1843.] ' Mr. BlylKs Report for December Meeting, 1842. 995 



casque is represented as essentially similar to that of Malabaricus of 

 corresponding age, but the black is not continued forward to its tip, 

 and there is a white or pale line throughout the length of the 

 casque near its ridge, which is not mentioned to occur by Shaw; 

 Capt Tickell, however, in his description of Malabaricus (J. A. S. 

 II, 579,) mentions " a broad lateral irregular line of yellow, occupying 

 nearly the whole length of the casque;" but this does not occur in the 

 specimens which he has presented to the Society, unless the lower 

 border of the casque be intended, which is not probable; and he does 

 not mention any crimson at the base of the bill, but only the flesh- 

 coloured base of the lower mandible and adjoining black, as usual. 

 At most, I conceive that B. violaceus is but an occasional variety of 

 B. Malabaricus, and which needs verification. 



4. B. albirostris, Shaw ; B. leucogaster s Nobis, J. A. S. X, 922, — 

 the young: generally placed as a synonym of Malabaricus, which 

 species it represents in Bengal, Nepal, Assam, and the Tenasserim 

 provinces, and according to Dr. Horsfield it likewise occurs in Java. 

 Its size, however, is much inferior, and the four pairs of lateral tail- 

 feathers are only tipped with white : the casque, also, is much less 

 compressed, in fact considerably bulged or inflated, and the black 

 patch upon it is much smaller, appearing only on the extreme tip of 

 the ridge, but spreading downward and backward over part of the 

 middle of the upper mandible, which latter it never reaches in Mala- 

 baricus ; the cutting edges of both mandibles are also more or less 

 black in albirostris. Length of wings and of tail ten or eleven inches 

 only. The finest head before me measures six inches and a half from 

 point of upper mandible to gape, the bill and casque being above three 

 inches and three-quarters high, of which the latter is half; length of 

 casque seven inches, the hind portion protruded far backward over 

 the crown, and the anterior part gradually narrowed, and terminating 

 in a less acute angle (as viewed laterally) than in adult Malabaricus. 

 Throat but partially feathered as in that species, and the same fleshy 

 spot at the extreme base of the lower mandible. 



Allied to these are some species in the Malay countries, as apparent- 

 ly the B. Malayanus of Raffles, and the following: — 



B. bicolor, Eyton, P. Z. S. 1839, p. 104. Wholly black, except the 

 terminal three inches and a half of all but the middle pair of tail- 



