OF THE TRAVANCORE HILLS. 391 
small as these, the majority certainly exceed 5°6; and in one 
or two cases extend to 5°8 and 5:9. 
The three females from Travancore have the wings, 5:2, 5°35, 
5°45. Amongst the Burman females there are plenty of wings 
from 5:18 to 5°45; but more than half the birds have the 
wings, 5°5 and upwards. 
I cannot think that a difference of this nature is sufficient to 
justify the retention of both species. 
194.—Megalaima viridis, Gmel. 
“‘ Another very common bird—its loud and rather peculiar 
call may be heard at all hours of the day, and sometimes at 
night during fine weather. They build in very rotten old tree 
stumps, cutting a hole for the purpose and leaving a number 
of chips of the rotten wood to serve as a nest, laying in March. 
I have never seen the eggs, but obtained two unfledged young 
early in April.—F. W. B.” 
Some years ago, Captain Hayes Lloyd described a Green 
Barbet of Western India, as distinct from M. viridis under 
the name of I. Sykesi (vide ante, Vol. 1, p. 419.) 
The points upon which he appears to have relied were that 
it was larger, and that the brown of the head and nape was 
paler and with a coppery gloss. He obtained the species, he 
said, on the summit of Matheran and other detached hills in 
the Concan, 
Now I have before me a series from Matheran, three speci- 
mens from Mahabaleshwar a huge series from various parts of 
the Neilgherries, from the base to the summit, a specimen from 
the Cardamon Hills, another from Mangalore, a series from 
Aujango, anda couple of specimens from the Assamboo Hills 
in South Travancore. 
Iam bound to affirm that so far as plumage goes, every 
Matheran bird can be matched exactly in the other series ; 
from all localities some have their heads paler, some darker, 
and the paler ones often have what may be called, by courtesy, 
a sort of coppery gloss. 
I think the Matheran birds do average slightly larger than 
the rest, but there is certainly not enough difference in size 
to justify specific separation, and the largest bird of all that 
I have is one from Ooty. I have very carefully measured the 
wings of a number of birds with the following results :— 
Matheran, 4°18, 4:2, 4:2, 4°21. 
Mahabaleshwar, 3°75, 3°75, 4°2. 
Neilgherries, 4°1, 4°05 4:4, 4:07, 3°9, 2:95, 3°92, 4°17, 4, 4:1, 
4:05, 4°05. 
B 3 
