336 NOTES ON SOME BURMESE BIRDS. 



126.— Eurystomus orientalis, L. 



One specimen was brought to me from the Arrakan hills, and 

 it also occurs, rarely, elsewhere in Pegu. 



139 quat— Oymbirynchus affinis, Bl. 



This bird appears to be abundant on the Arrakan hills from 

 Cape Negrais up to at least the 19th deg. N. Lat. 



In plumage and size affinis is very similar to the Malayan 

 species, which Count Salvadori has separated as malaccensis. 



In malaccensis the white spots on the tail are confined to the 

 inner webs, and on the 4th and 5th pairs, counting from the 

 outside, are nearly obsolete ; the belly is washed in places with 

 rich aureous ; the wing spot is indistinct, being much hidden 

 by the coverts ; the tertiaries are plain black ; and the rump 

 shews no indications of pale transverse lines. 



In affinis, on the other hand, the white spots on the tail- 

 feathers are larger, extending ou the 3 outer pairs to both webs. 

 On the 4th and 5th pairs the amount of white on the inner 

 webs is considerable ; the belly is either uniformly red or 

 washed with pale silky white ; the wing spot is conspicuous, 

 being below the coverts and well exposed to view. Each 

 feather of the tertiaries has a longish, narrow spot of red at 

 its extremity. These spots appear to be invariably three in 

 number, and, curiously enough, the one on the uppermost fea- 

 ther is on the inner web ; while, in the other two, it is on the 

 outer. The rump shews, in every specimen I have examined, 

 indistinct transverse lines, nearly obsolete, of black. 



I can discover no other differences in plumage. The following 

 are the dimensions of three skins of affinis : — Wing, 3*5 to 

 3-63 ; tail, 2-9 to 3-1 ; tarsus, -85 to -87 ; bill, from forehead 

 to tip straight, '71 to "77. For the sake of comparison I also 

 give the dimensions of three skins of malaccensis similarly 

 measured : — Wing, 3*85 to 3'95 ; tail, 3*5 to 3*6 ; tarsus, *8 to 

 •93 ; bill, -87 to -92. 



The length of one affinis, measured in the flesh by my collector 

 with a piece of thread which he brought home to me, was 8" 15. 



To keep to the excellent rule of " Stray Feathers" of des- 

 cribing a bird which is mentioned in its pages for the first time, 

 I append a short description. Rump bright red, with indis- 

 tinct cross lines of black. With this exception, the whole 

 upper surface, the lores, the chin, throat and broad pectoral 

 band are deep black. The space between the throat and the 

 pectoral band, the cheeks and ear-coverts, the breast, belly, 

 under tail-coverts and flanks are a rich vinous red ; the thighs 

 black ; the tail black, with white spots on the outer five pairs 

 of feathers ; the wings also black with a conspicuous Avhite 

 spot, and the inner webs chiefly white ; the tertiaries with red 



