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Show 1877.] THE MARQUIS OF TWEEDDALE ON BATRACHOSTOMUS. 437 Batrachostomus javanensis (Horsf), Walden, J. A. S. B. 1875, pt. ii. ex. no. p. 84, partim, "ex Malacca, Borneo," nee Horsf., 2 • Batrachostomus stictopterus, Cab. Walden, /. c. " ex Malacca, Borneo," d • Batrachostomus affinis, Blvth, Hume, Str. F. 1876, p. 376, nee Blyth ; Blanford, Ibis, 1877,"p. 251, nee Blyth. Hab. Malacca, Borneo, Sumatra, Java (?). Mr. Everett has noted on the label of a rufous bird from Bedi, Borneo (IMM. nostr.), and marked a male, that the iris is " light yellow," the feet ochre, and the bill pale brown. Doria (Salvad. /. c.) gives the colour of the iris of a Sarawak example as being light yellow (giallo chiaro). The British Museum possesses a single specimen of this species in brown plumage, which is labelled "Sumatra." Its occurrence in that island is probable ; but the correctness of the locality on the label is not beyond question; the skin is of the characteristic Malaccan make. The figure given by Professor Schlegel (I. c.) of P. parvulus undoubtedly represents B. stictopterus. It is stated to have been taken from an old male from Sumatra. The wing-coverts are spotted; and there are no white throat- or breast-markings. The type of P. stellatus, Gould (Pl. XLVII.), now in m y collection, is marked " Java " on the label. In the original description the length of the wing is stated to be four inches, whereas in the type specimen it is five. Beyond the word "Java" on the label, there is nothing to confirm its Javan origin. It has, however, no appearance of being a Malaccan trade-skin. Mr. Gould informs me that the prominent white spots on the major coverts suggested to him the specific designation of stellatus. The description of B. stictopterus, Cab., was taken from a Malaccan individual in the rufous-brown phase of plumage. Without having the advantage of the observations of field collectors to assist us, it is difficult to select from a large series of this species any one example as illustrative of the adult bird. When compared with fully-plum aged rufous adults of the other species, the absence of their finished white markings and the decided coloration on the under plumage lead to the inference that B. stellatus, as it always seems to come to us from Malacca and Borneo, represents an intermediate stage of plumage. For long it was considered by several Indian writers, myself among the number, to be the young stage of B. javanensis, the pallid rufous-margined lower pectoral and abdominal feathers being very similar to what we find in B. affinis juv. Assuming that birds with the caudal bands complete, the chin and throat uniform rufous, and the back unfreckled are the most adult, I will describe the following example :- 2 (?) adult (?), ex Malacca. General aspect above bright rufous. Frontal plumes tawny rufous, also supercilium. Crown, occipital crest-plumes, auriculars, cheeks, back, wing-coverts, and uropygium rich deep chestnut. A series of nuchal plumes grey at the insertion, lower down slightly tinged with rufous, then a narrow transverse blackish line, followed by a broader pure white band edged with |