1870.] A Contribution to Malayan Ornithology. 319 



inhabited by a distinct species, lately appears to have been finally 

 settled by one of our most able ornithologists (Vise. Walden, 

 loc. cit.), I still think that these so-called species (puella, cyanea 

 and turcosa) should only be considered as local races of one and 

 the same bird. Of course the question entirely rests in the name, 

 but as long as there are no other distinctions developed, than 

 those pointed out between these local races, it would be prefer- 

 able not to rank them as species, for such instances are exactly 

 those which leave the definition of a species quite optional to every 

 naturalist without an attempt of making the idea of a specific 

 character a generally applicable one. It is true that the Indian 

 bird is generally larger, "out there certainly are exceptions to this, 

 and specimens from Assam, Arracan and Burma are sometimes 

 quite as large as the Malabar bird, while others from the same 

 localities are smaller. A $ from the Wellesley Province has the 

 wing 4f", tail 3f ', upper tail 'coverts V shorter than the tail, 

 lower tail coverts a little shorter than the upper ; bill at front |£", 

 from gape 1 T V' '■> tarsus \\". Of two Malacca specimens one has 

 the wing 4f", the other 4£" ; tail in both 3£", and the upper tail 

 coverts are 1^ inch shorter in one, and only 1 inch shorter in the 

 other specimen, bill at front %", from gape IV, tarsus barely y-J-". 

 I can see no striking difference in the lazuline or blue coloration of 

 $ and $ specimens from South India and those from Burma, and 

 again between these and others from Malacca, but the latter are 

 the smallest. It appears that the size of the bird becomes, through 

 some cause or other, smaller the more southward we proceed in 

 the narrow strip of land of the Malayan Peninsula, but when we 

 arrive at the larger islands, like Java and Sumatra, the birds again 

 appear to increase in size, equalling those of Burma. One point is 

 certainly clear, namely, that the greater length of the tail coverts in 

 the Malayan bird as compared with the Indian is not constant. 

 Lord Walden admits that there is no difference in the color of 

 the Java and Malayan ? birds ; I have not seen $ Java specimens. 



Fam. LANIIDM. 



67. Lanius Luctonensis, Linn. 

 Walden, Ibis, 1867, p. 215. 



