328 



A Contribution to Malayan Ornithology. 



[No. 4, 



all the existing records, it seems certain that the Javanese and 

 Southern Malayan birds are perfectly identical in size. 

 Measurements in inches. 





Nepal 

 (Terai). 



Arracan* 



Andaman. 



Nicobar. 



Wellesley 

 Province. 



Malacca. 





1 



2 



3 



4 5 



6 



7 8 



Wing, 



6i 



G\-Q% 



&k 



6 * ?-% 



6| 



H 7 



Tail, 



3 



3-3i 



3 



16 

 l 6 



3-i 



16 



3 3£ 



Bill at front, . 



16 



UL-1 



16 



15 

 16" 



1 1ft 



1 



1 1 



Bill from gape, 



1JL 



16 



1116 



12 Se 



1-2- 

 16 



1£ 11 



11° 



16 



li! lli 



16 16 



Height of bill,.. 



i 



i 



i 



3 16 



9_ 

 16 



9 _9_ 

 ] 6 16 



Tarsus, 



u 



16 



H 



l-i. 



16 



If If 



U 



U 1ft 





1,2, 3, 5, 8, are from Asiat. Soc. Coll. ; 4 from Mr. V. B a 1 1 ; 6 

 and 7 were procured in the localities cited. 



The coloration of all the birds is exactly the same, and the form 

 of the nude skin at the side of the head below the eye agrees in 

 all. The size of the posterior occipital flaps increases with the 

 size of the bird, and their length varies according to the sex and 

 apparently also according to the season. I saw in Penang two male 

 birds in a cage, and one of them had the occipital flaps almost an 

 inch long. 



On comparing the Nepal with the Nicobar or Malacca bird, nothing 

 would appear more averse than saying that those two were identical, 

 though every one will admit that the only difference is the size. 

 But in putting a series together geographically arranged, and ob- 

 serving the gradually diminishing size from the Nicobar and 

 Malacca bird to that from the AVellesley and Tenasserim Provinces, 

 and the Andamans, and from this again to that from Arracan and 

 the Khasi hills, we arrive at the comparatively pigmy bird of the 

 Nepal Terai, and the ornithologist will find it extremely difficult to 

 characterize all these forms as distinct species. My belief is, that 



* Specimens from the Khasi and Garro hills in the Indian Mus. Coll. are 

 exactly the same, as those from Arracan. 



