BIRDS OF TENASSERIM. 143 



The following ave dimensions, &c., recorded in the flesh : — 



Males. — Length, 1T2 to 11"5 ; expanse, 18'0 to 18-75; tail 

 from vent, 3*5 to 4*25 ; wing, 5'62 to 5*9 ; tarsus, 1*0 to 1*05 ; 

 bill from gape, 1*9 to 2 0; weight, 6'0 oz. 



Female. — Length, 11*0; expanse, 17*5 ; tail from vent, 4*0; 

 wing, 5*4 ; tarsus, l'l, bill from gape, 1*75. 



Legs and feet very dark green, sometimes so dark as to appear 

 black ; claws dark horny brown ; bill pale greenish yellow, 

 strongly tinged green at base and whitish and semi-transparent 

 at tip ; irides reddish orange to brownish red. 



176 bis.— Venilia porphyromelas, Boie. (30). 



Bopjin ; Palaw-ton-ton ; Bakasoon ; Malewoon. 



Confined to the Mergui or southernmost district of the 

 province, but very common there. 



[Like its congener (for it is a true Venilia, though going by 

 many strange names, Lepocestes, Blythepicus, &c.) it is very shy 

 and keeps much to the undergrowth and smaller trees of the 

 evergreen forests ; it is also very fond of working about the 

 fallen trees ; it seems (like V. pyrrhotis) to avoid studiously the 

 more open portions and larger trees of the forest. 



It is almost always found in pairs, and utters incessantly a 

 single sharp metallic note. — W. D.] 



The following are dimensions, &c, recorded in the flesh : — 



Males. — Length, 9 to 9-35 ; expanse, 15 to 15*25 ; tail, 3 to 

 3-25 ; wing, 4-75 to 5 ; tarsus, 0*8 to 0-9 ; bill from gape, 1-45 

 to 1"6 ; weight, 3 oz. 



Females. — Length, 8*5 to 9'5 ; expanse, 146 to 15'82 ; tail, 

 3-2 to 3-4; wing, 4-62 to 5'0; tarsus, 0'82 to 1-0 ; bill from 

 gape, 1'3 to 15 ; weight, 2*25 to 3 ozs. 



Legs and feet dark, varying in shade very much, generally 

 somewhat purplish or purplish brown, sometimes greyish purple, 

 or very dark greyish, or greenish brown ; the irides are red, crim- 

 son, scarlet, or even salmon pink ; the orbital skin varies much 

 like the legs and feet, dark purplish grey, dark greyish brown, or 

 brownish green, to almost black ; -the bill is chrome yellow, 

 more or less strongly tinged with green towards the base. 



The adult male has the forehead, crown, occiput, cheeks, and 

 ear-coverts a dingy, somewhat coffee, brown ; a broad patch on 

 either side of the occiput, nearly extending to the nape, the most 

 intensely brilliant crimson ; back, scapulars, dull deep maroon 

 crimson ; rump and upper tail-coverts sooty brown, narrowly and 

 obscurely banded with pale brown or brownish white, and more or 

 less suffused or overlaid with the same color as the back, in 

 some very fine specimens obliterating almost all traces of the bar- 

 ring ; secondaries, tertiaries, lesser and median coverts, and 



