into blue-green ; tail underneath greenish blue ; rictal bristles black, fine, and extending
beyond the t i p of the bill, which is plumbeous black; irides brown ; legs and feet olive
brown.
Habitat. The island of Ceylon. (Layard, Cliapman).
This little Barbet is the representative species in Ceylon of the genus Xantholcema.
I t is said by Le Vaillant to come from Malacca and Java, but this is most probably an
erroneous statement as far as we can discover, no specimens have been recorded as received,
from either of these localities; but from what we yet know on good authority it is
peculiar t o the island of Ceylon, as also is M. zeylonica and M. fiavifrons. The present bird
is the most beautiful species of the genus, its nearest ally being X. malabarica, which has
been obtained in Southern India, and differs from X. rubricapilla in having the throat and
cheeks scarlet instead of golden yellow. (See X. malabarica.)
I t is a v e r y common bird in Ceylon. Layard says he has found numbers about Colomboand
Jaffna, and has seen it brought from Batticola. It frequents the banyan tree (Ficus
indica), and like the other Barbets feeds on the ripe figs, swallowing them entire. It is
not very often seen in collections. Lord Walden, who has a large series, kindly lent us
one, and i t is from this specimen that the accompanying plate and descriptions are taken.
Figures of this species are to be found in t h e works of Le Vaillant and Brown.