LETOTHRIX LAURINA, Sawwaa.

Marchioness Doria’s Hill-Tit.

Leiothriv lauring, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. xiv. p. 231 (1879).

 

Tus beautiful species was discovered by Dr. Beccari during his expedition to Sumatra in 1878. Ten
specimens were obtained, all of them on Mount Singalan ; and it is somewhat extraordinary that such a
very conspicuous species should not have been discovered by any of the travellers who had_ previously
visited Sumatra.

It is of the same form and style of coloration as Leiothriv argentauris of the Himalayas; but it is easily
distinguished by the richer coloration on the throat and breast, which are crimson.

The following is a translation of Count Salvadori’s description :—

Forehead, throat, neck all round, upper tail-coverts, and a large patch at the base of the quills blood-red ;
crown, lores, fore part of cheeks, and a line at the base of the lower mandible jet-black ; ear-coverts silvery
grey; back and rump olive; breast and abdomen olive-yellowish ; wing-coverts olive like the back ; quills
blackish, edged towards the tips with orange, edged at the base with blood-red, the innermost dusky, uniform ;
tail black, the two outermost feathers edged externally with yellow ; bill orange-yellow; feet pale ; iris brown.

I am indebted to Capt. Wardlaw Ramsay for the loan of a pair of birds, received by him from the Genoa
Museum, thus enabling me to give a life-sized figure of the male and female birds.

[R. B. $.]