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SERTLOPHUS RUBROPYGIUS.
Red-backed Eurylaime.

Raya rubropygia, Hodgs. Journ. As. Soc., vol. viii. p. 36.

Eurylaimus lunatus, Horsf. in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VII. Dp: L566:

Serilophus rubropygia, Blyth, Cat. of Birds in Brit. Mus. As. Soc. Calcutta, p. 196.—Bonap. Consp- Gen. Av., p. 169
Serilophus, sp. 1.—Cat. of Sp. and Draw. of Mamm. and Birds presented to Brit. Mus. by B. I, oe
son, Esq., p. 56, and App., p. 150. 3

Eurylaimus rubropygius, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 65, Hurylaimus, sp. 4. pl. xxiii.

Simornis (Raya) rubropygia, Hodgs.—Gray, Zool. Misc. 1844, p. 82.

Serilophus rubropygius, G. R. Gray, List of Birds in Brit. Mus. Coll., Part II. see. i. p. 38.

Eurylaimus serilophus rubropygius, Horsf. Cat. of Birds in Mus. East Ind. Comp., p. 119.

Rai Stiga, Nepaulese.

 

Tue native habitat of this species is said to be the south-eastern Himalayas, Assam, Sylhet and Arracan,
where it doubtless takes the place of the S. /unatus of Rangoon and Tenasserim. It was first made known
to science by B. H. Hodgson, Esq., who some years since forwarded examples to this country, which with
his drawings of the species may be found in the national collection. Although bearing a general resem-
blance to the §. dunatus, it may at all times be distinguished by the absence of the black stripe above the
eye, by its more grey colouring, by its less developed crest, by its longer and more squarely formed tail, and
by the almost total absence of the lunate mark on the sides of the neck. Like the S. /unatus, it is a rare
bird in the collections of Europe, and as is the case with that species, little or nothing is known respecting
its habits and economy ; it would therefore be a real boon to ornithological science if this blank could be
supplied by some one resident in the native country of these birds paying attention to the subject, and
forwarding the result of his observations to the scientific journals of India or Europe.

The sexes appear to differ but little in their colouring; the lunate mark on the sides of the neck is
obsolete in some individuals, and is not very conspicuous at any time in the adult.

Head, crest, back and scapularies brownish grey, under surface paler grey; on each side of the neck a
small semilunar mark of silvery white elevated feathers as in S. Zunatus, but much less developed; wing-

coverts black ; primaries and secondaries lazuline-blue at the base : |
patch of white extending on to the shaft ; the remainder of

on the four outer feathers, which are slightly tipped with
ening oblique mark of white on their outer web and

and along the basal third of the outer

web; on their inner web opposite the blue a
their length velvety black, passing into blue

white, the remainder blue at the tip, with an interv
the three innermost scapularies, the rump
ith white, and the two next on each side with a large mark of

black ; under tail-coverts white; bill blue, bright on the upper
tarsi and toes green in front, fleshy brown

0° and upper tail-coverts rich chest-
chestnut on their inner web ;

nut; tail black, the outer feather tipped w
white on the inner side near the tip; thighs
mandible ; under mandible greenish, with greyish white edges ;
behind ; irides reddish brown.

Habitat. Central and lower regions. Hodgs.