BIRDS OF TENASSERIM. 145 



[This species is very partial to bamboos, and, except in the 

 extreme south of the province, where it is rare, may be met with 

 wherever there is bamboo jungle. It is, however, nowhere seen 

 in great numbers, though most common in the north. It goes 

 about usually single, sometimes in pairs, never in small parties. 



I never saw it feeding on the ground, nor did I ever meet 

 with it in dense forest, or at any great elevation on the hills, as 

 there you get into country unsuited to it. — W. D„] 



The following are dimensions and colors of the soft parts 

 recorded in the flesh : — 



Males.— Length, 1O0 to 10*6 ; expanse, 16-75 to 17*25; tail 

 from vent, 4*0 to 4-25 ; wing, 5*05 to 5-5 ; tarsus, 1*0 to 1*05 ; 

 bill from gape, 1*2 to 1 "25 ; weight, 3 ozs. 



^femafo*.— Length, 10-25 to 10-62 j expanse, 16*0 to 170 • 

 tail from vent, 3*9 to 4-25 ; wing, 5'1 to 5'25 ; tarsus, 0*82 to 

 Q'95 ; bill fioni gape, 1-15 to 1*5 • weight, 2*75 to 3 ozs. 



Legs, feet and claws pale dirty green ; bill pale bluish white, 

 strongly tinged with blue at base ; irides pale brown to deep 

 red. brown. 



178.— Micropternus phaioceps, Myth. (33). 



(Tonghoo, Rams.) Palipoon ; Beelxag ; Thatone ; Wimpong ; Myawadee j 

 Ko-go-Houngthraw ; Kaukaryit, Houngtliraw R. ; Moulmein ; Karope ; Amherst; 

 Me eta Myo ; Tavoy. 



Confined to the northern and central portions of the province ; 

 but see my remarks on this and the next species S. F. } V., 472, 

 et seq. 



[This is quite a bird of the open cultivated country, very 

 fond of gardens and bamboo clumps, usually met with singly, 

 feeding at no great height from the ground, and sometimes on 

 it. They are always smeared with some gummy substance, 

 always have a strong peculiar smell, and almost always have the 

 tails more or less studded with ant's heads. These are the 

 large red ants of the open jungle, who, once they seize anything, 

 never lose their hold. You may pick them to pieces, but their 

 heads hold on still. These are the sumput-api or fire-ants 

 of the Malays, and they bite unpleasantly. These seize hold 

 of the tail feathers of these Woodpeckers ; their bodies get 

 rubbed off, but the heads remain, sometimes in scores, adhering 

 to the lateral webs of the tail feathers. — W. D.] 



178 bis.— Micropternus brachyurus, Vieill. (13). 

 Desor. S. P., V., 473. 



Mergui ; Pakchan ; Bankasoon ; Malewoon. 



As yet only observed in the southernmost district of the pro- 

 vince. 



19 



