482 



BIRDS OF TENASSERIM. 



Nothing can be more distinct than this species in breeding 

 plumage, alike from grayii and from speciosa, as the following 

 key will sufficiently show : — 



Head, back and sides of neck. Upper breast. 



Back. 



white Olive grey, and pale buff, ming- 

 led in varying proportions in 

 different specimens. 



Like sides of Deep vinous purple, 

 neck. 



„,, ., t, , „ . , „ Ferruginous Purplish black with 



White. Pale ferruginous buff. Cflest nut. a hoary shade. 



,. Rich vinous 

 prasanocehs chestmlti 



„. ,.. v. , . Deep vinous pur- mk ;h h 



Rich vinous chestnut. pie with a hoary shade ' 



shade. 



But different as the birds are in breeding plumage, they seem 

 to resemble each other very closely in the non-breeding dress, 

 and their dimensions are very similar, as will be seen from the 

 following measurements all taken from specimens in full breed- 

 ing plumage : — 



Ppecies. 



Locality. Bill at front. Tarsus. 



Bare part of 

 tibia. 



Wins Mid toe and 

 s ' claw. 



A. gfayi. Goorgaon, Fe- 

 male ? 

 „ „ Etawah ? 

 „ „ Etawah ? 

 A. prascin- Tavoy, Male, 

 ocelis. 

 „ „ Tavoy, Male. 

 A. speci- 

 osa Celebes ? 



2-5 



251 

 25 

 26 



2-5 



2-49 

 2-36 

 2-51 



2-45 



2-35 



0'9 



0-78 

 0-91 

 0-7 



1-0 



0'8 



8*65 



8-8 

 84 

 8-8 



9-3 



77 



2-51 



2 49 

 2-41 

 2-49 



2-61 



249 



The non-breeding plumage of speciosa I have not by me to 

 examine now ; it is possible that it may be distinguishable from 

 the other two species by its shorter wing, and longer seconda- 

 ries exceeding the longest primaries, but of this I am not sure. 

 As regards prascinocelis, this in non-breeding plumage can 

 only be distinguished, I believe, by its larger bill, but some 

 specimens carry even in the non-breeding season a crest of 

 long narrow feathers not chestnut, but pale buffy fawn color 

 with a black line on the outer edge of each web. This is the 

 case with a specimen, a male, shot on the 25th December at 

 Choungthanoung, half way between Mergui and the Pakchan 

 river: other males in non-breeding plumage do not exhibit 

 this crest. 



A specimen shot on the 29th April, also a male, is entirely 

 in non-breeding plumage, i.e., exactly like A. grayi in the same 

 stage, except that the bill is larger, save only that on the cheek 

 and sides of the neck it shows a few rich chestnut feathers. 

 Two other males, shot about the same time, are in full breeding 

 plumage, while another again shows no trace of, this whatsoever, 



