The Andamans mid Nicobars. — V. Ball. 71 



66— (457 62«).— Brachypodius melanocephalus, 



Gmel. ; Ixos mettcdlicus, Eyton. 



Andamans.— Ball, J. A. S. B., XLI, Ft. II, ]872, p. 284. 



A YOUNG bird apparently belong-ing- to this species occurred in 

 the collection described by me (loc. cit.) , 



As it is not an Indian bird, 1 g-ive the following- description of 

 the species : — " Yellow head, and throat metallic black ; wdngs 

 and a band near the apex of the tail black; bill and feet black. 



" Female like the male, but head and underneath ashy^ and 

 tail-feathers internally brown/-" 



Length 8 inches; tarsus 5 inches; ball at feet '4 inch. 



67— (469).— Irena puella, Zalh. 



Andamans.— Blyth, J. A. S. B.,XXriII, 1859, jo. 274; T. andB., Ibis, 

 N. S., Ill, 1867, p. 3-26 ; Ball, J. A. S. B-, XLI, Ft. II, 1872, p. 284. 



The above race, as distinguished by Vise. Walden, appears to 

 be common, 



68— (472).— Oriolus melanocephalus, Linn. 



Andamans.— T. and B., Ihis, N. 8., Ill, 1867, V. 327 ; Ball, J.A.S. 

 B., XLI, Ft. II, 1872, p. 284. 



A SMALL race of the above species. Measurement of one in the 

 Indian Muesum : wing 5 ; tail 3*5 ; bill at front 1 ; tarsus -9 — 

 1 inch. 



69 — (471 quat). — 0. macrourus, Blyth. 



Ni-cobars. — Blyth, J. A. S. B., XV, p. 46; Felz., Reise der Novara, 

 Vdgel,p. 74 ; Ball, J. A. S. B., XXXIX, Ft. II, 1870, p. 31. 



" Closelx allied to 0. C/iinensis, from which it is distinguished 

 by its longer tail, rather smaller and less carinated beak 

 (which, however, is always conspicuously larger than in 

 0. Indicus,) and by tlie greater patch of yellow upon the fore- 

 head of the male ; another distinction consists in the disposi- 

 tion of the yellow upon the tail, which has scarcely any 

 of this colour at the tips of its middle pair of feathers, 

 while the outermost is in old males wholly yellow, with merely 

 the shaft black towards the base, some specimens showing 

 one or two insulated patches of yellow, chiefly at the extreme 

 base of the outer web, and younger males having the tail 

 coloured more as in the adults of the Chinese species, but still 

 with scarcely a trace of yellow at the tips of the middle pair 

 of feathers. The wings have their longest primaries slightly 

 margined, externally, with whitish ; and in some specimens, 

 there is a slight 3'ellow border to the secondaries and tertiaries ; 

 while younger males have the whole exterior portion of 



