BIRDS OF TENASSERIM. 191 



I have measured the hills of a considerable number of speci- 

 mens and with the following- results : — 



Length of bill. Localities from which the specimens were obtained. 



06 Sehwan, Sindh ; Larkhana, Sindh ; Sambhur ; 



Lahore ; near Moulmein. 

 0-62 Rangoon ; Kuteh ; Mt. Aboo. 



- 63 Dera Ghazi Khan ; Muttra ; Sambhur ; Seh wan ; 



Goorgaon ; and brevirostris, Rampur, Beloo- 

 chistan. 

 0*64 Goorgaon. 



0-65 Bombay ; Goorgaon ; Sambhur ; Mussoorie ; 



Attaran River, Burma ; Pahpoon, Burma. 

 0*67 Goorgaon ; Raipoor ; Rangoon. 



0'68 Muttra; the Guj, Sindh; Raipoor; Ootacamund. 



0'69 Kyoukphyoo; Tuticorin ; Simla; Agra. 



0'7 Tipperah ; Mynal, Travancore ; Tipperah ; 



Ootacamund ; Raipoor ; Dacca ; Matheran ; 

 „ Salween District, Burma. 



072 Salem ; Sumbulpoor. 



073 Raipoor ; Salem ; Tipperah ; Dacca ; Tipperah. 

 0-74 Raipoor. 



0*75 Raipoor; Dacca. 



All these specimens are perfect adult males ; other dimensions 

 vary somewhat similarly, but not quite proportionally. I 

 cannot see myself how the difference in dimensions will assist 

 any one to divide this species. Brevirostris is said to have a 

 green instead of a purple gloss on the upper parts ; but so have 

 at least three-fourths of the Indian birds, from the drier plains 

 portions of the country. I have a dozen specimens from different 

 parts of India absolutely inseparable in every respect, from 

 one of the types of brevirostris obtained from Mr. Blanford. 

 To see the purple gloss in its perfection you must get a Rangoon 

 or Commilla bird. In my opinion all that can be said is, that 

 the western birds from the dry plains country run smaller and 

 greener, while those from the well-watered, eastern and south- 

 ern regions run as a rule larger and purpler. 



I should unhesitatingly suppress intermedia myself, and I 

 think that brevirostris should, a fortiori, be suppressed. 



As to distribution I need only say that it extends far into the 

 Himalayas, that I have obtained it in the valley of the Beas, 

 almost at the foot of the Rohtung Pass, in the valley of the 

 Sutlej as far as Chini. In the valley of the Ganges or rather 

 Bhagarutti to within four or five marches of Gungootri, but 

 eastward of this I do not remember observing it, at any 

 great distance from the plains. Westward, if I am correct in 

 unitiug brevirostris, it extends to the borders of Persia. Eastwards 

 it is found far up in the valley of Assam, and thence extends 



