436 REMARKS ON THE GENUS IORA, 



0"63 ; 07 ; 067. It seems to me clear that no distinction 

 can be set up on the strength of difference in length of bill. 



Count Salvadori remarks that the Bornean scapttlaris, of 

 which he had eight specimens, are precisely identical with Javan 

 specimens. Scapularis, he says, differs from tiphia in having 

 the yellow of the lower parts somewhat brighter, and the 

 wings somewhat shorter. 



The wings of my Javan and Bornean specimens, of both 

 sexes, vary from 2'45 to 2*65. In thirty odd Calcutta 

 specimens of both sexes the wings vary from 2*4 to 2*65, the 

 great majority, however, falling below 2*5, and only one reaching 

 and one exceeding 2*6. So that, judging from these alone, one 

 would say that if anything it was tiphia that had rather the 

 shorter wing; but if we also take the birds from the Dhoon, 

 Kumaon Bhabur, Tiihoot, Sarun, Bhotan Dooars, Dacca, 

 Cachar, Suddya — all I conceive equally tiphia — we find that 2*6 

 is a common length of wing, and there are two of 2 '65 and 

 one of 2*7. I do not, therefore, think that any distinction can be 

 based on size of wings. 



As regards the lower surface being brighter yellow, I suspect 

 Count Salvadori here only referred to the males, of which here- 

 after ; certainly in my five insular females not one is yellower or 

 of a purer or brighter yellow below than many of my Southern 

 Indian and Bengal females, which may be fairly assumed as 

 typical multicolor {zeylonica) and tiphia respectively. 



One Javan female is a shade greener, I think, than any other 

 female I possess. The difference is very slight, but after 

 studying this one species for several days one comes to 

 appreciate a very slight difference in shade, and I think this 

 female is just appreciably greener than any other — but one 

 from the Wynaad and one from Calcutta are very, very close. 

 The other Javan female, however, is typical. 



I notice a considerable variation in the stoutness of the 

 bills in both sexes, but I confess my entire inability to 

 connect this, though I have tried hard to do this, with either 

 shade of plumage or locality. Precisely, similar variations 

 in the thickness of the bill seem to me to occur everywhere, 

 and quite irrespective of stage or tone of plumage. 



On the whole, therefore, I am compelled to come to the 

 conclusion that, whatever distinctions may be pointed out 

 between individuals, females throughout the entire area of dis- 

 tribution of the supposed three or four species, zeylonica, tiphia, 

 scapidaris (and if any one still considers it distinct, viridis) are 

 practically inseparable, although in all parts of this vast region 

 you could probably pick out individual females differing in 

 the several slight particulars, which one or another authority 



