BIRDS OF TENASSERIM. 405 



703 quat. — Erythrura prasina, Sparrm. (28). 



Bopyin ; Pakchan ; Bankasoon ; Malewoon. 



Only a visitant during tbe rice harvest to the neighbourhood 

 of the Pakchan. 



[I first met with this lovely species at the village of Bopyin, 

 where I found it associating- with flocks of Munia acuticauda and 

 feeding in the rice-fields ; they were very shy, and on beino- fired 

 at, immediately retreated to the dense bamboo jungle surrounding 

 the fields. Their note is very similar to that of the Munias, and is 

 uttered both when seated and flying ; they have also a soft twit- 

 tering note, which they continually utter when roostino-. At 

 Malewoon and along the banks of the Pakchan I again observed 

 it. The bird is only a seasonal visitant coming in towards the end 

 of November, and departing before the end of January, as soon 

 as the rice crops have been all harvested. The Siamese capture 

 the birds by placing limed twigs about the rice, but the birds do 

 not thrive in confinement. — W. D.] 



The following are dimensions and colors of the soft parts 

 recorded from a large series of specimens : — 



Males. — Length, 5*85 to 625; expanse, 7 - 35 to 7*75; tail 

 from vent, 2'45 to 2*75 ; wing, 2 3 to 2*45 ; tarsus, 0*55 to 065 ; 

 bill from gape, 0*55 to 0'62 ; weight, 05 to 0'7 oz. 



Females. — Length, 5 to 5-82 ; expanse, 7*75 to 8*0; tail from 

 vent, 1-5 to 182 ; wing, 2-35 to 2'4 ; tarsus, 05 to 0'6 ; bill 

 from gape, 0'55 to 6 ; weight, 0'45 to 0*55 oz. 



In both sexes the legs, feet, and claws are fleshy pink, the 

 bill black, and the irides dark brown. 



The adult male has a black velvet line from the anterior ano-le 

 of the eye to the nostril, and in some specimens a narrow black 

 line bounding the chin, which is entirely wanting in others ; the 

 rest of the chin, throat, cheeks, ear-coverts, line over the eye 

 and forehead (for a varying breadth), a rather pale blue ; crown 

 occiput, nape, sides of the neck behind the ear-coverts, back 

 scapulars, tertiaries, and coverts, except the greater primary ones 

 grass green ; rump and upper tail-coverts and margins of cen- 

 tral tail feathers crimsoa ; rest of elongated central tail feathers 

 brownish red ; lateral tail feathers brown, tipped paler ; a large 

 patch of rosy crimson in the middle of the abdomen ; rest of 

 abdomen, sides, flanks, lower tail-coverts, buffy fawn ; the breast 

 between the blue throat and crimson abdominal patch bluish green 

 next the throat, and buffy fawn shaded with green, next the crim- 

 son patch ; primaries and their greater coverts and secondaries 

 hair brown, narrowly margined on the outer webs with green. 



The yonng males differ from the adults in having the crimson 

 of the rump, upper tail-coverts, and margins of tail feathers 

 replaced by golden yellow; the remaining portions of the 



