FORTHE PEOPLE FOR EDVCATION FOR SCIENCE LIBRARY OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY If^ i THE IBIS, QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY. EDITED BY OS BERT SALVIN, M.A., RL.S., F.Z.S., &c. VOL. 11. 1872. THIRD SERIES. Ibidis auspicio noTus incipit Ibidis ordo ! LONDON: JOHN VAN VOORST, 1 PATEHNOSTER R0\\' 1872. FLAMMAM. PRINTED BY TATLOK AND FRANCIS, RED LION COURT, FLHF.T STREET. PREFACE. Notwithstanding the numerous other calls on the attention of Ornithologists during the past twelve months, ' The Ibis ' continues to receive an amount of support quite equal to that of former years. This would seem to indicate that not only is Ornitho- logical Science prospering, but our Journal prospers also. It is also satisfactory to observe that the nature of some of the work now in progress gives great hopes that the Classification of birds will ere long be placed upon a sounder basis. The whole organization of birds, upon a knowledge of which alone correct con- clusions can be arrived at, is now being investigated in a manner that bids fair to remove the reproach of shallowness in questions of classification under which our science has not unjustly laboured. Having said thus much, we have only to thank our many friends for their contributions, and for material assistance received during our editorship of the present volume. O. S. 32 The Grove, Boltons, Loudon. October 1872. BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION. 1872. [An asterisk indicates an Original Member.] Date of Election. 1870. Ajn)REW Andeeson, F.Z.S. ; Futtehgurh, North-West Pro- vinces, India. 1872. Hanbuey Barclay, F.Z.S. ; Cliurchill House, Handsworth, near Birmingham. 1870. Sir Victor Brooke, Bart. ; Colebrooke, Fermanagh, Ireland. 1871. A. Basil Brooke ; Colebrooke, Fermanagh, Ireland. 1866. Henry Buckley, F.Z.S. ; Edgbaston, Birmingham. 1868. Thomas Edward Buckley, B.A., F.Z.S. ; Westwood House, Beverley. 1872. Walter Lawry Buller, Sc.D., F.L.S., &c. ; New Zealand. 1866. Arthur William Crichton, B.A., F.L.S., F.Z.S. ; Broadward Hall, Salop. 1865. Henry Eeles Dresser, F.Z.S. ; The Firs, South Norwood, Surrey. *Henry Maurice Drummond-Hay, C.M.Z.S., Lieutenant-Colo- nel, Eoyal J*erth Rifles ; Seggieden, Perth. 1870. Daniel Giraud Elliot, F.Z.S. ; New York. 1866. Henry John Elwes, F.Z.S., late Captain, Scots Fusilier Guards ; Miserden House, Cirencester. *Thomas Campbell Eyton, F.Z.S. ; Eyton Hall, Salop. 1867. George Gooch Fowler, B.A. ; Gunton Hall, Sufiblk. 1865. Rev. Henry Elliott Fox, B.A. ; 7 Park Villas, Oxford. *Frederick DuCane Godman, F.L.S., F.Z.S. ; 55 Lowndes Square, London. *Percy Sanden Godmak, B.A., C.M.Z.S. ; Borregaard, Sarps- borg, Norway. 1871. Robert Gray ; 2 Lawrence Place, Dowan HiU, Glasgow. *JoHN Henry Gurney, F.Z.S. ; Marldon, Devon. VI Date of Election. 1870. John Hexrt Gurnet, Jun., F.Z.S. ; Northrepps, Norfolk. 1868. James Edmund Haeting, F.L.S., F.Z.S. ; 24 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London. *Rev. William Henry Hawker, M.A., F.Z.S. ; Ashford, Petersfield, Sussex. 1868. Rev. Herbert S. Hawkins, M.A. ; Beyton Rectory, Suffolk. *WiLERiD HuDLESTON HuDLESTON, M.A., F.Z.S. ; 23 Cheyne "Walk, Chelsea, London. 1869. Allan Octavian Hume, C.B. ; Secretary to the Government of India. 1870. Leonard Howard Irby, Major 74th (Highlander) Regiment. 1870. Hon. Hedworth Hylxon-Jollipfe ; Heath House, Peters- field, Sussex. ♦Arthur Edward Knox, M.A., F.L.S., F.Z.S. ; Trotton House, Petersfield, Sussex. *Right Hon. Thomas Ltttleton, Lord Lilford, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c. ; Lilford Hall, Oundle, Northants. 1870. C. H. T. Marshall, F.Z.S. ; Captain, Bengal Staff Corps. 1870. G. F. L. Marshall, F.Z.S. ; Royal (Bengal) Engineers. 1864, Alexander Goodman More, F.L.S. &c. ; 3 Botanic View, Glasnevin, Dublin. 1872. Francis D'Arcy William Clough Newcome ; Feltwell Hall, Brandon, Suffolk. *Alfred Newton, M.A., F.R.S., F.L.S., V.P.Z.S. ; Professor of Zoology in the University of Cambridge. *Edward Newton, M.A., F.L.S., C.M.Z.S., Colonial Secretary, Mauritius. 1871. Reginald Carew-Pole, Lieutenant, Royal Navy; Yovilton, llchester. *JoHN William Powlett-Orde, F.Z.S., late Captain, 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment ; Auchnaba House, Loch Gilp Head, N. B. 1872. R. G. Wardlaw Ramsay, 67th Regiment ; White HiU, Lass- wade. 1868. E. J. Rhodes ; Exchequer and Audit Department, Somerset House. 1865. George Dawson Rowley, M.A., F.Z.S. ; Chichester House, Brighton. *Osbert Salvin, M.A., F.L.S. , F.Z.S., &c. ; 32 The Grove, Boltons, London. Vll Date of Election. 1870. Howard Saunders, F.Z.S. ; 7 Radnor place, Hyde Park, London. *Philip Ltjtley Sclater, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S., &c. ; 44 Elvas- ton Place, Queen's Gate, London, W. 1871. R. B. Sharps, P.L.S., F.Z.S. ; Tower House, Caversliam Eoad, London. 1870. G. Ernest Shelley,F.Z.S., late Captain, Scots Fusilier Guards ; Avington, Winchester. 1865. Rev. Charles William Shepherd, M.A., F.Z.S. ; Trotters- cliffe, Kent. 1864. Rev. Alfred Charles Smith, M.A. ; Yatesbury Rectory, WUts. 1867. Rowland M. Sperling, F.Z.S. , Commander, Royal Navy. 1864. Henry Stevenson, F.L.S. ; Unthank's Road, Norwich. 1868. Hamon Styleman Le Strange, F.Z.S., Hunstanton Hall, Norfolk. *Edward Cavendish Taylor, M.A., F.Z.S. ; Oxford and Cam- bridge Club, London. 1864. George Cavendish Taylor, F.Z.S. ; 42 Elvaston Place, London. *Rev. Henry Baker Tristram, M.A., LL.D., F.R.S., &c., Hon. Canon of Durham, Greatham Vicarage, West Hartlepool, Durham. 1864. Henry Morris Upcher, F.Z.S. ; Sherringham Hall, Norfolk. 1864. Right Hon. Arthur Yiscount Walden, F.R.S., F.L.S,, Pres. Z.S. ; Walden Cottage, Chislehurst, Kent. 1871. E. Percival Wright, M.D., F.L.S., F.Z.S., Professor of Bo- tany in the University of Dublin. Extra- Ordinary Members. 1860. Edward Blyth, Hon. Mem. As. Soc. 1860. Alfred Russel Wallace, F.Z.S. ; The Dell, Grays, Essex. Honorary Members. 1860. Professor Spencer F. Baird, Assistant Secretary to the Smithsonian Institution, Washington. 1860. Doctor Eduard Baldamus, Moritzwinger, No. 7, Halle a. S. 1860. Doctor Jean Cabanis, Erster Custos am ktiniglichen Museum der Friedrich-Wilhelm's Universitat zu Berlin. 1872. Doctor Otto Finsch, Zoological Museum, Bremen. Till Dato of Election. 1800. Doctor Gustav Haetlaub, Bremen. 1860. Edgar Leopold Layard, F.Z.S., H.B.M. Consul, Para 18G9. August von Pelzeln, Ciistos am k.-k. zoologischen Cabinete in Wien. 1860. Professor J. Reinhardt, Kongelige Xaturhistoriske Museum i Kjobenhavn. 1862, Robert Swinhoe, E.Z.S., F.R.G.S., Her Majesty's Consul at Ningpo, China. 1860. JiJiEs Pierre Verreatjx, Aide-NaturaHste du Museum d'Histoire NatureUe a Paris. Foreign Members. 1872. Prof. J. V. Baebosa du Socage, Eoyal Museum, Lisbon. 1872. Prof. J. F. Brandt, Imperial Museum, St. Petersburg. 1872. Doctor Elliott Coues, U.S. Army, Fort MacHenry, Baltimore. 1872. Alphonse Milke-Edwards, Jardin des Plantes, Paris. 1872. Doctor YiCTOE Eatio, Geneva. 1872. Prof. Henry Hillyer Giglioli, Royal Superior Institute, Florence. 1872. Doctor Theodor yon Heuglin, Stuttgart. 1872. George IST. Laaatience, JSfew Tori: 1872. Baron De Selys Longchamps, Li^ge, Belgium. 1872. Doctor A. J. Malmgren, Helsingfors, Finland. 1872. Doctor A. von Middendorff, Dorpat, Russia. 1872. Prof. GusTAv Radde, Tijlis. 1872. Count ToMMASO Salyadori, Royal Museum, Turin. 1872. Prof. Herman Sciilegel, University Museum, Leyden. 1872. Prof, Carl Sundevall, Stockholm. CONTENTS OF VOL. II.— THIRD SERIES. (1872.) Ntjmbek v., January. Page I. Supplementary Notes to the ' Birds of India.' By T. C. Jeedon, F.L.S., F.Z.S., Retired Deputy-Inspector General of Hospitals, Madras. [Continued from 3rd series, vol. i. 1871, page 356.] (Plate I.) 1 n. On a new Species of Phylloscojms. By W. E. Beooks, C.E., Etawah, India 22 m. On the' Breeding of Reguloides superciliostis, JReguloides proregvdus, Reguloides occipitalis, and Pliylloscopus tytleri. By W. E. Beooks, C.E 24 IV. On an undescribed Bird from the Island of Eodriguez. By Alfeed Newton, M.A., E.R.S., &c 31 V. Notes and Descriptions of some Birds lately added to the Museum, Canterbury, New Zealand. By Thomas H. Potts. . 35 VI. A Revision of the Fringilline Genus Sycalis. By P. L. ScLATEE, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S. (Plates II. and III.) ... 39 VII. On Nyctale Tcirtlandi. By D. G. Elliott, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &e 48 VIII. Observations on Picicorvus columhianus. By Elliott CoTTEs, M.D., U. S. A 52 IX. Notes on the Birds of Novaja Zemlia and Waigatz Is- land. By Th. von Hettglin 60 X. On Recent Collections of Birds from the Fantee Country in Western Africa. By R. B. Shaepe, F.L.S. &c.. Librarian to the Zoological Society of London ^^ X CONTENTS. Page XI. Letters, Announcements, &c. : — Letters from Commander Sperling, Mr. Howard Saunders (two letters), Mr. A. Anderson, Mr. J. H. Gurney, Captain F. W. Hutton, Mr. W. T. Blanford, and Mr. Blj-th. An- nouncement of Dr. Bessels's Embarcation with Captain Hall's North Polar Expedition ; Necrological Notice of the late Mr. E. C. Newcome; Mr. W. T. Blanford's appointment to the Persian Boundary Expedition ; Mr. Salmon's new Expedition to the United States of Columbia 74 Number VI., April. XII. On Birds recently observed or obtained in the Island of Negros, Philippines. By Akthtje, Viscount Walden, P.Z.S., and Edgak Leopold Layard, F.Z.S. (Plates IV.-VL). ... 93 XIII. Descriptions of six new Species of Indian Birds. By Allan Hume, C.B 107 XIV. Descriptions of two Genera of Paradiseidce, with Re- marks on some of the Species. By D. G. Elliot, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c Ill XV. Supplementary Notes to ' The Birds of India.' By T. C. Jerdon, F.L.S., F.Z.S., Retired Deputy Inspector General of Hospitals, Madras. [Continued from page 22.] (Plate VII.) , 114 XVI. On the FHght of Birds. By Capt. F. W. Hutton, C.M.Z.S 139 XVII. On Charadrius asiaticus and C. damarensis. By Dr. 0. FiNscH 144 XVIII. Remarks on the Mniotiltine Genus Geothlypis. By OsBERT Salvin, M.A., F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c 147 XIX. Contribution to the History of the Blue Crow of America. By Elliott Coues, M.A., M.D., Ph.D. &c. . . . 152 XX. Notes on the Resident and Migratory Birds of Madeira and the Canaries. By F. Du Cane Godman, F.Z.S., &c. . . 158 CONTENTS. XI Page XXI. Observations on the Systematic Position of the Genera Peltops, Eurylcemus, and Todus. By P. L. Sclatee, M.A., Ph.D., P.R.S 177 XXII. On a new Sylvia from India. By W. E. Brooks, C.E 180 XXIII. On Three new Species of Birds from the Fantee Country. By R. B. Shaepe, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c., and H. T. UssHER, H.B.M. Administrator to the Settlements on the Gold Coast 181 XXIV. New and forthcoming Ornithological Works, &c.. . 183 XXV. Letters, Announcements, &c. : — Letters from Capt. ^Hayes-Lloyd (two letters), Major Irby, Capt. F. W. Hutton, Mr. Robert Gray and Capt. G. F. L. Marshall. Announcement of Canon Tristram's Expedition to Palestine ; Discovery of New Pheasants in China by Mr. Swin- hoe ; Capt. Shelley and Mr. T. E. Buckley's Expedition to the West Coast of Africa ; Mr. A. B. Brooke's Expedition to Sar- dinia ; and Mr. Layard's intended Residence in Para ; Note on Didunculus strigirostris. 197 Number VIL, Jidy. XXVI. Notes on the Resident and Migratory Birds of Ma- deira and the Canaries. By F. Du Cane Godman, F.Z.S. &c. [Concluded from page 177.] 209 XXVII. Ornithological Observations in the Crimea, Turkey, Sea of Azov, and Crete, during the years 1854-55: with Re- marks on the Sivash or Putrid Sea. By George Cavendish Taylor, F.Z.S., late of the 95th Regiment 224 XXVIII. On the Nidification of certain Indian Birds. Part I. By Andrew Anderson, F.Z.S 237 XXIX. A further Re\asion of the Genus Leucopternis, with a Description of a new Species. By Osueet Salvin, M.A. &c. (Plate VIII.) 239 XU CONTENTS. Page XXX. Notes on some Birds from the Chatham Islands, col- lected by H. H. Travera, Esq., with Descriptions of two new Species. By Capt. F. W. Hutton, F.G.S 243 XXXI. A Ee vision of the Genus Henicurus. By H. J. Elwes, F.Z.S. &c. (Plate IX.) 250 XXXII. On the Genus Colius, its Structure and Systematic Place. By James Mttkie, F.L.S. &c. (Plate X.) .... 262 XXXIII. Two Months' Bird-coDecting on the Gold Coast. By Capt. G. E. Shelley & T. E. Buckley 281 XXXIV. Description of a supposed new Species of Humming Bird of the genus Eriocnemis. By D. G. Elliot, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c 293 XXXV. On a new Sylviad from Palestine. By H. B. Tkis- TEAM, LL.D., F.R.S., &c 296 XXXVI. Supplementary Notes to the ' Birds of India.' By T. C. Jekdon, F.L.S., F.Z.S., Retired Deputy Inspector- General of Hospitals, Madras. [Continued from p. 139,] 297 XXXVII. Notes on the Birds of Nicaragua, based upon a Collection made at Chontales by Mr. Thomas Belt. By Osbert SAivnf, M.A. &c 311 XXXVIII. On a new Parrakeet of the Genus Loriculus from the PhUippine Islands. By P. L. Sclatee, M.A.", Ph.D., F.R.S. (Plate XI.) , 323 XXXIX. Letters, Announcements, &c. : — Letters from Mr. Thomas H. Potts (two letters), Captains C. H. T. & G. F. L. Marshall, Mr. J. H. Guruey, Viscount Walden, Dr. W. L. BuUer, Dr. T. M. Brewer, Rev. Canon Tristram, Mr. Robert Gray, Mr. E. L. Layard ; Review of Dr. Buller's ' Birds of New Zealand,' Extract from the Report of the Trustees of Harvard CoUego, Cambridge, Mass. ; Notice of Dr. Coues's ' Key to North American Birds ' ; Obituary Notices of Mr. G. R. Gray, Mr. T, C. Jerdon, Colonel W. H. Sykes. . 325 CONTENTS. XIU Page Number VIII., October. XL. The Humming-birds of the West Indies. By D. G. Elliot, F.L.S., F.Z.8., &c 345 XLI. Note ou some of the Cranial Peculiarities of the Wood- peckers.' By A. H. Garrod, B.A., Prosector to the Zoological Society 357 XLII. On a Collection of Birds recently made by Mr. A. H. Everett in Northern Borneo. By Arthur Viscount Walden, P.Z.S., F.R.S. (Plate XII.) 360 XLIII. On the Motmots and their Affinities. By Dr. James MuRiE, F.L.S. &c. (Plates XIII.-XV.) 383 XLIV. Index to the Ornithological Literature of 1871. By Osbert Salvtn, M.A., F.L.S., &c. and Philip Lutlet Sclater, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S., &c 413 XLV. Letters, Announcements, &c. Letters from Mr. A. 0. Hume, Mr. W. E. Brooks, Mr. J. F. Dillon, Viscount Walden, Mr. J. H. Gurney, and Mr. E. W. H. Holdsworth ; Obituary Notice of Sir Andrew Smith .... 468 Index . . . , 475 PLATES IN VOL. IL THIRD SERIES. Page I. Polyphasia passerina 14 jy f Fig. 1. Sycalis chrjsops 45 1 Fig. 2. lutea 46 III. Sycalis aureiventris, S and $ 47 rV. Chrysocolaptes xanthocephalus 99 V. Dicrunis mirabilis 103 YI. lanthoenas griseogularis 104 VII. GeocicUa dissimilis 136 VIII. Leucoptemis plumbea 239 IX. Henicums frontalis 259 X. Skeleton of Colius leucotis 280 XI. Lorieulus chrysonotus 324 XII. Setomis criniger 377 XIII. Skeleton of Momotus lessoni 412 XIV. Skeleton of Eumomota superciliaris 412 XV. Various genera of Motmots 412 ERRATA ET CORRIGENDA. Page Line o'-i, 17, for £giaUt€S read ^ialifis. 82, 6, for gheel read jheel. 83, 5, for gheel read jheeL 85, 37, for Leajri read Bajri. 88, 3, for lire read bird. 94, 6, for and that read and. 147, 31, for rostratis read rostratus. 193, 10, /w Mr. rf a?s. Chrysocolaptes gutti-cristatus- Picus gutta-cristatus, Tickell. P. delesserti, Malherbe. P. strictus, Jerdon, Cat. C. sultaneus, Jerdon, Birds of India (partly). In this southern race the wing-coverts, the scapulars, and the dorsal feathers have more golden red than in the larger Nepal one. P. strictus verus is from Java, and, though otherwise resem- bling these two races, differs in the female having a yellow head like the next species. The same difference distinguishes C. h<2- matribon from C. stricklandi. 167. Chrysocolaptes goexsis. This, it appears, should stand as C. festivus, after Bodduert, P. humeralis, AVagler, being another synonym. to ' The Birds of India.* 9 C. stricklandi, Layard, and Indopicus carlotta, Malherbe^ also belong to this group, and not to Brachypternus, as erroneously stated by myself (p. 298). The former is the species figured in my 'Illustrations of Indian Ornithology^ as Picus ceylonus. 168. MULLERIPICUS PULVERULENTUS. I saw a very fine specimen of this Woodpecker obtained by Major Pinwill, H. M.'s 27th Regt., in the Terai of Kuraaon. It may yet prove to be distinct from the Malay bird. The spe- cies from Upper Pegu, alluded to by me (p. 285), has been named M.feddeni by Blyth; but I believe it will be found to be the species named Picus crawfurdi by Gray, and figured in Griffith's edition of Cuvier's 'Animal Kingdom'*. It has been named Thriponax jerdoni by Cabanis and Heine. 170. Gecinus squamatus. I found this Woodpecker common in Kumaon, near Mussoree, in the valley of the Sutlej, and in Kashmir. It is P. dimidiatus of Gray in Hardvvicke's ' Illustrations.' 171. Gecinus striolatus. This Woodpecker is very common in the subhimalayan region, fi-om Kumaon to Kashmir, and also in all the low jungles of the North-west Provinces and the Punjab. Another, Chinese race of Green Woodpecker not alluded to in the text is G. tancola, Gould. 173. Chrysophlegma flavinucha. The reference to Gould's ' Birds of Asia,' should be part i. plate 6. The irides are brown in some individuals. It does not appear to extend to the further N.W. Himalayas ; but I under- stand that it has been procured in Kumaon. C. malaccensis, from the Malayan peninsula and Sumatra, put as a synonym of C. miniata, of Java, is quite distinct. 176. Venilia pyrrhotis. The wing of one measured lately was 5f inches, tail 3f, foot * Also Hand-list, ii. p. 194. 10 Dr. T. C. Jerdon's Supplementary Notes 178. MiCROPTERNUS PHAIOCEPS. One measured 15|- inches in expanse of wing, foot only 2jlj. I omitted to mention the red cheek-stripe in the male of this species. Another race of these brown Woodpeckers from China has been named M. fokiensis by Swinhoe. Gen. Brachypternus. This genus is peculiar to India proper, including Ceylon. 182. B. DILUTUS. Blyth states that this is a sufficiently well characterized spe- cies. Mr. Gould has specimens of all three species. The true Picas ceylonus is also a Brachypternus. A fourth race of the genus Chrysonotus is C. tridadylus, from Malacca. 186. ViVIA INNOMINATA. The forehead of this bird is yellow rather than chestnut in freshly killed birds; and Stoliczka notices an ashy green stripe behind the yellow frontal zone. He also remarks that the upper of the two lines mentioned by me is a superciliary one, widening towards the nape, and the lower one is edged with blackish ; the quills, except the first two or three, are greenish-edged; and the edge of the whole inner web of the central tail-feathers is also generally black. It is figured by Gould, B. Asia, pt. xxii, pi. 13. 187. Sasia ochracea. This bird is figured by Gould, B. Asia, pt. xxii. pi. 14. My description was taken from a faded specimen, and is not very correct. The interscapulars are greenish, and the rump and upper tail-coverts rufescent yellow, the rest of the upper parts being green. The forehead is ochreous in females. The legs are deep yellow, not pale red; and the irides in some are crimson. The extent of the foot is misprinted 1^ instead of If. 190. Indicator xanthonotus. Mr. Hume states that this rare bird has been procured in the N.W. Himalayas by Col. Delme Radcliffe — but, being doubtful of its identity, has provisionally named it Indicator radcliffii. to ' The Birds of India.' 11 191. Megal/ema virens. Mr. Swinhoe asserts that the Chinese race diiFers from the Himalayan form, and, as the specific name virens was founded on the Chinese bird, has named the Indian one MEGALiEMA MARSHALLORUM*. It is Called Miouli at Massooree, from its call. 192. Megalaima lineata will now stand as Megal^ma HODGSONI, lineata being a distinct species, from Siam and Malayana. 193. MeGALvEMA can IC EPS. Late observations tend to show that the jungle Green Barbet of Malabar is a distinct species, which has been named by Lord Walden as 193 bis. Megal^ma inornata, Walden, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 1870, V. p. 219. The Malabar Green Barbet. Chin, throat, breast, and upper portion of abdominal region uniform pale brown, with the shafts faintly paler. Above as in canicepSf the terminal spots on the wing-coverts and tertiaries almost wanting. Size of caniceps ; bill larger and stouter. Lord Walden possesses specimens of this species from Mala- bar, Coorg, and Candeish. The extension of this bird to the last-named province makes it probable that Elliot's remarks properly apply to this species rather than to caniceps. 196. Cyanops franklini. This has been figured by Gould, Birds of Asia, pt. xxii. pi. 12. Length of one measured recently 9^ inches, wing 3|^, extent IS^, tarsus 1, foot 2. Messrs. Marshall, in describing the call of this Barbet, copy TickelFs account, which gives it as identical with that of Mega- Icema marshallorum — and do not notice my correction of this — its call being quite similar in character, though more subdued, to that of its congeners of the plains. \QQbis. Cyanops cyanotis, Blyth. Godwin-Austen has obtained this Barbet at Asalu, on the * Messrs. Marshall state that they do not acknowledge the distinctness of the two races; but there is, I think, sufficient difference to allow Mr. Swinhoe's opinion to hold good. 12 Dr. T. C. Jerdon^s Supplementary Notes North Cacliar hills. It is considered distinct from duvaucelii, to which 1 referred it (p. 315), and is figured in the concluding number of Marshalls^ ' Capitonidse.' 197. XanthoLjEMa indica must, it appears, bear the name of X. H^MACEPHALA, Muller. 198. Xanthol^ma malabarica. This is figured in Marshalls' Monograph, pt. vi. pi. xlvi. 199. CucuLUs canorus. Mr. Brooks once found an egg in the nest of Pratincola indica, and took another from the nest of Cupsychus suularis. 200. CuCULUS HIMALAYANUS. This Cuckoo is now considered to be the true C. strtatus of Drapiez ; but I see that Mr. G. Gray does not accept this con- clusion. Mr. Swinhoe, however, does (P. Z. S. 1871, p. 395), and moreover gives his C. monosyilabicus and C. kelungensis as synonyms, and also, on Schlegel's authority, C. canoroides of S. Muller. Gray makes C. saturatus, Hodgson, supersede hima- layonus as the name of this Cuckoo, the reason for which I do not see. Blyth had previously given optatus, Gould, as identical (which Swinhoe also adopts), and in addition the following : — teleophonus, Heine, from Japan ; swinhuii, Cabanis ; horsjleldi, Moore; and libanoticus, Tristram; very possibly also C ruchi, Hartl., from Madagascar, — truly a most formidable list of synonyms. If I am right in my remarks on the Himalaya Hierococcyx (see note, p. 14), all these names must give way to flaviventris, Scopoli ! I cannot understand the call heard by Mr. Swinhoe and attri- buted to this Cuckoo, from which he gave his name monosyila- bicus. I am confident that I have correctly stated its usual call, which I have heard very frequently since my work was published, at Mussooree, where it is very abundant, and else- where. A freshly killed specimen measured 12| inches, wing 7g, extent 21|, tail 6. Another was 12|, wing 7^, extent 22, foot 2^. It varies a good deal in size, and especially in the propor- tions of its bill. It not unfrcquently assumes the he})atic plumage. to ' The Birds of India: 13 I have recently heard it on the Khasia Hills, where, how- ever, it is far from common. 201. CUCULUS POLIOCEPHALUS. C intennedius, Vahl, C. lineatus, Lesson, and C. tenuirostris, Temm.^, are considered to be synonyms of this species. Bill blackisli above, horny beneath; gape deep yellow; orbits yellow; irides brownish ; feet dark yellow. The extent of wing of one was 16^ inches. I saw this Cuckoo throughout the Himalayas up to 9000 feet of elevation, and found it recently to be not rare on the Khasia hills. Captain Bulger, in a brochure on the birds of Sikkim, attempts to syllabize the peculiar call of this Cuckoo. 203. CucuLus MicROPTERUS and 204. C. STRiATUs = mfc/i?Vanw5, Swinhoe, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 1870, vi. p. 153. I am rather doubtful of the distinctness of these two alleged races of Cuckoo. Certainly specimens killed in the plains are a little smaller than the average of hill-birds. Blyth states that all Hodgson^s specimens appear to belong to the larger race, which, if its distinction from true microptenis be allowed, and striatus, Drapiez, be correctly applied to C. himalaijanus, must stand as affinis, A. Hay. True microptenis, however, appears also to occur in Java, and may be Drapiez's bird. The dimensions of one freshly killed on the plains were as follows: — Length 12]^ inches, wing 7^, extent 21 j. A large hill- example measured 13| inches, wing 8|, extent 23:j. Another had the wing 8g, extent 22 ; but intermediate examples are common. Mr. Blyth states that it was evidently the larger race that was observed by Herr Radde in Eastern Siberia. At Mussooree this Cuckoo often lays her eggs in the nest of Truchalopteron lineatum. 205. HiEROCOCCYX VARIUS. It is doubtful whether Lesson's name tenuirostris applies to this bird or not (see antea, under 201). It is replaced in the Malayan * This name has been applied by Blyth and Swinhoe to C. striatus; but a specimen iu Lord Walden's collection thus named appears to be the present species. 14 Dr. T. C. Jerdon's Supplementary Notes peninsula, China, &c. by H.fugax, Horsf., oi w{\nc\i flaviventris, Scopoli, radiatus, Grnel., pectoralis, Cabanis, and hyperythrus, Gould, are considered synonyms; and this is probably the species from China alluded to at page 331, Birds of India, vol. i.^ 206. HiEROCOCCYX NISTCOLOR. I obtained this at Darjeeling in 1863, where it is called Ding-pit-pho by the Lepchas. It is, however, very close to the Chinese and Malayan bird mentioned above. 207. HiEROCOCCYX SPARVERIOIDES. One killed lately measured in the flesh 15^ inches in letigth, wing 9, extent 25, tail 8. I found this Cuckoo in great abun- dance on the top of Mount Deobun (above 9000 feet high), near Mussooree, in June, evidently pairing, flying about, pursuing one another, and incessantly uttering their call from sunrise to long after sunset. I have never observed it at any low eleva- tions, contrary to the observations of Dr. Stoliczka, who says he only found it on the lower hills. Blyth discriminated another race allied to this, which he called H. nisoides. I am inclined, from examination of the type specimen, to doubt its distinctness from sparverioides. Gould, in his ' Birds of Asia,' has figured Cuculus strenuus, resembhng this last bird in every point but size, it being larger. It is probably from the Philippines. 208. PoLYPHASiA NIGRA. (Plate I.) This bird stands in Mr. Gray's list as C. passerinus, Vahl, with the synonyms oi flavus, Lesson, not of Gmelin, and pyrom- matus, Hodgson. I believe that C. luguhris, Gray, neglectus, Gray, and sonneratii, apud Gray t, (No. 9019 not 9032 to which is referred the figure in Hardwicke's 'Illustrations' of tenui- rostris), also belong to this race. I described the dark coloration of the South-Indian bird long ago, in my ' Catalogue,' under the * The first two synonyms are generally given as the true names of this Cuckoo ; but on reference to Sonnerat's figure, on which these names were founded, it appears to represent a true Cuckoo of the type of C. canorus, and is probably therefore C. ccmoroides. t C. sonneratii, as usually adopted, is quite a distinct bird (see no. 202, Birds of India), although the hepatic state of plumage of the present spe- cies is veiy similar to that of Sonnerat's Cuckoo. In this last, the cross bars on the abdomen are much more numerous and narrower. Ibis 1872 PH. I J-b-.Keuiema.n3 UtK. POLYP HASIA PASSERINA MiScNHajika-rb imp to ' The Birds of India.' 15 name oi flavus, apud Lesson, but which I see is now considered to be a synonym by Gray. Hodgson also figures the dark stage from the Himalayas. I found this small Cuckoo spread through- out the N.W. Himalayas well into the interior, and to a con- siderable elevation, 9000 feet or so, A nest of Pratincola ferrea was brought me once with three eggs of the usual colour, and one a good deal larger, fleshy white, with numerous reddish spots ; I believe that this was the egg of the Plaintive Cuckoo. One measured in the flesh 9^ inches, wing 4|, extent 14, tail 4f ; the feet were oil-yellow. 209. POLYPHASIA TENUIROSTRIS, As will be seen above, I now think that tenuirostris, Gray, applies to the last bird ; and I know not w^hat name to apply to' the present one, but suggest rufiventris. Godwin-Austen gives the dimensions of the fresh bird as length 9| inches, wing 4j, extent 12^, tail 51. 212. COCCYSTES MELANOLEUCUS should stand as jacobinus, Bodd. This Cuckoo spreads far into the interior of the Himalayas, and is by no means un- common in Kashmir. 214. Eudynamys orientalis. This species, according to an exhaustive paper on the subject by Viscount Walden in * The Ibis,' must stand as Eudynamys honorata, Linnseus^. 215. Xanclostomus tristis. One measured as follows : — Length 24 inches, wing 6|-, ex- tent 19|, tail 17, tarsus 1|, foot 2|. 217. Centropus RUriPENNIsf. Mr. Adams, of the Customs Department, mentioned to me that he had once observed and, I believe, killed an individual of this species dragging along a young Hedgehog {Erinaceus col- laris) by the ear. * According to Lord Walden, tlie Nepaulese and North-Indian species will stand as 214 bis. Eudynamys Malayan a, Cab. t I see tliat Swinboe applies the name chinensis, Stephens, to this species. J 6 Dr. T. C. Jerdon's Supplementary Notes 218. Centropus viridis. C. affinis, given in the ' Birds of India ' as synonymous with viridis, is a nearly alUed but still smaller race, to which belong the synonyms C. tolu and C. pumilus. 220. Taccocua sirkee. One killed in the Deyra Doon measured 17 inches in length, wing 6^, extent ISg, tail 9|, tarsus Ij. Bill cherry-red, with a yellow tip ; orbits pale livid purple ; legs dusky greenish horn. With regard to the affinities of the genus Coua, p. 355, Blyth states that they appear to be rather Turacine than Cu- culine. 225. ^THOPYGA MILES. Figured by Gould, B. Asia, pt. ii. pi. 9. By some mistake in the text, some of the tail-feathers, next the central ones, are said to be scarlet ; this is of course quite erroneous. A female measured 4| inches in length, wing 2, extent Gg, tail Ig. 227. ^THOPYGA GOULDI^. The superciliaries and cheeks are crimson, and the thi'oat has a dull black median stripe extending towards the breast; the lores and some of the cheek-feathers are glossless black, and there is a purple spot below the ear-coverts; the outer tail- feathers are blackish, with greenish white tips increasing towards the outer pair and most conspicuous below. In the female the rump is yellow, there are occasionally some crimson spots on the sides, and the three or four outer tail-feathers are tipped with white. I am indebted to Dr. Stoliczka for these corrections and additions to my imperfect description. The species is figured by Gould, * Birds of Asia,' pt. xix. pi. 6. I have only found this beautiful Honeysucker in the N.W. Himalayas, in the valleys of the Sutlej and Touse rivers. Stoliczka procured it in the same locality up to 9000 or 10,000 feet near Chini; I did not myself observe it higher up than Nachar. As stated in the ' Birds of India,' I never got it at Darjeeling ; nor have I lately seen a specimen procured there, nor in any of the countries to the eastward. I fancy Mr. Blyth, from whom I took the geo- to ' The Birds uf India: 17 graphical distribution mentioned in my work, must have been misinformed on the subject*. 228. iExHOPYGA IGNICAUDA. Figured by Gould, 'B. of Asia,' pt. ii. pi. 8. 229. iExHOi'YGA NIPALENSIS. Figured by Gould, I.e. pt. ii. pi. 11. 231. iExHOPYGA SATURATA. Figured by Gould, I. c. pt. xix. pi. 7. The yellow band on the rump is well marked in fresh speci- mens— not merely a "faint trace,'' as I stated from a specimen not well stuffed. The green of the lower parts is lighter and more yellowish than that of the upper plumage, and becomes yellow rather than "flavescent" on the under tail-coverts. The tail, too, is distinctly wedge-shaped, the outer tail-feathers dusky, with white tips. The length of wing should be 2g, not 2-g- as misprinted. 232. Leptocoma zeylonica. Figured by Gould, *B. Asia,' pt. xix. pi. 4. 233Z>?S. ChaLCOPARIA CINGALENSIS. I obtained one specimen of this Honeysucker at the foot of the Teria Ghat of the Khasia hdls, the most northern locality hitherto recorded. It is common further south in Tipperah. Godwin-Austen records my specimen in his list. Length 4x% inches, wing 2x0^ o> tail lyV, bill at front i. Mr. Hume has also obtained the lovely Leptocoma hasselti from Tipperah. 234. Arachnechthra asiatica. This bird now stands as Arachnechthra currucaria, L. It is figured by Gould, B. Asia, pt. viii. pi. 2. I omitted to mention the narrow pectoral band of maroon dividing the purple of the breast from the purplish black abdomen. * Mr. Elwes, however, tells me that he believes, from recollection, that specimens of this Honeysucker were lately procured by Mr. Gommie near llurghee. SER. III. VOL. II. C 18 Dr. T, C. Jerdon's Supplementary Notes The female has the feathers of the head centred with dusky, the outer tail-feathers tipped with whitish ; it is yellow beneath, paler on the throat, and greenish -ash j'^ on the sides. Stoliczka states that he has seen it in the Sutlej valley as high as 8000 feet. Blyth mentions that Nectarinia pedoralis of Temminck (not of Horsfield) closely resembles this species. 234 his. Arachnechthra intermedia, Hume. Ibis, 1870, p. 436. Resembling A. currucaria, but slightly larger, and with the bill conspicuously so; axillary tufts more orange and larger. From Tipperah. After the first volume of the 'Birds of India* was published, I saw in a collection made in the Terai of Goruckpore a specimen which I took at the time to be A. lotenia, and was much sur- prised at its occurrence there. It is very possible that it was a specimen of Mr. Hume's A. intermedia. I have not had an oppoi'tunity of comparing a specimen of A. pedoralis with Mr. Hume's description, which, howevei", should be done. 235. Arachnechthra lotenia. Figured by Gould, B. Asia, pt. viii. pi. 3. 236. DictEum coccineum. Figured by Gould, B. Asia, pt. vi. pi. 15. One killed in Assam, where it is very abundant, measured in the flesh : — Length 3^ inches, wing l-i-f, extent 5|, tail l^^, tarsus g. 240. PiPRisoMA agile. This bird has been lately figured (in ' The Ibis ' for 1867, pi. x.) with its nest, which was obtained by Mr. Beavan in Central India. The nest is a very neat structure, quite resembling that of many of the Nedarinice. The egg is fleshy, with reddish spots. Mr. Swinhoe has informed me that Dicceum obsoletum, Miill. & Schlegel, from Timor, is identical with our bird. With re- ference to my notes on its habits, Mr. Beavan remarks that he only saw it in pairs, not in small flocks ; but as he observed it during the breeding-season, and I have chiefly procured it in the cold weather, the discrepancy may be easily accounted for. Very possibly, however, the small flocks I allude to were only the to ' The Birds of India: . 19 family parties. Stoliczka observed this bird in the lower Hima- layan ranges. Mr. Blyth remarks that a second species, apparently of this genus, exists in Pakdalotus pipra. Lesson, Cent. Zool. pi. 26, from Ceylon, which, however, does not appear to have been ob- served by late collectors, and is, I believe, not Indian. 241. Myzanthe ignipectus. Figured by Gould, B. Asia, pt. vi. pi. 14. I omitted to mention the black streak extending along the middle of the abdomen from the termination of the scarlet breast- spot. The female is dull olive-green above, brighter on the scapulars and upper tail-coverts; below greenish yellow, whitish on the throat, and buff on the sides. Dimensions of a recent specimen : — Length 3|^ inches, extent nearly 6, the rest as in the text. 243. Certhia himalayana. C. vitticauda, Jameson, figured by Gould, B. Asia, pt. ii. pi. 17. There is no doubt that this bird is the true Certhia vitticauda of Jameson, and not Sitta himalayensis as given in Horsfield and Moore^s Cat. of Birds of E. L C. Museum, which has been fol- lowed by myself and others. The name was given as expressing the chief point of difference from C. familiaris. Bill dusky brown above, fleshy beneath; legs pale fleshy brown. In a recent specimen the v.ing was 2^ inches, extent 7'i, bill nearly 1 inch in some specimens. In the cold weather this Creeper extends in suitable localities into the more wooded portions of the plains in the N.W. pro- vinces, never, however, very far from the hills. It is by no means rare in the Botanical Gardens at Saharunpore ; and I have killed it in several other localities. 243 bis. Certhia familiaris, L. I found the European Creeper common in most of the elevated forests of Kashmir. Gould had previously recorded one speci- men from some part of India, locality not recorded. 244. Certhia nipalensis. Figured by Gould, B. of Asia, pt. ii. pi. 16. A fresh specimen had the following dimensions. Length 5| f 2 20 Dr. T. C. Jerdon's Supplementary Notea inches, wing 2f, extent 8, tail 2|, tarsus -^, foot 1|. Bill dusky above, fleshy below; legs livid brown. 245. Certhia discolor. There is a pale wing-bar on all the primaries (except the first three) and on the secondaries, and a pale spot near the tip as well. The colouring of the lower parts is conspicuously paler posteriorly ; and the shafts of the tail-feathers are brighter ferruginous. Bill dusky above, fleshy beneath ; legs fleshy. Length of a specimen freshly killed 6| inches, wing 2|, extent 9, tail 3 i, foot 1:1. Gould figures this on the same plate as the last species, of which he considers it to be a variety only. 246. Salpornis spilonota. This very interesting bird has been procured in Central India by Mr. W. Blanford, especially near Sironcha, on the Godavery. Captain Pin will, H.M. 27th, some years ago showed me one he had killed in the Oudh Terai ; and Mr. Hume has also received it from other localities. Mr. Blanford has given an interesting account of its habits ; and from his notes I give the following particulars: — Bill blackish above, flesh-coloured below; legs dusky horny, inclining to plumbeous ; irides brown. Length 55-5f inches, extent 9h, wing 85-8^, tail 2g, bill at front f-1, tarsus I, foot If. 248. SiTTA himalayensis. S. vitticauda is not a synonym of this Nuthatch, as pointed out above, p. 19. The lateral tail-feathers have an oblique white spot near the tip ; one measured in the flesh 9 inches in extent, wing 2|. Legs pale dusky yellowish. This bird certainly does not extend to the highlands of Cen- tral India as stated by Gould. 249. SlTTA LEUCOPSIS. I found this fine Nuthatch not rare in the valley of the Sutlej, at from 9000 to 10,000 feet elevation, and still more abundant in the fine forests of Kashmir at similar elevations. Stoliczka found it feeding on the seeds of Pinus gerardiana and P. excelsa. Bill dusky, bluish beneath for the basal half; to '■ The Birds of India.' 21 legs dingy reddish ; irides dark brown. Extent of wing 9^, foot 1^. 250. SiTTA CASTANEOVENTRIS. One killed in the N.W. provinces measured 9| inches in extent, tail l^j bill at front f, foot nearly 1|. Its bill is much more slender than that of S. cinnamomeiventris. I found it extend- ing nearly to the foot of the Himalayas, in the Bijnour and Saharunpore districts, frequenting all large groves and gardens. 251. SiTTA CINNAMOMEIVENTRIS. The tail has the two central feathers grey, the rest blackish ; the outermost three on each side with lai'ge white spots on the inner webs near the tip ; the outermost of all has also a spot on the outer web near the base ; the two next the uropygials are grey at the tip and on the outer web. It has been noted that the female of this species corresponds very closely with Sitta h'ueperi. 252. Sitta Formosa. Figured by Gould, B. of Asia, pt. i. pi. 7. This beautiful Nuthatch was recently obtained by Major God- win-Austen in North Cachar. 253. Dendrophila frontalis. One killed in Assam, where it is very common, had the wing 2^, tail If, bill -^^, tarsus j-^j, foot 1-^. I saw it in the Saha- runpore Botanical Gardens in the cold weather. Sitta azurea, Lesson ( = -S. jlavipes, Swainson), figured by Gray, ' Genera of Birds,^ is a very beautiful species of this genus from Java. 254. Upupa epops. One measured in the tlesh 11^ inches, extent 18^, wing 6, tail 4^. This Hoopoe breeds very generally in the N.W. Provinces, in the verandas of houses ; and I watched one for some days in the house of the late Dr. Scott at Umballa, which he alludes to in a former volume of 'The Ibis'*. I, however, did on one occa- sion see the female Hoopoe fly ofl" her nest in the veranda merely to drop her faeces, and return immediately. In tliis letter of Dr. Scott's to Mr. Blyth, there is twice a misprint of * See ' The Ibis ' for 186G, p. 222. 