490 NOVELTIES. 



Hierococcyx nanus, Sp. Nov. 



Like H. fugax, but wings 55 to 5'7, and with a double dark moustache 



on each side. 



I am obliged to assign provisionally the above name to the 

 Southern Tenasserim birds, as I am quite unable to reconcile 

 their dimensions with those of the Malaccan form identified 

 by Cabanis and others with fugax, or with those of any other 

 Hierococcyx of which I can find a record. 



In fugax, which it most closely resembles, the wings vary 

 from 69 to 7'7, whereas in our Tenasserim series the wings 

 vary from 55 to 5'7. The plumage appears to me to be 

 almost identical; at any rate I have only been able to hit upon 

 one single, apparently constant, point of difference, but not only 

 do the wings average nearly 2 inches shorter, but the bills are 

 literally scarcely half the bulk of those of Malaccan fugax. 



None of our specimens, all procured in the neighbourhood 

 of Bankasoon at the end of April and May, were, I regret to 

 sa}', measured in the flesh, as Davison was elsewhere at the 

 time, but they were all carefully sexed by one of his assistants. 



For purposes of comparison I subjoin measurements care- 

 fully taken from the skin of our specimens of nanus, and a 

 rather small specimen of fugax, corresponding absolutely, except 

 one respect, with them in plumage : — 



L. W. T. B. at front B. at margin United height Ts. Mid toe 

 from frontal of feathers. of both man- and 



f bone. dibles at margin claw. 



of feather. 



2 i <? 10-6 5G3 5 5 106 078 0-28 7 1-02 



I") ? 10-2 5-65 5-3 106 078 0"26 077 106 



£| ? 10 6 57 5 9 106 082 29 77 102 



? 10-3 5-C8 5 3 111 0-81 0'28 Q'77 11 



Fugax 



12-0 7-0 63 122 0'92 04 0-83 1-2 



The one apparently constant point of difference in the 

 plumage between this species and fugax is, that whereas in fugax 

 the entire cheeks, ear-coverts and sides of the head seem to be 

 grey, in nanus, a very broad grey stripe descends slanting from 

 the anterior half of the lower portion of the eye. To this succeeds 

 from the central portion of the lower margin of the orbit, 

 a broad white stripe just tinged with grey, occupying the 

 greater portion of the ear-coverts, and then the feathers from 

 the posterior portion of the lower margin of the orbit and 

 the tips of the upper ear-coverts are again dark grey. From 

 the posterior angle of the eye a line of pure white feathers, 

 in some, here and there slightly tinged with ferruginous, 



