90 BIRDS OF TBNASSERIM. 



[This species occurs throughout the southern half of the 

 province, sparingly about Ye, more common further to the south. 

 It feeds on insects and small reptiles. One that I shot had 

 swallowed, head foremost, a small green lizard, over four inches 

 in length. When I picked the bird up nearly the whole of the 

 lizard's tail was hanging out on one side of the bird's mouth. 

 The lizard had apparently only just been swallowed, but was 

 quite dead. 



Both this and the next two species have a very peculiar note, 

 not easy to express in words, but once heard not soon forgot- 

 ten. It consists of a few single notes uttered at short intervals, 

 and ending in a sort of rolling, metallic sounding chir-r-r-r. 

 Though the note of all three species is of precisely the same 

 type, yet they are notably distinct. 



One commences, then another takes it up, and then another, 

 till you have a dozen calling in the woods 'around, and the 

 note is one that can be heard a long distance. This species 

 frequents forests and shady gardens, coming less into the open 

 than Cymborhynchus. It moves about pretty well all day, like 

 the other Broadbills, catching much of its food on the wing, 

 and never, to the best of my belief, touching fruit. This, too, 

 never walks or hops about the branches like Barbets or Calyp- 

 tomena, but sits and squats or flies. — W. D.] 



The following are dimensions, eolors of soft parts, &c, 

 recorded in the flesh : — 



Males.— Length, 8'82 to 972 ; expanse, 14 to 14-9 ; tail, 275 

 to 3*25 ; wing, 43 to 4*5 ; tarsus, TO to l'l ; bill from gape, 

 1-5 to 1-62; weight, 2-25 to 3-5 oz. 



Females. — Length, 8'32 to 8'5; expanse, 13*72 to 14-25; tail, 

 2-62 to 3-2; wing, 4-12 to 4'37 ; tarsus, 1-05 to l'l; bill from 

 gape, 1*52 to 1-6; weight, 2-75 to 3 ozs. 



Upper mandible bright blue to within one-third of tip ; rest of 

 upper mandible pale sea green ; lower mandible pale greenish 

 blue ; both mandibles edged and tipped with brownish red; irides 

 bright blue ; legs and feet fleshy ; claws brown. 



The adult male has the lores and the feathers immediately 

 around the eye, and sometimes the extreme bases of the 

 frontal feathers, blackish or black; forehead, crown, occiput, 

 and nape, a dull dusky vinous purple ; ear-coverts, sides of the 

 neck, and an ill-defined narrow band on the nape, a purer redder 

 vinous purple ; a narrow line of white feathers immediately 

 below the eye, often not visible in skins ; chin and throat 

 something the same color as the head, but paler, and with a 

 greyish shade; a narrow black collar at the base of the throat; 

 a broad ill-defined brownish band on the sides of the neck and 

 the upper back ; feathers of the breast immediately below 

 the black line, grey or brownish grey, or brown ; rest of the 