22 Mr. W. E. Brooks un a new Species of Phylloscopus. gnats for grubs, easily enough accounted for by those who were acquainted Dr. Scott^s left-handed writing. Had he, indeed, intended gnats, he would much more likely have used the word mosquitoes; but as we sat together in his veranda watching the male Hoopoe digging up grubs, I am confident he intended, and, indeed, wrote that word. It also breeds in holes of trees, as I observed at Hard war and elsewhere. At Umballa I daily noticed its hunting for food, which appeared to consist almost entirely of grubs. These it hunted for on the ground, tapping with its bill continually till it discovered the retreat of one (by what sense I cannot say, whether of smell or sound), when it dug pertinaciously and vigorously through the rather hard soil till it reached the desired morsel, the beak being occasionally immersed to its base. I fancied that the call of this species is very generally a treble hoot, whilst that of the next one is more commonly a double call. 255. Upupa nigripennis. It appears that this bird should stand as Upupa. ceylonensis of Reichenbach. The white spot on the first primary is occa- sionally present in this species, and- is even sometimes found on one wing and not on the other; it is therefore not to be relied on as a specific character. Blyth, in his commentary, accepted the Burmese race, which I named loiigirostris, as a distinct one ; and jNIr. Sharpe, who has lately been critically examining the Hoopoes, has come to the same conclusion. Swinhoe, on the contrary, in his latest list puts it as a synonym of U. ceylonensis. [To be continued.] II. — On a new Species of Phylloscopus. By W. E. Brooks, C.E., Etawah, India. While I was in Cashmere, in May and June of the present year, 1871, I frequently saw a Phrjlloscopus which appeared to to me at the time to be new, and procured four specimens. My friend Col. Tytler was the first to separate it, four years ago, from Phylloscopus viridanus, which bird it somewhat re- sembles, and for which, at first sight, it might be easily mistaken by merely superficial observers. Mr. W. E. Brooks on a new Upecies of Phylloscopus. 23 Col, Tytler shot this specimen at Simla; and it corresponds in every respect with my Cashmere specimens. Another specimen, and the sixth with which I am acquainted, was shot (by another friend of mine, Capt. Cock) off the nest with four eggs, at Sonamurg, in Cashmere. This was in June last; and Capt. Cock sent me the bird for identification. This new Phylloscopus I propose to call Phylloscopus tytlert, sp. nov. The following are the dimensions : — Length 4*75 in. ; wing 2-3; tail Iv; bill at front '36, bill from nostril *3; tarsus '75. The dimensions of Phylloscopus viridanus are : — Length 5 in. ; wing 2"5 ; tail 2 ; bill at front '3, bill from nostril '29 ; tarsus '8. It will be seen from the above that P. viridanus is a larger bird. In form, P. tytleri ditFers from P. viridanus by having a longer, narroiver, much more pointed, and very much darker -coloured bill, the lower mandible being black-brown instead of pale fiesh- colour. This alone is quite sufficient to distinguish it : the wing is shorter, but of the same form as that of P. viridanus in regard to proportions of primaries. The tail is shorter. In colour it is of a darker and richer olive on the whole upper parts, and does not appear to have the tail rayed : that of P. viridanus is generally very conspicuously rayed. There is a total absence of the '' slight whitish wing-bar," which I have always observed to be present in P. viridanus, unless the bird be in very abraded plumage. In notes and song (if the few notes it utters can be called a song) P. tytleri is utterly different from P. viridanus. Its call- note is very peculiar, and once heard could not easily be for- gotten. In the localities it frequents and inhabits it is quite opposed to P. viridanus. The latter, during the breeding-season, frequents mountain-ravines not far from the snows, which are covered with brushwood and small birch trees ; whilst P. tytleri is a forest Phylloscopus, frequenting the pine-woods belovy the snowy ranges. The only nest found of our new bird was the one above referred to, taken by Capt. Cock. 24 Mr. W. E. Brooks on the Breeding of certain III. — On the Breeding of Reguloides superciliosus, Reguloides proregulus, Reguloides occipitalis, and Phylloscopus tytleii. By W. E. Brooks, C.E. In 1868, in consequence of ill health, I went to Nynee Tal and Almorah in the spring of the year. But beyond several times see- ing Reguloides superciliosus passing up the lower ranges in April, and afterwards obtaining a single specimen near the top of the Kalee Miit hill, near Almorah, I never met with this little bird. Reguloides proregulus I never once saw. In the autumn of 1869, Capt. Cock having reported Reguloides to be very numerous at Dhuraisala, I sent two natives there in the spring, who were perfectly acquainted with R. superciliosus, both as regards its notes and appearance, instructing them to make every effort to find the nest. By the lOth of May they reported the last of the Reguloides to have left the neighbourhood of Dhurmsala ; nor were they again seen. This second failure determined me to trace the little bird to its breeding-places, if possible. In this I was assisted by some skins which Dr, Jerdon gave me. Amongst them were a few of Reguloides superciliosus and R. proregulus. By inquiries which Mr. Dresser kindly made at my request of Dr. Jerdon, I learned that the probable date when they were ob- tained was about the 12th of July, 1867, and that the locality was Guloierg, in Cashmere. This was conclusive proof that this place was one of the breeding-resorts of both species of Reguloides above mentioned. Being entitled to leave, I applied for it, and left for Simla on the 24th of Aprd. While there for a day, I heard the call-note of Reguloides superciliosus very frequently. I also heard it ou the way to Simla in the pine woods at Kus- sowlie, I returned to the plains after I had seen Col. Tytler^s museum and had carefully examined his specimen of Aquila hastata. Googerat was soon reached ; and thence I marched into Cashmere, in which country I did not meet with Regu- loides superciliosus till 1 reached the north face of the Ruttun Pir mountain. This hill has an elevation of about 8400 feet. Here the little bird was plentiful ; and so were R. proregulus and R. occipitalis, the latter being in full song. By dissecting Species of Reguloides and Phylloscopus. 25 females of each species, I ascertained that they would not lay before the end of May at the earliest. R. proregulus was still in flocks. In the habit of congregating, and being always on the move from tree to tree, these birds resemble the Titmice, and are equally noisy ; but the other Reguloides are more silent and solitary. I continued my journey to Srinuggur, rather reluctant to leave a place where these birds were so plentiful. At Srinuggur I met Capt. Cock, who, like myself, was also upon a nesting- expedition, and equally intent upon solving the problem as to where the Reguloides bred. We were too early for their eggs, and in the mean time went up the Scind valley. When we had gone two marches, find- ing that the gorge became very rocky and narrow, with but very few birds, I decided upon retracing my steps and making the best of my way to Gulmerg. I did so; but Capt. Cock continued his journey to Sonamerg, intending afterwards to join me at Gulmerg. I arrived there on the 31st of May, at about 10 o'clock : and by 4 o'clock in the afternoon I had three nests of Reguloides superciliosus in my possession, each contain- ing five eggs. On the very same day Capt. Cock had also taken the eggs of this bird at Sonamerg. Gulmerg is one of those mountain- downs, or extensive pas- ture-lands, which are numerous on the tops of the range of hills immediately below the Pir Punjal range, which is the first snowy range. It is a beautiful mountain- common, about SOOO feet above the level of Srinuggur, which latter place has an elevation of 5235 feet. This common is about three miles long, and about a couple of miles wide, but of very irregular shape. On all sides the undulatmg grass-land is surrounded by pine-clad hills; and on one side the pine-slopes are sur- mounted by snowy mountains. On the side near the snow the supply of water in the woods is ample. The whole hill- side is intersected by small ravines, and each ravine has its stream of pure cold water — water so difi*erent from the tepid fluid we drink in the plains. In such places M'here there were water and old pines Reguloides superciliosus was very abundant. Every few yards was the domain of a pair. The males were very 26 Mr. W. E. Brooks un theBreeding of certain noisy, and continually uttered their song. This song is not that described by Mr. Blyth as being similar to the notes of the English Wood-Wren (P. sibilatrix), but fainter. It is a loud double chirp or call, hardly worthy of being dignified with the name of song at all. While the female was sitting, the male continued vigorously to utter his double note, as he fed from tree to tree. To this note I and my native assistants paid but little attention ; but when the female, being off the nest, uttered her well-known " tiss-yip," as Mr, Blyth expresses the call of a Willow- Wren, we repaired rapidly to the spot, and kept her in view. In every instance, before an hour had passed, she went into her nest, first making a few impatient dashes at the place where it was, as much as to say, " there it is ; but I don't want you to see me go in.'' When a nest was found by one of the natives, the eggs were not removed till I had seen the bird come out of the nest, and had heard her well-known note. From the first few nests I shot the females : but this was needless slaughter j for the note is so peculiar and decided that no other mode of authentication is necessary. In the woods frequented by this bird at Gulmerg, the only other lleguloides were R. occipitalis and a few of R. proregulus. Of PhyUoscopi the only species were P. magnirostris, very scarce, and P. tytleri, described above, equally scarce. The nest of Reguloides superciliosus is always, so far as my observation goes, placed on the ground, on some sloping bank or ravine-side. The situation preferred is the lower slope near the edge of the wood, and at the root of some very small bush or tree — often, however, on quite open ground, where the newly growing herbage was so short that it only partially concealed it. In form it is a true Willow-Wren's nest, a rather large globular structure, with the entrance at one side. Regarding the fiist nest taken, I have noted that it was placed on a sloping bank, on the ground, among some low ferns and other plants, and close to the root of a small broken fir tree, uhich, being some- what inclined over the nest, protected it from being trodden upon. It was composed of coarse dry grass and moss, and lined with finer grass and a few black hairs. The cavity was Species of Reguloides and Phylloscopus. 27 about two inches, and the entrance about one and a half inch in diameter. About twenty yards from the nest was a large, old, hollow fir tree ; and in this I sat till the female returned to her nest. My attendant then quietly approached the spot^ when she flew out of the nest and sat on a low branch two or three yards from it. Then she uttered her " tiss-yip," which I know so well, and darted away among the pines. My man retired, upon which she soon returned ; and having called for a few minutes in the vicinity of the nest, she ceased her note and quickly entered. Again she was quietly disturbed, and sat on a twig not far from her nest. I heard her call once more, and then shot her. There were five eggs, which were slightly incubated. The capture delighted me; but I felt sorry that I had shot her off her valuable eggs. I was much struck with the very worn state of her plumage ; the yellow and the olive were so faded, and the bars on the wing worn. The newly moulted autumnal bird is very different. Few birds fade so much and lose colour to the extent that this little bird does. I took two other nests that same day (31st of May), also a nest of Regu- luides occipitalis, and one of Siphia leucomelanura. In the mean time Capt. Cock had reached Sonamerg, which proved to be a better place for Reguloides than even Gulmerg ; and on the same day he took his first nest of Reguloides superciliosus. In his letter to me he says, " Now for R. superciliosus. I took my first nest on the 31st, with five eggs, and shot the old bird. This bird builds, in an exactly similar situation as Ahrornis, a little globular nest, placed on the side of a steep bank, with only the little entrance-hole exposed to view. The nest is com- posed of dry grass outside, a little moss, and thickly lined with hair of the musk-deer." My second nest was placed on the side of a steep bank, on the ground. The third was similarly placed, and composed of coarse grass and moss, and lined with black horse-hair. In each of these nests the number of eggs was five. Another nest, taken on the 1st of June, with four eggs, was placed on the ground, on a sloping bank, at the foot of a small thin bush. It was composed as usual of coarse dry grass and 28 Mr. W. E. Brooks on the Breeding of certain moss, and lined with finer grasses and a few hairs. The eggs were five or six days incubated. Another nest, with four eggs, was placed on the ground, under the inclined trunk of a small fir. The same materials were used. Another nest containing four eggs was placed on a sloping bank, and quite exposed, their being little or no herbage to conceal it. It was composed as before, with the addition of a few feathers in the outer por- tion of the nest. Another nest was at the roots of a fern growing on a very steep bank. The new shoots of the fern grew up above the nest; and last yearns dead leaves overhung it and entirely concealed it. Another was placed on a sloping bank, immediately under the trunk of a fallen and decayed pine. On account of irregularities in the ground, the trunk did not touch the ground where the nest was by about two feet. This was again an instance of contrivance for the nest's protection. It was composed of the same materials as usual. Another was among the branches of a small shrub, right in the centre of the bush, and on the ground, which was sloping as usual. Another nest, with four eggs, taken on the 3rd of June, was placed in the steep bank of a small stream only three feet six inches above the water. The above examples will give a very fair idea of the situation of the nest; and it now remains only to describe the eggs, which average "56 in. long by '44 in. broad. The largest egg which was measured was -Q'i long and "45 broad; and the smallest measured -53 long and -43 broad. The ground-colour is always pure white, more or less spotted with brownish red — the spots being much more numerous, and frequently in the form of a rich zone or cap, at the larger end. Intermixed with the red spots are sometimes a few of purple-grey. Other eggs are marked with deep-purple-brown spots, like those of the ChifiFchaff, and the spots are also intermingled with purple- grey. Some eggs are boldly and richly marked, while others are minutely spotted. The egg also varies in shape ; but as a general rule they are rather short and round, resembling in shape those of P. trochilus. In returning from Cashmere, on the south face of the Pir Punjal mountain, and close to the footpath, I found, on 15th June, a nest of this bird with four Species of Reguloides and Phylloscopus. 29 young ones. This nest was placed in an unusually steep bank. Half an hour after finding the nest, and perhaps a thousand feet lower down the hill, I stood upon a mass of snow which had accumulated in the bed of a mountain-stream. I must now say a few words about the nesting of Reguloides proregulus. As far as I myself aui concerned, I was completely foiled and never obtained a single nest. I looked only on the ground, expecting to find its nesting-habits similar to those of Reguloides super ciliosus, whereas Reguloides proregulus builds in fir trees ; and in this habit it appears to be allied to the true Reguli. Capt. Cock writes from Sonamerg, "The second day I found my first nest with eggs. It was the nest of R. prore- gulus. I shot the old bird. Three eggs. These nests are often placed on a bough high up in a pine tree, and are domed or roofed, made of moss, and lined with feathers, I took another one to-day with five eggs, and shot the bird just as it was entering the nest. This was on the bough of a pine, but low down. I know of two more nests of R. proregulus, all on pine trees, from which I hope to take eggs." After describing the nest of R. superciliosus before quoted, and saying that it was lined with the hair of the musk-deer, he adds, " In this the nest difi'ers from that of R. proregulus, which lines its nest with feathers and bits of thin birch bark ; and the nest of R. proregulus is only partly domed." I measured four eggs of R. proregulus which Capt. Cock kindly gave me ; and the dimensions are as follows : — "55 x "44, •53 X -43, -53 X -43, and '54 x -43. They are pure white, richly marked with dark brownish red, particularly at the larger end, forming there a fine zone on most of the eggs. Intermingled with these spots, and especially on the zone, are some spots and blotches of deep purple grey. The egg is very handsome, and reminds one strongly of those of Parus aistatus on a smaller scale. The dates when the eggs were taken are 30th of May and 2nd of June, and the place Sonamerg, which is four marches up the valley of the Scind river. Reguloides occipitalis. — This is perhaps the most abundant bird in Cashmere wherever there are good woods. It is found at almost all elevations above the Cashmere plain. I only took 30 On the Breeding of Reguloides and Phylloscopiis. three nests, as the little bird is very cunuing^uulike the simple i?^- gidoides superciliosus. It is very careful indeed how it approaches its nest when an enemy is near. The nest is placed in a hole under the roots of a large tree on some steep bank-side. I found one in a decayed stump of a large fir tree, inside the rotten wood. It was placed on a level with the ground, and could not be seen till I had broken away part of the outside of the stump. It was composed of green moss and small dead leaves, a scanty and loosely formed nest, and not domed. It was lined with fine grass and a little wool, and also a very few hairs. There were five eggs. Another nest was also placed in a rotten stump, but under the roots, A third nest was placed in a hole under the roots of a large living pine ; and in front of the hole grew a small rose-bush quite against the tree-trunk. This nest was most carefully concealed ; for the hole behind the roots of the rose- bush was most difficult to find. The eggs are of a rather longer form than those of the Reguloides before described, and are pure white without any spots. They average '65 by "5. Of PhyUoscopus tytleri, which I have described in a sepa- rate paper, I have to remark that among my Etawah-killed specimens of P. viridanus, and others shot at Almorah in 1868, I have found two specim.ens of this new bird. Capt. Cock shot one of this species off the nest at Sonamerg with four eggs. The bird he sent to me, and gave me two of the eggs. Regarding the nest, he says, " I took a nest, con- taining four eggs, about forty feet up a pine, on the outer end of a bough, by means of ropes and sticks ; and I shot the female bird. I do not know what the bird is; I thought it was P. viridanus; but I send it to you. The nest was very deep, solidly built, and cup-shaped. Eggs plain white.^^ In conversation with Capt. Cock he afterwards told me that he had watched the bird building its nest. It was placed rather on the side of the branch ; and its solid formation reminded him of a Goldfinch's nest. It was composed of grass, fibres, moss, and lichens ex- ternally, and thickly lined with hair and feathers. The eggs were pure unspotted white, rather smaller than those of R. oc- On an undescrihed Parrot from the Island of Rodriguez. 31 cipitalis. Two of them measured -58 by "48 and 'o7 by -45. They were taken on the 4th of June. In conclusion, I hope that other ornithologists will take a little pains to supply the remaining blanks in the informa- tion we have of the nests and eggs of this interesting group. There remain P. magnirostris, P. fuscatus, P. tristis, P. virida- nus, P. affinis, P. indiciis, Reguloides trochiloides, R. viridi- pennis, R. erochroa, R. maculipennis, and R. castaneiceps. P. magnirostris, P. viridanus, and P. affinis breed in Cash- mere, and P. tristis in Ladak. I saw P. indicus in great numbers ascending the hills towards Simla about the end of April ; and I once shot one at Almorah, in May 1868 ; but they go far beyond that place to breed, to the immediate neighbourhood of the gi'eat snowy ranges, to find a climate as cold as that of Siberia. IV. On an undescrihed Bird from the Island of Rodriguez. By Alfred Newton, M.A., F.R.S., &c. Leguat iu his charmin"; work * several times incidentally mentions amoog the consolations which he and his fellow-exiles found in the Island of Rodriguez, the abundance of "Perro- quets." In the first passage (i. p. 67) he records their predi- lection for the nuts of a tree somewhat like an olive; in the second (i. p. 107) he speaks of their being " verds & bleus," " sur tout de mediocre & d^egale grosseur/^ and having flesh not less good than that of young Pigeons ; in the third (i. p. 132) he states that some of them were instructed by his company, and that they took one, which spoke French and Flemish, with them to Mauritius. The second of the passages just cited is so vague as to raise the question whether there were green Parakeets and blue Parakeets, or only Parakeets possessing a combination of both colours ; and the solution of the doubt would require the dis- crimination of judges better than those who had to hear the famous case of ' Stradling versus Stiles,^ the issue whereof was * Voyages et Avantures cle Francois Leguat, &c. London : 1708. (First edition quoted.) 33» Prof. Newton on an undescribed Parrot whether, under the terms of a will, specifying certain " black and white horses/' the plaintiff should have horses which were ' pyed/' It does not seem that this celebrated cause was ever settled ; for the learned Martinus Scriblerus, who reports it, con- cludes by saying, "Et sur ceo le court advisare vult •/' and so in the present case ornithologists were compelled to suspend their judgment. A little more light is thrown on this obscure subject by the following excerpts from Pingre's journal, kindly transcribed for me some time ago by Professor Alphonse Milne-Edwards from the original manuscript then preserved in the library of Ste. Genevieve at Paris. Pingre was in Rodriguez in 1761, occu- pied with observations on the transit of Venus. He writes (p. 195) : — " La perruche me semblait beaucoup plus delicat.'" [He had just been mentioning the esculent qualities of a species of Pteropus.'] " Je n'aurais regrette aucun gibier de France, si celui ci cut ete plus commun h Rodrigue : mais il commence h devenir rare. H y a encore moins de perroquets quoiqu'il y en ait eu encore autrefois en assez grande quantite, selon Fi-. Leguat, et en effet une petite isle au sud de Rodrigue a encore conserve le nom d'Isle aux perroquets." It would hence appear that there was a " Perruche " and a " Perroquet/-' though un- fortunately Pingre does not say what either was like. Now it will perhaps be recollected that in 1864 my brother Edward observed a flock, and obtained an example of what he believed to have been Affapornis cana in Rodriguez (Ibis, 1865, p. 149) ; but this is said to have been a species introduced there, no doubt since Leguat's time. On the other hand, in 1867 Professor Alphonse Milne-Edwards described the fragment of a Parrot's maxilla, found in the caves of that island with bones of its Solitaire [Pezophaps solitarius), and sent to my brother by Mr. George Jenner. This very indifferent relic was admirably shown * by that accomplished ornithologist to have many re- semblances to the genus Eclectus, to which he doubtfully referred it under the name Psittacus [Eclectus ?) rodericanus. The large size of the bird (to whatever group it belonged), equally with * Ann. Sc. Nat. (5) Zool. viii. pp. 145-156, pis. 7, 8; C. R. Ixv. pp. 1121-1125. from the Island of Rodriguez. 33 the small size of the Agnpomis seen by my brother (to say nothing of the story of its later introduction), precludes eitherfrom being the "Perroquet" characterized by Leguat as of "mediocre grosseur/' and again mentioned by Pingre. Accordingly this last remained to be discovered, while the " Perruche^^ of Pingre may be set down as the species indicated by M. Milne-Edwards. It was accordingly with no small interest that I learned some months ago, from my brother Edward, that he had received from Mr. Jenner, the magistrate of Rodriguez (to whom we owe so great a debt for his examination of the caves of that island), an example of a " Parrot " pi'eserved in spirit. My brother, with no small amount of self-denial, would not open the tin case which enclosed this specimen, fearing that it might thereby sus- tain injury, but transmitted it to me ; and a few weeks since it reached me in safety. On opening the case with the assistance of Mr. Bartlett, who is always so ready to do an obliging act, we found its contents to be a bird of the genus Palaornis in excellent preservation ; and, in full confidence that it has never been named or described, I here characterize it as Palaornis exsul, sp. u. Diagn. [fopmincB). P. mediocris, griseiglaucus, vitta menti obscura nigra ; remigibus externe cseruleo lavatis, interne nigris. Long. tot. 16, alarum expans. 22, alae a flex. 7*5, caudse 8*5, acrotarsi "6, dig. med. sine ung. I'l, hallucis sine ung. '5, max- illae a fronte 1, ejusdem a rictu "83, mandibulfe ab articulo l'-48, poll. Angl. Hab. in Insula Rodericana. Mus. A. et E. Newton (exenipl. i.). Descriptive of a female. Of moderate size. General appearance greyish-glaucous, darker above than beneath. From the corners of the mouth proceeds an ill-defined dull black chin-stripe, which becomes broader as it passes backward and upward, ceasing somewhat abruptly on reaching the level of the ears. Head, nape, shoulders, upper v^'ing-coverts and rectrices above dull greyish-glaucous, the blue tinge in which predominates when the bird is seen against the light, and the green when seen in the contrary aspect ; the outer rectrices paler. Rump verditer- blue. Primaries with their outer and most part of their inner webs deep greenish-blue, the former with narrow lighter edges, SER. III. VOL. II. D |{^ . J , ^-j On an undescribed Bird from the Island of Rodriguez. and the latter broadly bordered with pitch-black ; shafts and lower surfaces greyish-black. Secondaries much the same as the primaries^ but of a still deeper shade. Breast dull greyish- glaucous, but lighter than the upper parts, and passing on the belly into verditer, which becomes lighter and greener on the vent. Rectrices beneath yellowish-grey, darker toward the tips of the longer feathers. Bill black; legs and toes — (?), claws dark horn-colour. The skin of the chiu, where the feathers are scanty, of a bright red when the specimen was taken from the spirit. I would remark that this bird is by no means to be regarded as a mere representative species or conspecies of either of the forms already known to inhabit the Mascarene islands {Palteornis eques or P. wardi), but thoroughly distinct and not very nearly allied to them, or indeed to any other species. I should have liked, according to what I hold to be the best practice in no- menclature, to have given it a specific name in some way de- scriptive of its appearance ; but this I have found difficult, and therefore, in the belief that in this glaucous bird we see one of the " Perroquets verds & bleus " of Leguat, I have chosen a name for it which may help to commemorate the first writer who seems to have observed it — and in bestowing upon it the appellation of PalyEornis exsul have had in my mind the exile through whose means we are in some degree acquainted with the marvellous original fauna of the island which was to him pro- ductive of so much happiness as a prelude to so much misery. Since I received the specimen above described, two bones which 1 believe to belong to the same species have reached me from my brother. They are a portion of a lower mandible and a fragmentary sternum, and were sent to him by Mr. Jenner as having been found in a cave with bones of Pezophaps and other birds, an account of which will in due time be published. The editor of ' The Ibis ' kindly offered me a figure of the type specimen of this species; but as it is unluckily that of a female bird, I refrain from giving one, trusting that before long Mr. Jenner's exertions will enable us to furnish a representative of the other sex, which is not unlikely to prove a bird of greater beauty. Magdalene College, Cambridge, 10 November, 1871. On Bh'ds lately added to the Canterbury Museum, N. Z. 35 V. — Notes and Descriptions of some Birds lately added to the Museum, Canterbury, New Zealand. By Thos. H. Potts. The number of species contained in our list of birds is slowly but steadily increasing as our scattered population gradually spreads itself over wider areas of country ; thus new forms now and then fall under observation. Among the more interesting of recent acquisitions is a new species of Apteryx, which the writer proposes to name A. haastii, in compliment to Dr. Haast. In the course of the year large numbers of skins and skeletons of the too famous ApterygidcB, killed on the west coast, are re- ceived at the Canterbury Museum for the purpose of exchanges ; so that one can imagine it within the bounds of probability that Apteryges will, at no distant date, be found more abundant in foreign collections of natural history and " the cabinets of the curious ^^ than in their native wilds of the Westland ranges. Amongst scores of examples of our two Middle-Island birds, A. oweni, Gould, and A. australis, Shaw, was one skin of this new species. The specimen which first came to hand was procured on one of the first levels from the snowy range, west coast, Middle Island. A Maori of Bruce Bay informed the collector that they (the natives) called this species of Apteryx Roroa, that it was not to be confused with Rowi, and that, by means of kicking, it could fight a dog. Specimen the second was received some months later, in another heavy consignment. The exact locality was not given ; but there is but little room to doubt that it was obtained from the Okarito country. When one looks at these specimens, grouped with others, representing A. oweni and A. australis, one ponders on the probability of hybridization *. Here are the lunate marks of Owen's Kiwi, with the superior size and much of the tone of colour which distinguishes A. aus- tralis. The wing-spur of our new species is more feebly deve- loped than in either of the other species mentioned. Apteryx haasti, Potts. "Roroa;" Haast's Kiwi. Specimen No. 1 (supposed to be an adult female). — Face, * See Transactions of New-Zealand Institute, vol. ii. p. 64, vol. iii. p. 80 (^Rhipidurd). 1) 2 36 Mr. T. H Potts on Birds lately added to head, and neck dull brown, darkest in a line from the gape to and immediately behind the ear, and on the nape; upper sur- face irregularly barred with blackish bi-own and rich fulvous, each feather crossed with marks of dark brown and fulvous (approaching chestnut) on the apical bars ; chin greyish brown ; throat dull brown, indistinctly marked with fulvous; breast and abdomen dull brown, barred with pale fulvous ; straggling hairs about the base of the bill black, some produced to the extent of 3| inches; bill yellowish ivory, measuring from gape to the end of mandible 5f inches ; upper mandible overreaching lower mandible by -j^ of an inch ; tarsus 2^ inches ; middle toe and claw 2f inches. Specimen No. 2. — Pace, head, and neck dark brown ; blackish brown on the nape ; entire plumage richer in colour than in specimen No. 1 ; on the back of thigh a chestnut bar ; a band of chestnut crossing the plumage above the tarsal joint ; upper mandible, from gape to point, 5 finches; tarsus 2i inches; middle toe and claw 2f inches. Apteryx australis, Shaw. Great Kiwi. A beautiful variety of this interesting species of the Middle- Island Kiwi departs in a remarkable degree from the usual state of plumage. Face, head, chin, throat, and the front of the neck white ; back of neck dull greyish brown ; a wide streak of white on the front of the thighs, white interspersed on the breast and abdomen ; a circlet of white immediately above the tarsal joint. A very fine female specimen of Owen's Kiwi has a broad patch of white on the rump, another patch immediately behind the wing. After looking over numbers of specimens of all the known species, including the rich-coloured A. manteUi, Bartl., of the North Island, one arrives at the conclusion that no specific cha- racter can be safely drawn from the skin of the tarsus being scutellate or reticulate. Rallus pictus. Potts. Painted Rail. Early in the month of March there was received at the Can- terbury Museum a fine specimen of the Rail family which had been obtained in the neighbourhood of the Okarito lagoon. the Museum at Canterbury, New Zealand. 37 Westland. This handsome bird, at first sights bears a strong resemblance to Rallus pectoralis, Gould, from the similarity in the colours and jnarkings of its plumage; a closer examination discloses its superior size and more slender figure, some differ- ence in the shape of the bill, and a well-defined garter above the tarsal joint, thus showing a marked departure from the form of its better-known congener. The bill difi"ers from that of R. pectoralis in presenting a form less wedge-like, more produced, with the culmen slightly raised ; the shallow furrows in which the lateral nostrils are pierced are less angular ; this organ also possesses a greater degree of flexibility ; that it is comparatively weaker, one may judge from the relative measurements of the bills of the two species : — JR. pectoralis, JR. pictus. in. lin. in. lin. Length of upper mandible from gape ....15 17 Length of under mandible 1 3f 1 6^ Width of bill at base 3^ 3" Depth of bill at base 4^ 85 In addition to the peculiarities of the bill thus pointed out, it possesses a leg better adapted for wading than that of the closely alUed species; the tibia is bared of feathers to the width of half an inch above the tarsal joint. It is not surprising that, amidst the dense tangled thickets of rush or cane that border the swampy lagoons of the west coast, it has hitherto generally eluded observation. Considering the shy, retiring habits of the group to which it belongs, it would there find abundant shelter for concealment, whilst its slender form, its compressed figure, almost canoe-like, is wonderfully well fitted for rapidly threading the intricate mazes of the rank aquatic or semiaquatic vegeta- tion amidst which it finds its food. From its short concave wings, it is evident it must depend less on securing safety by flight than on the rapidity with which it can conceal itself from notice amongst the marshy vegetation of its favourite haunts. If the bill of R. pectoralis may be said to resemble somewhat that of Ocydromus, that of R. pictus rather shows an approach to that of R. aquaticus, less produced. We have heard, on very good authority, that a larger species of Kail remains yet to be procured amongst the morasses of Westland. 38 On Birds lately added to the Museum at Canterbury, N. Z. Bill, ui)i)er mandible dark horn-colour, lower mandible liglitcr; crown, occiput, and nape olive-brown, marked with black; from the base of upper mandible a narrow line of white passes in almost a straight line above the eye, merging into pale grey as it descends obliquely towards the nape; a broad stripe of cliestnut commences at the base of the bill, passes through the eye, across the cheek, and meets in a broad band at the back of the neck, forming a richly coloured tippet, widest on the back of the neck ; lower part of the cheek and throat pale grey and brownish grey; chin greyish, almost white; lower part of throat and breast black, each feather marked transversely with two bars of white, indistinctly tipped with pale brown ; breast crossed with a band of rich but light brown, with a chestnut spot in the centre, basal portioji of each feather black, apical portion crossed with two narrow black bars, shafts white ; greater wing-coverts olive-brown, with occasional white and black spots, point of shoulders nearly white ; pri- maries, of which the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th arc nearly of the same length and longest, 3rd and 4th chestnut, barred on the inner and outer web with black; 1st and 2nd marked with bars of white, which on inner web are slightly crcscentie : abdomen black, barred with white, lower abdomen pale fulvous ; front of thighs fulvous, back of thighs slaty black : tail, shafts black, webs olive brown, darkest in the centre ; middle feather with four spots of white, centre feathers of under tail-coverts black, with wliite bars tipped with fulvous; vent black, tipped with deep fulvous. Bill, from gape to tip of upper mandible, 1 inch 7 lines ; wing, from plume, 6 inches 2 lines ; tarsus 1 inch 8 lines ; middle toe and claw 1 inch 7 lines, hind toe and claw G lines; tail 2 inches 9 lines; extreme length, from tip of man- dible to end of tail, 15 inches 9 lines. Larus bulleri. Potts. BuUer's Gull. The structure of this graceful sea-bird exhibits a gradual departure from our typical form of Larus, as in L. scojndorum, Forst,, with which and L. melanorhynchus, Buller, it has been hitherto confused. An examination of the structure of the bill, the tarsus, and the foot, shows an approach to the Sternidaj Mr. P. L. Sclater on the Genus Sycalis. 39 in their more slender proportions, equally manifest in the slight bill, the delicate tarsus, and the feeble foot. Should this Gull be allowed as a good species, it is proposed to call it after Mr. Buller, whose name is already connected with the ornithology of New Zealand. Two specimens in the Canterbury JMuseum were obtained near the mouth of the Waimakeriri river iu this province. Plumage white ; wings silver-grey : primaries, first black, with white shaft, first and second having an oar-shaped dash of white on the inner web, this mark slightly encroaching on the outer web; third feather, basal portion chiefly M'hite; fourth feather, inner web silver grey, margined with black; all primaries except the first, tipped with a white spot : bill yellowish, slightly stained on each maiidiljle, near the point, with liorn-colour ; tarsi and feet yellowish, claws black. Bill from gape 1 inch 9 lines, depth of bdl at base 3^ lines, width of bill 3 lines ; wing, from flexure, 11 inches 3 lines; tarsus 1 inch 7 lines; middle toe, with claw, 1 inch 5 lines; total length 11 inches 6 lines. Oliinatahi, Canterbury, .July 21, 1871. VI. — A Revision of the Species of the Frinyilline Genus Sycalis. By P. L. Sclater, M.A., Ph. D., F.R.S. • (Plates II. & III.) In 'The Ibis' for January last, I attempted to give some account of the present state of our knowledge of the species of the Fringilline genus Spermophila. I now propose to offer to the readers of this Journal some similar remarks on the members of the genus Sy- calis^ another characteristic type of the Neotropical Fringillidre, of which I have of late years accumulated a considerable series of specimens. My collection of this genus consists of 40 skins, referable to 8 species. I have likewise employed for comparison 18 specimens belonging to the collection of Messrs. Salvin and Godman, and referable to 6 species, and have examined the specimens in the French National Collection, where several im- portant types are to be found. 40 Mr. P. L. Sclater's Revision of the The generic name Sicalis (emend. Sycalis = avKa\LS^. flaveola, sed minor, dorso viridescenti-flavo, striis nullis, et remigum marginibus internis albidis flavo tinctis neque aureo-flavis : long, tota 4*3, alse 2"3, caudse 1*5. Hab. Venezuela, Guiana, and Lower Amazonia. Loca exacta. Puerto Cabello {Cab.) ; Barra do Rio Negro (Natt.). This species is very closely allied to S. flaveola, but may, I believe, be distinguished in every stage by the inner margins of the remiges being quite narrow and of a pale yellowish white, instead of bright yellow as in S. flaveola. The difference is still more appreciable when the upper surfaces of the primaries in the two species are compared. It is also smaller, and in the adult male shows no striations on the back. Nattererian skins agree well with the specimens registered as of this species in my American Catalogue. But the locality of " Trinidad " there given may be erroneous, resting only on a dealer^ s authority. * Hand-list of B. ii. p. 84. 44 Mr. P. L. Sclater's Revision of the 4. Sycalis luteola. a. Specimina Chiliana. Fringilla arvensis, Kittl. Mem. pres. Ac. St. -Pet. 1831, p. 4. Sycalis arvensis, Sclater, Cat. A. B. p. 126 ; P. Z. S. 1867, p. 323. Crithagra brevirosh-is, Phil, et Landb. Cat. Aves Chil. p. 26. b. Specimina Ai'gentina. Chipiu, Azara, Apunt. i. p. 475. Crithagra ? hrevirostris, Gould, Zool. Voy. Beagle, iii. p. 88. Sycalis luteiventris, Burm. La Plata-Reise, ii. p. 489. Sycalis arvensis, Scl. et Salv. P. Z. S. 1868, p. 140. c. Specimina Peruviana. Fringilla luteiventris, Meyen, N. Act. Acad. Leopold, xvi. Suppl. p. 87 (1834), pi. 12. fig. 3. Crithagra luteiventris, Bp. Cousp. i. p. 521. Sycalis luteiventris, Scl. P. Z. S. 1867, p. 342. Sycalis luteiventris, Scl. et Salv. P. Z. S. 1869, p. 599. d. Specimina Brasiliana. Crithagra hilarii,Bp. Consp. p. 521; Cab. Mus. Hein. p. 147; Burm. Syst. Ueb. iii. p. 254. Sycalis hilarii, Pelz. Orn. Bras. p. 232. e. Specimina Guianensia, Emberiza luteola, Sparrm. Mus. Carls, t. 93. Sycalis luteola, Suud. K. Vet. Ak. Handl. ii. No. 3. p. 14. Sycalis minor, Cah. in Schomb. Guian. iii. p. 679; Pelz. Orn. Bras. p. 232. Sijcatis hilarii, Scl. Cat. A. B. p. 126; Scl. et Salv. P. Z. S. 1867, p. 573. Supra fusca, nigro variegata, uropygio virescente; alis caudaque nigricautibus fusco limbatis : loris et regione oculari cum corpore subtiis tlavis : long, tota 5*0, aise 3'0, caudse 2*1. Fem. gutture et pectore toto cum hypocbondriis fusces- centibus abdomine medio liavo. Hub. in America merid. universa a Columbia usque ad Chiliam et reuip. Argentinaui. Ibis 1872 PI. II J G- Keulemaas litk M fc N.HajTiv£Lrb imp 1 . SYCALLS CHRYSOPS 2 __ LUTEA . Species of the Genus Sycalis. 