104 



BIRDS OF TENASSERIM. 



[This species is exceedingly shy and difficult to approach, 

 as much so in fact as Rhinoplax vigil or A. galeritus. It goes 

 about in small parties of from 5 to 15 or even more, keeping 

 to the tops of the higher forest trees, which are in the locali- 

 ties, these birds affect, from 50 to even 70 yards high. Like 

 H. vnalabarica, they keep continually uttering their cackling 

 note alike when flying or sitting. Like malabarica, they 

 always fly in strings. One starts off suddenly, followed by 

 another and another, each as it were taking its regular turn 

 till all have left ; and in the air they retain the positions in 

 which they started, just as a string of Urocissas do. They 

 are very restless, not remaining for more than a few minutes 

 on the same tree, but, as a rule, only taking short flights. Their 

 note is like that of malabarica but not so harsh. Their flight 

 is that of Bydrocissa, a few rapid flaps, a sail, again a few flaps. 

 The flight is a comparatively noiseless one, though not really 

 noiseless like that of Berenicornis comatus. They never, I 

 believe, descend to the ground. The stomach of the only 

 specimen I succeeded in shooting (I saw at least fifty) contain- 

 ed nothing but fruit. — W. D.] 



Davison has only succeeded as yet in obtaining one specimen, 

 a female, of this species, which is as unlike as it can possibly 

 be the figure of this species in the Ihis~. Probably the sexes 

 differ very much in plumage ; anyhow, a young male procured 

 for me by Capt. Bingham is very different. 



Davison's specimen, a perfectly adult female, in perfectly 

 fresh plumage, measured : — 



Length, 27*75 ; expanse, 38*75 j tail, 11*5; wing, 12-25; 

 tarsus, 1*9 ; bill from gape, 4*3 ; weight, l'621bs. 



The legs and feet were dark reddish brown ; the bill black ; 

 base of lower mandible blue ; irides wax yellow ; facial skin 

 blue ; gular skin bluish pink. 



The forehead, crown, occiput, and very full occipital crest 

 rather dark brownish grey with a faint greenish lustre, most 

 noticeable on the crown ; the feathers obscurely tipped with a 

 very pale slightly rufescent brown, and with both webs greyish 

 white at the extreme bases of the barbs, producing, as the 

 feathers are rather lax and the barbs far apart, the appearance 

 of a row of greyish white specks on either side of the shaft. 



Interscapulary region, lesser and most of the median 

 coverts, back and rump, grey brown, with an olive green lustre ; 

 the feathers firm and compact, but their extreme edges every- 

 where frayed or serrated as in some of the Owls, thus pro- 

 ducing a regularly scaled appearance on these parts. 



Primaries black or blackish brown ; all but the first and the 

 two hindermost with a creamy white line or patch on the outer 

 webs just below the emarginatkms ; the secondaries dark green, 



