BIRDS OF TENASSERIM. 209 



the males always assume a more or less black upper plu- 

 mage, and in other localities very rarely ? 



Unfortunately, I do not possess a sufficient series of specimens 

 to decide the point, but I will note the species now for special 

 observation, and shall hope to be able to settle the question be- 

 fore very long. 



267 bis. — Hemipus obscurus, Horsf. 



Blyth records this species from Mergui (B. of B., p. 122), I 

 know not on what authority ; and, as the neighbourhood of 

 Mergui and the whole country south of this has been exhaust- 

 ively worked fcr years by Davison, and when he was elsewhere, 

 by some of his assistants without its ever being obtained or seen, 

 I now consider the occurrence of this species within our limits 

 very doubtful. 



However in case it should occur, I append dimensions and 

 description taken from specimens collected by Davison in the 

 Malay Peninsula : — 



Males. — Length, 5*62 to 5 -75 ; expanse, 8-62 ; tail from vent, 

 2-25 j wing, 2-5 to 2-7; tarsus, 0*45; bill from gape, 075 to 

 0*85 ; weight, nearly 0*5 oz. 



Females. — Length, 5-35 to 5*8; expanse, 8*75 ; tail from vent, 

 2*12 to 2-5; wing, 2'65 ; tarsus, 045 to 0-5 ; bill from gape, 08 

 to 0-85. 



The legs and feet are dark purplish brown to black ; bill 

 black in the male ; paler, especially on the lower mandible, in the 

 female ; irides dark brown. 



The male has all but the longest upper tail-coverts and the 

 tips of the posterior rump feathers, chin and throat, lower 

 abdomen, vent and lower tail-coverts, pure white ; top and sides 

 of the head and neck, and the rest of the upper plumage, in- 

 cluding wings and tail, glossy black, with more or less of a dull 

 greenish reflection ; breast and upper abdomen brownish grey. 



The female differs in having the black of the male every- 

 where replaced by a more or less dark brown. 



The outer web of the exterior tail feather is in some specimens 

 entirely white, in others narrowly edged with white; sometimes 

 there is barely a trace of this, and sometimes the inner webs 

 of the outer tail feathers are also margined with white. 



This species differs from picatus in its larger bill, absence of 

 white on collar and on wings, by the want of the conspicuous 

 white tippings to the lateral tail feathers, and by the more 

 pronounced and much darker pectoral band. 



268 bis.— Volvocivora avensis, Blyth. (2). Descr. 

 S. E., III., 93. 



Kaukaryit, Houngthraw E. j Moulmein. 



27 



