REMARKS ON THE GENUS MICROPTERNUS, Blyth. 473 



the Malay Peninsular. All I mean to indicate is, that they 

 belong to the brachyurus, and not to the phaioceps, type. 



Typical specimens of these two species are different enough, 

 but they seem to run a great deal into each other ; and it may 

 be as well to explain what 1 understand to be the differences 

 between typical specimens. 



Typical brachyurus I take to be smaller ; wing, say about 4"5 ; 

 bill not exceeding 1*0 ; the head brownish, chestnut or reddish 

 or earthy brown, not distinctly infuscated ; the feathers often 

 more or less paler margined ; the feathers of the chin and 

 entire throat much darker than the breast and margined 

 paler ; the barrings of the upper surface, and especially 

 of the tail, and of the lower surface generally when adults 

 are compared, much more strongly marked than in phaioceps. 



In phaioceps the head is more of a greyish or smoky brown, 

 more or less distinctly infuscated ; the pale margined feathers 

 of the chin and throat are much the same color as the breast; 

 the tail bars are much narrower, and in most old birds the 

 entire under surface is immaculate ; the wing in phaioceps is 

 usually, except in the Assam and Eastern Bengal race, over 

 4*75, and the bill over 1*1. 



There is, however, an extraordinary amount of variation in 

 the several races united under these names, and more especially 

 under the latter. One of these races of phaioceps I formerly 

 distinguished as burmanica, and there are several other races 

 equally distinguishable, but none of them, according to my 

 present views, deserving of specific separation. 



I will first compare a number of specimens of what I call 

 typical brachyurus (as they are identical with the only Javau 

 specimen I have been able to examine) from the south of the 

 IVIalay Peninsular, with a number of specimens from Mergui 

 and Tenasserim south of this, to show how far they differ. 



Locality. Sex. Bate. Wing. Fo ' rehe ° adt 



Singapore Isd male 4-8-75 4'5 10 L in flesh, 8-75. Head brown ; 



feathers narrowly margined 

 pale rufus ; nape nearly imma- 

 culate ; back, bars disappear- 

 ing; rump and upper tail 

 coverts curved bars thick ; dark 

 tippings of tail feathers, 5 ; 

 five tail bars, 015 broad; 

 large red patch under eye 

 from anterior to posterior an- 

 gle ; chin and throat, laterally 

 up to red patch deep brown ; 

 feathers narrowly margined 

 pale yellowish rufous ; upper 

 breast immaculate; rest of low- 

 er parts curved bars thickly 

 set ; first or spurious quill with 

 four rufus bars. 



