142 W. T. Blanford-— a new Species q/" Troclialopterum. [No. 3, 



XII. — On a Species o/" Trocbalopterumy"ro7« Travancore. 

 By W. T. Blanford, F. R. S. 



(Received Sept. 2nd ;— Read November 3rd, 1880.) 



A very interesting series of bird-skins obtained in Southern Travan- 

 core has recently been brought to England by Mr. F. W. Bourdillon. 

 Collections previously made by the same gentleman in the locality named 

 have been described by Mr. Hume in Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 351, and 

 Vol. VII, p. 33. One oi: the species noticed in the second paper is Troclia- 

 lopteruvi fairbanJci, a bird originally obtained by Mr. S. Fairbank on the 

 Palni hills, about 100 miles north of the range, east of Trevandrum, on 

 which Mr. Bourdillon's skins were collected. Mr. Hume, 1 c. p. 37, points 

 out some differences between the Travancore and Palni forms, but remarks 

 that he has not a sufficient series to determine whether these differences 

 are constant. 



In the collection now brought are three skins of the Travancore 

 Troclialopterum, and on comparing them v^ith the original type of 

 T.fairianhi in the British Museum, I find, besides the differences noticed by 

 Mr. Hume, a few other distinctions, sufficient, I think, to justify a separate 

 title being bestowed on the Travancore bird. The following is a full de- 

 scription of the latter. 



Teochaloptetium meridionale, sp. nov. 



T. Trochaloptero fairbanki ^erff^we, seel clorso grisescente, aldomine 

 medio albo, supercilio albo hand post oculum prodiocto, regione postoculari 

 grisea nec fusca, rostroque robustiore distinguendum : pileo brunneo, dorso 

 griseo-olivaceo, postioe olivaceo, colorihus transeuntibus ; supercilio-. brevi 

 albo, loris bmnneis, cum pileo concoloribus ; capitis lateribus cum regione 

 parotiea pallide rufescenti-griseis, colli lateribus cinereis ; rectricibus 

 remigibusque brunneis, illis remigibmqioe secundariis ultimis subobsolete 

 transfasciatis ; mento, gula, atque pectore albescenti-griseis, conspicue 

 fusco-sfriatis, media gula fere alba ; abdomine medio albido, lateribus 

 cum pennis subcaudalibus tectricibusque inferioribus alarum ferrugineis, 

 tibiis olivaceis ; roslro nigro, jjedibus fuscis, iridibus saturate rujis. 



Long, tota exempli masculini 9, alte 3 5, caudse 3'6, tarsi l''i5, rostri 

 a f route 0'8, ejusdem a rietu 1, culminis 9 poll. Angl. 



Hab. In summis montibus provincial Travancore, ad extremitatem 

 meridionalem peninsulse Indicse. 



Head above hair-brown, the feathers rather pale-shafted, the colour 

 passing gradually into that of the back, wliich is greyish olive, becoming 

 greener on the rump ; a very short white superciliuni, only extending from 



