REMARKS ON THE GENUS MICROPTERNUS, Blyth. 479 



The Sikbim birds are similar but much larger than the plains' 

 birds, and when you go towards the extreme western limits of 

 the species in the Kumaon Bhabur, Northern Rohilkund, the 

 Dhoon, &c, you come upon a huge race almost more distinct 

 from phaioceps than the latter is from brachyurus. 



It is characterized not only by its size, but by the almost 

 entire absence of infuscation on the head, and by the fact that 

 the adults are not only absolutely immaculate beloiv, but also 

 lose all markings on the upper surface, on the back, scapulars, 

 and rump, which, coupled with the bright chestnut of their 

 plumage, gives them a very different appearance from all the 

 other races of phaioceps. 



There are, in fact, six recognizable races : the Tavoy or 

 Southern Tenasserim, the Central and Northern Tenasserim, 

 the Northern Pegu (described by me under the name of bur- 

 manicus (Pr. A. S. B., 1872, 71), the Lower Bengal and 

 Assam, the Sikhim and Bhotan, the Dhoon, Kumaon Bhabur, 

 and Northern Rohilcund race, and it is not impossible that some 

 ornithologists may, hereafter, separate all these as species or sub- 

 species. 



Suudevall (Consp. Av. Pic, 88.) admits seren species of 

 this genus, viz. : — 



Phaioceps, Bly ; gularis, Jerd., brachyurus, Vieill. (from 

 Java) ; squamigularis, Suntl. (Malacca) ; badius, Raffl. ; badiosus, 

 Tern. (Borneo) ; and fokiensis, Swinh. (Fokien, China) to which 

 has to be added Holroydi, Swinh. 



Of these, squamigularis, Sund., is unquestionably the true 

 badius. Malaccan, Siugapoor and Sumatran specimens are quite 

 inseparable, and their length in the flesh is somewhat more than 

 8 inches English, at times 8§. The badius, Raffles apud Sund., 

 is brachyurus, if this be considered distinct ; but to judge from 

 the only specimen I have examined, Javan birds are not speci- 

 fically separable from Sumatran and Malayan ones. 



Of Bornean specimens I have seen none, but from what Count 

 Salvadori (V. di B., 58), Mr. Swinhoe (P. Z. S., 1683, 267), and 

 others say about the red extending as dots above as well as 

 below the eye, I should think badiosus was perhaps separable. 

 I have just carefully examined over fifty males of the brachyurus 

 and phaioceps types, most of them 6uperb specimens, and in not 

 one is there the slightest trace of any red above the eye. The 

 red extends up as high behind as the posterior angle of the eye, 

 and in front as the anterior one, but in no single instance is 

 there a single dot of red above these points. 



The Marquis of Tweeddale says (Ibis., 1877, 290) that in 

 Malabar specimens, i.e., in gularis, the eye of the male may be 

 observed to be entirely surrounded by red points or dots. 



