164 A FIRST LIST OF THE 



into two different races, gelastis, Tern., from Japan, and probably 

 Eastern China, and pulchrata or vitticollis, Hodgson, from the 

 Himalayas, still meena is alike distinct from all of these, and is 

 constantly distinguished from all of them by its uniform grey 

 under tail coverts. 



As I noticed in Lahore to Yarkand, p. 125, the grey coloring 

 of the under tail coverts varies in shade, the more western birds, 

 from Mahableshwar, for instance, having the coverts somewhat 

 paler, and those from Tipperah and the Khasia Hills having 

 them darker. The Thayetmyo birds are similar to those from 

 Raipore and Sumbulpore, not quite so dark as those from 

 the Bhootan Dhooars, the Khasia Hills, and Hill Tipperah, 

 but a good deal darker than those from Mahableshwar and 

 Mount Aboo. 



Mr. Oates remarks : " This species is generally distributed, 

 but is nowhere very common. Specimens of males measured-: 

 Length, 13 - 25 to 13'3 ; expanse, 21*3 to 22 ; tail, from vent, 5 - 4 

 to 5-6; wing, 7*1 to 7 : 4; bill, from gape, 0'92 to 0'97; tarsus, 1-06 

 to 1'15. A female measured: Length, 12*6; expanse, 20' 5; tail, 

 from vent, 5'0; wing, 6 - 6; bill, from gape, 0' 98; tarsus, 1*12. 



" In a female the bill was brown, with a vinaceous tinge on 

 the basal half ; the irides, orange ; eyelids, pale blue, a circle sur- 

 rounding them, and their edges red ; legs, red ; claws, black : of 

 a male I noticed that the inside of the mouth was black/'' 



795 bis.— Turtur tigrina, Tem. 



Thayetmyo specimens are not typical ; they are intermediate 

 between sura t en si 's and typical tigrina. I have already explained 

 this (Stray Feathers, 1873, p. 461, q. v.). 



On what grounds Mr. Gray unites ehinensis and tigrina I can- 

 not say. Typical tigrina from Sumatra is a great deal more 

 distinct from ehinensis than it is from suratensis ; every interme- 

 diate link may be found between the two latter, but ehinensis 

 not only entirely wants the dark shaft stripes, which even tigrina 

 retains, but is a much larger bird, having, as far as my specimens 

 go, a wing fully half an inch (and in many cases a great deal 

 more) larger than any specimens of tigrina or suratensis, or the 

 many intermediate forms that occupy the vast region lying be- 

 tween Assam and Sumatra. 



Mr. Oates says : " This species is common everywhere in the 

 plains ; but I did not meet with it in the hills. It seems to 

 breed at all times of the year; two eggs I took measured T21 

 by - 88. They are, of course, pure white. They are generally 

 placed within fifteen feet from the ground in Bamboo bushes or 

 shrubs. A male measured : Length, 12*5; expanse, 17*2 ; tail, 

 from vent, 5*7; wing, 5" 5; bill, from gape, 0*9; tarsus, TO. 