45 I have skins of this Sycalis in my collection from Bogota, Lima (Nation) ; Cuenca, in Ecuador [Fraser) ; Arequipa, Peru [Whitely) ; Santiago [Lnndbeck) ; Buenos Ayres (Hudson) ; Matto Grosso (Natterer), and Mexiana, Lower Amazon (Wal- lace). Upon comparing them together, I am of opinion that it is not possible to differentiate the various local forms satisfac- torily, and that it is better to refer them all to one widely diffused species. Guianan specimens are certainly smaller in size and duller in colouring ; Chilian skins are rather largest ; whilst those from Peru and Columbia are brightest, especially on the lower plumage. I believe this to be a bird of the campos, or grassy plains, not of the forests. Burmeister met with " Sycalis hilarii " in the campos of Inner Brazil, and tells us that " S. luteiventris " is one of the commonest birds of La Plata. The species is pro- bably found throughout its range in similar tracts of country. . I may remark that Bonaparte, the original author of the name hilarii, characterizes it (very correctly) as " similis (Crith.) luteiventri " *, and that Burmeister has already united Sycalis minor to S. hilarii f. 5. Sycalis chrysops. (Plate H. fig. 1.) Sycalis chrysops, Sclater, P. Z. S. 1861, p. 376; Salvin, Ibis, 1866, p. 194. Similis S. luteola, sed minor, facie magis flava et colore dorsi fusco rufescentiore. Hob. Mexico et Guatemala. I based this species in 1861 on a specimen in a Mexican col- lection received from M. Parzudaki, which is still in my posses- sion, and is the subject of the accompanying Plate. I was sub- sequently rather inclined to think there might have been some mistake in the locality, and that the specimen in question might be only a dwarfed Bogota skin of S. luteola. But Mr. Salvin has an example of what is obviously the same bird, though in immature plumage, shot near Dueiias in Guatemala, in Sep- tember 1862. It is therefore certain that there does exist a Central-American species of Sycalis, which may be called S. chrysops until its identity with S, luteola has been demonstrated. • Consp. i. p. 521. t Syst. Uebers. ii, p. 254. 46 Mr. P. L. Sclater^s Revision of the 6. Sycalis lutea. (Plate II. fig. 2.) Emberiza lutea, Lafr. et D'Orb. Syn. Av. in Mag. de Zool. 1837, p. 74. Sycalis Moris, Cab. in Tsch. F. P. Aves, p. 316 (1846). Sijcalis chloris, Scl. et Salv. P. Z. S. 1868, p. 568, et 1869, p. 153. Crithagra chloropsis, Bp. Consp. p. 521 (1850). Obscure flava, subtiis et in uropygio clarior : alis et cauda fusco- nigris extiis llavo limbatis : subalaribus pallide flavis ; reraiguni margiuibus intern is pallide fuscis ; long, tota 5*5, alse 3*2, caudse 2"1. Fern, omnino obscurior et fusco prsecipue supra induta. Hab. Andes of Bolivia and Peru. I first met with this fine species in Mr. Whitely's collections from Western Peru, and determined it, I believe correctly, as S. chloris of Cabanis. Subsequently, on examining the marked specimens of Sycalis in the Paris Museum, I found that it w^as identical with Crithagra chloropsis of Bonaparte. Still later I discovered that specimens of the same species had been obtained byD'Orbigny in Bolivia, and described by him and Lafresnaye in 1837 as Emberiza lutea. This fact was doubtless overlooked by Bonaparte, from the species being altogether omitted in the ' Ornithology ' of D'Orbigny's Voyage. The typical specimen of Crithagra chloropsis, Bp., was (ac- cording to my notes taken at Paris) collected in Bolivia by Mr. Pentland. 7. Sycalis luteocephala. Emberiza luteocephala, Lafr. et D'Orb. Syn. Av. in Mag. de Zool. 1837, p. 74 ; D'Orb. Voy. Ois. p. 360, pi. 44. fig. 2. Crithagra luteocephala, Bp, Consp. i. p. 521. Fusca : capite undique, et abdomine toto medio cum margi- nibus rectricuin et remigum flavissimis. Hab. Andes of Bolivia. D'Orbigny found this Sycalis common in flocks on the eastern slope of the Cordillera from Cochabamba and Valle Grande to Chuquisaca. 1 have examined his specimens in the Paris Mu- seum, and likewise skins in Mr. Eyton's collection obtained by Bridges in Bolivia, but have never been able to obtain examples of this species myself. lhis.T8 7 2 .PI .III .ji^^- --- J G.Keulemans In.Ch M & JS Haixhait imp SYCALIS AUREIVEKTBIS, £ et ? Species of the Genus Sycalis. 47 8. Sycalis uropygtalis. Emberiza uropijgialis, Lafr. et D^Orb. Syn. Av. p. 75 (1837). Crithagra pentlandi, Bp. Consp. i. p. 521 (1850). Sycalis chloropis, Burm. J. f. 0. viii. p. 257, et La Plata-Reise, ii.p. 489(?). Affinis (S\ luteocephalxB, sed uropygio olivaceo, genis canis, rerui- gibus griseo marginatis, et corpora subtus omnino flavo. Hah. Andes of Bolivia, This is likewise a discovery of D'Orbigny^s, who met with the species on the Andes of Bolivia, and, along with Lafresnaye, de- scribed it in the ' Synopsis Avium, ^ but made no mention of it in his ' Voyage.' The consequence was that it was overlooked by Bonaparte, and redescribed in the ' Conspectus ' as Crithagra pentlandi, from specimens obtained by Mr, Pentland in Bolivia, and presented to the Paris Museum. I have examined both D'Orbigny's and Pentland's specimens at Paris, According to my notes, taken in Paris, the bird obtained by Burmeister in Mendoza and Catamarea, and named by him Sycalis chloropis, is referable to this species, though Burmeister's description (if correct) rather points to . inornata chiefly by its smaller size, much shorter tail, and rather more slender and shorter bill. It is less rufous in colour ; and the claws are rather smaller and straighter, the hind claw especially. This bird will, I suppose, be placed in Dn/moipus by the believers in that genus. To quote Dr. Jerdon, B. Ind. ii. p. 178, " The genus Drymoipus was instituted by Bonaparte for the Asiatic Drymoicce. It differs from Prinia," &c. &c. " The species have usually been classed under Drymoica ; but Bona- parte has separated the Indian species from the African ones, and, though unaware in what points they differ, I shall follow Mr. Blyth's example and keep them distinct.^' Mr. Blyth, however, has never assigned any better reason than Bonaparte, who gave none at all. Blyth followed Bonaparte, and Jerdon follows Blyth; and Gray, in the Hand-list of birds, follows Jerdon, or, rather, improves upon him, in a very dubious manner, by making Drymoipus a subgenus of Prinia. Now, when Neophron gingmianus is proved to be generically distinct from N. percnopterus (even its specific difference is as yet dubious) — when Gyps hengalensis, G. indicus, and G.fulvus of India are conclusively shown to belong to a genus difi"erent from that which includes G. hengalensis {v. africanus ?), G. ruep- pelli, and G. fulvus of Africa — -when Circus sivainsoni, Elanus melanopterus, Cypselus affinis, Oxylophus jacohinus, Ceryle rudis, Lanius lahtora, Saxicola isabelUna, and a number of other birds are proved to be distinct, generically as well as specifically, from the African forms which go by the same names — when it is clearly demonstrated that species like Micronisus badius, Aquila fulvescens {v. fusca), Merops viridis, Centropus viridis, Dicrurus macrocercus, Tchitrea affinis, Chatorhcea caudata, Oriolus kundoo, 0. m.elanocephalus, Pratincola leucura, Parus nuchalis, Zosterops palpebrosus, &c. (I take a very few instances out of a host) are Letters, Announcements, ^c. 87 respectively diverse, to a degree which it is justifiable to con- sider generic, from their African representatives {Micronisus sphenurus and M. hrachjdactylus, Aquila neevioides, Merops viridissimus, Centropus monachus, Dicrurus divaricatus, &c., Tchitrea melanogastra, Chatorhaa acacia, Oriolus galbula, 0. mo- nacha and others, Pratincola hemprichi, Pa?-us leuconotus, Zo- ster ops poliogastra, &c.), then I shall be wilUng to admit that the circumstance of species being found in India is a good a priori reason for believing that they belong to a different genus from their African allies. But until these few difficulties have been overcome, I shall wait for better structural distinctions than have yet been pointed out before I admit the Indian Dry- mcecce to be generically separated from their African relatives. In the July number of this year's ' Ibis' (1871), Dr. Jerdon refers to a specimen of Hodgson's Buteo pluinipes, obtained by me in Sikkira. The specimen is a female in good plumage, agreeing admirably with Hodgson's description ; and it appears to me to differ from all allied forms, including B.japonicus, in the small size of the tarsal scutes, in front especially. I have described the specimen at greater length in a paper to be published shortly in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, together with my other Sikkim collections. I remain, &c. W. T. Blanford. P.S. In what respect does Pellorneum subochraceum, Swinhoe, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., April 1871, differ from P. tickelli? J. A. S. B. 1859, p. 414. They appear to me to be identical. Sir, — With reference to Mr. Hume's statement in ' The Ibis,' 3rd ser. vol. i. p. 404, allow me to remark that Halia'etus alhi- cilla never occurred to me in Lower Bengal, but that the spe- cimen to which he refers is probably one of H. leucocephalus in immature plumage, noticed in ' Journ. As. Soc, B.' vol. xxiv. p. 253. It is easy to distinguish specimens set up from dry skins from those which have been mounted immediately from fresh ones, as were the four examples of H. leucoryphus noticed 88 Letters, Announcements, ^c. in my Catalogue, published in 1849. Between that date and the end of 1862 (when I left India) very considerable accessions to the live collection which I superintended had been made from time to time ; besides which I was quite as familiar with H. alhi- cilla as with H. leucorijphus, and therefore do not believe that I could possibly have mistaken one for the other. Whether or not I am right in my conjecture about H. leucocepliaJus, I feel confident that the Museum specimen referred by Mr. Hume to the young of H. albicilla will prove, on examination, to have been set up from a dry skin received from Europe. Now as to Haliaetus lineatus, as figured by Hardwicke. There was, if there is not still, a juvenile specimen, in the Calcutta museum, of PoHoaetus ichthyaetus in the spotted plumage, resem- bling that of the young of Milvus govinda. Again, of two young examples of Haliaetus leucoryphus it is stated by Capt. Hutton (as cited by Mr. Hume) that " at the end of five weeks the young ones exhibited as nearly as possible the plumage of the bird figured by Hardwicke and Gray as H. lineatus." Now in a young one of the latter species which I saw taken from the nest (which contained along with it one addled egg), and which I kept alive for several months until I shipped it, the colouring remained from the first that of H. unicolo)' of Hardwicke. How are we to recon- cile such discrepancies ? It is well known that the young of Loxia curvirostra is usually lineated like a young Goldfinch or Greenfinch ; but two or three years ago I was very much sur- prised to see a living young Crossbill, with its feathers not fully grown, the plumage of which was not at all lineated, but quite resembled that of an ordinary mature female. That young Crossbill, by the way, must have been hatched in England, to- wards the end of December ! When ascending to rob the nest of Haliaetus leucoryphus referred to, the lad I sent up the tree (a high and very difficult one to climb) was certainly about to be attacked by the female Eagle, when I fired at her and un- fortunately only broke her leg, which hung down as she con- tinued to fly around ; but neither she nor her mate approached afterwards within reach of the gun. The bird was approaching nearer and still nearer at every sweep, and the peril of the lad seemed imminent, when I pulled the trigger in his defence. Letters, Announcements, i^c. 89 Among the mounted skins in the British Museum may be seen, side by side, examples of" the young of Huhua nipalensis and H. orientalis, which aie very strongly distinguished from each other; and I have no hesitation in pronouncing, contrary to the opinion of Dr. Jerdon (Ibis, 1870, p. 346), that the Te- nasserim specimen which was designated Ptiluskelos amherstii by Col. Tickell is the young of H. nipalensis, and not of H. ori- entalis. I have the most distinct remembrance of it, and assign it thus without any hesitation, — an identification which consider- ably extends the ascertained range of the much larger Himalayan species. Among the specimens of economic zoology which are now exhibited in the India- House Museum, I lately noticed a heap of skins labelled as " Indian Game-birds." Among them 1 re- marked two species of Sand-Grouse which have not been ad- mitted hitherto into the Indian avifauna, viz. a tine pair of Pterocles guttatus (sive senegallus) which are marked as having been procured by Griffith, at Koree, in Sindh, and one specimen of P. coronatus, which was also procured by Griffith ; but the locality is not mentioned. Both species have been figured in Gould's ' Birds of Asia.' The late distinguished botanist, Samuel Griffith, as is well known, made zoological collections in Sindh and Aflfghanistan, and afterwards in the Khasia hills ; and those collections having got mixed up, not a few of the Khasia species are erroneously set down as having been obtained in Affghanistan in the Cata- logues of the specimens of Mammalia and Birds contained in the London East-India Museum, prepared by Messrs. Horsfield and Moore. A list of such species may not be unacceptable even now, inclusive of a few marked with a note of doubt, but which, as I suspect, were obtained in the more eastern locality by Griffith. Of mammalia, Urva cancrivora, Mustela horsfieldi Lutra indigitata ?, and Sorex griffithii. Of birds : — Circus melanoleucus. Psarisomus dalliousise. Ketiipa ceylonensis ?* Halcyon leucocephalus. Nyctiornis athertoni. Pericrocotus peregrinus. * Since obtained in tlie valley of tlie Jordan by Dr. Tristram. SER. III. VOL. II. H 90 Letters, Announcements, ^c. Zoothera marginata. Spizixus canifrons. Turdus ruficollis ?* Adult and Oriolus traillii. young. Ruticilla rufiventris (nipalensis). Merula castanea. R. leucocepliala. Myiophoueus temmincki. Henicurus immaculatus. Garrulax leucoloplius. Liotlirix luteus. Actinodura egertoni. L. argentaiuis. Sibia gracilis. Ixulus castaneiceps. Timalia pileata. Parus cinereus. Pomatorhinus hypoleucus. Pnoepj-ga longicaudata. Ixus flavescens. Another bird which I cannot help thinking is assigned to Afghanistan and Tibet by mistake, is the Yunx indica, Gould, which, as suggested to me by Mr. R. B. Sharpe, appears to have been founded upon a specimen of the South- African Y. pecto- ralis, Vigors, just as the Cisticola magna of Gould's ' Birds of Australia' was long ago shown by Strickland, in the 'Contri- butions to Ornithology,' to have been founded on a specimen, lent by himself, of what afterwards proved to be the South- African Drymoeca levaillanti. In IMalherbe's monograph of the Picidce, a copy of one of Mr. Gould's figures of his alleged Y. indica is given in the same plate as a figure of Y. pectoralis and one of 1'. aquinoctialis ; and it certainly does not appear to me in what respect the two former differ as species from one another. I am yours, &c., E. Blyth. Professor Newton informs us that Dr. Bessels, who has already had some experience in Arctic zoology, has embarked as a naturalist with the American Expedition under Captain Hall, the object of which is to reach the North Pole by way of Smith's Sound. It was originallv intended that Dr. David Walker, who served as naturalist on board the ' Fox ' during her ever memorable voyage in 1857-59 in search of the Franklin Expedition, and contributed to this Journal a paper on the birds he then observed (Ibis, 1860, pp. 165-168),s hould accompany Captain Hall ; but unfortunately this arrangement * Procured in the Khasias by Major Godwin- Austen. Letters, Announcements, ^c. 91 was not adopted. It is to be feared, from what we hear, that scientific research forms but a very secondary object in the pro- gramme of this expedition. Still all who have engaged in it have our best wishes for success. If the road to the Pole can be but shown, we are sure ornithologists will not be slow in following it. The best friends of 'The Ibis^ have not been limited to those whose names have appeared oftenest, or even many times, in its pages. In this country ornithology has many of its warmest supporters among men who scarcely ever published a line on this subject. Such an one was Edward Clough Newcome, an original Member of the B. 0. U., who died on the 22nd of Sep- tember last, having nearly completed his sixty-second year. Devotedly attached from his boyhood to field-sports, and having abundant opportunities for their enjoyment, his undoubted preference was for such as brought him more especially into contact with the wilder and less-known kinds of birds ; and being a close and accurate observer, his knowledge of their habits and peculiarities was of extraordinary extent. As an efficient falconer he was, perhaps, unequalled, whether by profes- sionals or amateurs ; and for many years he was, in England, almost the sole and certainly the most influential supporter of that ancient and nearly obsolete sport. In the pursuit of what are ordinarily termed "wild fowl,^^ and in the exercise of the various modes by which they are procured, he had attained an aptitude little, if at all, inferior to that of men whose livelihood depends on the successful pi*actice of their vocation. But expe- rience in the field was not all :• one of his fav ourite employments was the formation of a collection of British birds; and this, con- sisting almost entirely of specimens preserved and set up by his own hands, remains one of the best of its kind in the kingdom, whether for the completeness and rarity of its contents or for the artistic taste and ornithological truth with which they are mounted. Some of the species in it are represented by the only examples supposed to have been obtained in Britain. Such are the Rock- Thrush [Petrocmcla saxatilis). the Capped Petrel {^Estrelata 02 Letters, Announcements, ^c. hcesitata — which he himself rescued from the hands of his hawk- ing-boy)j and the Lineated Buzzard [Buteo lineatus). Mr. New- come's single contribution to ornithological literature is, we believe, limited to a brief notice in this Journal (Ibis, 1865, p. 549) of the bird last mentioned ; but he was always ready cheerfully to communicate the results of his long experience to others, and the writers are not few who have availed themselves of his knowledge of the particular subjects in which he was so great a proficient. Mr. Sclater has received a letter from Mr. W. T. Blanford (dated Kurrachee, Nov. 16th) announcing that he has been appointed a Member of the British Expedition for the survey of the boundary between Persia and Beloochistan. After finishing the boundary between Mekran and Persia, near the coast, the party will proceed northwards to Seistan and Herat. This will bring them into a most interesting and quite unexplored country, both geologically and zoologically, of which this energetic natu- ralist is quite sure to take due advantage. Mr. Blanford remarks that Kurrachee is fairly within the uniform fauna of the desert region. On going out before break- fast he had shot four birds — Galerita cristata, Calandrella hrachij- dactyla, Saxicola isabelUna, and >S^. deserti. The same four species he had found amongst the commonest at Anerly Bay when he landed there with the Abyssinian Expedition. Mr. T. K. Salmon, of Guildford, will shortly leave England on a collecting-expedition to the highlands of the United States of Columbia, and will probably fix his headquarters at MedelUn, the capital of the State of Antioquia. Hence he will be in a convenient position to explore the adjoining Cordillera of Quindiu, and Peak of ToHma, and to investigate the zoology of the upper valley of the Cauca, which has hitherto attracted very little attention. Mr. Salmon's agent is Mr. Edward Gerrard, jun., of 31 College Place, Camden Town, who will be happy to receive subscriptions and orders for the expedition. THE IBIS. THIRD SERIES. No. VI. APRIL 1873. XII. — On Birds recently observed or obtained in the Island of Negros, Philippines. By Arthur, Viscount Walden, P.Z.S., and Edgar Leopold Layard, F.Z.S. (Plates IV.-VI.) The Philippine Islands supplied the materials for the earliest memoir on exotic birds that has come down to us, written by the Moravian Jesuit, Camel, in 1703 (Phil. Trans, vol. xxiii.). From examples collected in the Philippine archipelago by Poivre and by Sonnerat, descriptious of many of the oldest species in our books were taken. Still, even at the present time, our knowledge of Philippine ornithology continues to be of the most elementary character, only 193 species being noted (v. Martens, J. fiir 0. 1866) as known to inhabit the large and diversified area contained within the limits of the archipelago — an area which occupies an estimated surface of 110,000 square miles of dry land. When we consider the favourable geo- graphical position of these islands (closely connected with Borneo on the S.W., with Celebes on the S., and the Moluccas on the S.S.W., and lying in the direct track of the migrants from north-eastern and eastern Asia), the varied physical cha- racters of the islands themselves, their mountainous regions SER. III. VOL. II. I 91 Viscount Walden and Mr. Layard on covered with vast unexplored forests, their broad tracts of open country devoid of all cultivation, the few oi'nithologists who have visited the archipelago (not exceeding eight in number) since the time of Sonnerat (1771), and that only three or four points were touched by them (Manilla, Antigua, Zamboanga), we may well believe that many new forms remained to be discovered, and that many more known species to be recognized, by the first enterpris- ing traveller who detei-mines to exploi'e thoroughly these almost unknown and attractive islands. We know of no part of the world that would more amply repay the zoological traveller. The climate is good, the country easy of access, and teems with animal life*. In the mean time any additional contribution to our know- ledge of the Philippine avifauna, however limited, is of excep- tional value ; and we therefore propose to give an an account of small collection of birds and of birds' eggs recently obtained in the island of Negros, by Mr. L. C. Layard. Many of his letters to his father, Mr. Edgar L. Layard, contain notes re- lating to the natural history of this island ; and we propose to publish, as they were written, all those observations which bear on its ornithology, feeling sure that they will be found to con- tain matters of interest to the readers of ' The Ibis.' The island of Negros is situated between latitude 9° 3' and 10° 58' N., and longitude 122° 28' and 123° 29' E. Its length maybe roughly stated to be about 130 miles, its average breadth 25 miles, and its area 3780 square miles. It is separated from the Philippine islands of Panay on the N.W,, and of Cebu or Zebu on the S.E., by narrow channels. Mr. L. Layard says in one of his letters, " I have a fine view from my window, the sea on one side, with Guimaras (a small island) and Panay in the distance on the other ; fields of cane, enclosed by two rivers, and bordered by banana and cocoanut trees, stretch up until they reach the forest and the mountains." A range of moun- tains with lofty peaks runs north and south through the island, * The only real danger which appears to attend travelling in some parts of the Philippines si caused by the piratical Malays. But. from a passage in one of Mr. L. Layai'd's letters, it would seem that Englishmen with proper introductions to the chiefs would run but little risk if im- (wcompanied by SjMniards. Birds observed in the Island of Negros. 95 the centre of which is little known even now. It appears to be inhabited by a small race of Negroes, called Negritos, from whom the island derives its name. Mr. L. Layard writes — "Judging from my remembrance of Table Mountain, I should say that the range behind the Hacienda and the Koun Loun volcano, must be nearly 5000 feet high. Their tops are very rugged and covered with trees ; and thej'^ look very grand after a shower, when long streaks of cloud are caught halfway up them, and detached patches are scattered along their slopes, clinging to the trees.^^ These forests abound with cabinet- woods of great beauty and of the finest quality. The trees attain a vast height; " most of them have huge buttresses on each side, and then an immense trunk, rising, some of them, for upwards of 100 feet without a branch, and as round and as straight as an arrow. It is useless to fire at anything in the heads of these giants, unless with buck-shot. I was a long while under a flock of the large Hornbill {Buceros hydrocorax?) ; but it was of no use to fire at them. Most of the trees were covered with parasitic orchids, creepers, and climbing ferns of all descriptions ; and the whole forest was alive with gay Parrots, Hornbills, gaudy red Wood- peckers, and butterflies of every hue. Several sorts of Pigeon were flying about ; and we heard noises that the guide said were caused by a peculiar monkey, but we did not see any of them. There were lots of small dark-blue Swallows flitting about under the trees in the partially cleared places, which I had not seen elsewhere. On the outside the underwood had been cut down, and in its stead were the bright green leaves of the banana (hemp) plant standing in rows.^^ The Parrots to which he alludes he afterwards obtained, and describes as " a large green Parrot, w^ith a blue patch above the root of the tail, and a large red beak, out of which I took good care to keep my fingers. ^^ This is probably either Tanygnathus muelleri (Temm.) or else a new species. T. muelleri has been doubtfully stated to occur in the southern Philippines (conf. O. Finsch, Pap. ii. p. 360). From the forest-clad mountains numerous rivers, abounding in fish and crocodiles, descend to the sea, which equally swarms T *> 1 ^v 96 Viscount Walden and Mr. Layard on with sharks. Up one of these rivers Mr. L. Layard proceeded on one excursion. " We went about 40 miles down the coast in the little steamer to a place called Ponte Vedra. Next morning early we got a ' dug-out ' and went up the river. It was very lovely, with huge trees drooping down to the water's edge on each side, but very lonely, as there were hardly any birds and no buttei-flies, only a few of the red and blue and blue and white Kinghunters [Halcyon gularis and H. chloris), and some Kingfishers about, a Dove or two flying overhead, and half a dozen Anhingas [Plotus melanog aster) in the water. We went out shooting in the afternoon ; but it was cold and rainy, and we did not see half we ought to have seen in the river-bush. I shot two large white Cockatoos and some Doves, also a lizard, 3 feet long, with a sort of large fin on the root of his tail [Hydrosawms ?)*. The Cockatoos have bright red eyes, red feathers under the tail, and yellowish under the wing." No specimens of this Parrot were preserved ; but were it not for the expression " large " we should not hesitate to identify the bird with Cacatua Jmmaturopygia (MiiIl.) = P5. philippi- narum, Gm. No other known species agrees with the above description, and no other Cockatoo has been described as an in- habitant of the Philippines. But the exact habitat of the true C. philippinarum itself has never been accurately determined ; for that bird does not appear to have been seen wild by any trust- worthy traveller. It is therefore to be regretted that we are un- able to identify with absolute certainty the bird referred to by Mr. L. Layard. It is, however, probable that the term "large" was not used comparatively, and that in the Island of Negros we have at length discovered one point in the archipelago where C. p)hilippinarum, is indigenous. In another of his notes Mr. L. Layard alludes to his bathing in the river, and mentions that " the Bee-eaters have a beautiful scarlet patch on the head ; they frequent a bamboo clump, and sit on the lateral branches while I swim beneath ; so I get a good view of them." No examples were secured, and we are unable to identify the bird. Mr. L. Layard, from African experience, * [This may be H. twckalis, described by Dr. Giinther in P. Z. S. for February last, which we have some reason to believe may liave come from Negros. — Ed.] Birds observed in the Island of Negros. 97 is well acquainted with Merops ; and so there can be little doubt that he is correct in the genus. The species may possibly be a form of Nyctiornis. The Kinghunters [Halcyon gularis and H. chloris) frequented the house and buildings of the sugar-factory. " Three of the latter keep about the old 'camarine' and the bamboo staging of the chimney ; and I hope to get their eggs." " A Wagtail, with a breast as yellow as a * Seysie's " [Crithagra sulphur aid), was also common — probably Budytes viridis. " A little ' Sun-bird/ with back of head and shoulders of a brilliant scarlet (probably Dicceum a'uentatum), frequented some shrubs near, as did also a Flycatcher with a dull red throat and a white stripe along the eye." This last vadiyh^Muscicapa mugimaki, Temm. & Schl., a species which migrates from Siberia to Malacca [Erythrosterna erythaca, Blyth). The eggs oi Halcyon chloris y^^vt not obtained ; but the eggs of a bird, the description of which agrees with Calornis payanensis (Scop.) = candor, Gm., were secured. Mr. L.Layard states that this species breeds in the holes of the bamboo staging erected round the engine-house chimney, to catch the bricks in case of its being shaken down by an earthquake, and thus avert the serious accidents that might result from its fall. The eggs are of various shades of verditer, blotched somewhat sparsely, but thickest at the obtuse end, with irregularly shaped spots and blotches of dark brown, madder, and faint purple. Axis 13'", diam. 9^'". Mr. L. Layard says that these birds fly in small flocks, and that their habits reminded him of the Cape Juida morio. The i rides he describes as red. Besides the little blue Swallow already noted, Mr. L. Layard mentions " a small dark Swift " (a Collocalia ?, one of the pro- ducts of the island being edible birds' nests), and a Swallow, the common one of the country, probably Hypurolepsis javanica (Sparrm.), of which he sends four eggs. Unfortunately uo description of this bird or of it^ nest is given. The eggs are of a dirty pink ground, profusely sprinkled with dark madder- coloured spots, which are notably coarsest and closest set at the obtuse end, with a faint iudicatiou of some light purple ones in 98 Viscount Walden and Mr. Layard un the form of a ring. Axis 9'", diam. 6'"; but they vary in shape, some being longer and narrower. On the 2nd February an excursion was made to the Island of GuimaraSj situated in the channel which separates Panay from Negros. Besides two large Hornbills. twelve examples of a large fruit-eating Pigeon, apparently an undescribed species, lanthcenas griseogularis, nob., were obtained. The tameness of some of the Falconidas is illustrated in the following passage : — " We are awfully bothered with locusts ; but it is a curious sight, the men all assembled and beating old tins to drive them away, the great red-backed Kites {Haliastur indus?) swooping down and catching them in their feet and eating them in the air, and lots of smaller Hawks, Flycatchers, and Swallows harrying the swarm ; and then the sound of their rushing wings !! '' " There is one fine Hawk about the size of Circus maurus, white breast, black head and throat, and white wings tipped with black [Circus melanoleucus'i), and another beautiful little Hawk very much like the one we shot with Capt. B. on the Flats near the windmills (this was Hypotriorchis subbuteo). He sat in a tree eating his locust, and would not fly, though I twice struck the branch beneath him with a stone. I have not yet got my gun out of the clutches of the Spanish Custom-House, or he would have come to grief." (This is probably Falco severus.) The want of his gun prevented Mr. L. Layard obtaining many of the birds observed. The Spanish Customs' authorities detained his gun (a double-barrel 12-bore Westley Richards) for many months on the plea that it was a " pea''-rifle ! It appears it is necessary to get a license from the Spanish authoi'ities to live in the islands, and another to possess and use a gun. " Last week coming out of the ' camarine,^ I saw a fine Eagle hovering just over my head, and its mate higher up. How I longed for my gun ! It was a whity brown, with a large white tail, and as big as any of our Cape Eagles. It is evidently a rare species, as ¥ have only seen these two. One was shot by a Middy some months ago, and the foot is still here ; it is large." He saw the species again, "sailing along the coast, and nearly got a shot at one " ( Cuncuma leucogaster ?) . Ibis, 1872. PL. IV. ,1 rj, ifeulcinajis li^ln M&N.ll^/i>i3:ft imp. GHRYSOCOLAPTES ZANTHOCEPHALUS. Birds observed in the Island of Negi'os. 99 The rainy season commences on the western coasts of the Philippines at the end of April^ and continues to September, the eastern coasts being dry until October, when they, in their turn, become subject to heavy rains, Mr. L. Layard thus alludes to the ushering in of the May monsoon : — " The monsoon broke on the 25th of April, and Snipe and Ducks are beginning to come in with the rains; I have shot two Curlews also. Last week I was riding I'ouud, and a pair of Ducks in a buffalo wallow let me ride up to them within ten yards. I galloped home, loaded the one barrel of L.'s rusty old gun, that had a nipple in, and re- turned. They were still there, and I took one as they rose. They are fine birds, as large as a 'Geelbec^ {Anas flavirostris), pearly-grey bodies, reddish heads, and blue-striped wings — first-rate eating ! There is also another Duck in the island, smaller, and more red about it. They are called here ' Gatek.'' I bagged five of them at Samag last week.^^ The small species is probably Dendroctjgna vagans ; the larger we are unable, for want of an example, to identify. The description given above does not agree with any one of the only four species of Ducks known to inhabit the Philippines. The following list contains the names of the species repre- sented by examples sent to England. An account of the eggs collected is added, Chrysocolaptes xanthocephalus, sp. nov. (Plate IV.) Entire head, including the normal generic crest, chin, cheeks, and ear-coverts, and the whole under surface of body, except the throat and breast, pure golden yellow, brightest on crest. A very faint mesial chin-line, and two equally faint lines following the rami of the mandible, brown. Throat and breast covered with scale-like golden-fulvous feathers, each being broadly and distinctly bordered with black. Back, uropygium, wing-coverts, and secondary quills carmine. Upper tail-coverts and rec- ti-ices deep brown. Primary and spurious quills dark brown, the outer edges of the spurious quills, and the outer edges of the basal half of the primaries being golden olive. First primary unspotted, but with white indicated at the inner edge of web near the insertion. Two white spots on inner 100 Viscount Walden and Mr. Layard on edge of second quill, somewhat ill-defined and barely separated. Third quill with two well-marked and separate white spots. Fourth quill like third, but with an additional faintly marked and smaller spot. Fifth and sixth quills, with three clear white spots. Three spots on the inner webs of the remaining quills, both primary and secondary. Under shoulder-coverts mot- tled dirty golden and brown, with carmine tips. " Bill and feet horn colour ; eyes white (?) J" "Wing 6 inches; tail 4; bill from forehead l"o, from gape 1'75 ; outer hind toe 1'13; outer front toe 0-87; tarsus 1'12. Described from a single individual obtained in the Island of Negros, and stated on the label to be a female. The carmine dorsal colouring of this species closely resembles that of Ch. carlotta^ (Malh.), Ch. hematrihon (Wagler), and Brachypternus erythronotus (Vieill.) apud Malh. The male bird may prove to possess a red head, as in the rest of the genus. XANTHOLiKMA ROSEA (Cuv.) : R. A. 1817, i. p. 428, ex Le- vaillant. Le Barhu rose gorge, Levaillant, Ois. Farad, ii. p. 75, pi. 33, " Java." " ^, iris brown; feet coral; bill black; stomach, beetles. Island of Negros." The bill in this example is somewhat larger than in Javan individuals ; otherwise no material difference can be detected between specimens from the two localities. EuRYSTOMUs ORiENTALis (Linn.): S.N.i. p.l59, no.4(1766), ex Brisson. Galgulus indicus, Briss. Oruith. ii., p. 75. no. 4, pi. 7. f. 2. " India orientalis." " 6 , iris brown ; bill and feet red. Shot in the forest. Island of Negros, March." Agrees in every respect with examples from Menado and Malacca. * A true and typical ChrysocoJaptes, although classed as a Brachy- pternus in the Hand-List, no. 8748. Birds observed in the Island of Negros. 101 Entomobia gularis (Kuhl) : Sharpe, Mon. Alced. pi. GO, p. 165. Three specimens collected, two males and one female, in full plumage. They do not differ from Luzon examples in Lord Walden's collection, nor is any sexual distinction to be detected. "a. S, iris light brown, bill brick-red, feet coral; stomach, worms; shot in a ploughed field. " b, (3", stomach, small fish; shot on river-bank. "c. $, iris light brown, bill brick -red, feet coral; stomach contained large grubs." Sauropatis CHLORis (Bodd.) : Sharpe, Mon. Alced. pi. 87, p. 329. Alcedo collaris, Scopoli, Fl. et Faun. Insubr. ii. p. 90. no. 56 (1786), ex Sonnerat. '^ (5 , iris brown ; feet dark brown ; bill black ; stomach, small crab. March, Island of Negros." Petrocossyphus solitarius (Miill.) : Suppl. p. 142, no. 46, ex PI. Enl. 636. " S , iris brown ; bill and feet almost black ; stomach, seeds ; frequents old buildings, rare. Negros, March. Broderipus acrorhynchus (Vigors) : P. Z. S. 1830-31, p. 97, ''Manilla:" Gray and Mitchell, Genera, pi. 58. " $ , bill pink ; feet black ; stomach, seeds. Island of Negros." Mr. Gray (H.-l. no. 4305) has suppressed Vigors's title for the Philippine Oriole and adopted chinensis, Linn. In this rec- tification we are unable to concur : — first, because the Linuean type was brought from Cochin China by Poivre and given to Reaumur (Brisson, Orn. ii. p. 328) ; secondly, because Brisson, who described from Poivre's example, distinctly states (/. c), " alarum reniiges sunt nigrcB : ex minoribus tamen aliquot exigud macula flavicante terminantur." B. acrorhynchus and B. frontalis (Wall.) appear to be the only two known species in which the yellow wing-spot is wanting. 102 Viscount Walden and Mr. Layard on CoPSYCHus MiNDANENsis (Gm.) : S. N, i. p. 823. no. 7Q, ex Montbeillard. Le Merle de Mindanao, Montb. Hist. Nat. iii. p. 387 ; PI. Enl. 627. f. 1. " Iris brown ; bill and feet black ; stomach, insects. Island of Negros." The single specimen sent has the under wing-coverts entirely black as in C. pluto (Temm.). This at once distinguishes the Negros bird from the Dhayals of India, Ceylon, Burma, Ma- layan peninsula, and Java. Unfortunately the Negros example possesses only eight perfect rectrices ; but these are entirely black. The stump of a ninth, however, is present ; and it, as far as it remains, is also black. It may be inferred, therefore, that at least ten of the rectrices of the Negros Copsychus are black, and it may be possible that all the twelve are black. Without other Philippine examples to compare with, it cannot be decided whether this Negros individual agrees with the Mindanao species. I3ut for the present it is proposed to regard the two as identical. The Malayan and Javan Copsychus hitherto referred to Tardus mindane)isis, Gm., differs from this Negros individual in having six white outer rectrices, and in having the under wing-coverts white centred with black. These characteristics have been verified by an examination of a considerable series of Malayan- peninsular and Javan specimens. As is well known, Indian, Cingalese, and Burmese examples have the under wing-coverts pure white, and possess eight white rectrices. The oldest title for the Malayan and Javan Copsychus ap- pears to be Lanius musicus, Raffles, Tr. Linn, Soc. xiii. p. 307 (1822), given to the Sumatran species, which in all probability will be found to agree with the Malayan and Javan. In many individuals of C. saularis the fourth pair of rectrices, and in C. musicus the third pair, are more or less brown or black. Hypothymis azurea (Bodd.) . Gobemouche bleu des Philippines, Montb. Hist. Nat. iv. 534. Muscicapa ccerulea, Gm., Kittlitz, Kupf. p. 7, t. 9. f. 1. Muscicapa occipitalis, Vigors, P. Z. S. 1830-31, p. 97, " Ma- nilla." IbiS 1872 PLY. 7Ie.ul.ej31a.ns Jii-li. M,Sj"[J.}-l3i)}iaJ.