328 NOTES. 



Dr. Jerdon, B. of I., II., 458, remarks that the irides of spe- 

 cimens of Carpophaga insignis from the Himalaya are hoary 

 grey, while those of examples from the south of India are 

 red brown. He also remarks, loc cit, that he was " at one time 

 inclined to consider the southern birds as distinct from the 

 Himalayan ones, and the fact of the irides being colored 

 differently would favor the supposition, but without further 

 examples of both" to compare he could not separate them. 



I entertain no doubt that the southern bird P. cuprea, Jerdon, 

 is a perfectly distinct species from the Himalayan insignia, 

 Hodgson. 



In the first place, the southern birds average smaller ; the 

 wiugs of Himalayan specimens average, I find, about 10" ; those 

 of birds from Travancore about 9". 



In the second place, the whole lower surface in insignis is a 

 pale cold grey, without a trace of vinous, and the wing lining is 

 much the same color. In cuprea the lower surface is a warm 

 vinous grey, and the wing lining is a dark brownish slatey. 



In the third place, the upper back and interscapulary region, 

 lesser scapulars, and median wing-coverts have in insignis a 

 strong vinaceous purple tinge ; this is entirely wanting in 

 cuprea. 



In the fourth place the rump in insignis is gi'eyer, and in 

 cuprea more olivaceous. 



Other minor differences, which I need not here dwell upon, 

 are observable on a close comparison of a good series of speci- 

 mens from north and south. It is sufficient here to say that 

 I entertain no doubt of the distinctness of the two species. 



I have been comparing a large series of the Burmese Tiga or 

 Chrysonotus intermedins, Blyth, with three or four specimens of the 

 supposed rubropygialis, Msdhevbe, from Southern Travancore, and 

 I confess my inability to distinguish the two species. Jerdon 

 says that rubropygialis is much smaller than intermedins, 

 and has the black spots on the head of the female still rounder 

 than in this latter, but as a matter of fact neither of 

 these differences appear to hold good. A male of rubropygialis, 

 measured in the flesh by Mr. Bourdillon, was : — Length, 11 ; 

 expanse, 165 ; wing, 5*62; tail, 4 ; tarsus, 0'87 ; bill from, 

 gape, 1*4. This was shot at My nail, Southern Travancore. 



A fine male of intermedins, shot at Tenasserim on the out- 

 skirts of the town of that name, a specially fine specimen, 

 measured in the flesh, Length, H'12 ; expanse, 18 • tail, 

 4'25 ; wing, 5*75 ; tarsus, 0*85; bill from gape, 139. 



These two specimens are absolutely identical, except that the 

 head of the southern bird is of a deeper and duller red. 



