166 A FIRST LIST OF THE 



to the two Pegu Hill birds.* Cau they be hybrids between 

 lineatus and Horsfieldii ? 



"Males from the Pegu Hills that I measured varied as follows : 

 Length, 2675 to 277 ; expanse, 29 - 5to30*5; tail, from vent, 

 11-6 to 12-9; wing, 9'2 to 9-5; bill, from gape, 1*32 to 1*37; 

 tarsus, 30 to 325. The irides were reddish hazel; the exposed 

 part of the eyelid, pale bluish grey ; bill, pale green, dusky 

 at the tip ; the anterior half of the edges of the upper 

 mandible and that part of the culmen wdiich lies between the 

 nostrils are bluish grey, tinged with red in parts ; skin of 

 face and lappets, deep crimson ; legs, plumbeous brown ; 

 claws, pale horny ; spur, dark brown at base, paler at tip. 



" A female measured : Length, 20*1; expanse, 28 ; tail, from 

 vent, 77 ; wing, 8*5 ; bill, from gape, 1*35 ; tarsus, 2*9. 



" The irides were reddish brown ; eyelids, plumbeous ; legs, 

 dusky flesh color ; claws, pinkish horny ; bill, pale greenish 

 horny, turning to black on culmen between nostrils." 



This species was first described by Latham (Gen. Hist, of 

 Birds, Vol. VIII, p. 201), and it was figured by Jardine and 

 Selby (Vol. IV, pi. 12). 



The latter plate, though as a whole very fair, fails to show the 

 conspicuous white shaft stripes which characterize the whole 

 lower surface. 



Specimens measured in the flesh by Davison varied as follows : — 



Male: Length, 25-5 to 30-0; expanse, 2975 to 3275; tail, 

 from vent, 100 to 13*5; wing, 9 - 25 to 11*5; tarsus, 3'25 to 

 3 - 62; bill, from gape, 1'5 to Too; weight, 25 to 3 lbs. 



* These birds are unquestionably Lophophorus Cuvieri of Temminck, PI. Col. 1, 

 though Temminck figures a bird with an abnormally shaped bill, and with an 

 even, instead of a falcate, tail. I have had no sufficientopportunities for investigating 

 the matter, but Mr. Blyth was of opinion that these were hybrids between Hors- 

 fieldii and lineatus, and whether we look at males or females, they do appear 

 intermediate between the two species. In the males the entire lower surface is 

 streakless, as in Horsfieldii ; there are no white central stripes to any of the 

 feathers, some of the lateral tail feathers have nearly lost the white markings. The 

 tips of the neck feathers show glossy blue-black patches, similar to those in Hors- 

 fieldii, though the rest of the feathers are freckled, as in lineatvs. Everywhere on 

 the upper surface the white frecklings are coarser and further apart than in 

 lineatus, and all the lower back, rump, and upper tail covert feathers, though 

 freckled as in lineatus, are fringed at the tips with white as in Horsfieldii. In 

 the female the white stripes on the lower surface are greatly reduced in breadth, 

 are huffy in color, and are almost entirely confined to the breast. The white 

 arrow-head markings of the back and sides of the neck and upper back of lineatus 

 are entirely wanting. Many of the coverts and the longer scapulars exhibit the 

 conspicuous crescentic white tippings characteristic of Horsfieldii. In other 

 respects, however, the female agrees with that of neither species. The whole 

 back and wings are a more or less rich rufous olivaceous brown, everywhere closely 

 freckled with blackish brown. The tail is rufous, pale on the central tail feathers, 

 deep chestnut on the four exterior pairs, the others intermediate ; the chestnut 

 feathers freckled on the inner webs only, the others on both webs, with blackish 

 brown. As to whether these are or are not hybrids I suspend my opinion. 



