BIRDS OP UPPER PEGU. 65 



Contrast with these the following dimensions of Thayetmyo 

 birds:— Males: (i) 1-85—6-6, (ii) 1-95—6-3, (iii) 2-15—6-4, (iv) 

 1-92—6-3, (v) 1-85—6-3, (vi) 2-05— 6-35, all these from Thayet- 

 myo, and (vii) 1*9 — 6*4 from the Arracan Hills. Females: (i) 

 1-85—6-7, (ii) 1-8—6-3, (iii) 1-95—6-45, (iv) 1-8—6-08, (v) 

 1-8—6-5. 



Neglecting therefore the young female from Fyzabad, the 

 dimensions of the two races may be thus stated : — 



C. sultaneus ... Bill 2-0 to 2-4; Wing 6' 7 to 7"45 



C. Delesserti ... „ 1-7 to 1-9; „ 585 to 6"3, 



The Thayetmyo birds give „ 1*8 to 2-15 j „ 6-08 to 6'7. 



So far therefore, as dimensions go, the Thayetmyo birds are 

 intermediate between the two supposed sj^ecies, and I prefer to 

 retain them as sultaneus. 



Captain Feilden says : " This species is found wherever 

 there are a number of moderate-sized trees either in clumps or 

 in lines along the borders of streams. They are found at all ele- 

 vations from the banks of the Irrawaddy to the highest points 

 of the hills about Thayetmyo. I do not think that it feeds 

 upon the ground, although I once shot one apparently on the 

 ground, but I cannot be certain that it was not clinging to some 

 root running above the surface, as the jungle was very thick. 

 Like all Woodpeckers with chisel-pointed bills they make a loud 

 whirring noise by striking a decayed part of a tree with rapidly 

 repeated strokes of the bill ; no doubt the rapid vibrations have 

 the effect of driving out insects concealed there. I have seen a 

 pair of these Woodpeckers hawking for white-ants along with 

 Drongos ; they flew a short distance, hovered in the same manner 

 as a Pied Kingfisher over a fish, but more heavily and clumsily 

 made half a dozen darts with their bills in different directions, 

 and then returned to the tree. This continued for some time till 

 I shot one of them. 



" I have also seen these Woodpeckers amusing themselves by 

 throwing themselves round in the air, from the branch they are 

 clinging to, to another nearly parallel to it, with a loud whirr of 

 the wings ; this was repeated many times evidently for amuse- 

 ment/'' 



