BIRDS OF TENASSERIM. 379 



clinging even to the trunks of trees, and hunting in a most sys- 

 tematic way for the insects which alone constitute its food. — 

 W. D.] 



The Malayan race runs decidedly smaller than the Sikim one, 

 but I do not think the two are specifically separable. 



Northern Tenasserim specimens are closer to the Sikim 

 Southern ones to the Malaccan form. 



Takino- at random a number of male and females from Sikim, 

 I find that the wings measure — 



Males.— 42 • 4-3- 4-3; 4*3 • 415 j 4-2 j 4-35; 4-35. 



Females. — 4*05 ; 41. 



Taking again a number of males and females shot by Davi- 

 son at Malacca, Johore and Nealys, I find the wings — 



Males.— 4-2; 4*21; 4*16; 4*05 * 4'0; 4-05. 



Females. — 3*75. 



The wings of Tenasserim specimens: — 

 Kyouk-nyat. — Male, 4*3 • Female, 4*05. 

 Pahpoon. — Males, 4*0- 4*5; 4 27 ; Female, 3'91. 

 Myawadee (near Mooleyit). — Males, 4*19 ; 4'25 ; Females, 395. 

 Meeta Myo.— Males, 4*05. 

 Bankasoon, extreme south. — Males, 391; 4*11; 4'0- 3'95; 



Female, 3 "8. 



This is only one of innumerable instances in which two sup- 

 posed species, the one from the Himalayas, the larger form, 

 the other from Malacca, the smaller form, identical in every 

 thing but size, grade into each other in Tenasserim. The gra- 

 duation of size is not, however, uniform and gradual throughout 

 As a rule, it seems that the species runs down only slightly 

 diminished in size to somewhere near the latitude of Tavoy, 

 below which there is a very sudden decrease, and then by the 

 time you get to Malewoon, Bankasoon, and the Pakchan, the 

 birds are only a trifle larger than those from Malacca and. 

 Johore. We have yet to work these changes out thoroughly for 

 all the species referred to. 



The following are the dimensions of both sexes of birds for 

 Pahpoou and Kyouk-nyat: — 



Males. — Length, 7*82 to 8-0; expanse, 130 ,• tail from vent, 

 3-82 to 4-0; wing, 40 to 4*35 • tarsus, 09 to 0-95 ; bill from 

 gape, 06 to 0*75 ,- weight, 1*25 to 1*4 oz. 



Females. — Length, 7*75 to 8*0 ; expanse, 1225 to 12*5 ; tail 

 from vent, 3*5 to 3'8 ; wing, 3 - 9 to 4'05 • tarsus, 0*85 to *9 ; bill 

 from gape, 0*65 to *7 ; weight, 1'25 oz. 



The bill is black • the irides deep brown ; the legs and feet 

 blue, varying through lavender blue, dull smalt, plumbeous, 

 dark plumbeous • the claws black, bluish horny, dark horny 

 plumbeous. 



