REMARKS ON THE GENUS IORA. 





443 



the under side of the wing is brown at the extremity ; a white 

 discoloration extends obliquely backward, occasioned by the 

 white border of the inner vane of the quill feathers ; the tail 

 consists of twelve feathers, which are close at the base, and 

 inserted in a double series, above each other; the exterior fea- 

 thers, and those that are lowest in their insertion, are somewhat 

 shorter, so as to afford a moderate rotundity to the tail. The 

 intermediate feathers are regular, and have an uniform tint of 

 olive, inclining to brown ; on the exterior feathers the iuner 

 vane is broader : they are somewhat obliquely inserted, and 

 they have exteriorly, and at the extremity, a yellow border; the 

 shafts are deep brown ; the irides have a white or pale yellow 

 colour, and the bill and feet are bluish ; the nostrils are 

 posteriorly covered by a membrane, and a few short slender 

 bristles, arising from the forehead, stretch over them/' 



I have been unable to trace Swainson's name melaceps, but 

 it manifestly was applied to a bird of the Southern type. 

 Horsfield applied it to a bird from the Dekhan, but afterwards 

 considered that he was in error, and that this should stand as 

 tiphia; but he must have had either a female or young or non- 

 breeding male ; for, if the two forms are to be specifically separated, 

 the Dekhanee birds unquestionably pertain to the Southern form. 

 Tickell's name, sub-viridis, applied to specimens from Bhora- 

 bhiim and Dholbkum, doubtless pertains to the typhia type, but 

 he only described a young male. He says : — 



" Male. — Allied to the M. zeyhnica of Horsf. Bill and legs, 

 pale bluish horn ; eyes, hazel ; plumage, above olive green, 

 below olive yellow ; wings, black, edged yellow ; greater coverts, 

 tipped white ; tail, dark olive green. Common in thick bamboo 

 or saul jungle on hills.'" 



Lastly, Bonaparte separated the Bornean race under Tem- 

 miuck's manuscript name of viridis, with the following brief 

 diagnosis : — 



11 Like scapularis, but yellower below, and with a stouter 

 bill." 



Salvadori, with eight Bornean specimens before him, declares 

 them to be identical with Javan specimens, and suggests that 

 (as I believe can scarcely be doubted) viridis, Bonap., must be 

 identical with scapularis. 



I have thus, I fear at tedious length, reviewed, so far as my 

 very limited library permits, the nomenclature of this species 

 (or group of species) as some hold. 



I now proceed to explain the grounds on which I consider 

 that all these names really represent only one species, as also, 

 so far as I have been able to trace them, the local variations which 

 this species has a tendency to exhibit. 



