448 BIRDS OF TENASSEMM. 



Hartlaub and Gray being in error ; but then Gray's Catalogue 

 represents the specimen as in existence in the Museum, and be 

 places it amongst the Coturnicince, quite away from the Perdicince, 

 immediately after Excalfactoria, and this does look as if the 

 species was distinct. 



I wrote to Mr. Sharpe and begged him to try and find out 

 and let rne know what this bird was, and where it was described, 

 on which he replied, giving me a reference to Tropicoperdix. I 

 replied that I knew all about Tropicoperdix, but wanted to know 

 about Phcenicoperdix, and asked him to examine the specimen 

 in the museum, but for some mysterious reason, though hear- 

 ing from him repeatedly on other subjects, he declines to come 

 to the point about this species, so that to me the bird still re- 

 mains more or less of a myth. 



831 ter.— Rollulus roulroul, Scop. (16). 



Palaw-ton-ton ; Bankasoon ; Malewoon. 



Confined to the dense forests of the neighbourhood of the 

 Pakchan. 



[This species is always found in small parties of six or eight 

 or more, males and females, keeping to the dense forest, and 

 never venturing into the open, living on berries, seeds, tender 

 shoot and leaves, and insects of various sorts. Tt does not scratch 

 about nearly so much as the Arboricolas, and is much quicker 

 and more lively in its movements, much like a Quail, running 

 hither and thither. They rise well befoi'e a dog, but it is 

 hard to flush them without. Their note is a soft, mellow, 

 pleasant whistle, which is chiefly heard in the morning, but 

 which they also utter when calling to each other after they have 

 been separated. Like that of A. rufogularis, their note is very 

 easily imitated, and they will answer the call readily. — W. D.] 



The following are dimensions, &c, recorded in the flesh : — 



Males.— Length, 10'75 to 11*0; expanse, 17-25 to 17'5; tail 

 from vent, 2-5 to 2-75; wing, 5*4 to 5*62 ; tarsus, 1-6 to 1'65; 

 bill from gape, 0-85 to 0-9 ; weight, 8-0 to 10-0 ozs. 



Females. — Length, 95 to 1062 ; expanse, 16-25 to 17-12 ; 

 tail from vent, 2-5 to 2'62 ; wing, 5-0 to 5-62; tarsus, 1-65 to 

 1*7 ; bill from gape, 0'62 to 0-8 ; weight, 8 ozs. 



The male has the legs and feet and basal portion of bill scarlet 

 red ; claws horny ; rest of bill black ; irides slaty grey ; facial 

 skin and edges of eye-lids scarlet. 



The female has the legs and feet bright red ; bill black ; irides 

 deep brown ; facial skin and eye-lids bright red. 



The male has four or five conspicuous black hairs standing 

 up at the front of the forehead, and behind that a crest 1*5 



