160 BIRDS OF TENASSERIM. 



specimen, of which the wings were as large as this. Possibly, 

 Cabanis does not use the old Paris inch adopted by most Conti- 

 nental ornithologists. 



I am not very well off for this species, but the following are 

 the dimensions of the wings of all the Indian specimens (29 in 

 number) in my museum, or at least that I can at present lay 

 my hands on : — 



Sikim and Bhootan Doars.— 5*4 ; 57 ; 5-27 ; 5-48; 5-5 ; 5-6 ; 

 5-5; 5-4; 5-6; 5-5; 5-75. 



Upper Assam.— 5-47; 5"6; 57 ; 5-25 ; 5'4; 5-2 ; 5'5 ; 5-35 ; 

 5-4; 5-25; 5'25; 5'6 ; 52. 

 Sylhet.— 5-4; 5'55. 

 Tipperah. — 5*3. 



Raipore, Central Provinces. — 5*3. 

 Kyoukphyow. — 57. 

 And the following are dimensions of eleven Tenasserim speci- 

 mens : — 



Moulmein. — 5 5. 

 Lemyne, north of Yea. — 5*1. 

 Mergui.— 5-2; 5-2 ; 5-4; 545; 52. 

 Bankasoon. — 5'2 ; 5 - 4 ; 525. 

 Malewoon. — 5 '4. 

 And the following of seven Malayan : — 

 Penang. — 5 3 ; 4-9. 

 Malacca.— 4-8 ; 5-2; 5"0. 

 Singapore. — 4*9; 51. 

 It is clear that differences in dimensions like these will not 

 suffice to separate the two supposed species, and I have been 

 unable to discover any other differences between Malayan, 

 Tenasserim and Continental birds. In all three sets of specimens, 

 some birds have the tail more, and others less forked ; some have 

 stouter and longer, and some slenderer and shorter bills ; neither 

 this nor the differences in other dimensions appear to depend 

 upon sex, almost all our specimens are sexed by dissection, and 

 I find equally large and small, males and females. 



Ao-ain from all localities some specimens exhibit a conspicuous 

 white nuchal patch, and some show no traces whatsoever of this. 

 The following are dimensions, &c, of five males and three 

 females from Tenasserim, recorded in the flesh : — 



Males. — Length, 9-5 to 10-12; expanse, 15*12 to 16"0; tail 

 from vent, 4"9 to 5'37 ; wing, 52 to 5-5 ; tarsus, 0*6 to 0"65 ; 

 bill from gape, TO to 172 ; weight, 1*25 oz. 



Females. — Length, 975 to 10-25; expanse, 15*5 to 16"0; tail 

 from vent, 5'0 to 5 - 5; wing, 5-1 to 5 - 4 ; tarsus, 065 to 07 ; bill 

 from gape, 17 to 1*2 ; weight, 1*2 to 1*5 oz. 



Legs and feet dark plumbeous blue ; claws dark horny ; bill 

 black ; irides dull brown. 



