BIRDS OF UPPER PEGU. 113 



lower tail coverts ; but I have others again from further east, viz.. 

 Tipperah, in different stages of plumage, none of which exhibit 

 the smallest trace of rufous anywhere. 



Of the Thayetmyo birds, one is a male in the almost perfect 

 blue plumage, only a few blackish points are dimly seen upon the 

 back, and the greater coverts are dimly margined with white. 

 There is not a trace of rufous about this specimen. The second 

 is a male, also in blue plumage, but with the whole of the feathers 

 of the upper and lower surfaces, except on the head and chin, 

 tipped with dull white, preceded by a blackish line. In this bird 

 the whole of the lower tail coverts are mingled chestnut and 

 blue. The third is similar to the last, except that the white 

 tippings have almost disappeared from the upper surface ; while, 

 curious to say, the chin and throat are not blue, but still retain 

 the young spotty plumage. This has only a trace of chestnut in 

 the lower tail coverts. This has also the faintest possible chestnut 

 tinge in one or two of the under-wing coverts. The fourth is 

 a female, in no way differing from dozens of other Indian ones 

 that I have. 



Now, if this chestnut plumage was doffed on the birds coming 

 to maturity, these quite young blue birds ought to show much 

 more rufous than others more advanced ; but I have before me 

 a specimen, killed at Hainan on the 29th March 1868, which is 

 in perfect adult blue plumage, no single trace of immaturity, 

 except tiny white tipphigs to the greater coverts, which has the 

 whole lower breast, abdomen, vent, lower tail coverts, wing lining, 

 and axillaries, deep chestnut. Then, I have a younger bird from 

 Formosa, in much the same stage of plumage as the third male 

 from Thayetmyo, in which the axillaries and wing lining are pale 

 chestnut, and the whole of the abdomen, vent, and lower tail coverts 

 are mottled with a comparatively pale chestnut. Lastly, I have a 

 female from Amoy, identical, as far as I can judge, in every respect 

 with our Indian female. 



And here I wish particularly to note that, whereas Mr. Sharpe 

 remarks that the adult females are precisely similar to the males, 

 I must say that, though I have shot and sexed several scores of 

 these birds, I have never had the luck to meet with a female in 

 the blue garb of the male, and I confess that I still think it very 

 doubtful whether she ever does assume it, in India. 



In regard to these eastern and western races, and the supposed 

 smaller Indian race, I can only say that if large series _ are com- 

 pared, I do not believe that any substantive difference in dimen- 

 sions can be established. Big and little birds, short and long 

 billed ones, occur wherever the species occurs, and it seems to 

 me quite unreasonable to pick out the smaller birds and convert 

 them into a separate species, when all sizes, big and little, occur 

 side by side. 



