388 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXIV. 



As regards the two sribspecies, it is impossible to say anything 

 further in the absence of the tj^pes, and without sufficient skins for 

 examination in England, but there is no chance of either of the 

 forms being found in India. 



The species wilsoni is named from two male birds, obtained by 

 Messrs. Thayer and Bangs, and described in 1912. This bird 

 appears to be a dwarf counterpart of geoffroyi, and they maj^ 

 possibly be either verjr young birds or abnormalities, but if more 

 birds are obtained of the same size, it will form a most excellent 

 and remarkable species. 



To what extent the different species of Ithagenes will have eventu- 

 ally to be reduced to subspecies, it is impossible to say until birds 

 from the areas linking those already worked have been obtained. Of 

 g&offroyi, sinensis, cruentus I have been able to examine large series, 

 but they have been mostly collected from comparativelj?" small areas 

 and I have no ground for splitting any of these into subspecies. Of 

 Jcuseri there have been about a dozen skins available for examination, 

 and these, thoiigh showing great variation inter se are all quite typical 

 in their specific characteristics. Of tibetanus there is as yet onlj^ 

 the single skin from which the bird Avas originally described, but 

 the points of difference in this are so well marked that it does not 

 appear likeljr that it will ever have to be reduced to the rank of a 

 subspecies. 



Omitting the species ivilsoni, which, if good, can always be 

 distinguished at a glance by its very small size (wing 169 to 171 

 mm., against 211 in geoffroyi), we have five species, of which 

 sinensis has been divided into three by Bianchi. 



The following key is a simple and easy one to follow, and holds 

 good of all the examples I have had before me : — 



Key to the Species of Ithagenes. 



Males — 



A. — Throat and chin crimson. 



a. Forehead black ... ... ... I. cruentus. 



b. Forehead crimson. 



a\ Anterior ear coverts and 



gorget black ... . . . /. kuseri. 



b^. Anterior ear coverts j^el- 

 lowish with black edges. 

 No p'orsfet ... ... /. tibetanus. 



B. — Throat and chin not crimson. 



c. Inner secondaries and greater 



coverts of wings partly green.. I. geoffroyi. 



d. Inner secondaries and greater 



coverts of wings partl}^ tan- 

 brown ... ... ... Z. sinensis. 



