Novelties. — Calornis T^tleri. 481 



smaller. I have unfortunately only young- specimens of the 

 Andaman bird in my museum, and I cannot therefore institute a 

 proper comparison between it and the Burma race, of which I 

 have only an adult ; but I am confident that they will prove 

 distinct.''' 



Having- now obtained " sixty specimens of the Andaman and 

 Nicobar bird, from almost every island in both groups, it is perfect- 

 ly clear, that this species is equally distinct from the Sumatran, 

 Malaccan, and Bornean birds on the one hand, and those from 

 Hill Tipperah, Dacca, and Assam on the other. 



The present species is altogether a darker and more sombre bird 

 than either of these : it has not the bright green reflections that 

 good fresh specimens of these have; it is a great deal larger than 

 insidiator, and also, though in a less degree, larger than the 

 Tipperah bird. 



The following are the dimensions of the present species, the 

 abstract of numerous measurements in the flesh of adult birds of 

 both sexes : 



Length, 8-35 to 9 ; expanse, 13'5 to 14-5 ; wing, 4-2 to 

 4-75 jtail, from vent, 2-89 to 3-25 ; tarsus, 0-75 to 0*9 ; bill 

 from gape, 1 to 1*12. 



The legs, feet, and bill are black. The irides vary in the most re- 

 markable manner, and this, too, amongst, apparently, perfect adults 

 in full plumage; they are white, opalescent white, fleshy white, 

 pale pink, brown, deep brown, deep red brown, and deep orange. 



From the nostrils to the eyes, a velvet black stripe ; the whole 

 of the rest of the plumage, except the quills and rectrices, black 

 brown, every where with a rich dark metallic green gloss, which 

 absolutely wants the quasi-purply bronze reflection which is 

 intermingled with the brighter metallic green gloss of insidiator 

 and the Tipperah birds ; the wings and tail are dark blackish 

 hair-brown, the inner margins of the inner webs of the quills 

 somewhat paler, and with a comparatively faint greenish gloss 

 on the outer margins, almost entirely wanting in many specimens 

 on the primaries. 



There is no possible mistake as to the absolute distinctness of 

 this species ; but what I do not know is what bird affinis, Hay, re- 

 presents ; was it described from Malaccan specimens ? Grray, 

 I see, gives it only from Malacca, if so, apparently it is a 

 synonym of insidiator, for Malaccan and Sumatran specimens are 

 absolutely identical ; in that case, the Tipperah and Assam birds 

 require to be re-named, and I would call them Irwini after my — V 

 late lamented friend Mr. Valentine Irwin, who first sent me nu- 

 merous specimens fi-om Commillah and its neighbourhood. 



This latter is a much larger bird than insidiator, with a wing 



