140 ; MALAYAN ORNITHOLOGY. 
1»? 
whoop !” repeated very loudly over and over again, but occasionally 
varied by a loud gulp, as JERDON says exactly like somebody chok- 
ing. 
CENTROCOCCYX BENGALENSIS (Gm.). The Lesser Indian Coueal. 
A common bird, particularly among low secondary jungle, and 
in districts covered with ‘“ lalang”—a long coarse grass which springs 
up to a height of over three feet on ground where the jungle has 
been burned. In such localities it is plentiful at all seasons 
throughout Pérak, Lirut, Province Wellesley, Johor, and all the 
Settlements. In Singapore, I shot innumerable specimens, in all 
stages of plumage, some very dark with only the wings rufous, 
others pale-rufous all over; in fact their plumage varies greatly, 
according to their age and sex, some being so different from others 
as to almost seem of another species. 
A male which I shot at Singapore, on July Sth, nearly in full 
adult plumage, measured 12 inches in length, tarsus 13 inch; irides 
deep-red; legs plumbeous; beak black ; head, neck, upper tail- 
coverts, tail, and under parts black, glossed with metallic green 
and blue; but the under parts were a good deal blotched with white, 
which is not, I believe, the case in the quite mature male; wings 
rufous, with the feathers dusky at their tips; feathers of the back 
pale-shafted. 
Another male, shot in Pérak during June, is similar to the 
above, except that its upper tail-coverts are narrowly barred with 
rufous-brown. 
In striking contrast with both of these is a female, shot at 
Singapore on 80th August, which was entirely of a pale rufous 
colour with its upper parts and wings narrowly barred with black : 
irides brown; beak fleshy, but dusky on the culmen; legs black. 
Length of bird 134 inches. 
This species is insectivorous; I have seen it chasing grasshoppers. 
POL AUCGHAD > 
