BIRDS OF UPPER PEGU. 133 



young bird which he at the time believed had come from Central 

 India. The bird is so close to indicus that it seems unnecessary 

 to give a full description. It may at once be distinguished from 

 this latter; [1st), by its much slenderer bill; fynd), by its much 

 narrower occipital band; {3rd), by the much greater extent of 

 yellow on the primary greater coverts ; [Mh) , by the much greater 

 extent of yellow on the tail. On a fine adult male indicus from the 

 Malabar Coast the terminal 1*5 of the inner webs of the external 

 lateral tail feather is yellow ; in the same feather in tenuirostris 

 the yellow extends nearly 2 inches ; about 0*4 of the tips of the 

 feathers next the central ones in indicus are yellow ; in the same 

 feather in tenuirostris the yellow extends to nearly an inch ; of 

 course, in both instances, I refer to adult males. There is always 

 much less yellow on the tails of younger birds. 



472.— Oriolus melanocephalus, Lin. 



The Black-headed Orioles from Pegu are typical melanocephalus, 

 that is to say, they have the black of the chin and throat coming 

 well down on the breast, and they have the yellow running 

 well up the outer webs of the tertiaries. They are, in fact, quite 

 similar to birds from Lower Bengal, such as one generally meets 

 with there. I have already (Stray Feathers, 1873, p. 439) 

 expressed my opinion as to the great difficulty that presents itself 

 in separating ceybmensis from melanocephalus, and need therefore 

 say nothing further on this subject here. 



Mr. Oates tells us that this species is very common about 

 Thayetmyo, and he gives the following resume oi the dimen- 

 sions of six specimens of both sexes which he measured in the 

 flesh :— 



"Length, 8'9 to 9*8; expanse, 15 to 16*3 ; tail, from vent, 

 3-35 to 3-5; wing, 5 to 53; bill, from gape, V22 to 1*38; 

 tarsus, - 97 to 1*0. In an adult the irides were crimson; the 

 eyelids, yellowish grey, with the edges black ; bill, pink ; the 

 terminal half, dusky ; inside of mouth, fleshy ; legs, plumbeous ; 

 claws, dark horny. 



" In younger birds the bill was fleshy brown, overrun with 

 spots and patches of dusky pink; iris, bright red; centre of 

 lower eyelid, pale yellow ; edges of both, purpurescent ; legs, brown ; 

 claws, nearly black. 



1 ' In a quite young bird the bill was black ; eyelids, grey ; iris, 

 hazel brown ; legs, plumbeous ; the margins of the scutse, nearly 

 white/' 



475.— Copsychus saularis, Lin. 



The Thayetmyo birds are very nearly true saularis ; that is, so 

 far as I can judge from the males only, for I have received no 



