BIRDS OF UPPER PEGU. 161 



In the fourth place the base of the upper mandible from nostril 

 to gape in Treron is bright red ; in Phayrei, blue. 



The following- are exact dimensions, as well as colors, of soft 

 parts recorded at different times from a number of fresh speci- 

 mens. The sexes do not differ appreciably in size : — 



Length, 10*46 to 1T0; expanse, 17 to 18; tail, from vent, 

 3-46 to 375; wing, 5-62 to 5'76; tarsus, 075 to 0-9; bill, from 

 gape, 0*9 to 099 : weight, 5 to 9 oz. ; average, 6 oz. 



The legs and feet vary from lake pink to coral red; the 

 orbital skin is pea-green ; the irides vary from bright orange to 

 yellowish red, with an inner deep blue ring more or less apparent. 

 The gape and base of upper mandible to nostrils, bright red; the 

 rest of the bill, pale yellowish or greenish white, tipped greenish. 



773 bis.— Crocopus viridifrons, Blyth — (Journal, 

 Asiatic Society, Bengal, 1845, Vol. XIV, p. 1849). 



Mr. Blyth described this first from Tenasserim, but it is most 

 abundant in Upper Burmah, about Thayetmyo. He characterized 

 the species, which is after all only an intensified form of 

 pAasnieopterus, as follows : — 



" Viridifrons is distinguished by having the anterior half of 

 the head and the medial, (I should say basal,) portion of the 

 tail of the same as bright yellowish green as the breast, 

 though somewhat less fulvescent, (I should say golden^ that 

 of the tail being well defined, and contrasting strongly both 

 with the grey tip and also with the grey coverts impending 

 the tail, so that this green appears as a very conspicuous broad 

 caudal band; the throat also is not weaker-colored as in 

 T. jj/ioenicoj) ferns." 



I may add that the grey of the lower parts is purer, the neck, 

 as a rule, brighter-colored all round, and the lilac shoulder-patch 

 generally greater in extent. 



Captain Feilden remarks that " the birds of this species living 

 in single trees or clumps in clearings are larger; those in dense 

 jungle, smaller." In length the larger birds vary, according to 

 him, from 12- 5 to 13- 5 in length, and the lesser ones from 11 25 

 to 12*12; but I remark that of six of the larger race that he 

 measured five were males, while out of six of the smaller five were 

 females, and I apprehend that the difference in size is due to 

 sex rather than to habitat. The wings vary from about 6' 9 

 to 7-5. 



Mr. Oates remarks : " This species is common throughout 

 the plains during the whole year. I have, however, never found 

 its nest. I have never received it from the Pegu Hills, nor 

 from those of Arracan. It is essentially a bird of the plains, as 

 Osmotreron Phayrei is of the hills. The two are never found 



w 



