Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Birds Vol 1).djvu/397

 MESIA. 353 shape a i-athei- long obtuse ov:iI. Thirtj^ eggs average 21'1 x 151 mill.; the extremes are 23-1 X 18-4 mm. and 19"3 X 14'3 mm.

Habits. Jerdon's Chloropsis is found either in pairs or small parties frequenting trees in fairly open country, gardens, orchards, small spinneys and light forest. It apparently is not found in heavy forest such as is common in sub-Himalayan plains and in parts of Southern India also. It is as active in its habits as the rest of its relations, a sweet songster with an endless repertoii'e of notes, both of its own and copied from other birds. Many of its notes are very like those of the common King-Crow, though softer and sweeter. It is a favourite cage-bird, feeding, both in captivity and when wild, on fruit, seeds and insects. It is very fond of small grasshoppers.


 * Phj/Iloimis cyanopo(/on Temrn., PI. Col., 612, tig. i (1829) (Sumatra).
 * Chluropsis cyanopoijon. Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 239.

Vernacular names. None recorded.

Description. — Male. The upper plumage, tail, wing-coverts and sides of the neck bright green, the forehead tinged with yellow and inner webs of tail-feathers brown; wing-quills dark brown edged with green; lores, cheeks, chin and throat black; a line over the lores and eye brighter green than elsewhere; a short moustachial streak blue; a line round the black throat greenish yellow; lower plumage light green.

Colours of soft parts. Iris dark brown; bill black; legs and feet dark plumbeous.

Measurements. Length about 180 mm.; wing 81 to 85 mm.; tail about 30 to 33 mm.; tarsus about 18 mm.; culmen about 15 mm. Female. Chin and throat green, the moustachial streak pale dull blue and feathers rouud eye yellowish.

Distribution. The South of Tenasserim down t!ie Malay Peninsula to Sumatra and Borneo. South-West Siam.

Nidification. Unknown.

Habits. According to Davison the habits of this bird closely resemble those of the Burmese Chloropsis. Genus MESIA Hodgson, 1838. The genus Mesla is very closely allied to Liothriv, differing principally in the shape of the tail, which is rounded and a little graduated. The bill is exactly like that of Liothriv but the nostril is covered by a peculiarly shaped membrane. VOL. I. 2 a