XANTHOLiEMA MALABARICA
( T H E M A L A B A R B A R B E T .)
¡¡uceo barbiculus .
,, malabarleus
Meya In i ma ma la barica
(1846) Blyth; J. A. S. p. 13 (descr. orig.).
(1847) Blyth; J. A. S. pp. 386, 465.
(1849) Blyth; Cat. of Birds, App. p. 336.
(1856) Horsf. & Moore; Cat. of B. II. p. 647.
(1862) Jerd.; B. of India, I. p. 317.
(1863) Goffin ; Mus. P. B. Bucc. p. 27.
(1868) Gray; Cat. B. M. Capit. p. 9.
X. sexibus 8imilibus: viridis: fronte coccinea: subtus haud striata : gutturc eoccineo, aurantiaeo marginato.
Hab. in provincia Malabarica.
Sexes alike; body green; forehead, sinciput, and a stripe above and below each eye
rich crimson; a black band across the top of the head; occiput, ear-coverts, and sides of
the throat verditer; upper plumage dark green, each feather indistinctly edged with pale
greenish-blue; quills brown, exterior web bordered with green, and pale yellowish at the
base of the inner webs; throat and upper breast rich crimson, the feathers irregularly
tipped with gold-colour, more so on the upper breast, where they gradually shade off into
light green; under surface bright grass-green washed with verditer; tail underneath
greenish blue; bill and rictal bristles black; irides reddish brown; legs and feet red.
Length 6"-5, wing 3"-2, tail l"-5, tarsus 0"-7, bill at front 0"-5.
Hab. Malabar (Blyth, Jerdon).
The Malabar Barbet is most nearly allied to X. rubricapilla, and takes the place of
that species in Southern India, the distinguishing feature being the colour of the throat.
From the other members of the genus it may be known by the colouring of the under
surface, it being distinctly striped in X. hmmacephala and X. rosea, while in this species it
is plain green washed with verditer. It is a rare bird apparently, there being no specimens