1870.] A Contribution to Malayan Ornithology. 307 



B 1 y t h separated this species as the type of Turdinus from E y- 

 ton's Malacopteron. The bill as well as the gradation of the wing 

 feathers, and in fact the entire habitus of the bird are quite distinct 

 from the type of the last named genus. B 1 y t h ' s description and 

 measurements apply to the Malaccan bird, but a smaller form occurs 

 farther north in the "Wellesley Province. The plumage is in every 

 respect the same, the back in one of the specimens slightly more 

 rufous brown, and the chin in both pure white, extending a little 

 more on the sides of the head, than it does in Malaccan specimens, 

 but apparently not so much low down, barely reaching beyond the 

 middle of the throat. The bill also appears to be a little higher, 

 gradually tapering, and less notched at the tip, than in a specimen 

 from Malacca, but such slight variations no doubt are individual, 

 or differ according to age. 



I append the comparative measurements of the two races. 



Spec, from Malacca. 2 Specimens for Wellesley 



Province. 



Wing, 3f", • 3 T V'-3r. 



Tail, 2|", 2f". 



Bill at front, f", £". 



„ from gape, 1 T V, 1". 



Height of bill at front, ... i", ^\". 



Tarsus, 1£* 1 T 3 /. 



B 1 y t h described (Jour. Asiat. Soc. 1855, XXII,) three other 

 species of Turdinus from the Tenasserim Provinces ; they all some- 

 what differ in plumage from the Southern Malayan form ; 1 ately 

 (Ibis, April, 1870), the same author also notes several species of that 

 genus from Java, having inspected some specimens in the Leyden 

 Museum, &c. 



52. Turdirostris suPERCTLiARis, Hay. 



Madras Jour. 1845, XIII, pt. II, p. 163. 



From Malacca and the Wellesley Province. 



The male has the whole of the dark plumage tinged with bluish 

 ashy ; the female is dull brownish black with a plain ashy tinge* 

 A full grown male measures wing 4" j tail 3£" ; bill at front |f " ; 

 from gape l%" ; tarsus 1 Y \". As compared with Turdinus, the bill 

 of Turdirostris is stronger, more concave at the sides and broad- 



