248 MESSRS. ROBINSON AND KLOSS ON 



clearly recorded, and in reply to enquiries he has informed us that 

 they are not the same as the Hainan bird : in a series of tAventy adult 

 males the outer webs of the central rectrices are not entirely black- 

 In one specimen both webs of the inner recti'ices are red, except for 

 small spots at the base and tijD of the inner web ; some have the 

 inner webs black and the outer red except at the base, and yet others 

 have the outer web black except for a red spot at the tip. In semi- 

 adult males the central rectrices are wholly black. Obviously the 

 North Siamese bird is unstable and changing from the more typical 

 speciosua forms into the subspecies fraterculus. 



The majority of the adult males have only the two outer- 

 most primaries wholly black on the outer webs, but in one example 

 the outer web of the third primary is entirely black. Wing lengths 

 range between 85 and 98 mm. 



In the area between the habitats of the foregoing races and 

 birds, viz., in Assam south of the Brahmapootra, in the whole of 

 Burma and in South Annam and Cochin China, occurs a bird like 

 Haimnifer in having the outer webs of the median rectrices red, but 

 becoming rather larger and with the outer webs of only the first two 

 primaries unspotted (P. elegans Hume, S. F. v, 1877, p. 194; Gates, 

 Birds of Burma, i, 1883, p. 236; P. fraterculus, Gates, F. B. I, Birds, 

 i, 1889, p. 481) ; wings, fide Hume, up to 97 mm. It is evident that in 

 the south it intergrades and inosculates with fiammifer. Though 

 recognised by so sound and careful an ornithologist as Hume, this race 

 remains without a name unless Pericrocotus yvettae Bangs, from N. E. 

 Burma and W. Yunnan (Bull. American Mus. Nat. Hist. xLiv, 1921, 

 p. 583) can be applied. This last is said to be like xanthogaster, but 

 larger, wing, c? 94, 2 87 ; and except that ( as in some males of 

 xanthogaster) four primaries are unspotted on the outer web in the 

 male, which may be unstable in this respect, it agrees with the 

 elegans of Hume (not elegans of McClelland which is a synonym of 

 speciosus — fide Gates : otherwise McClelland's name would apply). 



A. Huino & Davison, Stray Feathers, vi, 1878. E. O. Grant, Fasciculi Malayensos, iii (Birds), 1905. 



B. :Miiller, Die Ornis cUt Tnsel SalariKa, 188-2. F. Robinson and Kloss, This, 1910-1:. 



C. dates, Birds Brit. Burniah, Vols, i *: ii, 1883. G. Gairdner, .Tourn. N. H. Soe. Siani, i, 191.5. 



D. Bonli.ite. I'./.S. 1901. Vol.!. H. Boliinson, Journ. F. ;M, S. Miisenms, v, 1915. 



JOURN. NAT. HIST. SOC. SIAM. 



