64 SPILORNIS SPILOGASTER. 



wing, ami I have lately examined a bird, not fully adult, from Malabar, which has a wing of 18-2. It may be well 

 to remark that this specimen, which has since passed into the Norwich Museum, and was noticed by Mr, Gurney 

 ( ■ Ibis,' 1878, p. 145), does not diifer much from immature examples of S. che< la, i he breasl and under surface being 

 isabelline brown, and the white ocelli surrounded each by a bold dark margin, in addition to which the a.xillaries 

 and under wing-coverts are differently coloured. The nearest affinities of S. spilogaster are with the -Malayan races, 

 to which it approaches closely in size. It is, however, distinguishable from S. davisoui from the Andamans, which 

 species has the ocelli small, very round, and more confined to the lower parts. 



From the Javan Serpent-Eagle, also (the S.bachaoi Mr. Sharpe's Catalogue, and to which it has of late been referred), 

 it differs in a marked manner, inasmuch as the latter species is very dark above and beneath, and possesses in its 

 adult stage an almost black throat, the conti - ast of S. spilogaster at that period ; the under wing is likevt ise different, 

 the lesser coverts being concolorous with the greater, and not paler as in the Ceylonese form. 



To the Sumatran bird, however, it approaches very closely, so much so that Mr. Gurney thinks (' Ibis,' 1878, p. 100) 

 the two races are identical. I have carefully examined the series from Sumatra in the Norwich Museum, in 

 company with that gentleman, and though slight points of difference exist, they do not appear sufficient to rank 

 as specific, in which case the species should bear the same name as the Ceylonese, as it is not identical with 

 Sp. bacha of Java, with which it has been hitherto united. The differences referred to are the darker throat of the 

 adult, and the lighter, less clouded pale tail-band, resembling somewhat that of S. pallid 'us from Borneo. The four 

 examples which constitute the series seem as a whole to be smaller than Ceylonese, although the wing in one 

 attains 16'5. The race from Singapore is also not separable from the Sumatran ; but in its young stage it differs 

 from Ceylonese immature birds (there are none forthcoming from Sumatra) in the subterminal pale band being 

 considerably broader. It is .therefore possible that when a larger series is got together from Sumatra, containing 

 old and young, the race may be found, as in the case of the Singapore bird, to differ from the subject of this 

 article in its young plumage. 



1 subjoin a synopsis of the several species of Spihrnis referred to in the above observations, in order that the respective 

 characteristics may be seen at a glance : — 



a. Spihrnis cheela. Hab. Himalayan region, Burmah, China, Formosa. 



Large size : wing 18'0 to 19 - 5 inches. 



Ad. Chest almost always crossed with narrow transverse striae ; throat and cheeks iron-grey ; 



ocelli of the lower parts bar-shaped, with a brown border. 

 Juv. Head black as in adult, but the dark hue separated from the white base of the feather by a 



fulvous patch ; throat and cheeks black. 



b. Sjiilornis melanotis. Hab. Peninsular India. 



Smaller : wing 16-5 to 17'8 inches. 

 Very similar to »S'. cheela in plumage. 



c. Spihrnis spilogaster. Hab. Ceylon, Sumatra, and Straits Settlements ? 



Smaller still : wing 15-3 to 16 - 6 inches. 



Ad. Chest uniform brown, without any transverse striae ; throat and cheeks pale iron-grey : under- 

 surface spots variable in shape and size, surrounded by a dark edge, which is also variable 

 in intensity ; median under wing-coverts concolorous with the chest. 



Juv. Head-feathers conspicuously tipped with white ; throat and cheeks blackish. 



d. Spihrnis bacha. Hab. Java. 



Similar to S. spilogaster in size. 



Ad. Very dark above and beneath ; throat and cheeks black-brown ; ocelli large, rounded, the edge 

 scarcely darker than the ground-colour of the feather. 



e. Spihrnis davisoni. Hab. Andaman Islands. 



Smaller than S. spilogaster: wdng 15-0 inches (Hume). 



Ad. Ocelli small, very round, and not extending much above the abdomen. 



Distribution. — The Serpent-Eagle is widely distributed over the whole island, but is much more numerous 

 in the dry forest-clad tracts of country than in the humid and more cultivated portions. It is a common bird 



