NOVELTIES. 109 



it) represents M. Franklini on the higher slopes, so does our 

 present species represent asiatica at Meetan and other lower 

 localities. 



The close connection of the two species is specially obvious 

 on a comparison of the young of asiatica with the adult Davi- 

 soni. In the former, although of course the red of the forehead 

 and occiput is much duller and mingled more with golden 

 orange, you have the black of the crown band mingled with 

 dull greenish blue. In M. asiatica the blue has wholly disap- 

 peared ; in Davisoni the band has widened, the black has en- 

 tirely disappeared, and the blue become pure. 



The following are the dimensions, taken from skins ; — 



Length, 85; wing, 3'9; tail, 2*8; tarsus, 0*97. 



No separate description of the plumage seems necessary, 

 as I have indicated in the diagnosis the only points in which 

 this differs from asiatica, unless indeed that all my specimens 

 want the tiny red spot at the base of the lower mandible, al- 

 ways observable in fine plumaged adults of asiatica, wheu 

 fresh. But many ski7is of asiatica scarcely show this, and 

 possibly it might be present in the fresh Davisoni. 



Hypsipetes subniger. 



Like H. psaroides, but smaller, everytohere much darker, a dark iron 

 grey, and with the interscapular?/ region black. 



Some specimens of this species run so dark that the first time 

 I saw them, I at once identified them as nigerrima, Gould. But 

 when I saw others by no means so black only (except on the 

 interscapular^ region which is always black) a very dark iron 

 grey darker than ganeesa, Sykes (nilgheriemis, Jerd.), and re- 

 flected that nigerrima was a Formosan bird, and therefore less 

 likely to occur in the Tenasserim Hills, I got out specimens of 

 this latter and saw at once that they were entirely distinct. Our 

 bird lacks the conspicuous lilac grey edgings to the quills and 

 tail, and has the black replaced everywhere except on the head, 

 nape and iuterscapulary region by a dark iron grey. 



The following are the dimensions and description taken from 

 skins. (Males are somewhat larger than females) : — 



Length, 8*5 to 9'5 ; wing, 4*5 to 485; tail, 4'0 to 4-5; 

 tarsus, 0'7 to 0"8 ; bill to forehead, TO; from anterior mar- 

 gin of nostril, - 55. 



Bill, legs and feet red. 



Chin, lores, forehead, crown, occiput, crest and iutersca- 

 pulary region black ; some of the longer scapulars, rump, 



