province, and even there it is decidedly rare. It prefers 

 to keep along the smaller forest streams ; in habits, voice, 

 &c, it much resembles A. bengalensis. — W. D.] 



