52 A FIRST LIST OF THE 



134— Alcedo bengalensis, Gm. 



Mr. Oates says that this species " is common in all small 

 nnllahs and roadside drains, but I did not observe it on the 

 Pegu Hills." 



The Thayetmyo birds, of which Captain Feilden sent numer- 

 ous specimens, appear to "be a rather short-billed race, like others 

 that I have from the Andamans, in which the bill at front does 

 not usually exceed 1*4. 



136.— Ceryle rudis, Lin. 



Birds from Thayetmyo differ in no way that I can discover 

 from specimens from various other localities in India and 

 Asia. 



There is no possible doubt that the adult female in this species 

 has a single, imperfect, very broad band, which does not quite 

 meet on the middle of the breast ; while the adult males have two 

 perfect bands. If, as alleged, the museums of Europe contain 

 " carefully " sexed specimens leading to a different conclusion, all 

 I can say is, that they were not carefully sexed. Both Captain 

 Feilden and Mr. Oates say that this species is very common about 

 Thayetmyo. Mr. Oates adds: "More especially in the rains, 

 when it loves to perch on the telegraph wires over flooded paddy 

 land/' 



138. — Psarisoimis Dalhousiae, Jameson. 



Mr. Oates says : " I obtained specimens both on the Eastern 

 and Western Pegu Hills. It occurs all over the hills, but is not 

 by any means common ; nor do I think it is found in the plains. 

 A male measured — 



" Length, 105 ; expanse, 13 ; tail, from vent, 5 ; wing, 4* 05 ; 

 bill, from gape, T27; tarsus, 1"05. 



"Female : Length, 10*5 ; expanse, 12-75 : tail, from vent, 4*9 ; 

 wing, 3"93 ; bill, from gape, 1*26 ; tarsus, 1*1. 



" The general color of the bill is green, the anterior half of the 

 culmen bluish, the middle portion of the lower mandible dusky 

 orange, and with a dusky patch on the edge of the upper man- 

 dible, about one-third of the length of the beak from the gape. 

 Inside of mouth, fleshy ■ iris, brown ; eyelids, greenish ; legs, dull 

 greenish ; claws, bluish horny." 



I have an enormous series of this bird from the Himalayas, 

 from the Dhoon eastward to the Eastern Bhootan Dhooars,but they 

 all differ from the two specimens sent from Thayetmyo. In 

 all Himalayan specimens, the patch behind the eye is a decided 

 yellow — at times, it is true, faintly tinged with blue or green, but 

 still always yellow and typically bright pure yellow. In the 

 Thayetmyo birds this patch is a kind of bluish greenish-white. 



