440 BIRDS OF TENASSERIM. 



towards it, nor did I see the Fireback strike the Argus with 

 either bill, wings, or spurs. — W. D.J 



The following are the dimensions and colors of soft parts re- 

 corded in the flesh of a large series of both sexes : — 



Males.— Length, 27-5 to 29-0 ; expanse, 35' to 38*5 ; tail 

 from vent, 10-0 to 105 ; wing, 1075 to 1212; tarsus, 4*25 

 to 4*4; bill from gape, 1-6 to 1*8 ; weight, 4-25 to 51bs. 



Females.— Length, 23'0 to 24-0 ; expanse, 30"0 to 33-0; 

 tail from vent, 7 # 5 to 9'0; wing, 9-7 to 10 - 75; tarsus, 3*5 to 

 3'75 ; bill from gape, 1-6 to 17; weight, 3 to 3'51ds. 



Legs and feet are vermilion red ; claws, and in the male the 

 spurs, whitish ; the back of the tarsi in the female fleshy ; in 

 the male the entire bill is whitish or horny white, and cere 

 brownish ; in the female, the upper mandible is dark homy 

 brown, the lower horny white ; the irides clear pale red; facial 

 skin smalt blue, bright in the male, rather duller in the female. 



In the male the chin and throat, ear-coverts, top, and back of 

 the head and sides of the occiput, behind the lappets, velvet 

 black ; in a line down the centre of the crown and occiput arises 

 a row of feathers like coarse bristles for the basal half inch or so 

 of each feather, and beyond that expanding into a dense brush, 

 black with a violet blue lustre ; the whole of the neck all round, 

 upper breast and upper back deep glossy or metallic violet blue, 

 a little greenish in some lights, on the neck ; the interscapulary 

 region and upper portion of the middle of the back and sca- 

 pulars similar, but the black basal portions showing in between 

 the broad glossy tippings ; the wings brown, paler and more 

 liver colored on the primaries, almost black on the tertiaries. 

 These and all the lesser and median coverts, and some of the 

 later secondary greater coverts, more or less broadly margined 

 at the tips with the glossy or metallic color exhibited elsewhere, 

 but being somewhat greener and less violet on the coverts ; 

 lower part of middle of back and rump deep metallic maroon 

 chestnut (with an all but golden lustre in some lights), rather 

 deepest colored on the rump; all but the longest upper tail- 

 coverts are deep metallic violet ; the feathers to a certain extent 

 disunited, and having a peculiar crinkly appearance ; four cen- 

 tral tail feathers pure white; inner webs of the next pair white, 

 more or less mottled with brown or dusky ; rest of the tail 

 black ; longest upper tail-coverts also black, glossed at their tips, 

 and on the greater parts of their outer webs with metallic 

 violet, which, hpwever, is greenish in some lights, which is not 

 the case with the rest of the tail-coverts ; lower part of breast 

 and rest of entire lower parts black ; the feathers of the 

 breast, sides, flanks, and lower tail-coverts with violet blue 

 metallic reflections at their margins ; and all the feathers of the 