-i imp TDICKQRUS MIRABILIS Birds observed in the Island of Negros. 103 An example sent does not differ from Indian and Ceylon in- dividuals. By INIontbeillard^s title it appears that the type came from the Philippines. DiCRURUs MiRABiLis, sp. n. (Plate V.) Lower breast, abdominal region, flanks, and under tail-coverts pure vv^hite. Remainder of plumage black, with glossy green reflections. Tail but slightly forked. Bill black. Wing 5*5 ; tail, outer rectrix 5"37, middle pair 5; bill from forehead 1-18, from gape 1'37; hallux 0*50; tarsus 0-87. From a single example, sex not noted. Island of Negros, " Eyes black (?), feet and legs black. High in the mountain forests. Stomach, insects. Usually in pairs ; scarce, only saw them one day." The colour here given of the irides requires confirmation. This species belongs to the group of which D. halicassius (Linn.) is the type, and the members of which are principally Papuan, In the shallow bifurcation of the tail it comes nearest to D. halicassius. No other species of this genus as restricted displays any white in the plumage, beyond the usual white markings of the under wing-coverts, found more or less to prevail throughout the Dicruridce. Its analogue in Buchanga is B. fingah (Linn.) . Gymnops calvus (Linn.) : S. N. i. p. 164. no. 2 (1766), ex Brisson. Merula calva, Brisson, Orn. ii. p. 280. no. 36, pi. xxvi. f. 2. "Philippine islands" (1760) descr. orig. Le Goulin, Month. Hist. Nat. iii. p. 420. Gracula calva, Gm. S. N. i. p. 396, no. 2. Le Goulin gris, Cuv. B. A. 1829, i. p. 381. Gracula calva, Linn. ap. Kittlitz, Kupf. p. 9, pi. xiii. f. 2. Gymnops griseus, Cuv. ap. Meyen, N. Act. Acad. C. L.-C. Nat. Cur. vol. xvi., Suppl. 1. p. 78. Gymnops tricolor (Miiller), ap. G. R. Gray, Hand-list, no. 6275, nee Miiller. One specimen sent. " ? , iris brown ; bill and feet black ; stomach, seeds. Shot on a cocoa-nut tree, Island of Negros." Montbeillard {I.e.) has described apparently two totally distinct 104 Viscount Walden and Mr. Layard on species of bald Giakles from the Philippines under his title of Le Goulin, One, brought from the Phihppines by Sonnerat, is identical with Brisson's Merula calva ; the other, which is the species figured in the ' Planches Enluminees/ no. 200, has never since been recognized. This last is stated by Montbeillard to be smaller, to have the under plumage yellowish brown, and the feet, legs, and the anterior portion of the bill, T/ellow. The figure also (PI. Enl. 200) certainly represents a bird widely differing from Gracula calva auct. Montbeillard [l. c.) further remarks that the bald-headed bird brought from the Philippines by Son- uerat, although much resembling the bird figured, yet differs in its size and its plumage. The smaller bird (PI. Enl. 200), he surmises, may be the young. Kittlitz [I.e.) states that the sexes are alike in plumage, but the female is smaller. No title has been founded on PI. Enl. 200. Nor has Cuvier anywhere pub- lished the name griseus usually attributed to him. Mr. G. R. Gray (/. c.) has superseded the appellation calvus, Gm., by that of tricolor, Miiller, and quotes PI. Enl. 200. There seems, how- ever, to be no authority for discarding the time-honoured name of calvus, even if it had only originated with Gmelin and not with Linnceus. Miiller's Corvus tricolor was founded on PI. Enl. 521, = Curvus {Gj/jnnocephalus) calvus, Gm., not Gracula calva, Gm. Miiller has not bestowed any name on the bird figured in PI. Enl. 200, nor on Merula calva, Brisson. Phapitreron LEUCOTis (Temm.) : PI. Col. 189. " $ , iris brown ; bill black ; feet coral ; stomach, small chilies. Island of Negros." Ianth(ENas grtseogularis, sp. nov. (Plate VI.) Upper surface of head from bill to nape grey, brilliantly tinted with light purple. Chin, cheeks, ear-coverts, and throat pale grey, faintly tinged on sides of head with vinous. Nape and neck green, but changing in some lights to ashy tinted with bright purple. Breast beautiful, uniform, bright purple, chan- ging in some lights to greenish ashy, as in shot silk. Abdomen, flanks, thigh-coverts, ventral region and under tail-coverts dark ashy, many of the feathers being edged with the purple colour of the breast. Back and uropygium ashy brown shot with the Ibis. 187 2. PL, VI / ^ J.GJteuiemaiLS liili MfcKHwLhaTl imp lANTHCENAS GRTSE 0 GULARIS Birds observed in the Island of Negros. 105 bright purple of the breast and changing to greenish ashy. Sca- pulars and wing-coverts brown, with distinct purple margins. Quills, rectrices, and upper tail-coverts ashy-brown, paler on under surface. In the example sent only twelve rectrices are to be detected. The colouring of the plumage is so iridescent that it is difficult to describe accurately. Wing 8-50; tail 6-75; bill from forehead 0-81, from gape ri3; hallux 0-62 ; tarsus 1*12. Feet red ; bill red at base and yellow at the tip. Shot on the Island of Guimaras. tt JoTro '> BuTORiDEs JAVANiCA (Horsf.) : Tr. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 190. ava.' Island of Negros. Example sent is smaller in all its di- mensions than individuals from Ceylon and North West India. Wing 6-50, bill from forehead 2-38. Glareola oRiENTALis, Leach, Tr. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 132, pi. xiii. figs. 1 and 2. "Java" (May 2, 1820). " ? , iris brown; bill and legs black; stomach, small worms. March.'' In full adult summer plumage. Squatarola helvetica (Linn.) : S. N. i. p. 250, no. 12. " ?, iris brown; bill black, legs green; stomach, shrimps and sea-worms. March.'' Charadrtus fulvus, Gm. S. N. i. 687. no. 18. " ? , iris brown ; bill black, feet green ; stomach, shrimps and sea-worms. March." In winter plumage, showing no trace of a change to the breeding-dress. The following notes relate to the eggs in Mr. Layard's col- lection. Rhipidura nigritorquis. Vigors ? The nest and eggs of a Ely-catcher are sent, which is described as being " brown above, with a white throat and breast with a darker collar between. A white bar extends across the end of a broad tail, which it flirts about, constantly opening and shutting it. Two weeks ago [writing February 20th] whilst swimming 106 On Birds observed in the Island of Negros. in the river, I caught sight of its nest in a prickly bamboo- clump. It was built in a fork almost over the water, and is exactly like that of Tchitrea cristata, of the Cape of Good Hope. If I had not found that at the Cape, I should never have re- marked this. Last Sunday there were two eggs in it exactly like a Fiscal's {Lanius coUaris), only smaller of course. I cut out and brought home nest and eggs.^"* The nest sent home is a very beautiful structure, composed of fine fibres, roots, and hairs, most artistically constructed on a lateral bamboo shoot, at the junction of two other smaller branchlets. It is very closely woven, and so densely covered on the outside with cobwebs as to be almost impervious to light. It has no lining, and is perfectly round and cup-shaped inside, having a diameter of 2| inches, with a depth oil\ inch; thick- ness of walls ^ inch. The base is prolonged into a funnel- shaped cone, the pipe being composed of coarse bents of dry grass loosely hanging together. Its resemblance to the nests fabricated by all the Tchitrea is apparent. The eggs are of a pale creamy- grey colour, marked (in the form of a ring) at the obtuse end with close-set, often coalescing, small, faint purplish and brown spots ; some of these are faintly visible over the rest of the shell. Axis 9'", diam. 6|"'. MuNiA jAGORi, Cab. ? " Eggs of a little Amadavat, with red body and black head." These are probably the eggs of the little MMm'a^V/r/on, which accords with this description. They are pure white. Axis 7'", diam. 5'". CORYDALLA MALAYANA (Eyton) ? " Two sets of Larks' eggs." These are unaccompanied by any description ; they may be those of C. malayana, or of an unde- scribed species. They evidently belong to the same bird, though two are somewhat darker than the other three. They are of a pale-grey ground, profusely speckled (chiefly at the obtuse end, and in some in the form of a ring) with minute brown and purplish specks. Axis 10'", diam. 8'". EXCALFACTORIA CHINENSIS (LiuU.) ? A single " egg of a Quail " we suppose to belong to this Mr. A. Hume on Six new Species of Indian Birds. 107 species. Mr. L. Layard describes the bird as not uncommon. The egg is of a darkish brown generally, but irregularly speckled and blotched with very dark madder-brown specks and blotches of various sizes. Axis 12'", diam. 9'". TURNIX OCELLATA (Scop.) ? A second Quail's egg is sent, which from our knowledge of eggs of birds of this genus, we fully believe to belong to this species. It is of a dirty pale-brown ground, profusely spotted with black and dark-brown speckles, chiefly at the obtuse end. The small end is rather acutely pointed. Axis 12'", diam. 8"'. XIII. — Desaiptions of Six new Species of Indian Birds. By Allan Hume, C.B. 1. Chrysomitris thibetana. Dimensions. — Length 4"-75, wing 2"-70, tail l"-9, tarsus 0"-4, bill at front 0"-35. Description (only female obtained). — Legs and feet brown; bill brown, fleshy on lower mandible. Plumage : Head, neck, back, and scapulars dingy olive-green, each feather with a dark brown central stripe ; a long supercilium, continued backwards round the ear-coverts, and an ill-defined patch on the nape greenish yellow; ear-coverts brownish olive; lower parts pale yellow, albescent on the middle of the abdomen and towards the vent ; the sides and flanks with dusky central streaks ; lower tail- coverts pale yellow, each feather with a linear lanceolate blackish brown central streak; rump and upper tail-coverts greenish yellow, with traces of central dusky streaks ; quills and tail blackish brown, edged exteriorly with greenish yellow; the primaries very narrowly margined at the tips, and the tail- feathers on the inner webs with greyish white. This is a true Siskin, agreeing perfectly in shape of bill with the European C. spinus, which our Indian C. spinoides does not. The specimen described was obtained by L. Mandelli, Esq., on the borders of Sikkim and Thibet. It appears to me to be 108 Mr.A. Humewi Six neiv Species of Indian Birds. distinct from the European bird; but I have not a sufficient series of the latter to be absolutely certain of this point. 2. DUMETICOLA CYANOCARPA. Dimensions. — Length 7", wing 2"-85, tail 3"'4, tarsus 1"-15 bill at front 0"-45. Description. — Bill, legs, and feet brown, the former dusky on the upper mandible. Plumage : The whole upper surface a very rich olive-brown, more or less tinged with ruddy, especially on the rump and upper tail-coverts ; the tail-feathers a somewhat rufous brown, slightly more rufous at the margins ; quills hair-brown, margined exteriorly with a ruddy olivaceous tinge ; median and larger coverts olivaceous; lesser coverts and carpal joint of the wing more or less pure cyaneous ; lower parts, including wing- lining, a sort of fulvous buff, shaded with dusky olive on the sides of the neck and throat and on the sides and flanks; centre of abdomen and vent nearly pure white ; lower tail- coverts fulvous, mingled with olive-brown ; lores and chin, and an indistinct supercilium, dull fulvous. Although a considerably larger bird than any of the other known species, this is unquestionably structurally a true Dume- ticola, corresponding in shape of wing, tail, bill, and feet with Dumeticola affinis, with a large series of which Mr. Brooks and I carefully compared it. The dull blue patch on the carpal joint would naturally awaken the suspicion that it was a female Myiomela or Brachypteryoc ; but it is unquestionably a Dume- ticola. It was obtained in one of the low valleys in the interior of Sikkim by one of the Shikarees employed for me by Capt. Masson. 3. HORORNIS ERYTHROGENYS. Dimensions. — Length 5 ", wing 2"-25, tail 2", tarsus 0"'68, mid toe and claw 0"'7, bill at front 0-"42. Description. — Bill brown above, fleshy at gape and base of lower mandible ; legs and feet pale fleshy, dusky at joints. Plumage : The whole upper surface, including wings and tail, a rich rufescent brown ; lores, cheeks, ear-coverts, and a narrow line over the eye rich chestnut rufous ; centre of chin Mr. A. Hume on Six new Species of Indian Birds. 109 and throat and centre of abdomen nearly pure white ; sides of neck and breast dull rufescent; sides of abdomen and flanks rufescent bi'own ; wing-lining rufescent white. This is a typical Hurornis, if I rightly apprehend Mr. Hodg- son's genus. The specimen was shot by Mr. William Masson on the 20th of May, 1870, below Darjeeling. It is very distinct from any species of Horurnis or Horeites described by Messrs. Blytb, Hodgson, and Jerdon. 4. Horeites brunnescens. Dimensiom. — Length 4"-25, wing 2"-2, tail 2", tarsus 0"-82, bill at front 0"-33. Description. — Legs, feet, and bill pale brown, the latter darker on the upper mandible. Plumage : The whole upper surface, including the wing-coverts and the greater portion of the exterior webs of the quills, olivaceous, tinged with rufous more strongly on the head, and most conspicuously so on the exterior margins of the quills ; the rest of the quills hair-brown ; the tail pale brown, obsoletely barred and slightly tinged at the margin with rufous ; a dull white stripe from the nostrils, over the eyes and ear-coverts; a dusky stripe under this latter through the lores, eyes, and ear coverts; lower surface pale dingy fulvous, more albescent on the throat and wing-lining. This specimen I picked out of a collection made in the neigh- bourhood of Darjeeling by Mr. Gammie, of the Government chinchoua plantation. 5. SiPHIA MINUTA. Dimensions. — Length 4", wing 2"*2, tail l"-77, tarsus 0"-7, mid toe and claw 0"*56, hind toe and claw 0"-5, bill at front 0"-25. Descrijjtion. — Bill blackish brown, fleshy on lower surface of lower mandible; legs and feet very pale fleshy brown. Plu- mage: Upper surface a very rich olive-brown, slightly tinged with rufous on the back, more conspicuously so on the rump ; tail dull rufous ; quills hair-brown, narrowly margined with dull rufous ; chin, upper part of throat, wing-lining, flanks, and lower tail-coverts pure pale buff"; lower portion of throat, SER. III. VOL. II. K 110 Mr. A. Hume on Six new Species of Indian Birds. aud lower portion of abdomen and vent, white ; sides of neck, breast, and upper abdomen pale dingy brownish fulvous. This species closely resembles both Siphia tricolor and the female of Siphia leucomelanura, but is decidedly distinct from either. It has no white about the tail, and diflfers from all the Siphice and Erythrosternce which I possess, as well as from Anthipes moniliger. The specimen was shot by Mr. William Masson on Mount Tongloo, in Sikkim. 6. Drym(epus rufescens. Dimensions, male. — Length 7''* 12, expanse 7", tail from vent 3"'38 ; wing 3"*63, when closed reaches to within 2"-5 of end of tail ; feet, greatest length 1"'38 ; tarsus 0"-95 ; bill at front 0"-5. Another male. — Length 6"*75, expanse 7"'Q, tail from vent 3"*55, wings when closed reach to within 3" of end of tail. Another male. — Length 6"*4, expanse 7"' 6, wings when closed reach to within 2""45 of end of tail. Female. — Length 6"-l, expanse 6"'75, tail from vent 2""6, wings when closed reach to within 2" of end of tail. Description. — Legs and feet fleshy, or light fleshy brown ; claws dusky ; irides brown, light brown, brownish orange, and deep yellow ; bill blackish or dusky horny, fleshy or greyish at base of lower mandible. Plumage: Whole xipper surface, in- cluding tail and greater and median coverts, tertiaries, and outer webs of primaries and secondaries, rich rufous brown in full plumage, grey-brown more or less tinged or overlaid with rufous in young birds ; tail very distinctly and finely but obsoletely barred, all the feathers except the central ones narrowly tipped with fulvous white, with a more or less dis- tinct penultimate dusky bar; the young birds with a good deal of white on the inner webs of the lateral feathers, which is entirely wanting in adults; lores and a stripe over the eye fulvous white ; ear-coverts, sides of neck and breast, and some of the lesser wing-coverts about the carpal joints a greyish brown, the ear-coverts more or less mottled with fulvous white; lower parts pale fulvous, albescent on the chin and throat and middle of abdomen, tinged on the breast Mr. D, G. Elliot on Two Genei'a of Paradiseidse. Ill with grey, more purely buff on lower tail-coverts and wing- lining, and more rufescent on tibial plumes ; inner webs of primaries and secondaries hair-brown. The young birds are much paler and more albescent on the lower surface. This is a very distinct species, widely spread over the country. I have it from Mount Aboo, Gurhwal, and Kamoah, collected by Dr. King ; from Niher, Mahableshwur, collected by the Rev. H. Bruce; from Naipoor, collected by F. R. Blewitt, Esq.; from Etawah, collected by myself ; and Mr. Brooks tells me he has it from two or three other localities. The birds vary very much in size, the young being considerably smaller than the adults, and the females being always much smaller than the males. Some quite young birds entirely lack the rufescent tinge which is so characteristic of this species, and which, in the newly moulted adult, approaches that of Pydorhis sinensis. The plumage fades much by exposure; and adults just previously to moulting are met with of a dull rufous grey. I may add that when recently staying with me, Mr. Brooks went very carefully over all these species, comparing them with nearly allied forms. He agrees with me both as to their novelty and in assigning them to the genera under which I have placed them. XIV. — Desci'iptions of Two Genera of Paradiseidse, with remarks on some of the Species. By D. G. Elliot, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c. The species commonly placed by authors in the genus Sericulus, and known to ornithologists as S. aureus, presents so many cha- racters not found in the Regent Bird, that it has seemed to me necessary to acknowledge the generic name Xanthomelus pro- posed for it by Bonaparte (Ann. d. Sc. Nat. ser. iv. Zool. 1854, p. 122; C. R. xxxviii. 1854, p. 538), and to separate it entirely from the species with which it has generally been united. That Sericulus has not been deemed the proper genus for this bird is evident by the way it has been removed by different authors from one genus to another. Thus Linnseus considered it an Oriole, and placed it in his genus Oriolus. Many authors have given it a position in Paradisea among the typical Birds of K 2 112 Mr. D. G. Elliot on Two Genera 0/ Paradiseidse. Paradise; and Shaw included it in Lophorina; while the majority of writers retained it in Sericulus. The genus Xanthomelus may be defined as follows : — Bill — culmen straight at base, curving rapidly towards the tip ; upper mandible broad at base, nostrils open and exposed, feathers of forehead touching their posterior rim ; cutting-edges of lower mandible curving slightly downwards ; the tips of both upper and lower toothed. Head crested ; plumes of the back greatly lengthened, capable of being elevated. The wings of the s])ecimen before me ai'e not quite complete ; but apparently the first and second of the secondaries are equal and longest. The tail is rounded, while that of Sericulus is slightly forked. Feathers loose and soft, only those around the base of the upper mandible being short and velvety like those of the head of Sericulus. The only known species is Xanthomelus aureus. Golden Bird of Paradise, Lath. Gen. Syn. (1782) vol. ii. p. 483. Oriolus aureus, Linn. Syst, Nat. (1766) vol. i. p. 163. sp. 19; Vieill. Ency. M^th. (1823) vol. ii. p. 695. no. 5 ; Gray, Hand-1. Birds (1869), pt. i. p. 293. sp. 4332. Pa7-adisea aurea, Lath. Ind. Orn. (1790) vol. ii. p. 195, sp. 11. Lophorina aurantia, Shaw, Gen. Zool. (1826) vol. xiv. p. 76. Sericulus aurantiacus, Less. Ois. Parad. (1835) p. 201^ pi. 25, 25 bis, 25 ter. Sericulus aureus, Bon. Consp. Av. (1850) p. 349. sp. 1. Xanthomelus aureus, Bp., ut supra ; Gray, Hand-I. pt. i, p. 293. Hab. New Guinea. In a paper lately published in the ' Tijdschr. v. de Dierkunde,' Prof. Schlegel described a bird from New Guinea as Sericulus xanthogaster : I have by his permission been able to bring the specimen (together with one of the bird next described) to London, and have carefully examined them. The former does not belong to Sericulus (represented, as now restricted, by S. melinus) — which has the head covered with short upright fea- therslike those of the typical bird of Paradise, but destituteof crest. Mr. D. G. Elliot un Two Genera 0/ Paradiseidse. 113 The present bird has its closest aflBnity to the Chlamydodera cer- viniventris of Gould, and should be included in that genus. According to Prof. Schlegel the sexes of this species are alike, which is also the case with those of the C. cervineiventris. The specimens appear to be fully adult ; and their sex was ascertained by dissection by Von Rosenberg, who procured them in the interior of New Guinea. Like the majority of the Bower-birds, C. xanthogastra is rather plain-looking, being brown above and bright yellow beneath, destitute even of any nuchal band of bright colours, which some species of the genus possess — re- sembling in this fact, however, C. cerviniventris. The acquisition of a second species of this group of birds is very interesting ; and doubtless, when the unknown wilds of the great island of New Guinea become accessible to scientific explorers, other and more extraordinary new forms will be discovered. The species will therefore be known as Chlamydodera xanthogastra. Sericulus xanthogaster, Schleg. Tijdsch. v. d. Dierk. iv. p. 50 (1871). Hah. New Guinea. The other species to which I referred above as having been described by Prof. Schlegel in the same paper, was placed by him in the genus Ptilonorhynchus, and named P. inornatus. It, however, differs greatly from the P. violaceus {holosericeus auct.), the only species now representing that genus, in wanting the feathers projecting over the bill and hiding the nostril (one of the principal characters of Ptilonorhynchus) , and also in having a very different structure of feather. The sexes, according to Von Rosenberg, are the same in the colour of their plumage, while those of P. violaceus are widely different. I have therefore regarded it as representing a new generic form, which I propose to call Amblyornis, with the following characters — Bill short, thick, culmen much curved^ gonys nearly straight ; nostrils partly hidden by the feathers of the forehead, which are soft and flexible. A few short bristles project forwards over 114 Dr. T. C. Jerdon's Supplement ai-y Notes the culmen and nostrils, which last are round, open, and partly exposed. Wings moderate, fourth primary longest. Tail very slightly rounded, composed of ten feathers. Toes slender, middle one nearly as long as the tarsus, outer longer than the inner one. The only species known is Amblyornis inornata. Ptilonorhynchus inornatus, Schleg. Tijdsch. v. d. Dierk. pt. v. p. 51(1871). Head and iipper part of back rufous brown ; rest of upper parts dark brown. Wings rufous brown ; primaries dark brown. Entire underparts dark buff. Tail dark brown. Bill, feet, and tarsi black. The specimen is marked as a male; but it may possibly be one in immature dress, and the full-plumaged male may have a very different appearance from the one described in this paper ; but that fact the acquisition of additional speci- mens in all stages can alone determine. Hab. Interior of New Guinea. XV. — Supplementary Notes to ' The Birds of India.' By T. C. Jerdon, F.L.S., r.Z.S., Retired Deputy Inspector-General of Hospitals, Madras. [Continued from p. 22.] (Plate VII.) 256. Lanius lahtora. This Shrike is now known to extend to Eastern Africa, L. pallens of Cassin, and L. dealbatus, De Fil., being considered synonyms. 257. Lanius erythronotus. Mr. Blyth, in his commentary, appears to have accepted my joining his L. caniceps with L. erythronotus ; but Hume and others still consider them distinct; and I am now inclined to agree with them, and place it as another species : — 257 bis. Lanius caniceps, Blyth. Besides the distinctions pointed out in the text, Hume states to ' The Birds of India J 115 that in this bird the middle of the abdomen, right down to the vent, is white, while in L. erythronotus the lower portion of the abdomen, and the feathers above the vent, are bright lerruginous. 259. Lanius nigriceps. Figured by Gray, Gen. Birds, pi. 71. It appears to be yet doubtful, from Lord Walden's observa- tions (Ibis, 1868, p. 70), whether this bird be the same as Sonnerat^s from the Philippines, and therefore whether the synonym of antiguanus should be added or not. To the Philip- pine bird belong the synonyms of L. nasutus, Scopoli, and L. cephalomelas, Bonap. Another Shrike from China is L.fuscatus, Lesson [L. luguhris, Temm. apud Hartlaub; L. melanthes, Swinhoe). 260. Lanius hardwtckii. This bird will now stand as Lanius vittatus, Valenc. The Rufous-tailed Shrikes have been the subject of an excellent memoir by Viscount Walden (Ibis 1867, p. 211). The group has been named Otomela by Bonaparte : all the species have the tail rufous, and no white on the wings. 261. Lanius cuisTATUS, L. This is the species common in most parts of India; but the synonym of phcenicurus must be withdrawn from it; and the habitat of the Andamans, Ceylon, and Java for L. lucionensis is most likely erroneous. One measured when recently killed 7| inches in length, wing 3|, extent 10|, tail 3i. 263. Lanius arenarius. In my Appendix (p. 875, of 3rd vol.) I gave this as a doubt- ful species ; but on my first visit to the Upper Provinces I found that it was by no means a doubtful, but a well-marked species. I found it throughout the upper part of the N.W. Provinces and the Punjab, to the exclusion of iy. cristatus. One I killed at Roorkee measured 7\ inches in length, wing 3^, extent 11, tail 3^; another had the tail 3i. The central tail-feathers have a pale band near the tip ; and all the rectrices are broader than in L. cristatus. It is only a cold-weather visitant to India • 116 Dr. T, C. Jerdon's Supplementarij Notes but Stoliczka found it in Thibet in summer, and also, though rarely, in the Sutlej valley. 262 bis. Lanius isabellinus, Hemprieh and Ehrenberg. Walden, Ibis, 1867, p. 224, pi. v. f. 1. The White- winged Brown Shrike. This addition to the Indian fauna is a link between the Rufous-tailed and the true Shrikes. It has hitherto, in India, only occurred in Sindh, but will most probably be found to extend into the neighbouring parts of the Punjab. I append a brief description. Head and rump rufous brown, the rest of the upper plumage brown, with a slightly rufous tinge; upper tail-coverts and tail bright rufous ; below, including the under wing-coverts, creamy white; under tail-coverts, pui'e white ; a pale fulvous supercilium, and a black eye-band, which includes the eyes and ear-coverts ; a white alar bar on the 3rd to 9th quills. Of about the size of L. arenarius. Wing 3'87, tail 3-62, tarsus -87. Lanius tigrinus, Blyth, alluded to by me p. 407, stands now as L. magnirostris, Lesson — L. strigatus, Eyton, and L. waldeni, Swinhoe, being synonymous. L. schwaneri, from Borneo, is very doubtfully distinct. 366. Tephrodornis grisola. This bird is stated by Blyth to be identical with Hrjlo- terpe philomela of Boie apud Cabanis, and to belong to the genus Pachijcephala as understood by Wallace and Sclater. Tephrodornis gularis, alluded to in the text, does not, it appears, inhabit Malacca, where it is replaced by another species, T. sordidus, Wallace. 267. Hemipus picatus. I was wrong in confounding the species from Southern India named as above with the Himalayan bird. This last will now take its place as 267 bis. Hemipus capitalis, M'Clelland. H. picatcolor, Hodgson. The Brown -backed Pied Shrike. to ' The Birds of India.' 1 1 7 Dimensions of a Darjeeling specimen : — Length 5| inches, wing 2|, extent 8. The Himalayan bird is distinctly larger,has a somewhat longer tail, and the back is always sooty-brown in place of the glossy black of the Neelgherry bird. The nest of the Himalayan bird has been noted as made of the hair of horses, cows, or goats; and the eggs, four in number, as being pale sea-green, spotted with rufous brown, and with an indistinct ring. At page 414, 4th line from the top, after " Bonaparte/^ add " to belong.'' 270. Graucalus macei. This is only found in Northern India. The Southern race will stand now as 270 bis. Graucalus layardi, Blyth, olim G.pusillus,'S\. The Lesser Cuckoo-Shrike. This differs from its northern congener in its smaller size, in the lower wing-coverts being strongly barred, in the abdominal bars being fewer and broader, and not present in the fully adult male, and in the outer tail-feathers being only slightly tipped with white. Wing 6 inches, tail 4, these parts in the northern bird being respectively 7 and 5^. This species is found in Southern India and Ceylon ; but I have no information how far it extends through Central India. Blyth notices that the Malayan G.javensis resembles G. layardi in size, but G. macei in colour. A Ceylon specimen in Lord Waldeu's collection has the wing only 5| inches, and the bill smaller than in specimens from Southern India. 271. Pericrocotus speciosus. Figured by Gould, B. Asia, pt. ix. pi. 3. 273. Pericrocotus flammeus. Figured by Gould, B. Asia, pt. ix. pi. 4. I have seen an Assam specimen that I could not distinguish from those of Southern India ; and Blyth also says, " Specimens from Assam do not aj)pear to differ ivom flammeus )" so we may add P. p.leyans, M'Clelland, to the synonyms of this species. 118 Dr. T. C. Jerdon's Supplementary Notes The P. flammeus of Adams, from the N. W. Himalayas, is most probably P. speciosus. 273. Pericrocotfs brevirostris. In the early part of winter I saw, in Kumaon, large flocks of this bird, 30 to 40 or more, flying about across the valleys ; and it was a very beautiful sight to witness the rich colour glowing in the bright sunshine, and showing more particularly when they turned in their flight. 274. Pericrocotus Solaris. In my description of the female, the punctuation has been sadly marred. In the place of " Head, dark-ashy black, tinged olive-green beneath, wing-spots, &c.'', read, " Head dark ashy ; back tinged olive-green ; beneath, wing-spots, &c.^^ The bill, moreover, is given as 3 instead of §, and tarsus as 4 instead of f . I omit to notice the extension of this bird to Assam, the Khasia hills, &c. It is figured by Gould, B. Asia, pt. i. pi. 4. 275. Pericrocotus roseus. Figured by Gould, B. of Asia, pt. ix. pi. 6. This species extends to the Lower Himalayas as far west as Mussooree, and is not rare in some parts of the Dehra Doon. 376. Pericrocotus peregrinus. Figured by Gould, B. Asia, pt.ix.pl. 5. Blyth states that it appears to grade into P. flagrans in the course of its extension in Burmah southwards towards Malacca. 277. Pericrocotus erythropygius. Figured by Gould, B. Asia, pt. i. pi. 5. Blauford procured this species in Nagpore, but is mistaken in saying that it had not previously been observed so far south, as I state that I had procured it as far south as the foot of the Neelgherries. 'D' 278. Dicrurus macrocercus. As Vieillot^s name was applied to a Malayan bird distinct from our Indian one, this must now stand under Hodgson's name of Buchanga albirictus. Specimens from Southern to ' The Birds of India.' 1 19 India are decidedly smaller than those from the North, with shorter wings, and generally shorter tail. Those from Ceylon are perhaps still smaller, and Blyth has named them D. minor. If, however, it be considered desirable to recognize the smaller race as distinct, it must stand as Buchanga atra, specimens from Tranquebar having been thus named by Hermann; these specimens, I believe, always have the white rictal spot : the Malayan D. macrocercus resembles this race in size, but wants the rictal mark. 278 bis. DicRURUs longus. Birds of India, Appendix, p. 871. This bird chiefly differs from D. alhirictus in wanting the white rictal spot, and has usually, I think, a longer tail. It appears to replace that species in many parts of Lower Bengal, and even in Behar, and occurs throughout Assam and all the districts east of the Burrampootra, nearly though not entirely to the exclusion of Z). alhirictus. The Malayan D. longus is the same as D. macrocercus, V., and therefore quite distinct from our bird; and it becomes a question what name ours ought to bear. Mr. Swinhoe has recently described a Chinese Dicru- rus as D. cathoecus. He asserts that the Chinese bird differs from its Indian ally in being still larger, with longer bill, and much longer wing, and has a rich bronze gloss over its feathers, including its wings and tail. Length of wing 6 inches, tail 6. As to its longer wing, I must dissent entirely ; and if Mr. Swinhoe had looked at my measurements of D. longus, I.e., from Dacca, he would have seen that they quite equalled those of his Chinesebird; and I have killed one with the tail 7inches in length. As I see no other essential distinction, I shall, for the present, distinguish the Indian King-crow without a white rictal spot as Buchanga cathcecus, Swinhoe. As many specimens from different localities in Northern India have the rictal spot greatly reduced in size, and some, indeed, have it barely perceptible, it is probable that the two races pass one into the other, like the allied species of Coracias and Treron. 279. BiCRURUS BALICASSIUS. The Himalayan bird is distinct from the Malayan species, to 120 Dr. T. C. Jerdon's Supjilementary Notes which the name balicassius was applied, and it will therefore retain Hodgson^s name of Buchanga annectans. 280. DiCRURUS LONGICAUDATUS. It has been asserted that the Himalayan bird generally re- ferred to under this name is distinct from the bird of Southern India ; and the late Mr. Beavan named it D. waldeni, with which the D. himalayanus of Tytler is stated to be identical*. I have recently compared specimens from the Himalayas with others from Southern India, and have been unable to detect any ap- preciable difference. Hodgson^s name o{ pyrrhops is given as a synonym of this bird by Gray and Blyth; and I followed them. This so far appears to be correct, that one drawing of this species in Hodgson's collection is named by him D. pyrrhops ; but there is another, decidedly distinct bird figured by Hodgson under the same name, which will therefore stand as 280 his. Buchanga pyrrhops, Hodgson. The Grey Long- tailed Drongo. Vicount Walden first discriminated this species. It somewhat resembles in coloration D. cineraceus, Horsfield, being of a mode- rately dark shade of grey, with a distinct metallic shine; and the tail-feathers always show the ashy grey tinge in a marked manner when compared with specimens of D. longicccudatus. The dimensions of one killed at Dacca were as follows : — Length 11 inches, wing 5^, extent 16^, tail 5|. I am not certain now whether I ever procured this at Darjeeling (having confounded it with D.Iongicaudatus) ; but the specimen I got at Dacca I looked upon as a pale individual of that species, and it was not till Lord Walden had pointed out its distinctions and showed me a similar specimen from the Hima- layas that I fully recognized its claim to specific separation. I found it by no means rare in Dacca, in groves and at the edges of jungle, with a strong and rapid flight, quite similar to that of D. longicaudatm, capturing insects in the air at a considerable distance from its perch. I have little doubt that it will be * Ibis, 1868, p. 200. Those who consider it distinct may adopt Tytler's name; for Beavan's appellation had been forestalled by Schlegel for a Madagascar Dierurus. to ' The Birds of India.' 121 found to extend southwards through Chittagong to Arrakau ; and it was probably seeing specimens of this race that caused Blyth to remark that Dicrurus cineraceus, Horsfield, in advan- cing northwards from the Malayan peninsula, appears to grade into D. longicaudatus. I may here remark that Lord Walden considers Blyth's Z>. intermedins, placed as a synonym of D. longicaudatus, to be a distinct race, from Burmah. 283. Bhringa remifer. One measured in the flesh was 10^ inches to the end of the central tail-feathers, extent 17, wing 5^. From later observa- tions I am now somewhat doubtful of the lengthened outer rec- trices being a seasonal distinction, as I found the young feathers growing in a specimen shot in October. I have recently com- pared Javan examples with some from Darjeeling, and can find no appreciable difference, except a slightly stouter bill, which might be individual. 284. Edglius paradiseus. This group is now classed under Dissemurus. Blyth states that it is doubtful if the long-crested bird is found anywhere except in the Subhimalayan region. The Goomsoor bird, and those from the Eastern Ghats, certainly appear to me to be the same, as also those from Assam. 285. Edglius malabaricus. Gray* has recently named a bird of this group from Malabar Edolius singularis. The type specimens of this bird want the crest ; but they are young birds, and I think, moreover, that they are imperfect as regards the frontal feathers. The narrow part of the lengthened rectrices (which in these speci- mens is very short) has a distinct though very minute web on each side of the shaft. This may either be a mark of nonage in these particular examples, or, more probably (as Lord Walden reminds me), of the process of change which is occasionally found, more or less, in most of the species of this group, and even in E. lophorinus of Ceylon. Viscount Walden has in his * Haud-list, vol. i. p. 287, descr. uuUa ! 132 Dr. T. C. Jerdon^s Supplementary Notes possession specimens from Malabar with the crest well developed, and with the narrowed portion of the outer tail-feathers having the shaft denuded of web. I have very little doubt that Gray^s bird is the same as my E. malabariciis, and that it was probably from a somewhat similar specimen to those in the British Museum that Sonnerat figured his Grand Gobemouche de la cote de Malabar. 288. TCHITREA PARADISEA. Stoliczka states that he found this Flycatcher up to a height of 9000 feet in the N.W. Himalayas, I have not seen it higher than about 5000. The nest and eggs have been described by Messrs. Hume and Brooks, and also by Biyth, from Hodgson^s drawings. The nest is deep cup-shaped, made of fine grass and moss with cobwebs outside. The eggs, usually four in number, are buflfy white, with red specks and spots. 290. Myiagra azurea. It is, I think, exceediugly doubtful if Beavan's M. tytleri, from the Andamans, be distinct, this species having a very ex- tended geographical distribution. Blyth has known a bird of this species take up its residence in a veranda and prey on house-flies and mosquitoes. 291. Leucocerca fuscoventris. This must now stand as L. albicollis, Vieillot. Dr. Pucheran having examined the types of certain species in the Paris Museum, published the result in the 'Archives du Museum.^ He has there determined the priority of many of Vieillot^s and Cuvier's names to those given subsequently. The four outermost tail-feathers ai-e broadly tipped with white, and the next narrowly so. The nest and eggs are described and figured in Jardine^s ' Contributions to Ornithology.' 292. Leucocerca albofrontata. This is L. aureola (Vieillot). Blanford found it as far east as Chanda; and Dr. King has it also in his list of birds from Goona. Hume describes the nest a very delicate, small, tumbler- like affair, of fine grass coated with cobwebs ; the eggs, three to ' The Birds of India.' 123 in number, white, with minute yellowish-brown specks, and few spots of a pale inky hue. 293. Leucocerca pectoralis. This must stand as L. leucogaster, Cuvier. It is, as I sus- pected, Sykes and Adams's i^AipiWM/'fl /MScoi;e?i/m (vel albicoUis), which does not extend to the west of India. Blanford has lately found this species as far east as Chanda. 294. Chelidorhynx hypoxantha. One measured in the flesh 4| inches, extent 6|, wing 2\, tail 2|. Bill black above, j^ellow at the base below. The nest and eggs are figured in one of Hodgson's drawings — the latter white, faintly speckled. I am not aware of having anywhere expressed my opinion of the rarity of this bird, as Mr. Hume asserts I have. It is certainly quite common at Darjeeling. 295. Cryptolopha cinereo-capilla. Swainson's genus Cryptolopha having been founded on his C. auricapiUa = Culicipeta hurkii, this group of Flycatchers must be referred to another genus, which Mr. Swinhoe names Culici- capa^ ; but if Mr. Gray is correct, this term must give place to Myialestes, Cabanis. It has been found recently in China. One measured in the flesh 5 inches in length, extent 8, wing 2|, tail 2i, foot 13. 296. Hemichelidon fuliginosa. One killed in Kashmir measured in the flesh 4| inches in length, extent 9, wing 2|, tail 2, foot ||. The eyelids and lores are whitish, and the chin and throat are also white, rather than "slightly albescent," with indications of pale mesial stripes, and a streak from the lower mandible. Two thirds and more of the inner webs of all the quills rufescent at the margin, showing conspicuously when in flight. The under wing-coverts also are somewhat rufescent. Stoliczka says that the female is somewhat larger than the male, somewhat rufescent on the chin, and with the tertiaries and larger wing-coverts also tipped with rufescent. He states that he found it more common in the eastward than towards the more western parts of the Himalayas ; but I nowhere * P. Z. S, 1871, p. 381. 