342 
Mr. Blyth’s Commentary 
Indo-Malayan provinces; for in Southern India and Ceylon C. 
macrurus is replaced by C. nigripennis. 
112. Caprimulgus asiaticus. 
Noticed by Mr. Swinhoe at sea not far from Aden ! (Ibis, 
1864, p. 414. Qusere, C. mahrattensis ?). Of C. europceus Mr. 
Gould writes — u I believe it frequents the whole of Africa, and 
ranges as far east as Afghanistan” (Birds of Great Britain, 
pt. iii.). 
114. Caprimtjlgus monticolus. 
I observed (and shot) this species in Upper Martaban, flying 
in company with the grand Lyncornis cerviniceps, the latter 
being by far the more abundant. On their first appearance 
towards evening, those superb birds would seek their food high 
in the air, descending gradually within gunshot, and finally 
sweeping about close to the ground. This habit I noticed for 
many successive evenings. A wounded bird would set up its 
aigrettes in fine style*. 
Respecting the use of the pectinated claw of these and certain 
other birds, I agree with Dr. Jerdon that both the hypotheses to 
which he refers (vol. i. p. 192) are alike untenable,—but not so 
the opinion that it is employed to detach beetle-claws, and the 
like, from the gape. 
115. Harpactes fasciatus; Gould, B. As. pt. vi. pi. 
116. Harpactes hodgsoni; Gould, B. As. pt. xvii. pi. 
In the first edition of his monograph of Trogonidce, Mr. Gould 
separated the Red-headed Trogon of the Indo-Chinese province 
(as also of Sumatra) from that of the South Eastern Himalaya, 
distinguishing the former as H. erythrocephalus. In the 
c Birds of Asia J he still regards them as distinct:— “ The H. 
hodgsoni he remarks, “ differs from H. erythrocephalus in being 
considerably larger in all its proportions, particularly in the size 
and length of the tail, while at the same time it possesses a 
smaller and more compressed bill. The colours also, in all 
* Mr. Gould (Handb. B. Austral, i. p. 95) refers to the species of 
Lyncornis as if inhabiting only “the Indian islands.” L. cerviniceps is, 
I believe, peculiar to the Indo-Chinese countries ; and L. temmincki is 
common in the Malayan peninsula. 
