358 
OJRIOLUS MELANOCEPHALUS. 
the wmg.” Now the alleged differences between Linnaus’s and Bonaparte’s species lie in the smallness of the 
wing-bar^ and the scanty amount of yellow on the tertials of the latter, characters which in reality, by virtue of 
Edwards s plate, apply to the former (0. melanocepkahts). IE, therefore, there be two races of this Oriole which 
eserve subspecific rank, it is the northern bird, whicli must be separated from the southern and receive a name, 
which I would propose as 0. himalayanm*, because the birds from that region principally, as I shall presently 
s ow, exhibit the characteristic on which they could alone be specifically separated. 
As much has been written for and against the characters which have been held to separate the northern and southern 
races of this Oriole, I have carefully examined the whole series in the British Museum, and give here a Table of 
the results of my examination. The specific names are those used on the labels of the specimens from the localities 
named. 
a. Oriolus 
rnelanoeepJialus. N.W. Himalayas 
>>■ 
JJ 
Nepal 
N. W. Himalayas 
55 
Nepal 
55 
Nepal 
/• 
55 
Pegu 
55 
Kamptee 
55 
Madras 
»■ 
55 
Madras 
55 
Madras 
„ 
55 
Travancore 
w. „ 
55 
Tenasserim 
55 
Behar 
0- 
55 
Behar 
Oriolus ceylonetisis. 
Nuwara Elliya 
55 
N uwara EUiva 
55 
Galle 
s- • » 
55 
Nuwara Elliya 
Wing. 
Bill to gape. 
Wing-spot 
(broad). 
Coloration of outer 
web of innermost 
exposed secondary. 
in. 
in. 
in. 
5-6 
1-32 
0-7 
Entirely yellow. 
5‘45 
1-3.5 
0-65 
55 55 
5-4 
1-45 
0-45 
55 55 
5-65 
1-3 
0-7 
55 55 
5-7 
1-3 
0-62 
55 55 
5-4 
broken 
0-7 
55 55 
5-12 
1-35 
0-4 
Large spot at tip, 
5-1 
1-3 
0-55 
55 55 
5-2 
:i-25 
0-45 
55 55 
5-4 
1-3 
0-5 
5-61 
1-35 
0-75 
55 55 
55 
6-2 
1-28 
0-4 
5-4 
1-3 
0-4 
” 55 
55 5 5 
5-5 
1-3 
0-6 
.55 55 
5-1 
1-32 
0-3 
4-8 
1-2 
0-3 
55 55 
55 5 5 
5'2 
1-25 
0-.5 
55 55 
5-0 
1-25 
0-5 
55 55 
Examples g io o are not to be separated from the four last Ceylonese specimens ; the size of the spot at the tip of the 
outer web of the innermost secondary, as well as the extent of yellow at the termination of the adjacent feathers, 
varies in each, but it is no larger in the South-Indian than in the Ceylonese series ; it will also be seen that no 
dependence can be placed on the width of the wing-spot formed by the yellow tips of the primary-coverts, the 
Travancore specimen having it as wide as any Himalayan, although it must be acknowledged that it is larger as 
a rule in the northern form than in the southern. There is, however, a constant difference in the coloration of 
the long, exposed inner secondary of the Himalayan bird, which is very remarkable when seen in a series laid side 
by side with another from the various localities indicated in the above table ; so that in the birds from the region 
above mentioned, in addition to the secondaries having more yellow at the tips than others, there is the fact that 
the feather in question has always (as far as I can judge from the series examined) the entire web yellow, while 
others (the true 0. melanocepJialiis) have merely a large spot at the tip of the outer web. In most families of 
biids it would amount to an absui'dity to base a separation of two species on the coloration of a single feather; 
but in the Orioles, which depend so much on the distribution of the yellow for their specific rank, it may not seem 
an unnatural point to lay stress upon. As long as the distinction which I have pointed out is found to hold good, 
I see no reason why the Himalayan and Pegu form should not stand as a subspecies or local race of the Indian. 
Distribution. This Oriole is a very common bird in Ceylon, being found tlu’oughout the entire low 
country and the hills, ranging up to an altitude not unfrequcutly of 6000 feet. It has, indeed, on several 
occasions been found at Nuwara Elliya; and in Uva, where it is very common, it often occurs at 5000 feet. 
In the north it is numerous, inhabiting the island of Manaar and tliose adjacent to Jaffna, as well as the 
extreme north of the mainland ; and in the dry forests of the north-central district, in the Seven Korales, 
and interior of the Eastern Province it is likewise common. In the west and south it is chiefly found in 
* Oriolus mdanocephalus, Sharpe, Cat. B. iii. p. 215 {nee Linn.). 