124 Dr. T. C. Jerdon^s Supplementary Notes found it more abundant than in high valleys in Kashmir, where, like Stoliczka, I saw it chiefly near the tops of high trees, not on the lower branches as I occasionally observed near Darjeeling. Hodgson figured the egg as pale greenish with rufous specks. The birds obtained near Barrackpore by Tytler, alluded to by Blyth in his Commentary, were more probably, I think, Alseonax terricolor. I see that Swinhoe, in his last Catalogue of the Birds of China, puts Hodgson's bird as a synonym of Muscicapu sibirica, Gmelin, and M.fuscedula, Pallas, as suggested by myself. 297. Alseonax latirostris. Blanford notices that he cannot see the smallest difference Detween specimens of this bird and one sent from Amoy by Swinhoe as Muscicapa cinereo-alba, Temm. & Schl. ; and I see that Swinhoe now adopts this view. I had previously considered it to be more like Alseonax terricolor. 299. Alseqnax ferrugineus. Hemichelidon rufilata, Swinhoe. The nest and eggs of this Flycatcher are depicted in one of Hodgson's drawings, the eggs pure buff colour, unspotted. Butulis griseo-stida, Swinhoe [B. hijpogrammicay Gray and Wallace) is another species of this group, spreading from China in summer to the Moluccas in winter. 301. EUMYIAS MELANOl'S, Expanse of wing about 10 inches. Hodgson figures the egg as unspotted pinkish white ; Captain Bulger describes the eggs as pale greenish blue, much spotted and blotched with brown ; and Mr. Brooks as fleshy white, clouded and mottled with pale reddish brown at the large end, which is very like my account of them. Lord Walden has recently described a nearly allied bird from Ceylon as £. sordida (perhaps ceijlonensis^, Gray) ; and Gray has given the name of E. sjnlonota* to what is most probably the young bird from the Himalayas. 303. CyORNIS UNICOLORt. I obtained a single specimen of this rare bird at Darjeeling in * [These names are given in the Hand-list, p. 320, to supposed new species, but are unaccompanied by descriptions. — Ed.] t Blytb states that, both from recollection of the bird and my descrip- to ' The Birds of India.' 125 1869 — but did not notice it when fresh, from its close resem- blance to Eumyias melanops. 304. Cyornis rubeculoides. Blyth notices that this bird is very near to C elegans, Temm. PI. Col. 596. 1, and suggests their identity. A specimen from Tayboo (Burmah), and another from Ceylon, both in Lord Walden's collection, differ from C. rubeculoides in the deep blue of the throat being divided in the centre by a somewhat conver- ging streak of rufous. 305. Cyornis banyumas. This will now stand as C. jerdoni, Gray and Blyth, having been found to differ from its Javan prototype, confirming my expressed doubts on the subject. 306. Cyornis tickelli^e. Blauford found this Flycatcher near Nagpore ; and Hume has it in abundance from Jubbulpore. It appears that the females do not differ from males. Hume has the nest also. 307. Cyornis ruficauda. The lores and eyelids are whitish. The breast is more albescent in the female than in the male. The extent of wing of one measured in the flesh was 9j inches. I have long since given up the belief in my rufous-breasted Neelgherry bird being this species, and refer it to a young male C. jerdoni, or very old female beginning to assume a blue plumage. 308. Cyornis magnirostris. Major Godwin-Austen procured a male of this species in the North Cachar hills. It is darkish blue above, brighter over the forehead and eyes ; beneath from chin to breast ferruginous, white on the belly and under tail-coverts. Irides dark brown. Legs pale fleshy. Length 6 inches, wing 3-3, tail 2|, tarsi ^, bill at front |. tion, tliis appears identical with Miiscicapa cyanopoUa, Boie, from Sumatra, Java, and Borneo. If this be correct, the female, which is Musdcapa in- fwicata, Miiller, is rufous brown above, darker on the crown, and brighter on the tail ; lower parts pure white, except the sides of the breast, which are coloured like the back. SER. III. vol. II. L 1 26 Dr. T. C. Jerdon's Supplementary Notes 310. MUSCICAPULA SUPERCILIARIS. Above dull Prussian blue, aud not full as printed. The lores are bluish black. Stoliczka remarks that the white feathers of the lower surface are slaty at their base on the breast and abdo- men. Erooks says that the female is pale brown above, paler below. One that I procured at Darjeeling (but not in the flesh) had the head and upper part of back olive-brown, changing to pale blue on the lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts ; lores pale ; chin and throat fulvous, the rest of the lower parts white, oliva-- ceous ashy on the sides of the breast and flanks. This I at the time considered to be the female; and Stoliczka gives the same account, and says, moreover, that the old female has some blue on the head as well. This last naturalist obtained it as high as 12,000 feet on the Himalayas. I have killed it nearly as high. As to its extension through the plains in the cold season, my type specimen was procured very much further south than either Mr. Hume^s or Mr. Blanford's specimens. This bird is most undoubtedly the M. hemileucura of Hodgson, but not the bird figured under that name in Jardine^s Contributions to Ornitho- logy, which is Siphia leucomelanura of Hodgson. See infr^, p. 128. 311. MUSCICAPULA ASTIGMA*. I have lately procured what is undoubtedly this species on the highest of the Khasia hills, Shillong Peak. The male is prussian blue above, and on the sides of the neck and breast ; chin, middle of throat and breast, and all abdominal region pure white. The female is olivaceous above, slightly rufescent on the fore- head, lores, and round the eye ; the sides of the neck and breast and flanks ashy; the rest of the lower parts white, somewhat more sullied than in the male bird. Bill black ; irides deep brown; legs reddish brown. Length c? M inches, wing 2|, extent 7|, tail nearly 2, tars. 4« I found this species in pairs in June at the edge of the wood on Shillong Peak, and saw several couples in different parts of the wood. * Not cBstigma as hitherto given. to ' The Birds of India.' 127 Blyth has indicated another blue Flycatcher from Hodgson's drawings as 311 bis. MusciCAPULA ciltaris, Hodgson, apud Blyth. It very closely resembles the last, having no white on the tail ; the white on the throat appears to be more contracted ; and there is a distinct white supercilium from the front of the eye to the nape. No particular locality is given on the plate. The other species of blue Flycatclier, noted by Blyth, I. c, as M. leucoschista, is founded on a bad drawing of Erythrosterna maculata, of which, indeed, M. leucoschista, Hodgson, is given as one of the synonyms. 314. NiLTAVA SUNDARA. Figured by Gould, B. Asia, pt. ii. pi. 5. I procured this bird on the Khasia hills; Godwin- Austen got it still further east; and it also extends southwards. 315. NiLTAVA MACGREGORIvE. Figured by Gould, /. c, pt. ii. pi. 6. Extent of wing 7| inches, tarsus y^. The nest is figured by Hodgson in a slight hollow of a tree, and the eggs pinkish white. 316. NiLTAVA GRANDIS, Figured by Gould, /. c. pi. 4. A female measured in the flesh 8|, extent 12|, wing 4, tail 3^. The Niltmm leucotis described by Hume (Ibis, 1870, p. 144) is a made-up bird, compounded of the head of a Parus and the body of Niltava sundara. This was only made known to the readers of ' The Ibis ' in October 1871, though I understand that Mr. Hume wrote himself about it more than a year ago. Gen. Anthipes, p. 477. Blyth states that Muscicapa solitaria, S. Miiller, from Timor, appears to belong to this genus. 318. SiPHIA TRICOLOR. Major Godwin-Austen procured at Chattuk, in the Sylhet district, specimens of a bird which I conclude to be Hodgson's species named above. It was found frequenting high grass and reeds near water. Hodgson's figure, amongst his drawings, is very much too brightly coloured. l2 128 Dr. T. C. Jerdon's Supplementary Notes 319. SiPHIA STROPHIATA. By a lapsus penna I have made the white of the tail increasing in extent to the outermost feathers, instead oifrom the outermost. StoHczka found this bird in the N.W. Himalayas, in Rupshu, on the banks of the Indus in summer, near Simla only in winter. 320. SiPHIA LEUCOMELANURA. This is the bird figured in Jardine's ' Contributions '' as Muse, hemileucura, though the eyebrow is given in some of the copies as white in place of " greyish blue." It is much more common in the N.W. Himalayas than at Darjeeling, frequenting open forest at from 5000 to at least 8000 feet. One killed at Mussooree measured in the flesh 4| inches, extent 7\, wing 2|, tail 2g, tarsus |, foot \\. Another had the wing 2^, tail 2j. Stoliczka describes the female, which I have not seen, as olivaceous brown above, tail ferruginous, especially at the base ; chin, throat, and vent white ; breast and abdomen pale olive-brown j under tail- coverts slightly ferruginous. 321. SiPHIA SUPERCILIARIS. Muscicapa tricolor and M, rupestris, of S. Miiller, are stated by Blyth to be respectively the male and female of this bird. The female is ashy olive above, rufous beneath, paler on the breast and vent ; superciliaries pale rufous ; wings and tail pale brown, edged with pale rufous. Dimensions of one in the flesh, killed at Darjeeling, length 4| inches, extent 7|, wing 2f, tail If, tarsus I, foot I5. 323. Erythrosterna leucura. The true E.leucurais the Eastern representative ofE.parva, and difi'ers in the rufous of the under plumage being confined to the chin and throat ; in the next species it spreads over the breast. One shot on the Khasia hills measured in the flesh — length 5$ inches, extent 8|, wing 2|, tail 2^, tars. |^; bill black, legs dark reddish bi'own. It has hitherto only occurred in India in Bengal and the neighbouring hills. 323 his. Erythrosterna parva. Saxicola ruheculoides, Sykes, fide Blyth. This European white-tailed Flycatcher occurs all through to ' The Birds of India: 129 Southern India, Central India, the N.W. Provinces, and the Punjab, to the exclusion of the last. Blanford, who obtained it near Nagpore with the red well developed in November, doubts if the male ever assumes the female plumage. 324. Erythrosterna pusilla. The white on the throat of this bird is barely pure as I say in my description ; and I have seen it with the pale tips to the wing- coverts not apparent in spring. 325. Erythrosterna acornaus. I have also seen this species in spring without any pale wing- band as described, and with a tinge of rufous on the lores, eye- brows, and throat. Dimensions of one killed on the Haji-pir pass leading into Kashmir, in April, in the flesh were as follows: — Length 4f inches, extent 7^, wing 2^, tail If, tars. \, foot |-. The legs were dingy red. In summer plumage the throat and fore neck become pale rufous, as I have seen in one or two instances, and as figured by Hodgson. The chief distinguishing mark of this Flycatcher from E. pusilla is the ashy-grey tinge of the lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts. Blanford obtained this species at Seoni in Central India; and it therefore probably extends more or less, though sparingly, over peninsular India. This naturalist states that his specimen was identical with Hodgson's type specimen but does not agree well with my description. In his description the ashy colour of the upper tail- coverts is said to spread more over the back than what I describe ; but I fail to see any essential difference between my description and a specimen now before me. Mr. Hume hazards a guess that this may be the female of E. maculata ; but the female of that bird is figured by Hodgson with the tail quite rufescent, much more resembUng that of E. pusilla ; and both species have the throat and upper breast more or less rufous in summer. 326. Erythosterna maculata. The female is figured by Hodgson as dull slaty-brown above, white beneath, the tail rufescent, without any trace of white. This species is stated to extend to Java, and even to Timor. I found it very abundant in Assam. 130 Dr. T. C. Jerdon's Supplement arij Notes 327. Tesia castaneo-coronata. Figured by Gould, B. Asia, pt. X. pi. 13. The wings and tail are not so pure green as the back, being mixed with greyish. This bird extends to the N.W. Himalayas, and also to the Khasia hills and North Cachar. 328. Testa cyaniventer. Figured by Gould, B. Asia^ pt. X. pi. 12. I omit to mention a blackish line from behind the eye along the neck, dividing the green from the ashy-grey. The female has a pale bright green supercilium, contrasting with the darker crown. The lower parts are pale slaty, with the central line some- what albescent. This species extends to Sylhet. One I lately measured in the flesh was 3| inches long, extent 6, foot 1^. A third species of this group exists in the Micrura superciliaris, Bonap., from Java. Gen. Pnoepyga. Page 488, 14th line from bottom. For " this species" read " the first species," i. e. P. squamata. 329. Pnoepyga squamata. This bird is by no means rare near Mussooree and other parts of the N.W. Himalayas; and Stoliczka found it as far in the in- terior as Chini, in the Sutlej valley. 330. Pnoepyga pusilla. Major Godwin-Austen obtained one specimen of this rare bird. In this specimen there is a good deal of white on the lores, cheeks, chin, and throat, and the wing-coverts are distinctly spotted with white. 331. Pnoepyga caudata. One I got at Darjeeling, in 1868, measured 4g inches in length; extent 6; wing Iff; tarsus |; foot If. Legs livid brown; claws fleshy. 332. Pnoepyga longicaudata. Major Godwin-Austen procured one specimen of this rare bird at Cherrapoonjee. The feathers of the head and nape only are to ' The Birds of India.' 131 margined with black ; the wings and tail are dull rufous brown. Length 4| inches, wing 2, tail 2, tarsus -f^, bill (front) ^. Stoliczka mentions that a species somewhat allied to this occurs in "Western Thibet, but of the same size as P. squamata. The lower plumage is yellowish white, or cinereous. 333. Troglodytes nipalensis. Figured by Gould, B. Asia, pt. iv. pi. 6. Length of one in the flesh 3| inches, extent 5|, wing If, tail 1, bill (front) §, tarsus W, foot l^i;-- Legs pale reddish brown. I found this Wren far more abundant in the N.W. Himalayas than in Sikkim, extending as far as Kashmir. In summer it frequents both forests and rocky hills at from 9000 to 12,000 feet. 338. Brachypteryx cruralis. One measured in the flesh 5| inches, extent 7\, wing 2^, tail 1|-, tarsus 1|, foot 1^. Legs livid brown. One female was somewhat larger, wing 2f inches, extent 8^. The lower parts pale olivaceous, paler on the belly and vent ; a short concealed white supercilium. 338 bis. Drymochares stellatus, Gould. Brachypteryx {Drymochares) stellatus, Gould, P. Z, S. 1868, p. 218. Figured by Gould, B. Asia, pt. xxi. The Chestnut-backed Shortwing. Forehead, ear -coverts, breast, chest, and abdomen grey, crossed by numerous narrow wavy lines of black ; at the tip of each of the feathers of the abdomen, flanks, under (and some few of the upper) tail-coverts an irregular arrowhead-shaped mark of white ; lores black ; all the upper surface, wings, and tail chestnut-red ; bill black ; feet brown. Total length 4^ inches, bill |, wing 2|, tail 2, tarsi 1|. This very interesting bird was procured by Lieut. Eccles on the frontier of Nepal and Sikkim, at a height of about 10,000 feet. It is possible that Brachypteryx hyperythra, no, 337, mav be the female of this bird. 132 Dr. T. C. Jerdon's Supjjlementary Notes 339. Callene rufiventris. Blyth states that the female is brown, with the abdominal patch whitish instead of rufous, " not unlike/' he says, Muscicapa longipes, Garnot, Voy. Coquille, pi. xix. f. 1, assigned, perhaps erroneously, to New Zealand. I had previously, p. 496, stated that this bird appeared, " both from form and coloration, to be a BracJujpteryx." 339 bis. Callene albiventris, Blanford, P. Z. S. 1867, p. 833, pi. 39 J Gould, B. Asia, pt. xx. pi. 16. The White- bellied Short-wing. I append a short description : — Dusky cyaneous, the chin and lores black ; a bluish white frontal band ; quills and tail- feathers dusky, edged bluish ; the middle of the abdomen white, the sides ashy; bill black; feet dusky; irides brown. Length 6 inches; wing 3-1; tail 2*6; bill at front 0*5; tarsus 11, In this species the female is said to resemble the male, but to be only a very little paler, thus differing from the other two species. The egg is clay -coloured. 340. Callene frontalis. The female is figured by Hodgson, along with the male, dusky brown above, paler below ; but it is spotted, and is perhaps a young bird. The nest also is figured, domed like a Wren's, and the eggs clay-coloured, 340 bis. Callene hodgsoni. Acrocephalus, apud Moore. Hodgson's Short-wing. Descr. Brown above, pale below, albescent on the throat and mid belly ; base of tail rufous-tawny. Dimensions, Wing 2|, tail 3, tarsus 1|. Hab. Nepal. This is probably the female of some species. Blyth has re- ferred it to Callene. 341. Hodgsonius phcenicurgides, I obtained this bird in Gulmurg, in Kashmir, in 1867, and to ' The Birds of India.' 133 sent it to Viscount Walden. I killed one in brushwood on the skirts of a pine-forest, at about 9000 feet elevation, but also saw it at a still greater elevation. I had not previously seen any specimens, except from Darjeeling. Mr. Hume also has recently had specimens sent him from Kashmir. 343. Myiophonus temminckii. Extent of wing 21 inches. In the cold weather I have found this bird in various localities in the North-western Provinces, viz. near Saharanpore, in the Bijnour district, and also in the Pun- jab. I found its nest near Mussooree, in a hole in a cliff at the very edge of the Batta waterfall. It contained four young ones. 344. Hydrornis nipalensis. Figured by Gould, B. Asia, pt. i.pl. 2. The name given to this bird at Darjeeling by the Bhooteeas is Tubia kanring, 345. Pitta bengalensis. The name adopted by Mr. Elliot, in his valuable monograph of this group, for this species is Brachyurus coronatus, Miiller. Mr. Blanford found black ants in one specimen, white ants in others. He states this in reference to a remark by Wallace that, though called Ant-tlirushes, he had never found that they had eaten ants, but simply Coleoptera. I omit to mention the beautiful Pitta cyanea, Blyth, from Burmah, figured by Gould, B. Asia, pt. i. pi, 3. 347. Hydrobata asiatica. The bird described by Stoliczka, no. 95 of his list, is certainly the young of this bird, as has been already pointed out by Viscount Walden. I looked in vain for either of the two other species of Dipper in the higher valleys of Kashmir and the Punjab ; but Dr. Sto- liczka was more fortunate ; for he found Hydrobata cashmirensis in the north of Kashmir, and also high up the valley of the Sutlej. 350. Zoothera monticola. The tail-feathers are obsoletely barred on their outer webs. 134 Dr. T. C. Jerdon's Supplementary Notes This bird is very generally found in the N.W. Himalayas, near streams and marshy spots, especially in winter. Blyth remarks that Zoothera is merely a highly developed Oreocincla, and that Turdulus ivardi and Turdus neelgherriensis have both been named as Zootherce by different authors. Dr. Stoliczka recognizes Petrocincla castaneocollis, Lesson, mentioned p. 514, from the Himalayas, as a state of plumage of Petrocincla saxatilis of Europe. He obtained it at Dras, in Western Thibet, in September ; and it will therefore hardly enter our limits unless hereafter found elsewhere, which may well happen in winter. 352. Orocetes erythrogastra. Figured by Gould, Birds of Asia, pt. xv. pi. 11. The egg is figured by Hodgson, and, says Blyth, resembles that of a Robin. Brooks says that its song is loud, sweet, and varied, hardly inferior to that of Turdus musicus. 353. Orocetes cinclorhynchus. One measured in the flesh was 7j inches in length, extent 12^, tarsus |-. Bill black, bright yellow at the gape. In summer the back becomes wholly black. Blanford found that it had partaken of ants and Coleoptera ; and I have also observed more recently that insects form its food more generally than fruit. Brooks describes its song as soft and mellow, and its note of alarm very Chat-like. This excellent observer has noticed a nest which he presumed to be that of this bird, in a hole of an old wall in Kumaon. It was formed of roots, twigs, and grass, and contained four eggs, pale buff or salmon-colour, finely mottled, chiefly at the large end, with very pale reddish brown. Another species of this genus is Orocetes gularis, Swiuhoc, Ibis, 1863, pi. 3, from China. 355. Geocichla citrina. This is Turdus albonotatus of Cuvier, fide Pucheran. Swinhoe notices that the feathers of the rump of Geocichla are spinous. Blanford doubts the olive-coloured specimens being adult females ; but Hume supports the view I had taken. to ' The Birds of India: 135 Blyth had one in a cage for some time, and remarks that its song is plaintive, mellow, and Robin-like, but little varied. I have frequently seen it caged in the North-west Provinces, where it was called Tinrang ka Kastura, or the Three-coloured Thrush. 356. Geocichla unicolor. Figured by Gould, B. of Asia, pt. x. pi. 16 {the male only). One I measured in Kashmir had the wing 5 inches, extent 15|. This is the Blackbird of Kashmir, being very common in the valley in summer, and very generally caged there under the name of Kastura. Stoliczka states that he found it common in Chamba (where I also found it), in Kishtevar, and also in Little Thibet. I accept Mr. Brooks's opinion of its position, and would now remove it to Mend a. Its nest is stated to be placed on a tree, or occasionally on the side of a rock, and to be formed of moss, lined with grass ; the eggs, four in number, to be greenish-white, blotched and spotted with reddish-brown, 357. TURDULUS WARDI. This species breeds on the hills in June and July, the nest, according to Hutton, being made of moss, fibres, &c., placed in a rather tall tree, and the eggs closely resembling those of Turdus unicolor. 358. TuRDULUS CARDIS. The Thrush noticed under the above name in ' The Birds of India ' will, I hope, in future be saved the painful addition of more synonyms ; for it has, since first brought under the notice of naturalists by Blyth, been referred at different times to three previously named species, and has received two names de novo. I shall now give the history of this confusion. Mr. Blyth was the first to describe this bird, which he did as an old male of Turdus unicolor. He afterwards corrected this error, and named it Geocichla dissimilis. I was just going to press with the portion of my 'Birds of India' referriug to this bird, and had placed it as Geocichla dissimilis, when I received ' The Ibis ' for January 1862, in which, at page 92, Blyth writes as follows : — " A bird sent me by Swinhoe as 136 Dr. T. C. Jerdon's Supplementary Notes Turdus cardis, $ , is my dissimilis." I had neither materials nor time to correct this, and therefore at once adopted this correction. In 1863 Mr. Sclater described a Turdus hortulorum from China, of which Swinhoe writes : — " I believe BIyth's Turdis dissimilis is not the same as the South-China species (i. e. hortulorum) " (with which, however, Swinhoe, in epist., had written me that Blyth had originally identified it); ^'neither surely can it heTurdus cardis, with which Jerdon has confounded it.^' Whether my confusion was owing to Mr. Swinhoe labelling his specimen wrongly, or Blyth mistaking it, I must leave those gentlemen to settle for themselves ; for I have absolved myself, I hope. At the conclusion of my account of this bird, p. 522, I state that the female (i. e. dissimilis) so much resembles the coloration of Turdus chnjsolaus, Temm. P. C. 537, that, judging from the figure alone, I cannot help suspecting their identity. Blyth, in his Commentary on my 'Birds of India,^ accepted this identi- fication ; and Hume, in his list, privately printed for distribution, adopted it. To conclude. Major Godwin-Austen got a fine specimen of this bird on the Garrow hills, which Mr. Swinhoe at once identified, unhesitatingly, as T, hortulorum as known to him, and Mr. Blyth and myself agree to be his T. dissimilis ; so that it must hereafter take its place in the system as 358. Geocichla dissimilis. (Plate VII.) The figure (PI. VII.) is taken from Major Godwin-Austen's specimen. 358 his. Geocichla obscura (Gmelin). Turdus pallens, Pallas. T. rufulus, Eyton. T. modestus, Blyth. T. chrysolaus, Temm. apud God win- Austen. T. pallidus, Swinhoe. T. davidianus, Milne-Edwards. The White-browed Thrush. Major Godwin-Austen got one specimen of this Thrush at Cherra Poonjee, in November. It had the upper parts olivaceous, darker on the head, with a white supercilium ; quills dusky Ibis. 18 7 2. PL .VII J.G-.'KfiulsmarLS lith IvC&lTHaahait iniD TURDUS IJISSIMILIS to ' The Birds of Indian 137 olivaceous ; chin and throat white, with a dark stripe from the base of the lower mandible, becoming faint on the side of the neck; breast, sides, and under wing-coverts pale ferruginous; lower part of breast and belly white. Bill black above, yellow beneath ; irides dark brown ; legs dusky yellow. Length 9| inches ; extent 14 ; wing 5 ; tail 83 ; tarsus 1^, Other species of Geocichia not referred to in the text are G. ei-ijthronota, Sclater, from Celebes, and G. layardi, Walden (Ann. N. H. ser. 4, vol. v. p. 416), from Ceylon. My suspicion of the identity of Turdus avensis, Gray, with T. interpres, of Java, is confirmed, by Blyth. Hume has a new species of Thrush which he calls Geocichla tricolor. Descr. Whole head, neck, throat, breast, and upper parts dusky blackish slate- colour, almost quite black upon the top of the head, greyer on the back, and browner on the quills and lateral tail-feathers. Wing-lining, lateral portions of upper abdomen, sides and tibial feathers bright orange-ferruginous; • centre of upper two thirds of abdomen, whole of lower two thirds, vent, flanks, and lower tail-coverts, and. extreme tip of the chin pure white. Length 8"5, wing 4*6, tail 3"2, bill at front 0*7, tarsus 1*1. Bill yellow; legs and feet llesLy yellow. From Tipperah. 36L Merula boulboul. Figured by Gould, B. Asia, pt. xi. pi, 12. The bill is orange ; legs dingy yellow ; extent of wings 17 inches. Mr. Brooks, a most competent authority on this point, describes the song as " most agreeable, rather more vai'ied than that of the English Blackbird, and in a higher key.^' This Blackbird visits the plains of India to some considerable distance from the hills in winter. 361 bis. Merula vulgaris ?. I obtained a young Blackbird, one of a party of six, near Gul- murg, at a height of above 12,000 feet, in July. It measured 138 Dr. T. C. Jerdon's Supplementary Notes. 11 inches in length, 18 in extent, wing 6, tail 5^, tarsus 1|, bill from front f . At the time, 1 considered it to be a young Merula vulgaris ; and I saw in Ladak many presumed to be the same. My spe- cimen is now in Lord Walden's collection. Mr. Adams says that M. vulcjaris is a common cage-bird in the Punjab, brought probably from Afghanistan. 362. Merula albocincta and (363) M. castanea. Figured by Gould, B. Asia, pt. xi. pis. 10 and 11. It appears from specimens recently collected, of which Col. Tytler has a large series, that these supposed two species must really merge into one. Under what circumstances of age or season this change takes place must be determined by future observers. Blyth states it as his opinion that " they must be looked at rather as parallel phases than as indicative of age." This bird is much more common in the N.W. Himalayas than in Sikkim, and it extends to Kashmir. Merula alhiceps, Swinhoe, from Formosa, is a somewhat allied species. 364. Planesticus ruficollis. The reference to Gould, B. Asia, should be pt. iv. pi. 16. Speke observed large flocks of this Thrush in Lahoul, in May and June, close to the snows, where there were no trees near. 365. Planesticus atrogularis. This is still considered by some to be the same species as the last, some individuals having the tail more or less rufous. Merula leucogaster, alluded to p. 527, from Munnipore, Blyth now looks on as an old highly coloured Turdus atrogularis. This Thrush is very abundant in the cold weather in the N.W. Provinces. It has recently been killed in England. 366. Planesticus fuscatus. Figured by Gould B. Asia, pt. iv. pi. 15. 368. Turdus hodgsoni. On looking over a series of specimens of Missel-Thrushes, Himalayan and English, with Canon Tristram last September, 1 fully recognized their perfect identity ; and Sharpe and Dresser Capt. F. W. Hutton on the Flight of Birds. 139 have also, after a still more complete examination, come to the same conclusion; so this species must stand in the ' Birds of ' India' as Turdus viscivorus. It is interesting to note that the Kashmir name of this Thrush is Eili-kau or Eili-chettar, meaning Mistle-crow and Mistle- eater. One I killed in Gulraurg measured 11 inches in length, 18| in extent of wing. It breeds abundantly both in Kashmir and in the Sutlej valley. 370. Oreocincla mollissima. This Thrush also extends to Kashmir, and has, indeed, been sent from Moupin by Pere David. The feathers of the rump in this species are distinctly spinous. 371. Oreocincla dauma. One killed at Darjeeling measured in the flesh 10| inches in length, extent 17|, wing 53., tail nearly 4, tarsus 1|, foot 2. A very closely allied bird from Formosa, stated to be larger and somewhat paler, was named O. hancii by Svvinhoe, but is now considered by him identical. 372. Oreocincla neelgherriensis. The Zoothera imbricata of Layard, from Ceylon, turns out to be the same as this bird. [To be continued.] UNI.— On the Flight of Birds. By Captain F. W. Hutton, C. M. Z. S. The mechanism of flight has lately been very fully and ably discussed both in England and on the continent of Europe; but considerable obscurity seems still to exist as to the actual move- ment of the wings of birds when flying. Mr. Macgiliivray (' British Birds.' vol. i. p. 43) says that the efi'ective stroke of the wing is delivered downward and backward, and that the resistance of the air bends upward the tips of the feather and in this way gives a forward impulse to the bird. The opinion of the Duke of Argyll appears to be the same {' Reign of Law,' p. 142 &c.) ; but he says (more correctly, I think) that the stroke is delivered directly downward. The experiments of Dr. Pettigrew, however, on sparrows with cut 140 Capt. F. W. Hutton on the Flight of Birds. wiugs^ show that progi-ession is not obtained by the uplift- ing of the free ends of the feathers ; for their flight was apparently in no way impaired when the free ends of the feathers were cut off. Dr. Pettigrew, in his admirable paper on the subject (Trans. Linn. Soc. xxvi.), asserts that the effective stroke is downward and forward, and that by a peculiar twisting or screwing motion of the wing (which I am bound to confess I do not quite understand) the air is forced to escape near the root of the pinion, between the secondary and the tertiary feathers, in a downward and backward direction, and that the reaction thus produced supports the bird and drives it forward. Dr. Pettigrew^s own experiments, however, hardly support his theory ; for both No. 12 and No. 13 (p. 220) show that the feathers forming the funnel by which the air is supposed to escape, are not necessary for flight, while No. 18 proves that, although the secondaries may be complete, flight is prevented by cutting off the ends of the primaries ; that is to say, his experiments show that flight in reality depends principally upon the primary feathers, while his theory makes it depend principally upon the secondary ones. Both Dr. Pettigrew and Mv. MacgiUivray consider that the wing is extended during the down-stroke, and more or less folded during the up-stroke; and Dr. Pettigrew and the Duke of Argyll agree that the wings during progression describe a "wave- track," or undulating line in the air. But the ingenious ex- periments of Prof. Marey (Ibis, April 1870) appear to show that during the down-stroke the wing moves first slightly forward, then more and more backward — and in the up-stroke, at first backward and then forward into its original place again, thus describing, during progression, a cycloidal curve in the air ; also that during the greater part of the down-stroke the wing, by turning on its axis, slopes forward and downward, while during the up-stroke it slopes forward and upward — thus being, on this point, quite opposed to Dr. Pettigrew, who states distinctly (p. 255) that during the down-stroke no depression of the anterior margin and elevation of the posterior one takes place. Under these circumstances a few observations that I have made on the motion of the wings of the Sea-gull during Capt. F. W. Hutton on the Fl'ujht of Birds. 141 flight may perhaps prove of interest ; for I think that they will reconcile many of these discrepancies, as well as explain all the anomalies observed by Dr. Pettigrew in his experiments with sparrows, and at the same time will supply a theory of flight much simpler than any of those hitherto proposed. My observa- tions were made on the Black-backed Gull of the southern hemisphere {Larus dominicanus) ; but doubtless they will apply to all other Gulls, and probably even to all other birds. No better opportunity occurs of observing the movements of the wings of a living bird in a free state than when on board a steamer steaming head to wind, and surrounded by a flock of Gulls. The Sea-gull is a bird that moves its wings so slowly that their movements can be followed by the eye ; and under the conditions just mentioned they can be seen in all positions, either vertically or horizontally, the bird apparently remaining stationary for several minutes together, although in reality flying just as fast as the steamer is going. When a Gull is viewed from the side, it is easily seen that the stroke of the wing, from the shoulder, is vertically up and down, or very nearly so ; and when observed directly over head, it is still more easily seen that, at each downward stroke, the primary feathers from the carpal or wrist-joint are moved backward, slightly closing the wing, but without any perceptible bending of the elbow-joint. I cannot, of course, say exactly at what time the backward stroke begins, only that it is principally delivered during the downward stroke, which agrees fai^^-ly enough with Prof. Marey^s experi- ments, which show that the back-stroke commences soon after the down-stroke has begun, and finishes soon after the up- stroke has begun. The mechanical principles here employed are obvious. The support of the bird in the air is partly ob- tained by the concave under surface of the wing off"ering more resistance to the air during the downward stroke than the convex upper surface does during the upward stroke. The rise of the bird during the down-stroke, and its fall during the up- stroke are quite perceptible when viewed horizontally ; its flight, however, would be nothing more than a series of tremendous jerks upward and downward, which, even with immense exer- tion, would hardly raise it in the air, if it were not that by far SER. III. VOL. II. M 142 Capt. F. W. Hutton on the Flight of Birds. the greater part of its support is derived from its forward pro- gress, as I have already explained when describing the sailing flight of the Albatros (Phil. Mag., Aug. 1869). This forward progress is obtained by the backward stroke, or rowing motion, of the primaries from the carpal joint, which, combined with the downward movement, makes the feathers press on the air in a downward and backward direction. While, therefore, the move- ment of the main part of the wing from the shoulder is vertical, the tips, by having also a horizontal movement, do not describe an undulating line in the air, but a cycloidal curve, thus con- firming the experiments of Prof. Marey. No twisting of the wing on its axis is perceptible by the eye ; but such a movement pi'obably takes place ; for the anatomical investigations of Dr. Pettigrew show that " during flexion the anterior margin is slightly directed downwards, and in extension decidedly directed upwards^' (/. c. p. 241). It is, I think, the erroneous idea that flexion must occur during the up-stroke that has led Dr. Pettigrew astray in his theory of the flight of birds. A moment^s consideration will show that it is during the up-stroke, which must tend to depress the bird, that the largest surface of wing is required to take advantage of the progressive movement obtained by the down-stroke, and so, by acting like a kite, prevent the bird from falling. If the flexion of the wing during the down-stroke be allowed, and this I have distinctly seen, the descrepancy in the description of the movement of the wings by Dr. Pettigrew and Prof. Marey, which I have already pointed out, disappears. Dr. Pettigrew's experiments, Nos. 14 and 18, show that when the primary feathers, or the tips of the wings, are much shortened, flight is stopped, or much impeded in birds, but not in insects, the reason of this difi'erence being that the latter cannot bend their wings, but obtain forward progression in quite a diff'erent manner to birds. Experiments Nos. 12 and 13 show that if the primaries are left entire, or nearly so, flight is but little impaired, although the greater part of the other feathers may be cut off. This is because the primaries are the portion of the wing by which progression is obtained, and it is progression that principaay supports the bird; for without progression, either Capt. F. W. Hutton on the Flight of Birds. 143 upward or onward, no bird can remain in the air. The same principle also explains why flight is nearly perfect when the tip of one wing only is cut oflf; for enough still remains for pro- gression, and although the impulse must be greater on one side than on the other, still the bird can easily correct this when progression is once obtained. Experiment No. 19, however, which shows that when the carpal joints are rendered immove- able flight is entirely prevented, although the wings in all other respects are perfect, goes far, I think, to prove the correctness of the views here advanced ; and if another experiment should be made in which the elbow-joints were fixed, while the carpal joints were quite free, and the action of the muscles unimpeded, and the bird then found to fly with ease, all doubts on the subject would, I think, disappear. Wellington, New Zealand, October 16th, 1871. P.S. — Since the above was written I have had the pleasure of reading Prof. Marey's valuable and clearly written lectures " On the Phenomena of Flight in the Animal Kingdom," translated for the Smithsonian Institution ('Smithsonian Reports,' 1869). It will be seen that the results of M. IMarey's experiments are fully borne out by my observations on the Sea-gull in its natural state, the only point on which I diflfer from him being the way in which progression is obtained ; and his opinion in this case, is not derived from experiment, but from theoretical considerations only, while mine is from direct observation. If. in M. Marey's theory, the backward stroke of the primary feathers be substituted for the uplifting of the posterior margin of the wing by the resistance of the air, I believe that the true principles in the flight of birds will be thoroughly understood, the only thing remaining to be done being to obtain experi- mentally formulae for the resistance of the air to the front and under surfaces of birds when the wings are fully expanded, as ni sailing flight. M 3 144 Dr. 0. Finsch on tivo Species of Charadrius. XVII. — On Charadrius asiaticus and Ch. damarensis. By Dr. 0. Finsch. Through a dear friend of mine, Paul Conrad, Captain of the Bremen barque * Herzog Ernst/ I received a pair of Red-breasted Plovers collected by him during his stay at Saigon, in Cochin- china. Both specimens were shot on the 11th of April, 1870, and proved, on dissection, to be male and female. The male is in full nuptial dress, and agrees exactly with the plate of Chara- drius caspius of Pallas (Zoogr.), as the celebrated author re- named the species formerly described by him as Ch. asiaticus. Mr. J. E. Harting has given a full account of this species in his excellent article " On rare or little-known LimicolcB " (Ibis, 1870, p. 201), and shown that these are two allied species which have been hitherto nearly always confounded. In com- paring the specimens from Saigon with others from Australia and Damaraland, as well as with the figures and descriptions published on this species, I find that Mr. Harting is quite right with respect to the specific distinctness of the two ; but his synonymy requires rectifi.cation. The smaller one, called by him Eudromias asiaticus (pi. v.), must stand as Ch. damarensis, Strickl. ; whereas the larger kind, Eu. veredus, Gould (pi. vi.), is the true Charadrius asiaticus. Pall. Charadrius asiaticus, Pall. Reise, ii. p. 715 (1773). Asiatic Plover, Lath. Syn. iii. (1785) p. 207 (ex Pall.).; Bechst. Lath. Uebersicht, iii. (1796) p. 181. Charadrius asiaticus, Gmel. S. N. ii. (1788) p. 684 (ex Pall.). C.jugularis, Wagl. Syst. Av. (1827) sp. 39 (ex Pall.). C. caspius, Pall. Zoogr. Rosso-As. ii. (1831) p. 136, pi. 58 ( = asiaticus) . C. asiaticus, Bias, in Nachtr. zu Naum'. vol. xiii. (1860) p. 225, t. 386. f. 1 (ad.) . C. veredus, Gould, P. Z. S. 1848, p. 38; id. B. Austr. vi. pi. 14. Cirrepidesmus asiaticus, Gould, Handb. B. Austr. ii. (1865) p. 229 {= veredus). Charadrius asiaticus, Schleg. Mus. P. B. Cursores (1865), p. 38 (sol. spec. no. 5). Dr. 0. Finsch on two Species of Charadrius. 