Sexes alike; body green; forehead, top of the head, and a broad pectoral gorget 
glittering crimson ; a broad stripe above and below the eye, and the throat, sulphur-yellow ; 
a band across the occiput, ear-coverts, and a mustachial stripe jet-black; nape and sides 
of the neck washed with verditer blue ; the feathers of the upper surface are edged with 
paler green ; quills brown, pale yellowish at the base of the inner web ; a crescent of 
golden-yellow below the crimson gorget ; under surface yellowish white, streaked with 
green ; tail underneath greenish blue ; bill black ; orbital skin dull crimson ; irides dark 
hazel; legs and feet coral-red. Length 6^", extent 11", wing 3^", tail 1^". 
Hah. From Ceylon, throughout India and the Malayan archipelago, to the Philippine 
Islands. Ceylon {Layard) ; Madras (Jerdon) ; the Deccan [Sykes) ; Vindhyan Hills 
(FrcmkUn); N.-W. Provinces (Ewer); Punjab (Coll. nostr.); Kumaon (Irhy); Nepal 
(Hodgson) ; Barrackpoor, Maunbhoom (Beavan) ; Moulmein (Beavan) ; Tenasserim, Siam 
(Briggs); Malacca (Cantor); Sumatra (Wallace); Cochin China (Biard); Philippines 
(Schlegel). 
The Crimson-Gorgeted Barbet is by far the most widely distributed species of the 
Asiatic group, even if restricted to X. indica of Latham ; but if the local varieties are, as 
we have considered them, unworthy of specific distinction, its range is coextensive with and 
even surpasses that of the entire subfamily. 
Biicco hwrnaceplialus of Miiller was founded on examples from Sumatra, as also was 
B. rafflesius of Boie. A male from that locality agrees with our Indian specimens in size 
and colouring; the black band is of median width, and the nape not very blue, showing 
it to be nearly in adult plumage; other examples from the same place are precisely the 
same as the Indian ones. Mr. A. R. Wallace remarks that the Sumatran bird differs 
somewhat from X. indica (Lath.) in having a smaller bill, green tail, small red breast- 
band, and a yellow cheek-spot. We have, however, been unable to separate them satis- 
Additional references. — Bmco pliilippe^isis : Hartlaub (1841), Eev. Zool. p. 337 ; Latham (1790), Ind. Orn. I. 
p. 203; Cuvier (1829), Eegn. An. p. 457; Franklin (1830), P. Z. S. p. 121; Sykes (1832), P. Z. S. p. 97; Ewer 
(1842), P. Z. S. p. 92. Bucco indicus: Blyth (1847), Ann. Nat. Hist. p. 385; Hartlaub (1841), Eev. Zool. p. 337; 
Blyth (1846), J. A. S. Beng. p. 13. Megalaima phiUppensls : G. E. Gray (1860), P. Z. S. p. 358 ; Schomburgk (1864), 
Ibis, p. 258. Megalaima indica : Moore (1859), P. Z. S. p. 454 ; Philipps (1857), P. Z. S. p. 100 ; Adams (1858), 
P. Z. S. p. 475. Xantlioloima philippensis : G. E. Gray (1860), P. Z. S. p. 358. Xaniliolcema indica : Briggs (1859), 
P.Z.S. pp. 150, 151; Jerdon (1862), Birds of India, I. no. 197; Beavan (1865), Ibis, p. 412; Beavan (1865), 
P. Z. S. p. 691 ; Blyth (1866), Ibis, p. 358 ; Beavan (1869), Ibis, p. 416 ; Hume (1869), Ibis, p. 2 ; Walden (1869), 
Ibis, p. 211. Megalaima rafflesia : G. E. Gray (1868), Cat. Brit. Mus. Capitonidas, p. 11. Megalaima lutea : Des Miirs 
Icon. Om. (1869) pt. 1. pi. 21. 
