Acheen. 455 



PLeucocirca ? 



This bird, and I dare say it is not new, though I cannot make 

 it out, has precisely the pluraag-e and habits of the Leiicocirca's. 

 So far as plumage g'oes, it is very close to pectoralis, Jerdon, from 

 the Nilghiris, but it is slightly smaller, decidedly darker, has the 

 tippings to all but the central tail feathers, a purer white, and 

 has much less white on the throat ; but on the other hand the 

 bill is differently shaped to that of any of the Leucocirca's. and 

 much more resembles that of Myiagra azurea, but is a good deal 

 longer than that even, and is in fact a minature of that of Tchi- 

 trea in outline, though much more depressed. It may be Rhipidura 

 ^erlata of Miiller or longicauda of Wallace ; but I can find no des- 

 criptions of these birds. The following are dimensions and des- 

 criptions : 



Length, 7*5 ; expanse, 8*75 ; wing, 2*9 ; tail, 3*82; tarsus, 0"75; 

 bill from gape, 0*65 ; the irides were brown, the bill black, fleshy 

 at the base of the lower mandible. The head and sides of the neck 

 sooty black ; a short broad supercilium, over the posterior part of 

 the lores, and the anterior half of the eyes, white ; wings and back, 

 smoky brown ; upper tail coverts and tail, dark hair brown, all 

 but the four central tail feathers (of which there are tivelve in all) 

 broadly tipped with pure white ; the external ones most broadly 

 so ; the feathers next the central tail feathers with a very narrow 

 white tipping at the extreme point. Centre of chin and throat 

 white, sides of the throat and breast and point of chin, black ; 

 abdomen, vent, and lower tail coverts, white, with a yellowish 

 tinge; wing lining, mixed grey and white; axillaries, brownish 

 white. 



If this species is new, I would name it " infumata." — r" 



The habits of this species seem in one respect peculiar. Mr. 

 Davison says, " I chiefly observed this bird in or close to the 

 villages and generally found them perched on the backs of cattle, 

 from which strange perch they kept darting after insects, occasion- 

 ally alighting on the ground. They are very restless little birds, 

 flitting about hither and thither, and spreading their tails on 

 alighting, like all our Indian Leucocirca's." 



449 &is.— Trachycomus ochroceplialus, Gm, 



The Acheen birds appear identical with those from Malacca 

 and the Malay Peninsula generally. This bird occurs within 

 our limits, having been obtained in the Tenasserim Provinces, 

 and I therefore subjoin measurements recorded in the flesh, 

 which I believe have never before been given, and a description. 



Length, 11; expanse, 15; wing, 4*75 ; tail, from vent, 4*75; 

 tarsus, 0*9; bill, from gape, 1*05 ; weight, 3 ozs. 