145 Eudi'omias veredus, Harting, Ibis, 1870, p. 209, t. vi. Although Pallas gives no measurements, there can be no doubt that he had before him the larger species, which Mr. Gould afterwards named Ch. veredus from young specimens pro- cured in Australia. Captain Conrad's male specimen from Saigon agrees, as already stated, in every detail with Pallas's description and figure. As in the representation of the latter, the forehead, a broad stripe above the eye to the temporal region, the sides of head, the chin, and throat are white ; the jugulum is covered by a broad cinnamon-rufous cross band, edged below by a narrow black line ; and the legs and toes are ochreous yellow [" Ros- trum pedesque ut in Hiaticula," Pall.), as represented also in the plates published by the late Prof. Blasius and Mr. Harting. The former naturalist includes Ch. asiaticus m ' Naumau's Vogel Deutschlands,' a specimen having been obtained in Heligoland by Mr. Gatke ; but without a comparison of this specimen it will be difficult to decide to which species it belongs. Prof. Blasius describes : " die grossen Schwungfedern von der 6 ten an mit weissem Flecke an der Aussenfahne," which is not observable in Ch. asiaticus, but in the smaller Ch. damarensis, which has a white basal patch on the outer web of the 7-1 1th remiges. Ap- parently some mistake must have occurred in this description ; but the iigure certainly is that of the true Ch. asiaticus. In those given by Mr. Harting the eye-stripe is not pure white, but washed with pale buff, showing that the bird had not yet attained its full plumage. The female from Saigon has the front, eye-stripe, the sides of the head and neck, forming a collar round the nape (which is much paler and inclining to whitish in the male), the throat and breast rufescent, darker on the posterior parts, and paler on the chin. Otherwise it resembles the male, and would as- sume a similar dress, as there are some moulting, though still hidden feathers on the jugulum which are as dark rufous as in the male. A specimen in winter plumage from North-eastern Aus- tralia (Lake Elphinstone) resembles the young as described by Mr. Harting (p. 210) ; but the pale buff colour on the 146 Dr. 0. Finsch on two Species of Charadrius. sides of the neck does not extend round the neck, showing that the rufous collar is not an invariable characteristic of this species. Charadrius DAMARENSis, Strickl.; Contrib. toOrnith. 1852, p. 158. C/i. asiaticus, Schleg. Mus. P. B. Cursor, p. 38 (excl. spec. no. 5). Eudromias asiaticus, Harting (nee Pall.), Ibis, 1870, p. 203 (excl. syn.), t. v. I have not seen the male of this species in full plumage, and must therefore refer to the excellent figure given by Mr. Harting; but I have examined three specimens in winter dress from Da- maralaud, collected by the late Mr. Audersson. A male, shot at Otjimbinque on the 15th of December 1864, agrees exactly in coloration with the Australian specimen of Ch. asiaticus in winter plumage ; on the jugulum there are still some hidden rufous feathers, which are the remains of the summer plumage. Two females from the same locality are very similar. In one, shot in Febi'uary, the brown feathers on the upper parts are de- cidedly pale-margined, forming a collar round the nape ; the front, eye-stripe, sides of the head, the chin and throat are buff- coloured. This specimen agrees very closely with the female of Ch. asiaticus from Saigon. It is therefore not always easy, at least in the immature and winter plumages, to distinguish Ch. asiaticus and damarensis by the plumage only ; but the measurements will invariably show the difference, as will be seen by the following Table (in French mea- surements, vide ' Vogel Ostafrika's '). Long. al. caud. rostr .a front. tars. tib. nud. dig.med. 6" 3'" 25'" 10'" 21'" 8'" Q'" asiaticus (S. Saigon. 6 2 26 9^ 20 10 8a „ ? 6 2 25 10 21 9| 9 „ Australia. 6 2 27 10^ 20 S" 9J „ (ap. Blasius). 6 6 25i \^ 24 , (trrerfw.sap. Gould). 6 0 29 9" 19 8 8 „ (No. 5.Leid.Mus.) 5 6 24 9 18 9 s ^ damarensis $ . Daniaraland. 5" 2"'- 5" 5" 28 8i-9 16-17 7^ 7-S „ (asmffcKs, ap. Schl. DOS. 1-4) Mr. 0/ Salvin on the Genus Geothlypis. 147 The distinguishing characters for the two species would there- fore stand, after my experience : — Ch. asiaticus. Ch. damarensis. Larger ; wings and tarsus always longer. Legs and toes yellowish. Axillaries like the under wing-coverts, earth-brown. Eemiges without white. Smaller. Legs and toes blackish. Axillaries white. Outer web of the 7-1 1 reraiges with a white basal patch. XVIII. — Remarks on the Mniotiltine Genus Geothlypis. By OsBERT Salvin, M.A., F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c. Some months ago our collector in Veragua, Enrique Arce, sent us a single specimen of a Geothlypis, from the slopes of the Volcano of Chiriqui, which has perplexed me not a little. In endeavouring to. form a just view as to its proper position, my observations have ranged over nearly every recognized member of the genus, specimens of all but one of which are before me, furnished by Mr. Godman's and my own collection and by that of Mr. Sclater*. The latest published account of this genus is contained in Prof. Baird's ' Review of American Birds,^ p. 219 et seqq. From this work it might be gathered that, so far as Geothlypis cequi- noctialis was concerned, and its closely allied races, the whole ot tropical America was occupied by one or other of them, and that it was hardly probable that other races of the same form yet re- mained to be discovered. The receipt of the specimen above referred to shows us that our information was still incomplete. One or other of the races of G. eequinoctialis is included in each of the large faunas of South America. Thus in Brazil we find G. velataf ; in Guiana, Trinidad and Venezuela, and the U. S. of Columbia we have G. (Bquinoctialis ; and in Central * The only species I have not seen is Geothlypis rostratis, Bryant, from Nassau, Bahama Is. (Proc. Boston Soc. N. H. xi. p. 67 (1866). Its nearest ally is said to be G. trichas ; but as I have had no opportunity of examin- ing specimens, I omit further mention of it in the present paper. It would appear to be resident in Nassau. t The synonymy of all the species here mentioned is so fully investi- gated in Prof. Baird's work already quoted that it would be superfluous to re traverse this part of the subject. 148 Mr. 0. Salvin on the Genus Geothlypis, America G. poliocephala. We now find that, in addition to these, another race exists in Chiriqui, which is almost as distinct from the others as they are from one another. An examination of an extensive series of the better-known races just mentioned shows that they possess, as pointed out by Baii'd, distinguishable characters ; and this I take to be sufficient justifi- cation for separating them under different names. Our Chiriqui specimen is unfortunately unique ; but the relationship it bears to the other races of the same stock is such that it cannot well be classed with any of them without involving the removal of the barriers which have reasonably been shown to exist between them. In other words, we should have to call G. velata, and perhaps also G. poliocephala, "varieties" of G. aquinoctialis ; and this I am not prepared to do, seeing that the variation is associated with a law of geographical distribution, and therefore indicates some- thing in advance of individual variation, to which alone, in my opinion, the term "variety" can properly be applied. Then, too, the fact of the Chiriqui bird being somewhat more closely related to the Brazilian race than to any of the othei's, singular as it may at first sight seem, is in strict conformity with other instances of a similar distribution in other allied forms, not only of birds, but also of other animals. The science of geographical distribution demands that all such cases should receive close investigation. Our single specimen, which I propose to call Geothlypis CHiRiQUENSis, is a male in adult plumage, and differs from an equally adult example of the same sex, from Costa Rica, which I have attributed to G. poliocephala, Baird, /. c* (cf. Ibis, 1870, p. 114). In this last-mentioned bird the whole hind parts of the head and nape are ashy, the black of the loral region extending in a narrow line over the forehead and under the orbit as far as its posterior margin. The ear-coverts are ashy, and the flanks tinged with ochraceous brown. In the Chiriqui bird the ash- colour of the head is more restricted, and does not extend over * Baird described this species from a Mazatlan skin, and states that a Guatemalan skin I sent him differed somewhat, and especially in the former having white eyelids. In the specimens we possess the eyelids are not white ; but some have a few white feathers ; so that it is probable that the character is not a stable one. Mr. 0. Salvin on the Genus Geothlypis. 149 the nape ; a broad black band passes over the forehead and em- braces the entire orbit as well as the ear-coverts ; the flanks are olivaceous. From this comparison it will be seen that this new race does not belong to that found in Costa Rica. It bears a closer rela- tionship to the two races found in South America, of which G. cequinoctialis comes nearest in point of locality, but not of affin- ity. From this it differs not only in the greater bi'eadth of the frontal band, but also in having the olive-colour of the back sepa- rated from the orbit by the downward extension of the slate- colour of the occiput. In this latter respect it resembles G. velata, but has the frontal band considerably broader than in that race. Though I describe these features from a single specimen, I have abundant means of judging of the stability of the distinctions as- signed to the allied races, and hence infer that additional ex- amples will prove that the Chiriqui bird will carry equally stable characters. The following Table will give some idea how the different forms of this genus stand related to each other, the divisions being in- tended to show the degree of affinity they bear to one another. A. gula flava. a. pileo siimmo albo. a', abdomine albicante 1. trichas. b'. abdomine flavo 2. melanops *. h. pileo summo nigxc. c'. rostro nigro, abdomine ochrascente . . .3. speciosa. d'. rostro inf. llavicante, abd. Isete flavo . . 4. semiplava. c. pileo summo cinerascente. e'. regione parotica anteriore nigra 5. ^quinoctialis. a", regione postoculari olivacea .... a. cequinoctialis. h". regione postoculari cinerea. a"', fronte late nigra /3. chiriqtiensis. b'". fronte anguste nigra y. velata. f. regione parotica omnino cinerea. .... 6. poliocephai.a. B. gula cinerea. g'. ciliis uigris 7. Philadelphia. h'. ciliis albis 8. MAcaiLLrvRAYi. * A female of tbis species has recently come into our possession. It may easily be distinguished from the corresponding sex of G. trichas by the following characters. Like the male it is larger and the feet and legs 150 Mr. 0. Salvin on the Genus Geothlypis. I have already shown that though G. velata and G. chiriquen- sis are more nearly related to one another than they are to G. cequinoctialis, the latter intercepts their range. The following hypothetical explanation of this fact in geographical distribution seems admissible. Anterior to the union of Guiana with the mainland of South America the ancestral race of the present Geothlypis velata and G, chiriquensis held territorial sway from Brazil to Veragua, or, perhaps, if Central America was then cut by channels, to the ex- treme northern limit of the spurs of the Andes. At that time the ancestors of G. aequinoctialis were restricted to the island of Guiana. When the union of this latter tract of covintry with the continent took place, G. cequinoctialis began to spread over the valley of the Amazon, and westward through Venezuela and Co- lumbia, driving the contemporary form of G. velata southwards into Brazil, and forcing a small detached remnant northwards into the recesses of the remote volcano of Chiriqui. Isolated from its parent stock and incapable of stemming the tide of in- vasion by an antagonistic race, this small remnant was prevented from spreading over Central America by the contemporary form of G. poliocephala, which then occupied Costa Rica and held its own against pressure from the south. Thus hemmed in, it found at last a resting-place in Chiriqui, where alone it has survived, and where it gradually assumed the features which now distin- guish it. G. aquinoctialis and its allies appear to be residents in the countries in which they are found. G. semiflava, G. speciosa, and G. melanops are also residents, the first in western Ecuador and the last two in Mexico. There remain three migratory species, whose lines of migration as well as the southern limit of their wandering I now proceed to show. Geothlypis trichas, of which the summer range spreads over the stronger; tlie upper plumage is not so briglit, being more tinged with ochre ; the under plumage is more uniform in colour, the throat being of not so bright a yellow, and the colour of the abdomen more ochraceous in tint. Mr. 0. Salvin on the Genus Geothlypis. 151 whole of the United States, passes southward in winter to some of theWest-Tndia Islands, and even touches Bermuda on passage. It spreads over Mexico and Guatemala, being extremely common from autumn to spring in the latter country. It would appear to occur but sparingly in Costa Rica, as Mr. Lawrence in his list of the birds of that country has to quote an instance, recorded by Cabanis, for its appearance there. We now trace it to Chi- riqui ; and a single specimen lately received from there gives the most southern point on record touched in the winter migration of this species. The two grey-throated species of the northern continent are also migrants. G. Philadelphia of the Eastern States never, to my knowledge, occux's as a winter visitant at any point of Central America north of Costa Rica*. There appears to be no re- cord of its occurrence in winter in any of the West-India Islands ; so that it must perform its migration at one flight from the Southern States to Costa Rica, Veragua, and the U. S. of Columbia, from all of which places we possess skins. Costa Rica, the most western of these places, lies nearly due south of the peninsula of Florida, and is distant about twelve hundred miles. I doubt, however, if G. Philadelphia flies in a due southerly direction, as the trade- wind would almost inevitably carry it to the westward, and hence to Yucatan ; and if to Yucatan, we should find the species in Guatemala, which we do not. It seems more probable that the birds start with a south-easterly course and make someway to windward before being carried by the trades to the South American coast. When arriving there their course would be south-westerly; and thus we see how the promon- tories of Yucatan and Honduras are missed, and the highlands of Costa Rica are the first land touched. It is also worthy of note that, if the birds travel at the usually computed rate of about J 00 miles in three hours, the time occupied in the journey would be 36 hours, or, if they start at night, two nights and a day. It will also be seen that, both in the northward and * I have examined the specimens from Mexico called G. Philadelphia by Sclater (Cat. Am. B. p. 27), and find that they really belong to G. macgilUvrayi. The skins are in bad condition, and the eye-lids injured and discoloured ; but 1 am satisfied that they belon<: to the western form. 152 Mr. Elliott Coues on the History of southward migration, the Island of Cuba would be crossed at the night. Geothbjpis macgillim^ayi in summer occupies the Middle and Western states ; and its migration in winter would appear to in- volve no long sea-flight like that of its eastern neighbour. In winter it spreads over Mexico and Guatemala, and thence to Costa Rica, and as far southward as Chiriqui. Here, however, it seems to stop, and does not pass onwards into the southern continent. From this it will be seen that individuals of the two species are found together during the winter months in Costa Rica, but only within the small territory of that republic. On the return of spring the one would prepare for its long flight over the sea, the other to follow the Cordillera northwards, towards their respective summer abodes. The migration of G. philadelphia is not without parallel amongst the birds of the Eastern States. The line of migration of Dendrceca castanea is almost identical ; for though its occur- rence has been noted in Guatemala, I never obtained a specimen ; at Panama, hov/ever, it is by no means rare in winter. Dendrceca c(Erulea, too, takes a similar line ; but individuals seem occasion- ally to touch at Cuba, and some (if the specimens cited by Baird have the localities correctly marked) find their way to Guatemala. These, and others that might be quoted, seldom touch on the West Indies in their flight, but pass onwards for more southern lands to find their winter homes. XIX. Contribution to the History of the Blue Crow of America. By Elliott Coues, M.A., M.D., Ph.D., etc. Gymnokitta* cvanocephala. Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus, Maxim. Reise, 1841, ii. 21 (French ed. iii. 296; English ed., 287, 297). Gymokitta cyanocephala, Bp. Consp. Av. 1850, i. 382; Cass. 111. B. Cat. & Tex. 1854, 165, pi. 28; Newberry, Pac. R. R. * Gymnorhinus, Maxim., 1841, if sufficiently distinct from Gymnorhina, Gray, 1840 ; if the diiference in termination be not enoiigli, then Cyano- cepliahis, Bp., 1842 ; but if preoccupation in botany precludes, then, failing both these names, Gymnokitta. the Blue Crow of America. 153 Rep. vi. pt. iv. 1857, 83 ; Baird, ibid. ix. 1858, 574 ; Kennerly, ibid. X. 1859, Birds, 32 ; Coues, Pr. A. N. S. Phil. 1866, 91 j Cooper, B. Cal. 1871, 292. Psilorhinus cyanocephalus, Gray. Nucifraga [Gymnokitta) cyanocephala, Gray, Hand-list, ii. 1870, 10. Cyanocorax cassini, McCall, Pr. A. N. S. Phil. v. 1851, 216. " Cymioceplialus wiedi, Bp." Gray, H.-list, ii. p. 10*. Generically distinguished by the combination of an ordinary corvine form (pointed wing longer than nearly even tail, and tarsus longer than medius digit) with the usual garruline colour (blue), one character uncommon in either subfamily (complete nakedness of nostrils), and a particular shape of bill (nearly as in certain Icteridse) ; standing next to Picicorvus, related by this and by Nucifraga to the true Crows, and to the Jays by Psilo- rhinus. Dull blue, nearly uniform, but much brighter on the head, paler on the abdomen ; chin and throat streaked with whitish ; remiges internally fuscous ; bill and feet black ; iris brown. c?, 11-12 inches long; extent of wings 16-5-19'5 ; wing 5'5-6*0; tail 4-0-4*5 ; bill (along culmen) about 1*33; tarsus (in front) about 1-66; medius digit (with claw) about 1'33. S similar, but usually duller in colour, and smaller; length 10'5-11'5 ; extent 15-17, &c. Newly fledged birds are commonly smaller still, and show little blue, being mostly dusky grey. Independently of seasonal, sexual, or other definite conditions, there is a great difference in the purity and intensity of the blue ; that of the head is sometimes sharply contrasted with the paler shade of the back, and sometimes fades insensibly into the latter. The whitish gular streaks are sometimes faintly indicated ; sometimes they are very strong, and even extend on the breast. The abdomen is frequently greyish white, with barely a shade of blue. The remiges wear from fuscous to grey. This rather remarkable type appears to have been first noticed in 1841 ; and the brief synonymy it has since acquired results more from different interpretation of rules of nomenclature than * [At Dr. Coues's request we have searched for this reference, but in vain. Mr. Gray gives its date as 1842. — Ed.] 154 Mr. Elliott Coues on the History of from conflicting views of its systematic position. To our opinion upon this latter point, already expressed, we have only to add that we hold the bird to be sui generis, while conceding its close relationships to neighbouring forms. So far as we know, only two nominal species have hitherto been instituted at its expense ; one of these we are obliged to quote on Gray's authority. Since the Prince vonWied's notices, which appeared in German, French, and English, the literature of the subject is mainly represented by Mr. Cassin's valuable article, accompanied by a characteristic figure. Prof. Baird's accurate description, both generic and spe- cific, and the partial biographies of several naturalists who met with the bird alive. For many years the species was considered a rarity, to be highly prized, and may still remain among the desiderata of many or most European collections ; but of late a great many specimens have been gathered, notably in California, by the late Capt. John Feilner, of the Army (in whose death, at the hands of hostile Indians, ornithology lost a zealous and judicious collector), and in Arizona by ourselves. The Prince's original examples are stated to have come from one of the tributaries of the Upper Missouri, in the then extensive territory of Nebraska, which locality, if not beyond the bird's ordinary range, is certainly far from its centre of abundance, for which we must turn some degrees south-westward. Dr. Hayden, who explored the same section of country with signal ability and success, does not appear to have met with it ; and we judge, upon several considerations, that Maximilian's quotation may indicate very nearly the north-east extension of the species. This impression of ours is strengthened, if not confirmed, by the fact that the north-eastward dispersion of Picicorvus columhianus has proved nearly coincident ; for, as may be gathered by comparing the present article with one upon Picicor- vus which we had the pleasure of laying before the readers of ' The Ibis,' these two birds occupy essentially the same faunal area in altitude as well as in latitude. General MacCall, then Inspector-General of the Army, found his " Cyanocorax cassini " abundant near Santa Fe, in New Mexico (alt. 7000 ft. ; lat. 35° 41' N. ; long. 106° 2' W. Greenw.). Dr. C. B. R. Kennerly, whilst attached to Lieut. Whipple's Survey of the 35th parallel, the Blue Crow of America. 155 across New Mexico and Arizona, fell in with great numbers of the birds in the first mentioned territory, near San Miguel and at Fort Webster; and these New-Mexican citations are checked by the records of several other naturalists. Captain Feilner procured his fine suite of skins at Fort Crook, in Northern California. Our Oregon reference is principally Dr. J. S. New- berry, whose well-known important geological researches in the west are admirably supplemented by his observations in other departments of science. Referring to the bird's occurrence in the Des-Chutes basin, this naturalist further remarks : — " The fauna and flora of this district, as well as all its climatic and geographic conditions, connect it with the central desert of the continent, a region lying along the Rocky Mountains on either side, characterized by an arid climate and sterile soil, by plains covered with Artemisia and ridges of trap rock, on which grow the western cedar {Juniperus occidentalis) and the yellow pine {Pinus brachyptera) . The black-tailed deer [Cervus macrotis), the badger {Taxus labradorius) , Townsend's hare, the little Lago- mys, and striped Spermophile are its most characteristic quadru- peds; the Sage Hen [Centrocercus urophasianus), Towusend's Ptilogonys, and Prince Maximilian's Jay, some of its peculiar birds." The Washington territory records are silent in this case ; but we rather anticipate data from this quarter correspond- ing somewhat to the observations there of Dr. Cooper and of Suckley, if not also of Mr. Lord, upon Picicorvus ; for in other directions, as we now see, reports of the two birds are strikingly coincident. In respect of altitude, that of Gymnokitta may be a little lower ; but we doubt this : and if it has not yet been seen so high up mountain-peaks as Picicorvus, the evidence is still only negative. In a word, it is essentially a bird of the coniferous zone of vegetation, within the geographical area just indicated, — eastward, to the foothills and spurs of the Rocky Mountains, westward to the opposite slopes of the Cascade and coast ranges : while to the north it has not been traced as far as the Picicorvus (Sitka), to the south it remains, like Picicorvus, undiscovered on the tierra fria of Mexico. It breeds at or near the terminus of its altitudinal dispersion, ascending in winter to, if not a little beyond, the pine belt. 156 Mr. Elliott Coues on the History of At Fort Whipple, in Arizona, where our personal observations were made, the bird may be considered a permanent resident : though we did not observe it breeding in the immediate vicinity, it nests) as we know from the circumstance of finding newly fledged young in July) in the neighbouring and more elevated San Francisco and Bill Williams Mountains. We were never so fortunate as to discover its nest, and believe that its nidifi- cation remains unknown. Like most of its tribe — in fact, like most birds largely subsisting on varied animal and vegetable food — it is not strictly migratory ; for it finds nourishment in winter anywhere, except perhaps at its highest point of dis- persion ; and a descent of a few thousand feet from mountain - tops appears to answer the purpose of the southward journey that migratory species perform, as far as food is concerned, while its hardy nature enables it to endure the rigours of winter in regions frequently snow-bound. We may safely check the conflicting testimony respecting this bird's food (indeed we must do so) by simply crediting it with the omnivorous nature that is a strong and nearly exception- less trait of the family Corvida. Thus Dr. Kennerly says : — " Its food appears to be exclusively reptiles ; " ^ "^ "^ the flocks he saw * * * "constantly alighted on the ground, for the purpose, as I [he] ascertained, of capturing lizards, which they killed with great readiness ; '' and Mr. Cassin reasons, upon his correspondent's accounts, that " it does not appear to be in any considerable degree a fruit-eater, but is decidedly carnivorous and almost rapacious ; " and further draws an analogy with the rep- tilivorous Kingfishers {Todiramphus) . But this is going too far; and we will hear the other side. Dr. Newberry saw the birds " feeding on the berries of the cedar [Juniperus occidentalis) ;" and one that he killed " had the oesophagus filled with the seeds of the yellow pine." Our own testimony, emphatic and unreserved, is to the same eff"ect. According to our two years' observations the bird feeds principally upon juniper berries and pine seeds, also upon acorns, and probably other small hard fruits ; and during the winter, when they were particularly numerous at Fort Whipple, they could not possibly have eaten reptiles ; for no serpents, lizards, or frogs are abroad at that season. Truly the Blue Crow of America. 157 we never saw one capture a rejitile ; but this, so far from impugning Dr. Kennedy's evidence, simply brings us back to the opening sentence of this paragi-aph. The particular shape of the bill may indicate something in the bird's regimen that we do not yet exactly understand ; but, after all, the bill is not so very different from that of Picicorvus, and our observations show an extremely close similarity in the modes of life of the two species. If required, upon the evidence of reptilivorous habits, to draw a parallel, in some other family, with Gymnokitfa, we might instance one of the Saurotherinaj,such as Geococcyx calif ornianus, in contrast with ordinary arboricole CuculidJE. Notwithstanding its essentially corvine form, the habits of this bird, like its colour, lean hard upon those of Jays. Like these last, it is a garrulous, vociferous creature, of various curiously modulated chattering notes when at ease, and of extremely loud harsh cries when in fear or anger. The former are somewhat guttural; but the latter possess a resonance different alike from the hoarseness of the screams of Cyanura macrolopha and the wiry sharpness of the voice of Cyanocitta woodhousii. Like Jays, again, it is a restless, impetuous bird, as it were of an unbalanced, even frivolous mind, its turbulent presence con- trasting strongly with the usually poised and somewhat sedate demeanonr of the larger black Corvi. With these last, however, it shares a strong character — its attitudes when on the ground, to which it very frequently descends, being crow-like, and its gait, an easy walk or run, differing notably from the leaping mode of progression that is habitual with Jays. When perching, its customary attitude is rather stiff and prim, if indeed not quite so ei'ect as Mr. Cassin's figure indicates. It shares, with its relatives on either side of the family, a shy and watchful dispo- sition. Its flight is most nearly like that of Picicorvus. Per- haps gregariousness is its prominent distinctive trait. Immense as the gatherings of Crows frequently are, this seems rather due to community of interest than to a true social instinct ; each individual looks out for himself, and the company disperses for cause as readily as it assembles. It is different with these small Jay Crows ; they " make up " in flocks, sometimes of surprising SER. III. VOL. II. N 158 Mr. r. Da Cane Godman on the Besident and numbers, usually keep as close together as Blackbirds*, and move as if actuated by a common impulse. Their dispersion, as usual, is marked, if not complete, during the breeding-season ; but the flocks reassemble as soon as the yearlings are well on wing ; and from this time, until the following spring, one may more often see a hundred, or several hundreds, together than fall in with single birds. As we have elsewhere stated, we have witnessed a gathering of probably a thousand individuals, a sight that re- called Dr. Latham's statement respecting flocksof twenty thousand Cyanura cristata, with the thought that he would have come at any rate nearer the truth, and been less deserving of Wilson's sarcasm, could he have set down such figures against Gymnokitta cyanocephala. XX. — Notes on the Resident and Migratory Birds of Madeira and the Canaries. By F. Du Cane Godman, F.Z.S. &c. A VISIT to Madeira or the Canaries in early spring is, I think, one of the most enjoyable things one can imagine. Leaving be- hind the cold disagreeable weather we usually experience at that time of the year in England, in rather more than a week one finds one's self in a warm and genial climate, surrounded by most lovely scenery and a semitropical vegetation, which much more than compensate for the discomfort of the voyage. In March last year 1 paid a visit to these islands, and gave special attention to their ornithology, making a collection of all the birds I could procure; and in the following paper I propose to relate the results of my observations during the excursion, together with all the information I can glean from other sources, so as to make it as complete as possible ; and I trust it may not be without interest to the readers of ' The Ibis.' These two groups of islands present no new field to the na- turalist ; and there are few of our countrymen, at all events, who are not acquainted with the various works of Mr. Wol- laston founded on his indefatigable labours and interesting discoveries, the result of which has been to bring to light so many hitherto unknown and remarkable forms, especially amongst the Coleoptera. MM. Webb and Berthelot, too, * [Molothrus. — Ed.] Migratory Birds of Madeira and the Canaries. 159 have published a most comprehensive work on the botany and zoology of the Canaries, including in the latter the ornithology ; but probably the best authority on this last-named subject is Dr. IBolle, who has written several papers in the ' Journal fiir Ornithologie' *. Mr. Vernon Harcourt has given very com- plete lists of the birds of Madeira in the ' Proceedings of the Zoological Society/ and the ' Annals and Magazine of Natural History'f. Lastly, I must not omit to mention a short paper written by Prof. Newton in this Journal, and entitled " Two Days in Madeira"^. As might be supposed, from so hurried a visit, the latter article contains rather suggestions for future ornithologists to work out than new information respecting the birds inhabiting the island. I have freely made use of the works of all these authors, and, in most cases where I have done so, have mentioned whence my information has been derived; the remainder is from what came under my own notice. Unfortunately, in consequence of the prevalence of smallpox in Europe last year, I experienced considerable annoyance and delay through the stringent quarantine regulations enforced by the Spanish and Portuguese Governments, rendering commu- nication between the several islands very diflScult. Indeed, through the loss of time thus entailed, I found it quite impossible to visit as many of them as I had intended ; and instead of spending four months between the two groups, I was obliged to be content with two, as, in leaving the Canaries for Ma- deira, I was compelled to go through Spain, and take the steamer again from Lisbon, all direct intercourse between the islands being prohibited. My time being thus sadly curtailed, I thought it better to pass the greater part of what remained in Teneriffe, the most important of the Canaries, making a short trip to Palma and Gran Canary, and thence afterwards going to Madeira, as I have already said, via Cadiz and Lisbon. Under ordinary circumstances these islands are very accessible from * J. fiir Orn. 1854, pp. 447-462 ; 1855, pp. 171-181 ; 1857, pp. 258- 292 ; 1858, pp. 225-228 ; 18G2, pp. 357-360. t P. Z. S., 1851, pp. 141-146 ; Ann. & Mag. N. H. 2nd ser. vol. xii. pp. 58-63 (1853) ; vol. xv. pp. 430-438 (1855). t Ibis, 1863, pp. 185-195. N 2 160 Mr. F. Du Cane Godnian on the Resident and England, as there are constantly steamers from Liverpool to the African coast, most of which call at either Madeira, Teneriflfe, or Gran Canary, and there are also the regular Portuguese and Spanish mail-steamers. To a naturalist these isolated spots have an interest not possessed to the same extent by conti- nents, inasmuch as they are more capable of throwing light on the important question of geographical distribution. All the Atlantic islands are volcanic, and consequently moun- tainous ; and in some the traces of recent volcanic eruptions fall within the historic period. In others there are large tracts of land covered with cinders and scoriae almost destitute of vegetable life, whilst, again, in others, where the eruptions are of older date and the lavas more disintegrated, vegetation is exceedingly luxu- riant. To the stranger, perhaps, one of the most striking features is, that there is scarcely a flat piece of ground throughout, but the whole surface is broken up into innumerable abrupt mountains and hills varying in height from the Peak of TenerifFe, which attains an altitude above the sea-level of more than 12,000 feet, down to small conical hills of ashes not exceeding 100 feet in height. The climate of the Canaries near the coast, and more espe- cially of the eastern islands, is very dry, and during a great part of the year little or no rain falls iu the vicinity of the sea ; while, in consequence of the continual north-east trade winds to which all the islands are subject for a great portion of the year, a dense belt of mist forms and rests upon the mountains at a height of about 3000 feet above the sea. This remains throughout the whole day, and casts a gloom upon the mountain scenery ; but usually during the night this cloud clears away, and at sunrise the highest peaks are fi'equently visible. Soon after sunrise, however, the clouds form again, and the same state of things succeeds. This cloud is some 3000 to 4000 feet iu thickness, or extends to a height of 7000 feet above the sea, and from the lower portions of TenerifFe (and also of the other islands) obscures all view of the highest peaks of the mountain- tops. Above 7000 feet a wind constantly blows from the south-west, overlaying the north-cast trades — a wind nearly destitute of moisture. Thus it frequently happens that the Migrator ij Birds uf Madeira and the Canaries. 161 Peak of Teneriffe is visible at a distance out at sea though obscured to those on the island. The same phenomenon takes place in the other islands where the mountains are high. During the months of July, August, and September, and also occasionally during winter, no clouds appear on the mountains. The botanical features of the islands are hardly what might have been expected from their southerly position. A large portion of the plants are either European or closely allied to European species ; but there are others, such as the euphorbias and laurels, widely differing from any thing now existing on the neighbouring continent. The vegetation, especially of the Canaries, may be divided into zones. Beginning from the sea- shore, we get the remarkable Euphorbia canariensis (which, as its name implies, is peculiar to this group), together with other species of the same genus. A considerable portion of the land has now been cleared and brought under cultivation, and pro- duces cochineal, the chief export product of the islands. At the height of about 3000 feet, or where the clouds caused by the trade winds commence, the laurel forest begins, and ex- tends upwards for some 3500 feet ; in this cloudy zone every- thing is saturated with moisture, fostering the fine laurel forest and grand ferns that abound there. Much of the forest has now been destroyed by the improvident inhabitants for fuel and other purposes; but the stumps of the old trees still indicate its former extent. In some few places, where the cutting of trees has been prohibited, one can form some idea, from the grandeur and size of the til and laurel trees, of the character these forests once possessed. Such are the forests of Tacaronte and Tagaiiana in Teneriffe. Above the laurels, or at about 6000 feet above the sea, comes a belt of tree heath [Erica arborea). This again is suc- ceeded by a forest of pine trees [Pinus canai'iensis) , which towards its upper margin become stunted. Finally, at about 9000 feet there remains nothing but retama {Cytisus nubigenus), which also is peculiar to these islands. Beyond the retama vegetation ceases, and nothing but ashes and lava rocks remain, there being- no trace, as on European mountain-tops, of any thing like an alpine flora. These islands arc much frequented by Petrels and other 1G2 Mr. E. Du Cane Godman on the Resident and oceanic wanderers ; and there are three places especially where they breed — namely, the Desertas, some rocky uninhabited islands about thirty miles to the eastward of Funchal, the Sal- vages, situated nearly midway between Madeira and Gran Ca- nai-y, and the small island of Allegranza to the northward of Lau- zarote. Being in Madeira in the breeding-season, I deter- mined on making an expedition to the Desertas, and for this purpose chartered a large half-decked fishing-boat with the requisite crew, and laid in a supply of provisions sufficient to have lasted for a week. It was a beautiful morning when I started, and the weather appeared settled, and I had congra- tulated myself on the prospect of making a good collection of birds and eggs. In about five hours we reached Chao ; but the breeze had freshened considerably, and the sailors intimated that there would be some difficulty in landing, as there is no beach on which to run the boat, and a heavy surf was beating upon the rocks. They managed, however, to bring the boat round into a small bay which was partly sheltered from the wind ; and having let go an anchor from the stern to prevent our drifting upon the rocks, two of the men jumped into the water and swam ashore, each with the end of a rope in his hand, which, as soon as they landed, they made fast to the rocks, thus secui'ing the boat from three different points. They then hauled the boat in close to the rocks, and we scrambled ashore and set to work at once searching for birds and eggs. There were only a few pairs of Gulls and Terns flying about, and nothing like the number of sea-birds I had been led to expect. We found plenty of Bulwer^s Petrels sitting on their eggs, which were in holes or under rocks, and usually about as far in as one could reach with one's arm. They build no nest, but lay their eggs on the bare rock. I did not find more than one egg in each nest. I secured several birds and eggs, and kept some of the former alive. It is curious to watch them crawling along the ground ; for they cannot fly unless they get to the edge of a rock ; they waddle along on their feet, and, when they come to a steep place, use the sharp-pointed hook of their beaks to draw themselves up with. They seem to dislike the light, and hide themselves under a rock or crawl into a hole as soon Migrator u Birds of Madeira and the Canaries. 