XXVI 
ON THE GENERA. 
Head broad and flat. Body heavy. Plumage soft and loose, generally green, with parti- 
coloured head and throat. Wings moderate in length, first primary very short, fourth, fifth, 
and sixth subequal and longest. Tail short and slightly rounded. Tarsus bare, short, and 
stout. Feet powerful, the exterior toes being nearly as long as the tarsus ; the interior front 
toe is two-thirds, and the hind toe one-half the length of the outer ones. 
Their flight is heavy and undulating, and they seldom wander far. Wild figs are their 
favourite fruit, and they will not eat insects, apparently, when fruit or berries are to be had. 
By the aid of their powerful bill they excavate circular holes in the soft wood or decayed 
branches of trees, generally on the underside of the bough ; in these they lay their four 
white eggs without any further preparation in the way of a nest. They are tolerably 
abundant in the localities they frequent, and, not being shy birds, it is not difficult to 
get within shot of them, their great protection being the likeness in colouring of their 
plumage to the leaves among which they sit. Even when they utter their loud ringing 
note, like the striking of a small bell, it is difficult to find the exact spot where the sound 
comes from ; it seems to come at one time from one side of the tree, and then suddenly it 
is distinctly heard from a far off branch, while the bird is all the while at the very top of 
the tree : this may be in some way accounted for by reason of the bird bowing its head 
from side to side as it repeats the notes, thus throwing the sound in opposite directions. 
The fact of their climbing has been a vexed question ; we, however, have no hesitation in 
saying that they can climb, but that they do not often use this mode of progression, though 
African members of the Capitonidce frequently do. 
Eight species are found in Continental India, one in China, one in Hainan, one in 
Formosa, four in Ceylon, one in the Philippines, two in Cochin China, and the remainder 
in Indo-Malayana. 
This genus we have separated into three subgenera : the first contains M. virens alone ; the 
second contains all those with bright and many-coloured heads ; and the third is the green 
group with brown and white heads. The first has the bill black above and yellow below ; 
the second has the bill entirely black ; and the third the bill yellowish. 
The following Table will show the different species and their distinguishing features : — 
A". Rostro ad apicem compresso et acuto. 
a. Maxima, dorso olivascenti-brunneo. 
a'. Capite saturate violaceo M. virens. 
b. Yirides, capite versieolori. 
Gutture einerascenti-albo. 
a". Fronte nitenti-sulphurea M. chrysopsis. 
b". Fronte albescenti-brunnea M. chrysopogon. 
V . Gutture coccineo. 
a". Fronte aurantiaca ' .... M. mystacophonos. 
b". Fronte pallide sulphured M. javensis. 
c 1 . Gutture viridi, occipite coccineo M. humei. 
d'. Gutture lsete cseruleo M. versicolor. 
e'. Gutture brunneo M. corvina. 
