BIRDS OF TENASSERIM. 163 



Mergui and the Tenasserim River seem to indicate the south- 

 ern limit of this species, and it is met with, I should say, so far 

 south only as a straggler from the more northern portions of the 

 province. About Pahpoon and between that place and Moulmein 

 and its vicinity it is very common, but less so south of Moulmein 

 to Tavoy. 



[Singly or in pairs it frequents thin tree jungle, gardens, and 

 secondary scrub, and is particularly fond of this latter, especially 

 when it is very dense and impenetrable. Its flight is weak, 

 and it relies more for its safety on the dense and impenetrable 

 character of the places it prefers to frequent. It has a marvellous 

 capacity for making its way through dense cover. Its note is 

 a peculiar cat-like chuckle, often heard when the bird is thread- 

 ing its way through dense cover. — W. D.] 



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



Males.— Length, 21*0 to 23*0; expanse, 18-12 to 185 ; tail 

 from vent, 13*75 to 15*75 ; wing, 6*12 to 6 - 42; tarsus, 1*45 to 

 1'6 ; bill from gape, 1*62 to 1*75 ; weight, 4 to 5 ozs. 



Females. — Length, 23'5 to 23*75; expanse, 18*0 to 19'25; tail 

 from vent, 15*5 to 16*6; wing, 6*12 to 6*37 ; tarsus, 1*46 to 

 1*5 ; bill from gape, 1*62 ; weight, 4*75 ozs. 



Legs and feet dark greenish plumbeous ; bill pale green, 

 tinged at gape and near base with red ; irides brown or reddish 

 brown ; facial skin dull dark to bright crimson. 



215 bis.— Rhopodytes diardi, Less. (10). 



Usheetherrpone ; Hankachin ; Bankasoon ; Malewoon. 



Entirely confined to the southernmost district of the pro- 

 vince; meets tristis about Mergui and replaces it southwards 

 of this. 



[In its habits and notes this species resembles R. tristis, but 

 I have occasionally found it in the evergreen forests of the 

 Pakchan. I found it very common everywhere in the Malay 

 Peninsula and shot many, but noticed nothing distinctive in 

 its habits, food or voice. — W. D.] 



This species is not unlike R. viridirostris of Southern 

 India, and it is about the same size, and has a very similar bill ; 

 but it differs in having the chin, throat, and breast uniform 

 ashy, without the dark mottling of the throat and striation of 

 the breast of the Indian species; in wanting altogether the 

 fulvous tinge on the breast, abdomen, and lower tail-coverts, 

 which characterizes this latter ; in having the bare orbital space 

 larger and crimson (blue in the Indian bird), and in having the 

 white tippings to the tail feathers, about one-third of the 

 length of those in viridirostris. The tail also runs shorter, 

 and the upper surface is darker. 