163 as possible ; I never saw one of this species flying about in the daytime, though some of the smaller ones are common enough. With some difficulty I afterwards scrambled up to the top of the cliff, which is some height above the sea and, being volcanic, crumbled away under one^s foot and made the hold insecure. On reaching the top I found it to be nearly flat and covered with cinders ; a few weeds were the only plants. IJere there were numbers of Titlarks {Anthus bertheloti) , and I shot several specimens. I had only seen two in Madeira. There were also flocks of Canaries and Linnets. Having spent about four hours on the island, we got into the boat again, in- tending to go on to Deserta Grande, which, as its name implies, is the largest of the islands, and is said to be a more favourite breeding-place for Petrels. As soon, however, as we got outside of our sheltered bay we found the sea had risen considerably ; and a stiff breeze was blowing, causing such a heavy surf that the sailors said we could not safely go near the island. How- ever, I made them try, and we went as near shore as we dared ; but we found it quite impossible to land; so, having got all I could from Chao, we started back again for Madeira, On clearing the point of the island the wind was dead against us, and we were obliged to tack, in doing which, on two oc- casions, we shipped so much water that nearly all my birds and eggs were washed overboard and the boat almost swamped. It took us about fourteen hours to return to Madeira; and we were glad enough to land at St. Cruz at 2 o^clock next morn- ing, thoroughly drenched, and with our boat half full of water. I would advise future travellers who may undertake the same expedition not to go in a smaller vessel than a good schooner. There would not be much difficulty in hiring one at Madeira, as there are several which sail to Porto Santo and other islands. The fishing-boats are not of a build to stand rough weather; and sometimes, as on this occasion, the wind springs up very suddenly. I was told that a few years ago that an Englishman had landed on Deserta Grande to shoot sea-birds, and that while he was ashore it came on to blow so hard that the boat was obliged to return for safetv to Madeira without him, and it was three 164 Mr. F. Du Cane Goduian on the Resident and days before he could be rescued, as it is impossible to land in heavy weather. A party of sailors go annually to the Salvages for the fish- ing, and spend some months camped out on these islands. I was told that they also collect and salt large quantities of the sea-birds which resort there to breed, and bring them home preserved in barrels. They were there when I was in Madeira ; so I could not gain any information from them about the bir^s of those islands. I left Madeira for England a few days after my trip to the De- sertas, so had not another opportunity of revisiting them. I collected a considerable number of birds' skins in Madeira and the Canaries, in the latter group principally from the island of Teneriffe. These, since my return home, I have carefully compared with European examples of the same or most nearly allied species, and also with my Azorean specimens. In the following hst I have marked those birds I observed myself with a dagger (f) ; in other cases 1 have given the authority for their admission. It will be seen that there are several species I did not meet with. This is to be accounted for by my comparatively short stay, and also by the fact of my being able to visit only some of the islands. 1. fNEOPHRON PERCNOPTERUS (Liuu.). Neophron pei'cnoj)terus, W. & B. Orn. Can. p. 5 ; Bolle, J. fur Orn. 1854, p. 448, and 1857, p. 268. Cathartes percnopterus, Vern. Hare. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 2nd ser, 1855, xv. p. 437. Common in all the Canarian group, where some i&vi pairs may usually be seen flying over the towns or large villages at a considerable height. I once saw fourteen together near La- guna, in Teneriffe, feeding on the carcass of a dead animal ; they were so gorged that they took but little notice of me, and allowed me to approach quite close before they flew off. They breed in the rocks in the mountains of Teneriffe, and most pro- bably also in the other islands of the Canarian group. I have a fine coloured egg taken from a nest in a ravine near Chasna in the highland of Teneriffe; it was brought me by a country- Miyratory Birds of Madeira and the Canaries. 165 man, and was quite fresh. He told me that he saw the old bird fly from the nest, which he said was quite low down the cliff and easy of access. Vernon Harcourt mentions this Vulture as occurring occa- sionally in Madeira. I never heard of it in the Azores, nor do I believe it ever occurs there. 2. Ealco peregrinus, Linn. Falco peregrinus, W. & B. Orn. Can. p. 5 ; Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1854, p. 449, and 1857, p. 270. I never met with this bird, though both Berthelot and Bolle say it is found in some of the Canaries ; Vernon Harcourt does not mention it in his list of the resident birds of Madeira. 3. Falco subbuteo, Linn. Falco subbuteo, W. & B. Orn. Can. p. 6; Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1854, p. 449; Vern. Hare. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 2nd ser. 1855, XV. p. 437. Bolle omits this species in his second paper on the Canary- Island birds, though in his first he says the Hobby is not un- frequently met with in the eastern islands, where its favourite food is the Skylark [Alauda arvensis). I never saw it myself. MM. Webb and Berthelot say that it is to be found throughout the archipelago. In Madeira it is a straggler. 4. TiNNUNCULUS ALAUDARIUS (Gm.). Falco tinnunculus, L. ; W. & B. Orn. Can. p. 6; Bolle, J. fiii- Orn. 1854, p. 449, and 1857, p. 272; Vern. Hare. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 2nd ser. 1855, xv. p. 437. The Kestrel is exceedingly common in both Madeira and the Canaries, where it feeds principally upon lizax'ds, which are very numerous. I secured a good series of specimens of both sexes and various ages. The mature females assume a grey tail at the end of the first year, but, unlike the males, this is always crossed with narrow bars. The male appears to get the grey tail at the same age. The plumage of the young birds is remarkably dark. It breeds in holes in the cliffs; and I have seen as many as twelve or fifteen pairs that had nested in the same ravine, where they appear not to interfere with each other. The characters I have briefly drawn attention to above 166 Mr. F. Du Cane Godiiian on the Resident and distinguish the Kestrel of Madeira and the Canaries from ordi- nary European specimens. Similar peculiarities appear in the Kestrels found in Japan, Nepal, and Abyssinia, when compared with European examples ; but I am unable to detect any really tangible points of difference between specimens from these widely separated localities. A larger series of skins may throw more light upon this matter; but present want of materials compels me to leave it sub judice. It is not improbable that the bird from West Africa, described by Swainsou (Birds of \V. Afr. i. p. 109) as Falco rufescem, may prove to be identical with the Kestrel from these islands ; so that, if it be sufficiently distinct from the European bird, Swainson^s name can be used for it. 5. fMiLvus icTiNUS, Sav. Falco milvus, Linn.; W. & B. Can. Orn. p. 7; Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 185^, p. 449. Milvus regalis, Bolle, J. fiir Orn. p. 270. One of the most common of the Raptores in Teneriffe and other islands of the gi'oup, where it is stationary. It may be seen flying over any of the large villages, and is always on the look-out for poultry, amongst which it has the reputation of being very destructive, whence it is the universal enemy. Not- withstanding this, I failed to procure a specimen for my col- lection, though it is to be seen everywhere. 6. fHALiAETUs ALBiciLLA (Linn.). Falco albicilla, Lath.; W. & B. Orn. Can. p. 6; Bolle, J. fur Orn. 1854, p. 449. Webb and Berthelot do not seem to have observed this Eagle, though Dr. Bolle says that he met with it in the island of Lobos in May 1864 in some numbers. He also mentions it as a coast species in Teneriffe. In the month of April I fre- quently watched a pair of these birds three or four miles to the eastward of Orotava, near the coast. They frequented a high, inaccessible cliff over the sea, where I suspect they had a nest, though it was impossible to ascertain the fact. The birds were very wary, and I could not get close to them ; yet, as I had several opportunities of observing them with my glasses, I have Migratory Birds of Madeira and the Canaries. 167 no doubt about the species. I never met with it elsewhere amongst the islands ; and it is not recorded from Madeira. 7. fBuTEo VULGARIS, Lacep. Falco buteo, Linn. ; W. & B. Orn. Can. p. 8; Bolle, J. I'iir Orn. 1854., p. 449 ; Vern. Hare. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 2, 1855, XV. p. 437. Buteo vulgaris, Ray; Bolle, J. fur Orn. 1857, p. 270. The most common of all the larger birds of prey in the Azores, Madeira, and the Canaries. I, unfortunately, did not procure specimens from the last two groups of islands, where it chiefly frequents the more wooded parts. The Azorean birds I have are very light-coloufed, and resemble more the southern form of this Buzzard {Buteo desert orum) . From a distance the birds I saw in Madeira and the Canaries did not appear to me to belong to this race, being as dark as common European specimens ; but as I did not get examples, I cannot determine this point with certainty. 8. fAcciPiTER Nisus (Linn.). Falco nisus, Linn.; W. & B. Orn. Can. p. 7; Bolle, J. filr Orn. 1854, p. 449 ; Vern. Hare. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 2, 1855, XV. p. 437. 1 believe this species is found sparingly throughout all the Canaries. The only specimen I obtained was that of a very old male in fine plumage, which I shot near Orotava in the month of April. I saw it also occasionally in other parts. Bolle says it is numerous in Tenerifi'e and Gran Canary, and that it does not migrate. 9. Circus cineraceus (Mont.). Falco cineraceus, W. & B. Orn. Can. p. 8; Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1854, p. 450. Inserted on the above authorities. I did not observe it. 10. t^'^si^ OTUS (Linn.). Strix otus, W. & B. Orn. Can. p. 9 ;. Bolle, J. fur Orn. 1854, p. 450, and 1857, p. 274. Dispersed through the Atlantic islands, but nowhere abun- dant. It frequents chiefly the deep shaded ravines, and is 168 Mr. F. Du Cane Godman un the Resident and consequently seldom seen. I procured a very young specimen in Fayal, one of the Azores, and I also saw an adult bird that had been killed in the forest of Taganana in Teneriffe. It is also occasionally found in Madeira^ where it probably breeds. I saw a stuffed bird of this species at Funchal. It had been killed in the island. 11. fSTRix FLAMMEA, Linn, Strix flamrnea, W. & B. Orn. Can. p. 8; BoUe, J. fiir Orn. 1854, p. 450, and 1857, p. 274 ; Veru. Hare. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 2, 1855, xv. p. 437. Like the preceding species, the Barn-Owl is thinly scattered throughout the three Atlantic groups of islands. Examples I have seen from the Azores and Canaries are rather darker-coloured than continental specimens, but in other respects they do not differ. 12. tFicus MAJOR, Linn. Picus major, W. & B. Orn. Can. p. 26; Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1854, p. 462. Picus numidicus?, Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1857, p. 320. This Woodpecker is tolerably common amongst the pine forests of Teneriffe in the high mountains. I also saw several in the retama bushes in the Canadas. Bolle says that P. numidicus is probably the Canarian species, and not P. major. I procured a few specimens from near Chasna (the locality where he mentions having seen it) which undoubtedly are iden- tical with the northern race. It also inhabits Gran Canary and Palma, and possibly some of the other islands of the group. This widely distributed species is not mentioned by Vernon Harcourt as occurring in Madeix'a; and if Mr. Brewer was not mistaken, P. minor is the only Woodpecker found in the Azores ; but I think it more than possible he may have mistaken the lesser for the greater species. P. numidicus, to which species Dr. Bolle seems inclined to refer the Canarian bird, has a conspicuous red pectoral band, rendering it easily distinguishable from P. major. There can be no doubt that the Woodpecker I am now mentioning belongs to the latter species, though the contrary might be surmised from Migratonj Birds of Madeira and the Canaries. 169 the geographical position of the islands. Both are well figured inSharpe and Dresser's 'Birds of Europe/ though they do not give positive information as to which species is found in the Canaries. 13. fALCEDO ispiDA, Linn. Alcedo ispida, W. & B. Orn. Can. p. 25; Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1854., p. 461, & 1857, p. 319; Vern. Hare. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 2, 1855, xv. p. 437. I am not sure that this bird has any real right to be included amongst the resident species of the Canaries, though it is fre- quently met with about the coasts of the eastern islands. I do not believe it breeds there. I saw it once or twice near the port of Orotava, in Teneriffe, in the middle of April. It is given by Vernon Harcourt in his list of occasional visitors in Madeira. 14. fUpuPA EPOPs, Linn. Vpupa epops, W. & B. Orn. Can. p. 26; Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1854, p. 461, & 1857, p. 319; Vern. Hare, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 2, 1855, xv. p. 437. Inhabits all the islands of the Canarian archipelago, where it breeds. It is said to be migratory, arriving early in spring and taking its departure again in autumn. It is very tame, and may frequently be seen about Laguna, in Teneriffe, perched upon a wall at the side of the road, erecting and lowering its crest as any one passes, without showing any signs of alarm. Vernon Harcourt mentions its casual occurrence in Madeira, on the authority of Mr. Lowe ; and I saw a single example which had been killed in Terceira, one of the Azores, some time previously Bolle says that, though the greater number migrate, a few indi- viduals remain in the Canaries throughout the winter. 15. Caprimulgus RuncoLLis, Temm. Caprimulgiis ruficoUis, W. & B. Orn. Can. p. 24; Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1854, p.' 461, & 1857, p. 323. Mentioned by Webb and Berthelot as of accidental occurrence, though Bolle seems to consider it a regular summer visitant. The latter observer says it breeds in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, and therefore ought to be included amongst the recognized birds of the Canaries. It is probable it does not extend to the western islands. I did not see it myself. Vernon Harcourt, on the 170 Mr. F. Du Cane Godman on the Resident and authority of Mr. Hinton, gives C. europaus as an occasional straggler iu Madeira. 16. fCYPSELUs PALLiDUSj Shelley. Cijpselus apus, Linn. W. & B. Orn. Can. p. 23; Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1854, p. 460, & 1857, p. 322. Cijpselus murarius, Temm. Veru. Have. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 2, 1855, xv. p. 437. The distinction between this species and C. apus was first pointed out by Capt. Shelley, and described in * The Ibis' (1870, p. 445) . He says it is extremely abundant in Egypt, and arrives iu February, and that he never saw the common Swift, though he kept a sharp look-out for it. My specimens from Madeira and the Canaries agree with his Egyptian types. It is easily distinguished on the wing, by its much lighter colour and whiter throat. It is rather remarkable that in Madeira both this and the next species are said to be stationary throughout the year, while in the Canaries they leave in autumn and return in March. C. paUidus appears usually a few days before C. unicolor. It breeds, both in the Canaries and Madeira, in cliffs. 17. iCvPSELUs UNICOLOR, Jardine. Cypselus unicolor, W. & B. Orn. Can. p. 24; Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1854, p. 460, & 1857, p. 322; Vern. Hare. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 2, 1855, xv. p. 437. This appears equally common with the last-named species, both in Madeira and the Canaries, where it frequents chiefly the high land, while its congener is most abundant near the sea, whence the latter has received the name of '^Andorhina do mar," while the former is called "Andorhina da serra." I saw several about the Canadas, skimming over the retama bushes, which were then in full bloom and attracted numerous insects. It builds in holes in the cliffs, where it nests in societies. I also found a small colony nesting in a cliff on the north side of Madeira, not far from the sea. 18. fHiRUNDO RUSTiCA, Linn. Hirundo rustica, W, & B. Orn. Can. p. 23; Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1854, p. 460, & 1857, p. 322; Vern. Hare. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 2, 1855, xv. p. 437. Migratory Birds of Madeira and the Canaries. 171 I found the Swallow breeding abundantly in Madeira and Ca- naries, though both Webb and Berthelot, and Bolle, say it only occurs on passage in the Canaries. Vernon Harcourt records it amongst his list of stragglers in Madeira ; but, the year I was there, there were numbers about St. Anna, on the north side, in June. I cannot say whether it is stationary in Madeira and has been overlooked; but in Teneriflfe I was told it arrived soon after the Swift ; these latter birds, however, are not migratory in Madeira. 19. fHiRUNDO URBiCA, Linn. Hirundo urhica, Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1854, p. 460; Vern. Hare. Ann. & Mag. Nat Hist. ser. 2, 1855, xv. p. 437. This species is not recorded as a resident by other observers, and perhaps is only accidental ; but as I saw a pair that had a nest at St. Anna in Madeira, I include it. I did not meet with it in the Canaries or elsewhere. Bolle says he saw swarms of them at Oliva, in Fuerteventura, in April 1852. He remarks that they disappeared as quickly as they came. 20. MusciCAPA ATRiCAPiLLA, Linn. Muscicapa atricopilla, W. & B. Orn. Can. p. 11 ; Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1854, p. 452. This bird is admitted into the Canarian list on the authority of Webb and Berthelot, who give as its habitat the island of Tenei'ifFe, w'here, however, I never met with it. 21. Lanius , sp.? Lanius excuhitor, Linn. ; W. & B. Orn. Can. p. 10. ; Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1854, p. 452. Lanius meridionalis ; Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1857, p. 274. A Shrike is not unfrequent near the shore in the Canaries ; Bolle says it builds in the Euphorbia canariensis, and that the inhabitants encourage it, as it feeds upon the Gekko, an object of fear amongst the natives, who believe it to be poison- ous. I did not procure specimens, so cannot say whether Bolle is right in his second paper in ascribing it to L. meridionalis instead of L. excuhitor. Sharpe and Dresser (Birds of Europe) think the species will prove to be L. algeriensis. 172 Mr. F. Du Cane Godman on the Resident and 22. fTuRDUs MERULA, Linn. Turdus merula, W. & B. Orn. Can. p. 12; BoUe, J. fiir Orn. 1854, p. 453, & 1857, p. 278; Vern. Hare. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 2, 1855, xv. p. 437. Found in the Canaries, Madeira, and the Azores, where it is very common in all damp places. Bolle says it is not found in Lanzarote, nor in Fuerteventura. In Gran Canary and Teneriffe it is seldom seen near the coast ; but in the tree-heath- and laurel-district it is exceedingly abundant, 23. Parus major, Linn. Parus major, W. & B. Orn. Can. p. 17; Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1854, p. 455, & 1857, p. 284. Seems to be found in the pine-forests of Teneriffe and Palma ; it however escaped my observation, and I fancy it cannot be common. 24. Parus texeriff^e. Less. Parus teneriffa, Sharpe & Dresser, Birds Eur. Parus ultramarinus, Bonap. Parus violaceus, Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1854, p. 455. Parus cceruleus, Linn.; \\ . & B. Orn. Can. p. 18; Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1857, p. 284. This beautiful little Titmouse is common throughout the Ca- naries, and is found from the sea-level up to a height of from 5000 to 6000 feet. Its habits much resemble those of its ally P. cceruleus. It nests either in a hole in a wall, or in a rotten tree. A pair of these birds had a nest in the wall of a banana- garden just beneath my window in Orotava. The young birds were already hatched when I arrived there on the 6th of April. I procured several specimens in Teneriffe, which are identical with Algerian examples. Sharpe and Dresser, in their article on this species, in their ^History of the Birds of Europe' mention that there is "one difference which is noticeable'' between Algerian and Canarian skins. " The island birds have an almost entire absence of the white tips to the greater wing-coverts and secondaries." On looking over all my series, I do not find this character constant to the birds of either locality. Mr. Dresser has since shown me Migratory Birds of Madeira and the Canaries. 1 73 an Algerian bird in which these markings are quite as faint as in any of my Canarian specimens ; so the birds must be considered to belong to the same species. 25. Troglodytes parvulus, Koch. Troglodytes europceus, Vera. Hare. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist, ser. 2, 1855, xv. p. 437. Sylvia troglodytes, BoUe, J. fiir Orn. 1854, p. 454. Webb and Berthelot doubt the occurrence of the Wren in the Canaries ; Bolle, however, says that it is found there ; I never saw it. 26. fi^EGULUS MADERENsis, Vcrn. Hare. Regulus ? Vern. Hare. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 2, vol. xii. p. 58 (1853). Regulus maderensis, Vern. Hare. P. Z. S. 1854, p. 153; Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 2, 1855, xv. p. 432. This pretty little Goldcrest is not uncommon in the higher parts of Madeira, where it frequents chiefly the tree heath {Erica arborea) and the arbutus [Clethra arhorea), and, like our Golden-crest, feeds upon insects it picks from the leaves. It is not easy to procure specimens, as the brush-wood is so thick, and when shot at from a close distance a bird is blown to pieces and spoiled for preserving. I also found it in a fir-wood a little above St. Anna, on the north side of the island. This was the only place I met with it low down. 27. t^EGULUs CRisTATus, Linn. Regulus ?, Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1854, p. 455. "Regulus maderensis, Vern. Hare. ;^' Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1857, p. 284. Bolle mentions a Canarian species of Regulus. He says that he did not obtain specimens. I found it in Taganana, and in the highlands of Teneriffe, in the laurel-forests and also amongst the tree heath. My examples cannot be distinguished from the European Golden-crest. In Madeira it is represented by the preceding species, while in the Azores, again, we find R. cristatus, but always having the legs and beak rather larger than British or Continental specimens. SER III. VOL. II. o 174 Mr. F. Da Cane Godmau on the Resident and 28. Phyllopneuste rufa (Lath.). Sylvia rufa, Bonap. ; Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1857, p. 281. Common in Teneriffe, Palma, and Gran Canaiy, where it chiefly inhabits the upper and heathy districts, though I shot some specimens in a garden at Orotava. They are identical with our ChifF-chaff. I have six or seven skins from Teneriffe. 29. Pyrophthalma melanocephala (Gm.). Sylvia melanocephala, W. & B. Orn. Can. p. 14; Bolle, J, fiir Orn. 1854, p. 454, & 1857, p. 282. Webb and Berthelot found this species in Teneriffe ; and I met with it in a garden in Palma and in Gran Canary. 30. Sylvia cinerea, Bp. Sylvia cinerea, W. & B. Orn. Can. p. 14; Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1854, p. 454. Found, according to Webb and Berthelot, and Dr. Bolk% throughout the Canarian archipelago where there are thorn- bushes. I failed to procure specimens of either this or the two following species. 31. tSYLVIA ATRICAPILLA, LiuU. Sylvia atricapilla, W. & B. Orn. Can. p. 14; Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1854, p. 453, & 1857, p. 280; Vern. Hare. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 2, 1855, xv. p. 437 ; Jard. & Selby, Illus. of Orn. t. 94; Heineken, Zool. Jouru. v. p. 75. This bird is very common in the Canaries, Madeira, and the Azores, and is much prized by the inhabitants for its singing- qualities. It is caught in considerable numbers and kept in cages, and is easily domesticated. In both Madeira and the Azores a variety is not unfrequently found, having the black on the head extending as far as the shoulders and round under the throat. This dark variety was described by Jardine and Selby as a species, in ^ Illustrations of Ornithology,' under the name of Curruca heinekeni. I have seen some eight or nine examples in cages ; and one of them had the black of the throat extending as far as the breast, where it was gradually shaded off beneath into a slaty grey. The back also of this individual was darker than that of an ordinary Black-cap. I never saw this variety wild. A few caged specimens are usually to be seen in some of Migratory Birds of Madeira and the Canaries. 175 the stores of Funchal, in Madeira. I could not ascertain that this singular variety occurs in the Canaries, They are said to interbreed with the common Black-cap. It is only in the male birds that this dark plumage occurs. 32. tSvLViA coNSPiciLLATA, Marm. Sylvia conspicillata, Vern. Hare. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 2, 1855, XV. p. 437. This beautiful little Warbler seems to have escaped the notice of other ornithologists who have visited the Canaries ; it is not, however, unfrequently to be seen in the neighbourhood of Orotava, where it frequents thick bushes, and into which it plunges at the approach of danger. I saw it also near the Paul da Serra, in ^ladeira. Vernon Harcourt includes it in his list from this latter island. 33. Sylvia subalpina, Bonelli. Sylvia passerina, Temm. ; W. & B. Orn, Can. p. 15 ; Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1854, p. 454, & 1857, p. 282. A native of Teneriffe, where Berthelot found it nesting, 34. Calamodyta aquatica (Lath,). Sylvia aquatica, Lath.; W, & B, Orn. Can. p. 13; Bolle, J. fur Orn. 1854, p. 453. Said by Webb and Berthelot to inhabit Gran Canary, where, however, it cannot be common, as there are few places in the island adapted to its habits. I did not see it during my short visit there. 35. tERiTHACUS RUBECULA (Linn,). Sylvia rubecula, W. & B. Orn, Can, p, 16; Bolle, J. fiir Orn, 1854, p. 454. Vern. Hare. Ann. & Mag. N. H. ser. 2, 1855, xv. p. 437. Erythacus rubecula, Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1857, p. 283. The Robin is met with in the Canaries, Madeira, and the eastern Azores. It is rather remai'kable that birds from the last-named islands agree with the South-European race, which is paler in colour than British or North-European specimens, whilst those from Madeira and the Canaries are identical with the darker northern form. Like the Blackbird, this species is o2 176 Resident and Migratory Birds of Madeira and the Canaries. seldom found near the coast in Teneriffe and Gran Canary; but at an elevation of from 2000 to 8000 feet above the sea it is very common. 36. RuTiciLLA PHCENicuRA (Linn.). Ruticilla phoenicura, W. & B. Orn. Can. p. 15; Bolle J. fiir Orn. 1854, p. 454, and 1857, p. 283. Also said by Berthelot to inhabit Teneriffe, where it builds in the walls. 37. Pratincola rubicola (Linn.). Pratincula 7'ubicola,W. & B. Orn. Can. p. 13. Saxicola rubicola, Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1854, p. 453, and 1857, p. 279. Webb and Berthelot met with this bird at Mercedes, in Tene- riffe, where, howevei', they say it is rare. I did not observe it ; nor is its occurrence recorded by Vernon Harcourt in Madeira. 38. fMoTACILLA SULPHUREA (Bechst.). M. hoarula, Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1857, p. 286; Vern. Hare. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 2, 1855, xv. p. 437. M.flava} W. & B. Orn. Can. p. 16; Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1854, p. 455. This beautiful species is exceedingly common in all three of the Atlantic archipelagoes ; wherever there is a pool or stream of water, a pair of them are sure to be seen, actively engaged in catching the insects which abound in such localities. Webb and Berthelot, and also Bolle, in his first paper on the birds of the Canaries, have mistaken it for M. flava, though the latter has corrected this error in his second paper, as quoted above. 39. fANTHUS BERTHELOTI, Bollc. Ibis, 1862, p. 343; J. f. Orn. 1862, p. 357. A. trivialis, hinn. ; W. & B. Orn. Can. p. 16; Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1854, p. 455. A. pratensis, A'^ern. Hare. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 2, 1855, XV. p. 437. A. campestris, Bolle, J. fiir Orn. 1857, p. 288. The distinction between this species and its continental allies, with which it had previously been confounded, was pointed out by Dr. Bolle in ' The Ibis ' for 1862, p. 343, where he describes Mr. P. L. Sclater on Peltops, Earyleemus, and Todus. 177 it under the above specific name. I procured several examples of it in TenerifFe, where it is exceedingly common. I also saw it in the islands of Palma and Gran Canary, though I failed to pi'ocure specimens from either. On the Desertas it is exceed- ingly common, and I shot several specimens on the smallest island ; but unfortunately they were all washed overboard m returning, together with the rest of the things I collected there. A. bertheloti takes short flights, like A.pratensis. It is usually very tame, and runs along the ground, not caring to take flight, whence it has received the name "Caminero" in the Canaries, and " Corre-de-Caminho " in Madeira. [To be coutinued.] XXI. — Observations on the Systematic Position of the Genera Peltops, Euryltemus, and Todus. By P. L. Sclater, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S. The genus Peltops, containing the single species P. hlainvillii of New Guinea, has been usually referred to the Eurylseminae, or Broad-bills, and the group thus formed united in the same family with the Rollers (Coraciadse), the Todies (Todidse), and the Motmots (Momotidse), or at all events placed in their im- mediate neighbourhood*. Several errors are, in my opinion, embraced in this classification. In the first place, Peltops has nothing whatever to do with the EurylaBmidse, being a truly Muscicapine form allied to Monarcha and Machcerirhynckus, as the most casual examination of its structure at once shows. The mistake, no doubt, comes from the somewhat exaggerated form of the bill in Peltops, and from its general coloration resembling that of Cymbirhijnchus. The rarity oi Peltops has prevented the error from being discovered. On examining the wing of Peltops it will be seen that the first primary is short or " spurious," as in all the true Osciues, when it exists at all. In Cymbirliynchus there are ten fully formed primaries. There is also a conspicuous diff'erence in the size of the feet in the tvv^o forms, these organs being strong and thick * In Mr. G. R. Gray's ' Hand-list of Birds ' (i. p. 319) Peltops is cor- rectly placed in the Muscicapidin. 178 Mr. P. L. Sclater on the Systematic Position of in Cymbii'hynchus, while they are feeble and weak in Peltops, as in other Muscicapidse. The relegation oi Peltops to the Musci- capidse also removes an anomaly in geographical distribution, it being obviously strange that an otherwise exclusively Indo- Malayan type, such as the Eurylsemidse, should have a single outlier in New Guinea. Next, as regards the Eurylsemidse themselves. After the eli- mination of Peltops, this group contains the genera Psarisomus, Serilophus, Eurylamus, Corydon, Cymhirhynchus, and Calypto- mena, all restricted to the Indian region. Dr. Jerdon (Birds of India, i. p. 235) has given us a suggestive epitome of the various opinions that have prevailed as to the position of this family in the ' Systema Naturae/ He says : — " The real situation of the Eurylaimi in a natural disposition of birds is somewhat uncer- tain. Van der Hoeven places them at the end of the Caprimul- gidge ; Gray as a subfamily of Coraciadse ; and Bonaparte also locates them next to the Rollers. Horsfield joins them with the Todies, to form a distinct family of the Fissirostres. Swainson removes them from this tribe to the Fly-catchers. And Blyth and Wallace class them with the Pipridae or Ampelidse." I am not aware that any one of the authors whose discordant opinions are thus quoted has examined any part of the osseous structure of the Eurylsemidge, without a knowledge of which it is of course impossible to come to any certain conclusion as to their true position. On turning for information on this subject to Blanchard's ex- cellent (but, alas ! incomplete) memoir on theOsteology of Birds*, we find that the sternum of Eurylcemus is truly Passerine, and " resembles that of the Swallows.^^ An examination of a sternum of Eurylamus javanicus in Lord Walden's collection quite con- firms Professor Blanchard^s statement. As will be seen by the outline given herewith (fig. 3), the sternum oi Ewylamus has the characteristic form of the true Passeres, and is quite different from that of Coracias (fig. 4) and Todus (fig. 1), with which it has been most unnaturally associated. As to the exact place to be assigned to Eurylamus and its allies in the great Passerine series, that is a subject for more * Ann. d. Sc. Nat. Zool. xi. p. 110 (1859). Peltops, Eurylsemns, and Todus. 179 minute investigation. I believe, however, that Mr. Wallace will pi'obably be found to be correct in considering the Eurylsemidse the paleogean representatives of the neotropical Cotingidse*. i fig:. 1. Lower surface of sternum of Todus. 2. tipper „ „ To(Iirostru7n. 3. Lower „ „ EurylcBmus. 4. Upper „ „ Coracias. Having mentioned Todus, I will now add a few remarks to express my surprise at this well-marked type beiug still con- founded by some systematistsf with the Tyrauniue genus Todi- rostrum. One glance at the sterna of these two little birds (see figs. 1 and 2) is quite enough to show that they have nothing to do with one another. TodusX is closely allied to Alcedo, and still more to Momotus, its nearest living ally being certainly the diminutive Motmot called Hylomanes momotula. Todirostrum, on the contrary, is a true Tyrannine form, and belongs to the great Passerine series. I submit, therefore, to the author of the next classification of birds, and to systematists in general who treat of these forms : — * See Ann. Nat. Hist. ser. 2, vol, xviii. p. 199. t Cabanis, in Tachudi's ' Fauna Peruana,' Aves, p. 1G2, and Wiegm. Arch. xiii. pt. 1, p. 257. See also Carus, Ilandb. d. Zool. i. p. 265. X Cf. Blanchaid, op. cit. p. 110. 180 Mr. W. E. Brooks on a new Indian Sylvia. 1. That Peltops should be referred to the family Muscicapidse. 2. That the Eurylsemidse should be assigned to the order Passeres. 3. That the Todidse should be constituted a family of Coccygo- morphse in the immediate neighbourhood of the Momotidse. XXII. — On a new Sylvia /rom India. By W. E. Brooks, C.E. Melizophilus striatus, sp, nov. Description. Above light brownish-grey, streaked on the head, as far as the shoulders, with dark brown narrow streaks ; a pale rufous-brown broad supercilium; the cheeks and ear-coverts are also of this colour, which extends down the sides of the neck and breast, becoming very pale and diluted under the wings and on the flanks. Wings light brown; the edges of quills and coverts greyish. Tail a very much darker or blackish brown ; the outer feather on each side is rather lighter and is tipped with white; the tail-feathers are cross-rayed, particularly the outer ones. Lower surface of body, except sides of neck, breast, and flanks, white, with narrow brown streaks from chin to upper breast. These streaks are well defined in one specimen, and faint in another. Lining of wing, and edge of the same, reddish white. Bill dark brown, except basal half of lower mandible, which is dull brownish-orange. Legs and feet yellowish brown, claws brown. Length 4-55 to 4*8 inches; wing 1-93 to 1*95; tail 2*14 to 2-33; tarsus -77 to "82; bill at front -35, from gape -46. The bill is excessively like that of Melizophilus provincialis. The wing also resembles that bird's, except that the first primary is larger in proportion. Tail of similar form, but proportionally shorter; the outer feathers are "35 shorter than the central ones. Notwithstanding the diflerences I have noted, the general resemblance is so strong to Melizophilus that I have placed the species in that genus. The head is streaked, and so are the throat and breast ; but I have a Dartford Warbler with small white streaks on the throat. Messrs. Sharpe and Ussher on Fantee-country Birds. 181 This bird was discovered by Capt. Cock, 30th P. N, Infantry, at Naoshera, in the Punjab, who says of it : — " Pound in pairs among low stony hills ; they are very restless, active little birds, and proportionately difficult to shoot. The specimens I have from Capt. Cock were killed in the beginning of Pebruary. Etawali, 20th February, 1872. XXIII. — On Three neiv Species of Birds from the Fantee Country. By R. B. Sharpe, P.L.S,, F.Z.S., &c., and H. T. Ussher, H.B.M. Administrator to the Settlements on the Gold Coast. The three species described in the present paper have been received by us from the forest country of Denkera, in the interior of Pantee, where they were procured by Mr. S, Thomas David Aubinn, a most intelligent native collector, whose notes on the habits of Pantee birds will be embodied in a subsequent com- munication. , Pam. Trogonid^. 1. HaPALODERMA CONSTANTIA, sp. n. Troyon narina, Hartl. Orn. W.-Afr. p. 263. R. narince affinis, sed pulchrior, et tectricibus alarum pure canis nigro minute vermiculatis, et rectrice extimfi omnino alba dignoscenda. Long. tot. 11-0, rostr. culm. O'S, alee 4*8, cauds 6-0, tarsi 0-6 poll. angl. et dec. Although, as might be expected, this new Trogon is very nearly allied to the well-known African species H. narina, its distinctness is shown by the four specimens which Aubinn has forwarded to us. It may be distinguished from the last-named bird by the clear greyish-white wing-coverts, while in the true H. narina the vermiculations are much larger and coarser, and there is always a shade of metallic green perceptible on these parts. The tail is much purer white, without any dusky shade on the base of the outer feather ; and the underparts of the body are a fiery crimson, instead of being a beautiful rose-colour. We have compared a large series of African Trogons with these 182 Messrs. Sharpe and Ussliev on Fantee-country Birds. four Fantee specimens, and we find these differences quite con- stant. Mr. Gould, also, to whom we have shown our new bird, agrees with us as to its being an undescribed species. This beautiful Trogon is named after Miss Constance Ussher. Fam. Nectariniid^. 2. Pholidornis rubkifrons, sp. n. 6 supra olivascenti-fuscus, pileo postico et tectricibus alarum ochraceo marginatis : dorsi plumis obsolete olivaceo mar- ginatis : remigibus et rectricibus fuscis, extus olivaceo lim- batis ; fronte Isete coccineo : facie laterali pileo concolori, sed fulvo distincte maculata : subtiis oumino castaneus : rostro nigro : pedibus flavidis : long. tot. 4*0, culm. 0*45, alffi 2*0, caudse 1-55, tarsi 0-65 poll. angl. et dec* $ omnino differt : supra brunnea, plumis indistincte ochraceo marginatis : fronte paullo rufescente tincta : subtiis lactes- centi-alba, ubique brunneo ad apieem plumarum maculata. Of all the peculiar forms which Africa produces, the little Pholidornis rushice has always been considered one of the most interesting ; and the discovery of a second sjjecies of this genus is a noteworthy addition to the African avifauna. The scaly character of the plumage, which forms a striking feature in P. rushia, is here only preserved in the female ; the male of our new species is a most beautiful little creature, remarkable for its varied plumage, being chestnut underneath with a bright crimson forehead. Fam. Strigid^. 