XANTHOLyEMA MALABARICA 
(THE MALABAR BAEBET.) 
BvMO barbiculus (1846) Blyth; J. A. S. p. 13 (descr. orig.). 
„ malabaricus . . . . . ■ . . (1847) Blyth ; J. A. S. pp. 386, 465. 
Megalaima malabarica ... . . (1849) Blyth ; Cat. of Birds, App. p. 336. 
XantJiolcema malabarica (1856) Horsf. & Moore ; Cat. of B. II. p. 647. 
(1862) Jerd. ; B. of India, I. p. 317. 
Megalaima malabarica • . (1863) Goffin ; Mus. P. B. Bucc. p. 27. 
(1868) Gray ; Cat. B. M. Capit. p. 9. 
X. sexibus similibus : viridis : fronte coccinea : subtus baud striata : gutture coccineo, aurantiaco marginato. 
Hab. in provincia Malabarica. 
Sexes alike; body green; forehead, sinciput, and a stripe above and below each eye 
rich crimson ; a black band across the top of the head ; occiput, ear-coverts, and sides of 
the throat verditer ; upper plumage dark green, each feather indistinctly edged with pale 
greenish-blue ; quills brown, exterior web bordered with green, and pale yellowish at the 
base of the inner webs; throat and upper breast rich crimson, the feathers irregularly 
tipped with gold-colour, more so on the upper breast, where they gradually shade off into 
light green; under surface bright grass-green washed with verditer; tail underneath 
greenish blue ; bill and rictal bristles black ; irides reddish brown ; legs and feet red. 
Length 6"-5, wing 3"-2, tail l"-5, tarsus 0"-7, bill at front 0"-5. 
Hab. Malabar {Blyth, Jerdon). 
The Malabar Barbet is most nearly allied to X. mbricapilla, and takes the place of 
that species in Southern India, the distinguishing feature being the colour of the throat. 
From the other members of the genus it may be known by the colouring of the under 
surface, it being distinctly striped in X. hcemacephala and X. rosea, while in this species it 
is plain green washed with verditer. It is a rare bird apparently, there being no specimens 
