194 REMARKS ON THE GENUS PERICROCOTUS. 



Central Provinces' districts, but west of this I have never seen 

 or heard of it, and, as I said before to the best of my belief, 

 it never goes near Central India. 



11.— Pericrocotus elegans, McClell, P. Z. S. 

 1839, 156. 



This species is a miuatnre of speciostis. McClelland, when 

 first describing it, laid much stress on the greater tl flatness 

 of the crown, which brings it nearly on a plane with the upper 

 mandible." I have never been able to compare fresh specimens 

 of the two, and therefore cannot speak positively on the subject, 

 but must confess that I have not observed any marked difference 

 in skins in this respect. 



Like speciosus, the first two primaries in the adult male, and 

 the first three in the female and young male, alone want the 

 bright patch on the outer webs. 



No doubt there is a distinction in the tails ; in that out of 26 

 adult males examined, in every one the outer webs of the tail- 

 feathers were red, whereas only three out of 27 speciosus had any 

 red on the outer webs of the middle tail-feathers. Again, taken 

 as a body, the backs of the females are somewhat darker, and the 

 red of the males somewhat more flammeous. With me, however, 

 the validity of the species rests in she difference in size coupled 

 with distinct geographical distribution. I have picked out 

 of 30 specimens, the fiuest birds, and their wings measured : — 



^'s.—ST; 8-6; 3-7; 36; 37; 377; 3"6. 

 ? ' s ._37; 3 75; 362; 3-5; 38; 36; 36. 



This difference, coupled with a fully corresponding difference 

 in bulk, (speciosus must weigh nearly double what elegans does) , 

 renders it very unlikely that the birds should interbreed in a 

 wild state, and in my opinion justifies specific separation, quite 

 as much as, in fact more so than in the case of Pratincola 

 bicolor and caprata, Hemicircus canente and cordatus, and a 

 dozen more, universally received pairs of species. I would not 

 object to quash all these and with them elegans, but I object to 

 the illogical way in which what is made sauce for the goose is 

 not accepted as sauce for the gander, and so long as other 

 similar diminutives are maintained I shall continue to uphold 

 elegans. 



Of this species, I have specimens from the western portion 

 of Assam, and thence right up to Sudya at the extreme east of 

 the Province, from Shillong, (Khasia Hills), N. E. Cachar, Hill 

 Tipperah, (speciosus occurs in the plains in the cold season) and 

 throughout the Tenasserim Hills to the extreme south at 

 Malewoon, 



