314 Lord Tweeddale on Birds from 
Drongo ? Sumatra, Borneo, and Malacca are the only three 
areas, so far as is now known, which are inhabited by full- 
plumaged birds devoid of a frontal crest; but Sonnerat figured 
and described a species of Dissemurus without a crest from the 
Malabar coast (Yoy. Indes, ii. p. 195, t. 111). On this Scopoli 
founded the title of Muscicapa malabarica (Del. FI. Faun. In- 
subr. ii. p. 96, 1786), and later on Latham the title of Lanins 
malabaricus (Ind. Orn. i.p. 66,1790). It has consequently been 
contended by some authors that Sonnerat described from and 
figured a Malaccan bird, and that therefore the title of mala¬ 
baricus does not belong to the Malabar bird; by others (e. g. 
Temminck, l. c.), that the Malabar bird belonged to the same 
species as the Javan and Sumatran; and as the title of mala¬ 
baricus was inappropriate, Temminck altered the name to 
retifer (lege setifer) , a title restricted by recent authors to the 
Javan crested bird. SonneraFs figure, from whatever species 
it may have been taken, is, without doubt, most inaccurate; 
and Le Vaillant ( l . c.) severely criticised it; but Sonnerat dis¬ 
tinctly leaves it to be understood that his type was from the 
Malabar coast; and Buffon (Hist. Nat. iv.) alludes to Sonne¬ 
rat having sent him the bird from the coast of Malabar, Son¬ 
nerat (/. c.) stating that the bird he describes and figures is the 
one he sent to Buffon. The crest in adult Malabar birds is 
not largely developed; and it is quite possible that Sonnerat 
figured a young bird, or else that he overlooked the short im¬ 
pending nasal plumes. Le Yaillant (/. c.) was the next author 
who wrote on a species of Backet-tail Drongo; and he gave a 
description and plate of a crestless species of Dissemurus. The 
origin of his type it is now impossible to discover; for he merely 
tells us that it came from the collection of a Mons. Dorcy. The 
description and plate most accurately represent the Malaccan 
and Sumatran form; and as Vieillot founded his title of pla- 
turus (/. c .) on Le VaillanFs description and plate, I adopt it 
for that species. It could not well have been taken from a 
Javan; for that race is crested, and great care is exhibited in 
the drawing. 
The only other crestless form inhabits Borneo, and was 
separated by Temminck under the title of brachyphorus (Bp. 
