1846] or Little Known Species of Birds. 17 



on the flanks ; ear- coverts blackish, bordered above and below with a 

 white streak, and bounded posteriorly by a white patch ; and below the 

 inferior white line and patch is another broad streak of black. Bill 

 dusky- greenish towards base of lower mandible ; and the legs appear to 

 have been green. The male (describing from memory, assisted by the latin 

 definition cited,) resembles the female, except in having the whole crown 

 and the much lengthened occipital feathers, very brilliant crimson.* This 

 beautiful species obviously connects the subdivision Tiga (v. Chrysonotus, 

 Swainson,) with Gecinus (v. Chrysoptilus, Sw.) : indeed, were it not for 

 the absence of the fourth toe, I should scarcely have hesitated in refer- 

 ring it to Gecinus, regarding it, however, as a link between that division 

 on the one hand, and Brachypternus and Tiga, on the other. In 

 the Appendix to Lady Raffles' work cited, P. Rafflesii is stated to 

 be of the size of P. tiga ; which latter (as here referred to) I believe 

 to be my T. intermedia, which is common in the Tenasserim Pro- 

 vinces, and that it is the Sumatran P. tiga of Raffles ; while the Malacca 

 species is of the same small size as that of Java,, lately received by 

 the Society, (the females of which have the head differently spotted 

 from those of T. intermedia,) and to which I have appropriated the 

 name Tiga tridactyla.f 



With regard to the species of Brachypternus, (p. 550 and note), Mr. 

 Jerdon informs me that the common species of Southern India is 

 identical with true Aurantius (v. be-igalensis), of which I sent specimens 

 for comparison ; and the same gentleman has favoured the Society with 

 an example of his P. ( Micropternus ) badius of Southern India, which 

 Lord A. Hay considered (p. 551) to be distinct from both its Bengal and 

 Malayan representatives : it is, indeed, intermediate to the other two, both 

 in size and colouring ; and combines the infuscated crown of M. phceoceps 

 with the dark throat of M. badius (verus), its tail-bars being also closer 

 than in the others, amounting to six in number on the middle feathers, 

 additional to the dusky tips, whereas the other species have only five. 

 Mr. Jerdon designates it M. gularis.% The range of M. phceoceps ex- 



* Correct; and the colours also generally somewhat brighter. 



f In the same Appendix, I find described a Phcenicophaus caniceps, which is the 

 young of Rhinortha chlor ophcea; — Dicocum croceoventre=D. trigonostigma, (Scopoli), 

 v. cantillans; Chloropsis zosterops=Phyllornis Sonneratii, foem.;— and Vinago gi- 

 ganteus, which there can be little doubt refers to Treron Capellei. 

 X Madr.Jour. No. XXXI, 191. 



D 



