392 BIRDS OP TENASSEltlM. 



only definite guide is the presence of white of the win^s. But 

 then a great many of the females show no white on the wing 

 and these are absolutely undistinguishable from many Indian, 

 specimens. I hav r e before me twelve females from the Sal ween 

 River near Moulmein, from Theinzeik and Wimpong, both near 

 Thatone, from Pahpoon, from Moulmein itself and the road 

 between Moulmein and Amherst, (about one-third of the females 

 we preserved, in fact,) which show no white on the wing, and 

 which are absolutely identical with many Indian female mala- 

 barica, but which I assign to nemoricola, because they were 

 obtained consorting with this species, and because no true male 

 malabarica was obtained or seen anywhere in these neighbour- 

 hoods. Nemoricola does not, so far as we know, go further south 

 than Tavoy, if even it reaches so far south ; the only specimens 

 seen or obtained in the south of the province were typical mala- 

 barica. Out of Tenasserim, both species occur at Rangoon, and 

 generally I believe in Lower Pegu, and here intermediate forms 

 as regards the coloring of the lower parts of the males occur, and 

 both forms consort together in the same flock. 



From Arracan we have only true malabarica, but cannot say 

 for certain that the present species does not occur there also. 



Looking to all the circumstances of the ease which I have 

 studied, with an enormous series of both species, I must say that 

 it seems extremely doubtful to me whether this highly valu- 

 able more or less albinoid form of malabarica is really entitled 

 to the specific distinction which Jerdon conferred upon it. 



The dimensions and colors of the soft parts in numerous speci- 

 mens was as follows : — 



Length, 7-5 to 7'd ; expanse, 11-75 to 12-5 ; tail, 2*4 to 2-9 ; 

 wing, 3-75 to 4-0; tarsus, 0-82 to 0-95; bill from gape, 0'92 

 to 1/0. 



The legs and feet varied from dull fleshy chrome to pinkish 

 yellow, very pale orange brown, and dirty horn yellow ; the 

 irides were pale dull blue, bluish grey, or opalescent white; the 

 bill generally wax yellow at tip, then green, then blue at base. 

 More exactly the upper mandible to about g-th of an inch 

 beyond the nostrils, and the lower mandible to the angle of the 

 gonys are a dull smalt blue, from thence the bill is yellowish 

 green, gradually shading towards the tips, which are slightly 

 tinged with orange, to a lighter and brighter yellow. 



689 bis. — Sturnia burmanica, Jerd. Descr. S. E., III., 

 150. 



Obtained by Wardlaw Ramsay at Tonghoo and in Karennee, 

 but not observed elsewhere ju Tenasserim as yet. 