3. HUHUA SHELLEYI, sp. n. H. maxima: supra brunnea, fasciis obscuris brunneis ubique trans- notata: tectricibus alarum et scapularibus, collo postico et tectricibus supracaudalibus conspicue fulvo transfasciatis : plumis auricularibus longissimis brunneis: facie fulvescente, setis rictalibus nigris, genis et regione auriculari brunneo variis, scapis albidis : remigibus caudfique brunneis, supr;\ pallide brunneo, subtus fulvo transfasciatis : corpore toto subtiis fulvescente, late albo, angustius nigro transfasciato : rostro ilavido : long. tot. 23, alse 16-5, caudse lO'O, tarsi 2*9 poll. angl. et dec. The measurements will show the great difference in size between this new species and H. leucostida, of which it may be considered New and forthcoming Ornithological Works, 6fc. 183 a gigantic edition. It much resembles the last-named Owl, which we have also received from Fantee, but is double the size at least ; and the body underneath is more evenly barred with white, so that it does not show those great white blotches which induced Temminck to assign the name of leucosticta to its smaller representative. Mr. Gurney, who has seen our specimen, agrees that it is quite new to science. This species is dedicated by us to Captain G. E. Shelley, with an ardent wish that the researches he is now prosecuting in the dangerous climate of Western Africa may be rewarded with the same success which has attended his well-known studies of bird- life in the less fatal and more accessible country of Egypt. XXIV. — New and forthcoming Ornithological Works, &^c. Perhaps at no time since ornithology became a recognized science has so much activity been shown by oi-nithologists as at the present moment; for though there appears to be little movement in some countries which were once foremost in their contributions, these deficiencies are more than compensated by the energy displayed in others. We propose to give a short account of some of the new pub- lications that have come under our notice during the last few months, and also to announce to our readers a prospect of certain other works being shortly issued from the press. Besides these additions to ornithological literature, the works already mentioned in these pages have been making steady progress ; and some, such as Sharpens Monograph of the Alce- dinid(B and Marshall's Capitonid(B, have been completed. At the same time the various journals of scientific societies open to such subjects abound with ornithological papers. As these latter are, or ought to be, in the hands of most of our readers, and as they will be referred to on a subsequent occasion, it is not our intention to draw special attention to them, but only to such publications as are not so readily accessible. Several works on the birds of our own islands have recently made their appearance. The first number of a new edition of 184 New and forthcoming Ornithological Works, Sec YarrelFs History of British Birds, revised by Professor New- ton*, was issued in June last ; and up to now three parts have been published. It is needless for us to say that Mr. Newton has bestowed the greatest care in his revision of this standard work ; and a glance at its pages will show how much has been added and altered, so as to incorporate all the most recent in- formation into the text. The work is to be completed in about twenty-five parts, and illustrated by 600 engravings. We have only one complaint to make with reference to this important work, and that concerns the slow rate at which the parts are issued. In June last we were promised by the publisher the second part in August, and future parts on the ist of each sub- sequent month. Part II. appeared in due time, but Part III. bears the date February 1872. At this rate of issue it will be five years at least before the final part is completed. Mr. Robert Gray has recently completed his promised book on the birds of West Scotland and the Outer Hebrides f- Mr. Gray tells us that he has been upwards of twenty years collecting materials for the present work. Its chief feature consists in the ample details given respecting the places where each species is found within the limits of the field chosen for the author's observations. In the case of stragglers, of which Western Scotland has received a veiy considerable share, the particulars in each instance are detailed, and in some cases a description of the stranger is added. The method of treating such birds is in a somewhat unsettled state ; and considerable hesitation is shown, though not by Mr. Gray especially, whether to admit such waifs and strays into our list as welcome additions or to exclude them as intruders. We ourselves think that no hard line can be drawn in either direction, but that outside the interests of local faunas there remains a much wider question, bearing upon the modification * History of British Birds, Toy the late "William Yarrell. Fourth edition, revised by Alfred Newton. Parts I. II. III. (Van Voorst.) t The Birds of the West of Scotland, including the Outer Hebrides, with occasional records of the occui-rence of the rarer species throughout Scotland generally. By Bobert Gray. 8vo, pp. 520. 1871, Glasgow (Thomas Murray & Sons). New and forthcominy Ornithological Works, ^c. 185 and extent of the disti'ibution of species in general. In this light all instances of the occurrence of stragglers beyond their usual limits cannot be too frequently or too carefully recorded. The instances where species become established by accidental means may be few and far between ; and, as a rule, stragglers obtain no foothold for the species to which they belong : but who can tell when the exception may take the place of the rule? We should have liked to have seen the usual range of many of the stragglers mentioned in this work given. For in- stance, there is nothing to show which of the four quarters of the globe Tringa rufescens and T. pectoralis inhabit. Such in- formation, it is true, is easily obtained ; but a few words in each case would have sufficed to impart much instruction to those whose opportunities of making references are limited. Mr. Harting has lately published two works bearing upon ornithology*, but which hardly call for comment here. With regard to the first, we must confess that we put it down with a somewhat uneasy feeling that shore-shooting was hardly legi- timate " sport ; " and we trust it will never become popular. We admit the enjoyment of a good day's shooting ; but whence comes our satisfaction ? We sometimes suspect that the life- and-death necessities of old savage days have still something to answer for ; and that what we now call the enjoyment of sport is an inheritance of the nature of an instinct, from long-past times, when successful or non-successful chase was a matter of the utmost moment, as involving the acquirement of a suffi- ciency of food, or the reverse, and its consequences. No such necessities now exist ; and we should like to look forward to a time when birds will afford many of us a purer enjoyment than now, derived from watching their movements and habits, without taking their lives and harrying their nests. We do not really want " shore-birds " for food, and the requirements of science are soon satisfied ; why then shoot them five or six at a shot ? In 'The Ornithology of Shakespeare'f, Mr. Harting has * Hints on Shore-shooting, with a chapter on skinning and preserving birds. By .James Edmund Harting. London, 1871 (Van Voorst). t The Ornithology of Shakespeare, critically examined, explained and illustrated. By James Edmund Harting. 8vo. London, 1871 (Van Voorst). 186 New and forthcoming Ornithological Works, ^c. given a modern interpretation to most of the allusions to birds contained in Shakespeare^s works. These notes are accom- panied with suitable accessory matter, and the whole subject is worked up into a volume of 321 pages. Some nicely executed woodcuts are interspersed throughout the work, which is elabo- rated with great care, the paper and typography being all that could be desired. For a fuller explanation than that given by Mr. Harting of the well-known passage in Hamlet, " I am but mad north-north- west : when the wind is southerly I know a Hawk from a Heronshaw,''^ see Mr. Newton's note in the fourth edition of Yarrell's British Birds, i. p. 57. Messrs. Sharpe and Dresser have made a fair start with their History of the Birds of Europe*, and nine parts have been issued since March last (1871). There are several points which strongly recommend this work : in the first place, it is by no means dear for one containing quarto coloured illustrations. In the next, the authors seem to spare no pains to get together ample materials to enable them to verify the relationship of closely allied races by actual comparison of specimens. Notes and observations on habits, &c., are not only collated from every available source, but a quantity of new matter bearing on these points has been collected together. Descriptions of sexes, as well as of young in various stages of plumage are given very fully. At the risk of being called hypercritical, we must confess that it appears to us that the authors are displaying even too much zeal in their anxiety to lay before ornithologists all that has been written about each species rather than in sifting out the points having more important bearing on the subject. We should have preferred, for the sake of brevity, to have seen these points given in our authors' own words, rather than in long quotations from already published matter. We think, too, that where so much is brought forward it would have been of great service had the subjects been more carefully classified under headings, so as to facilitate reference to any particular * A History of the Birds of Eui-ope, including all the species inhabit- ing the Western Palasarctic Region. Bj R. B. Sharpe and II. E. Dresser. ■Ito. London. Parts I. -IX. New and forthcoming Ornithological Works, ^c. 187 subject. The descriptions are long, and we should have liked to have seen the salient characteristics of each species given, as in Sharpe's Monograph of the Alcedinidse, in concise terms. It is true that plates do away with much of the immediate necessity of such diagnostic characters ; yet their presence would have been an undoubted gain. These are minor matters, and are outweighed many times over by the real merits of the work, upon which no pains have been spared either in letterpress or plates. The authors have a long journey before them ; but w-e do not doubt their industry and ability to accomplish all they have undertaken. We wish them every success. A Catalogue of the Birds of Europe, by M. Alph. Dubois*, has just reached us. A bare list of 575 European species are recognized, without including what M. Dubois considers "Va- rietates climaticse.^^ In dealing with these latter, the lines be- tween so-called species and varieties have been drawn without much discrimination, and the author not unfrequently, as in the case of Falco peregrinus, Strix flammea, &c., travels far out- side his limits to show, we suppose, the number of "varieties" into which those " species " are divisible. Stragglers are freely admitted to rank as European birds. M. Dubois pays no re- gard to an important rule of nomenclature respecting authors of generic names. Thus we find the first edition of Linnaeus con- stantly quoted, Moehring, we might almost say of course, Bar- rere, 1745, Ray, 1713, and Aldrovandus, 1610-11 ! How often must it be repeated that the names of these authors have no meanins: whatever in a binominal sense ? The second part of a new ' Fauna d^Italia^ contains the com- mencement of an account of the Italian birds by Count Tom- maso Salvadorif- The first fasciculus, which is all that has yet reached us, in- cludes 196 species belonging to the following orders of Count Salvadori^s arrangement : — Accipitres (diurni et nocturni); Pi- cARiiE (Picidee, Yunginse, CucuUnse, Coraciidse, Meropidte, Al- * Conspectus systematicus et geographicus Avium Em-opfearum auc- tore Alph. Dubois, Doctors Scieu. Nat. ; conservatore in Museo reg. Nat. Hist. Belgii. Bruxellis (1871). Large 8vo, pp. 35. t Fauna d'ltalia, Parte seconda : Uccelli, per Tonimaso'Salvadori. Fas- cicolo prime : Milano, 1870 (Francesco Vallardi). 188 Nerv and forthcoming Ornithological Works, H^c. cediniclfCj Upupiclffi, Capvimulgidae, Cypselidse); Passeres (Hi- rundiiiidse, Muscicapidse, Ampelidsej Laniidse, Paridse, Certhiidsej Troglodytidje, Cinclidie, and part of the Turdidse). The list seems likely to be a very full one, as the birds not only of Sardinia, but also those of Malta, are included. The Rev. J. J. Halley has commenced an illustrated work on Australian Parrots *, AVe admit the force of the temptation to depict a family so nobly represented at the antipodes; but the first part of the present publication does not recommend it either as a work of art or as embodying information likely to be of ser- vice to the science of ornithology. The delineations are very far behind even average productions of a like nature. Mr. Gould has just issued the twenty-fourth part of his great work on the ' Birds of Asia.' In it is figured a " Pellorneum palustre, Jerdou/' of which he is unable to give any information, or even a correct reference to the work in which it has been described. As regards the latter point, we believe that we may assure Mr. Gould, with confidence, that the bird has never yet been described at all, and that the only publication of it which has taken place is that in the ' Birds of Asia.' As regards its habitat and locality. Major Godwin-Austen informs us that he obtained one specimen of this rare species, at the end of the month of September, at the base of the Khasia Hills near Chatak, in the great "beel" or marsh there. The species seemed to haunt the thickets of high reeds, and of a kind of bramble which is peculiar to those marshes. It may not be so rare. Major Godwin-Austen observes, as has been supposed; but it is ex- tremely difficult to shoot birds when moving along in a canoe through the reed-beds of that district, and still more difficult to pick them up when shot. Dr. Jerdon likewise obtained a spe- cimen of this bird somewhere in Assam. Some characteristic drawings, by Swainson, have recently been published, with short accompanying descriptions by Mr. G. E. Grayf. These plates, twelve in number, were prepared to form * A Monogi-aph of the Psittacida? or Parrot Family of Australia. By the Kev. J. J. Halley. Illustrated from original drawings bj' .lames W. Sayer. London, Triibnej". t A Fasciculus of the Birds of China. By G. R. Gray, F.R.S. New and forthcoming Ornithological Works, 6fc. 189 part of a series of figures of Chinese birds by Dr. J. E. Gray, but were laid aside through pressure of other engagements. Swainson was perhaps the best ornithological draughtsman of his day ; and these drawings, larger than the size he usually adopted, are unsurpassed by any illustrating his well-known works. Mr. J. A.. Allen's article ''On the Mammals and "Winter Birds of East Florida, with an examination of certain assumed specific characters in Birds, and a sketch of the Bird Fauna of Eastern North America," printed in the Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, Cambridge, Mas- sachusetts, vol. ii., is likely to produce, if it has not already done so, considerable agitation amongst ornithologists on both sides of the Atlantic. The author makes a most able protest against the minute subdivision of specific names, with special reference to the works of his own countrymen. His arguments are supported by minute examination of a number of specimens; and his observations are carefully collated in tables. The nature and extent of individual variation in many species is fully dwelt upon ; and thence the author proceeds to what he calls climatic variation, and, lastly, treats of " Species, Varieties, and Geogra- phical llaces." Certain peculiarities of colour are traced to certain meteorological peculiarities of the regions where they occur. Increase of colour to the southward is shown to corre- spond with increased intensity of the solar rays and greater hu- midity of climate, and the maximum amount of colour in many birds of the United States to correspond with the maximum rainfall. The practical application of these laws, as understood by Mr. Allen, is shown by Uis placing as simple synonyms the names of a number of birds separated by recent writers on North- American ornithology. In some instances we should be in- clined to think he has made out his case ; but the materials at our disposal in this country are not sufficiently extensive to enable us to form a very decided opinion on many of the cases cited. Still on these subjects we have a well-founded suspicion of the application of analogical reasoning ; and on looking into the instances in which the author has applied his rules outside the extent of the specimens at his command, we are strongly of SER. III. — VOL. II. P 190 Neiv and fori hcominy Ornithological Works, ^c. opinion that he has pushed matters too far, and that he, and the writers he seeks to refute, represent, as it were, the opposite limits of a pendulum's oscillation, the golden mean lying between the two. A prominent case in point is that of the Buzzards of North America. Mr. Allen states his present opinion to be, that (putting B. lineatus aside) all the so-called species may be referred to B. borealis and B. pennsylvanicus, to which B. oxypterus of Cassin is united. We much doubt the possibility of maintaining the number of species claimed by Baird and others ; but we cannot refrain from putting in a plea for B. swainsoni, which, so far as our experience goes, never assumes the red tail so characteristic of jB, borealis. With B. swainsoni, B. insignatus must be placed ; and it yet remains to be seen how far this bird differs from B. vulgaris of the northern portion of the Old World. The true B. harlani must, we think, be called a melanism of B. borealis. As for B. oxypterus we have always considered B.fuliginosus of Sclater synonymous with it ; and if so, it is not B. pennsylvanicus as Mr. Allen asserts. Take another case : Scops maccalli is placed as a synonym of S. asio ; the name really is synonymous with S. trichopsis of Wagler, the bird being quite distinct from S. asio, as has been pointed out elsewhere*. Some useful generalizations respecting the distribution of North- American birds form the next portion of this instructive paper; but here again Mr. Allen is led outside his immediate subject into a sketch of his views of the distribution of ornithic life on the globe's surface. Finally, we have a list of works on American ornithology, classified according to the countries to which they especially apply; but again we find, especially in Central America, that the classification laid down has not been very accurately adhered to. This memoir will, we believe, act as a useful antidote against the undue tendency to recognize species; but we must repeat our warning that too much stress should not be laid on the sup- posed action of physical laws upon the plumage, bills, &c. of birds. Then again these climatic variations require the closest attention, and it is yet a question under which system they receive the * Cf. P. Z. S. 1868, p. 57. New and forthcoming Ornithological Works, ^c. 191 most. To those who believe in the doctrine of evolution " indi- vidual variation," " climatic variation," &c. are but the first steps in the series which culminates in creatures, we might say, as wide as the poles asunder. A valued contributor has recently sent us number 14 (Jan. 19, 1872) of volume iv. of the ' Cornell Era,' " published every Friday by students of the Junior Class at the University [Cornell] press," wherein we find a letter signed " T. W. J. Jr." giving Professor Baird's and Dr. Coues's opinions as to the validity of a certain Grouse described in the number of ' The Era ' for the 8th of December, 1871, as Bonasa jobsii. Both these high authorities unite in saying that the supposed species is based on a somewhat abnormal specimen of Bonasa umbellus. One remark of Professor Baird's quoted in this letter is significant : he writes, " When I published my work on the birds of North America I was in what might be called the analytical stage of Natural- History development. My present condition is synthetical. I take more pains now to subordinate forms, once considered spe- cific, than I do to establish them as such." The first part of GiebeFs 'Thesaurus'* has lately reached us. It contains, in the first place, references to the works of authors arranged under a number of headings ; then follows the com- mencement of an alphabetical enumeration of the species and genera of birds. As it would be premature to discuss the merits of this latter portion, we will merely remark that the first word (p. 255) contains a palpable misprint ! We must confess that, having expected great things from this work (Ibis, 1871, p. 251), a perusal of this first portion has produced in us a feeling of great disappointment. In the first place the classification of the various works of authors under their respective names is so com- plex that it is difficult to know where to look for any specific work or paper. We could aff'ord to overlook this unnecessary complication were the papers themselves placed with even ordi- * Thesaurus Ornitbologiae. Repertorium der gesammten ornitholo- gischen Literatur und Nonienclator samnitlicher Gattungen imd Avten der Vfigel, nebst Synoiiymen und geographisclier Verbreitung, von Dr. C. G. Giebel, Professor an der Universitat in Halle. Leipzig, 1872. Erster Ilalbband. Large Svo, pp. 400 (F. A. Brocldiaus). p 2 192 New and forthcoming OrnitJiohgical IVorks, ^c. nary care under the headings they might be expected to be found under; but accuracy has been entirely neglected, and we find errors and blunders that are little short of astounding. To justify these strong remarks, the following instances selected out of a host of others will, we think, be sufficient. To begin at home, the first and second series of this Journal are set down as contain- ing five volumes each (p. 10). Under "Propagatio" (p. 120) we find that the views of our worthy predecessor in 1852 took a very practical turn, and that he published in that year a work on the " breeding, rearing and fattening of Domestic Poultry'^ ! Works and papers upon the birds of different portions of the world are arranged under the particular country to which they belong. It is there that the most glaring errors are to be found. Under "Britannia" we find (p. 165) a paper in the Boston Society of Natural History, by H. Bryant, entitled " List of Birds observed at Grand Manan and Yarmouth"!; also (p. 165) a descriptive catalogue of the raptorial birds in the Norfolk and Norwich Museum. Wickevoort-Crommelin's papers in the Ned. Tijdschr. Dierk. and elsewhere are included under " Germania, Austria " (p. 178), somewhat prematurely, we cannot but think. Under " Asia" we find (p. 190) '' Notes on Birds collected in Benguela, by J. Monteiro." Can Benguela have been confounded with Bengal ? So far as we can see, the Antilles, Bermuda, Vancouver's Island, the Falkland Islands, and Hainan are all classified under ''Australia and Oceania ;" in addition to which we find under the same heading a paper on North-China birds and Mr. Stevenson's * Birds of Norfolk ' (was Norfolk Island supposed to be the scene of Mr. Stevenson's labours ?) ! Papers on the birds of North, Central and South America are hopelessly confused. Sombrero, Chiriqui, Nicaragua, Yucatan, Pana Island in the gulf of Gua- yaquil, and Honduras all come into North America. Central America, according to Dr. Giebel, contains the district of Columbia (an astonishing fact for the Government of the United States), to say nothing of the Smithsonian Institution ; and South America is the scene of Mr. Layard's notes from the Antipodes ! Finally, but, alas ! not exhaustively, Mr. Eyton's Catalogue of the species of skeletons of birds in his possession finds itself classified under ''Aves monstrosse, abnormes, hybridEe " ! Misprints abound to New and forthcoming Ornithological Works, S^c. 193 such an extent that the work reads not unlike first proofs just issued from the hands of a careless printer. Had some simple or even alphabetical arrangement of authors been adopted, with less regard to the particular natui'e of their works, and the whole undergone careful revision, the result would have proved of the greatest benefit to working ornithologists. Even as it is, we can see that the book can be used with advantage as a ready guide to references, the omission of which in Mr. Gray's Hand-list forms its weakest point. Messrs. H. M. Labouchere and Mr. Jesse have undertaken a translation of Dr. A. E. Brehm's ' Bird-Life ' ■^", of which four parts have appeared. The translators seem to have performed their duties with commendable care ; and the parts improve as they go on. We cannot, however, but wish that their energies had been bestowed upon a work more worthy of their labour. Dr. Brehm's book abounds with observations of a very superficial character, and appears to us to be likely to afford little solid in- struction either to the student or the general reader. We trust an index to scientific names will be given in the last part ; for at present it is very difficult to find the subjects of Dr. Brehm's observations. To search for them is like (to quote the old saw) " looking for a needle in a truss of hay." Ornithological Works in prospect. The numerous ornithological notes which have appeared in the pages of this Journal and elsewhere upon the birds of Egypt are shortly to be collected under one cover by Captain G. E. Shelley, who has much additional information to impart. The work will be large octavo size, and will be illustrated by fourteen coloured Plates. This book will be of undoubted use and interest to all travellers on the Nile, more especially as the description of each species will be sufficiently full to enable the traveller to identify his specimens. The prospectus, which has just reached us, contains a pretty Plate, by Keulemans, oi Nectarinia metallica. Messrs. Layard and Sharpe have in preparation a ' Handbook * Bird-Iiife. By Dr. A, E. Brehm. Translated from the German by II. M, Labouchere and W. Jj^sse. Large 8vo : London, 187L Parts T.-IV. (Van Voorst). 194 New and forthcoming Ornithological Works, ^c. to the Ornithology of South iVfrica/ to take the place of Mr. Layard^s useful little work on the birds of South Africa, which has been freely criticised in these pages. The last-mentioned book, we are happy to learn, has proved an undoubted success ; and we feel confident that this promised new publication, which will combine all that has since come to light on the birds of South Africa, will meet with similar favour. Its scope will be enlarged, so as to include all the birds found within the limits of the South-African avifauna, and will thus comprise those of Natal and Damaraland, as far north as the Zambesi on the east and Benguela on the west. Books such as this on local faunas are of the utmost service, and do more than any other class of work to develope a latent taste for ornithology in many a one who would otherwise never progress beyond the acquirement of vernacular names. The labours of the late Mr. C. J. Andersson in Damaraland are, we are glad to hear, not to be lost to science ; for Mr. J. H. Gurney, who, as the readers of * The Ibis ' well know, has long interested himself in the study of the birds of the adjoining re- gions, has undertaken the task of editing the voluminous MSS. which that well-known collector left behind him. Part of the book is already in the press ; so that we may confidently expect the finished work shortly. Mr. Buller, well known for his researches amongst the birds of New Zealand, is now on a visit to England, with the express object of bringing out the complete work contemplated some years ago (Ibis, 1868, p. 504) on the ornithology of that country, where zeal for our science seems in the ascendant. The book is to be in quarto, of the same size as Messrs. Sharpe and Dresser's ' Birds of Europe,' and is to be illustrated in the same style by thirty-five coloured Plates, to include about seventy figures of New-Zealand birds. The prospectus, which has just been issued, tells intending subscribers to apply to the author, 7 Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster. Mr. Elliot promises shortly, so soon as his grand ' Monograph of the Phasianidse ' is completed, to commence the issue of a similar work on no less a subject than the " Birds of Paradise.'* New and furthcomiiKj Ornithological Works, t^c. 195 The dravviugs for the Plates have been already executed by Mr, Wolf; and having stated thus much, we can only say that a group of birds so difficult to represent adequately is certain to be done justice to, so far as illustration can do it. We are promised an ornithological work upon the birds ob- tained during Forsyth's expedition to Yarkand, to which allusion has already been made in these pages [cf. 'Ibis' 1871, p. 407), where the new species obtained were described by Mr. Hume. The volume is to be in the form of Blanford's ' Geology and Zoology of Abyssinia,' and is to be illustrated by about thirty coloured Plates. The work will appear under the joint author- ship of Dr. Henderson, the Surgeon to the expedition, and our well-known contributor, Mr. Allan Hume. Professor Baird informs us that the first batch of MSS. for the work on the 'Birds of North America,' on which he and Dr. Brewer have been engaged for several years, has been sent to press. The work is to be something in the style of the 'Birds of California,' but will be superior to it in beauty, and will embody a much larger proportion of biographical text to each species. The engravings of the heads used in that work have nearly all been reproduced in more artistic style ; and this espe- cially applies to the new ones, relating to the peculiar eastern species. This preliminary labour, Prof, Baird tells us, is finished ; so that ere long we may expect the complete work. We have received the following pamphlets, in addition to extracts from the ' Proceedings of the Zoological Society,' the 'Annals and Magazine of Natural History,' and other English Journals : — " On the Sternum and Viscera of Pel's Owl {Scotopelia peli) ." By James Murie, M.D. From the Journal of Anatomy and Physiology, Nov. 1871. "List of Birds collected or observed in the Wardha Valley and its vicinity near Chanda." By W. T. Blanford, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. xl. part ii. 1871. " Note on Colonel M'Masters's List of Birds from Nagpore &c." By W. T. Blanford. Journ. As. Soc. Beng. xl. parf ii. 1871, p. 316. 196 New and jorthcoming Ornithological Works, &;c. "Bericht iiber die Leistungen in cler Naturgescbichte der Vogel wahrend des Jahres 1870." Von G. Hartlaub. Arch, fiir Naturg. xxxvii. Jahrg. 2ter Bd. " Ueber die durch Herrn Baron E. v. Ransonnet von der Osta- siatischen Expedition eingesendeten Saugetbiere und Vogel/' Von August von Pelzeln. Verb. k. k. zool.-bot. Gesell. in Wien, Feb. 1871. "Ein Beitrag zur ornitbologiscben Fauna der osterreicbiscb- ungariscben Monarcbie.^' Von August von Pelzeln. Verb. k. k. zool.-bot. Gesell. in Wien, Marz, 1871. " Monograpbie der Gattung Certhiola." Von Dr. 0. FixscH. Verb. k. k. zool.-bot. Gesell. in Wien, April, 1871. "Die Grundlagen des Vogelscbutzgesetzes.^' Von Georg Ritter von Fraueneeld. Verb. k. k. zool.-bot. Gesell. in Wien, Juli, 1871. " Der Vogelscbutz." Von Georg Ritter von Frauenfeld. Verb. k.k. zool.-bot. Gesell. in Wien, Oct. 1871. " Om en bidtil ukjendt Knogle i Hovedskalien bos Tura- koerne {Musophagides, Sundev.), med nogle Bemaerkuinger om delignendeKnogler bos andreFaglefaaiiliei-.^' Af J.Reinhardt. Vidensk. Meddel. fra den nat. For. i Kjobenbavn for Aaret 1871. *' Supplement til " Norges Fugle og deres Geograpbiske Ud- bredelse i Landet (1868-70)/' Af Robert Collett. Vidensk. - Selsk. Forbaudlinger for 1871. "OrnitbologiskeBemeerkninger til Norges Fauna." Af Robert Collett. Indberetniug til det academiske Collegium ved det kongelige Frederiks Universitet. Cbristiania, 1871. " Intorno alia Fringilla_ citrinella, Linn." Nota di Tommaso Salvadori, Atti della Reale Ac. delle Sc. Ji Torino, vol. vii. Dec. 1871. 'Annual Report of tbe Board of Regents of tbe Smithsonian Institution, showing tbe operations, expenditures, and condition of tbe Institution f-r tbe year 1869.' AVasbiugton, 1871. " Descriptions of new Species of Birds from Mexico, Central America, and South America, with a note on Rullus lo?igirostris." Letters, Announcements, ^c. 197 By Geo. N. Lawrence. From the Annals of the Lyceum of Natural History of New York, vol. x. p. 1 (Feb. 1871). " Descriptions of three new Species of American Birds, with a note on Eugenes spectabilis." By the same. Ibid. p. 137 (Nov. 1871). " Descriptions of New Species of Birds of the Families Tro- glodytidse and Tyrannidse.''' By the same. Proc. Ac. Phil. 1871, p. 233 (Dec). " Notes on some Birds in the Museum of Vassar College." By Professor James Orton. Am. Nat. iv. No. 12, Feb. 1871. "Bullock's Oriole." By Elliott Coues. Am. Nat. v. Nov. 1871. 'Archives of Science and Transactions of the Orleans County Society/ vol. i. nos. 1-3, Oct. 1870 to April 1871. The latter contains the commencement of a " Catalogue of and Observations on the Birds of Vermont." By the Rev. Daniel Goodhue. "Annual Report of the Trustees of the Museum of Compara- tive Zoology at Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts." "Zur Ornithologie Nordwest-xAmerika^s." Von Dr.O.FiNSCH. Abh. des naturwiss. Vereins zu bremen, Bd. iii. Jan. 1872. We have received the following letters addressed to " The XXV. — Letters, Announcements, ^c. •eceived the Editorof 'The Ibis'":— Eajkoti, Kattywar. Sir, — I venture to write you a few lines on a subject which has caused me much perplexity. I have always been under the impression that Cijornis banyumas and C. tickellia were two dis- tinct species, the latter, according to Jerdon, being only found in Central India. Some two years ago, when visiting the southern districts of this Province, I was somewhat surprised to find C. banyumas and C. tickellia in equal numbers and both very common. Since then I have constantly met with both species wherever the country was fairly wooded, and have frequently shot them off the same tree and within a few minutes of each 198 Letters, Announcements, ^c. other. Quite recently, whilst sitting at the base of the granite precipices which form the scarp of a well-known hill in Kattywar (the Geeruar), and looking over the wooded spurs and valleys lying at my feet, glowing with a hundred tints, over the plains beyond, to the faint sea-line on the horizon, I was recalled from speculations on the past, present, and future of the country spread like a map before me, to considerations of an ornithological nature, by suddenly becoming aware of a C. tickellia perched within a few feet of me. A mass of dark foliage formed a fine background for the grey-blue upper plumage and pale orange breast, whilst a bunch of the yellow succulent Gam^uga pinnata hung suspended above it, and lit up a picture which I gazed upon with feelings that only desk-tied ornithologists can pro- perly appreciate. As I watched my bright-eyed little visitor, a doubt arose in my mind : — Are C. banyumas and C. tickeUiae different species or simply male and female of the same ? Subsequent close observation has satisfied me that C tickellice is only the female of C. banyumas. Throughout hot weather 1 have had daily opportunities of observing them. There is not a tree under which I have rested tliat has not been the resort of these pretty little birds ; and I have found, as an unvarying rule at this season, that when an individual of one species is seen, the other is sure to be found in its immediate neighbourhood. Jerdon does not describe the female of C. tickellice, and states that the female of C. banyumas is probably olive-brown ; but if this were so, I cannot but think 1 should have met with it ; yet, not- withstanding the number of blue birds I have observed, and that I am constantly on the watch for the supposed female, it has not yet fallen to my lot to see any but blue individuals of C. tickellice and C. banyumas, the former of which I believe to be really the female of the latter. Yours, &c., J. Hayes Lloyd, Capt. Bombay Staff" Corps. p S_ — When writing the above I had not seen the October number of ' The Ibis,^ containing Mr. Blanford's letter (Ibis, 1870, p. 533). That gentleman's e.\perieucc goes to corroborate Letters, Announcements, ^c. 199 niine^ inasmuch as all the specimens of Cyornis tickellia which he obtained proved to be females. I shall be curious to learn whether a specimen has ever been obtained which proved on dis- section to be a male. For my own part, having had further opportunities of studying the subject, I am convinced that the female oi '^ Cyornis banyumas'^ is either "C. tickellice" itself or a bird exactly answering the description of C. tickellicB as given by Jerdon. Gibraltar, December 6th, 1871. Sir, — Allow me to add to Mr. H. Saunders's " List of the Birds of Southern Spain" the following species : — 1. Cypselus pallidus, Shelley, Ibis, 1870, p. 445. I have certainly seen this species more than once at Gibraltar, in April, but have not yet obtained a specimen. Those obtained by Olgese at Tangier were killed early in April or late in March ; but it is by no means common there. In M. Favier's list it is named " C murinus " of Fairmaire. 2. Parus cristatus. " Capuchiuo." Kesident and very common in the cork-wood of Almoraima, ten miles from Gibraltar, and found in all the districts in the vicinity where there are any cork trees, in which trees, in com- mon with Parus major and P. cceruleus, they nest. They also nest in the first pine-wood, about six miles from Gibraltar. They begin to lay about the 11th of May. The sexes are exactly similar in plumage, except perhaps that the crest of the male is more developed. I saw this bird once in April, near Laracla, in Morocco, on a cork tree. 3. Sylvia melanocephala. Resident, extremely abundant and conspicuous, and one of the few warblers nesting on the Rock of Gibraltar. I have had several nests in my garden, the earliest date on which an egg was laid being the 12th of March. The number of eggs varies from three to five ; the nest, very slight, formed of grass and sometimes cotton threads, is lined with hair, and always placed in some thick bush about two or three feet from the ground. The male sits as well as the female. In habits this bird much 200 Letters, Ajinouncements, ^c. resembles the Blackcap, but is more obtrusive^ and its song is to be heard at all seasons. It is very partial to figs, grapes, &c., and in winter eats the seeds of the " pepper-tree '^ of Gibraltar (Schinus molle). This bird, is one of the (if I may use the expression) dry warblers, requiring very little, if any, water, living throughout the hot season in places where there is none. The only other Sylviidse which regularly nest on the Eock are Prati7icola rubicola and Dromolfsa leucura ; some seasons Sylvia atricapilla and the next species also remain to breed : — 4. Philomela luscinia, which has nested in the garden of the senior naval officer, and in the "alameda" near thewater-tank. The Nightingale is found in Southern Spain in great numbers wherever there is wood and water ; in the " Cork-wood," you may find any number of nests in May ; as a rule there are young hatched by the 2]st. The earliest dates of arrival ob- served by me were : — April 8th, 1868 ; April 2nd, 1869 ; April 7th, 1870; April 1, 1871. They do not sing for the first day or two after arrival. I may here mention that the following species of Sylviidse nest in the Cork- wood and vicinity of Gibraltar : — 1. Ruticilla tithys. 2. Erithacus rubecula. In great abundance. 3. Saxicola aurita. 4i. „ stapazina. 5. Droniolcea leucura. 6. Pratincola rubicola. 7. Sylvia hortensis. Abundantly. 8. „ atricapilla. In great numbers. 9. „ melanocephala. In great numbers. 10. ,, orphea. Not so numerously as 11. „ cinerea, which nests commonly, as do 12. „ conspicillata and 13. Melizophilus provincialis, in dry scrub. 14. Phyllupneuste sibilatrix. Not commonly. 15. „ trochilus. Commonly. 16. „ rufa. Some few nests. 17. „ bonellii. Abundantly. Letters, Announcements, ^c. 201 18. Ficedula polyglotta. In numbers. 19. „ elaica. In numbers. 20. „ cisticola. In numbers. 21. „ cettii. Wherever there is water. 22. Aedon galactodes. Dry ground. 23. Calamoherpe turdoides. River-banks. 5. Anthus obscurus. Occurs in winter on the mud and salinas of Pahiiones, near Algeciraz ; leaves early in March. 6. Anthus cervinus. Seen on passage about the 10th of March. 7. Passer cisalpinus. Obtained in Seville market in April 1871, but is rare. Anthus aquaticus (spinoletta), Saunders, no. 135. Is found in the breeding-season on the high bare ground of the Sierra del Nino, between Algeciraz and Tarifa, at an eleva- tion of about 2500 feet. I am, Sir, &c., L. Howard Irby. Colonial Museum, Wellington, N. Z., 23rd December, 1871. Sir, — In a catalogue of the birds of New Zealand which I published a short time ago I described what I then thought to be a new species under the name of CoUuricincla concinna. I now find that I have made a mistake, and that the bird is only Graucalus melanops. Yours truly, F. W. Hutton. Glasgow, 5th January, 1872. Sir, — A specimen of the Balearic Crane {Grus pavonina) was shot near Dairy, in Ayrshire, on the 17th of September last, and forwarded to me for identification by a friend who happened to hear of the circumstance. The bird had made its appearance in the neighbourhood a few days previously, and was repeatedly seen 202 Letters, Announcements, &;c. soaring with a strong and vigorous flight at a considerable height in the air. It then became a marked object ; and when it alighted it was heard giving utterance to loud and discordant cries, the only effect of which was to draw the closer attention of those who had designs on its life. On being approached, it ran with great swiftness before taking wing; and after being hunted from one farm to another, it was at last shot while perched on a hay- rick, towards the close of a quiet sabbath. On dissec- tion it was found that the stomach was entirely empty. I may add that the greatest care has been taken to ascertain that the bird was not an escaped specimen. I am Sir, Your obedient servant, Robert Gray. Matterau, 23rd January, 1872. Sir, — In his ' Birds of India,' Dr. Jerdon gave Hypsipetes neilgherriensis as distinct from H. ganeesa (Sykes) ; but in his Appendix he stated that the two were identical, and that the former name must be suppressed. According to the descriptions H. neilgherriensis has black wings and tail, while the same parts in H. ganeesa are brown ; and, referring to this, Dr. Jerdon remarks that the description of H. ganeesa was probably taken from a faded specimen. I venture to send you a description from a perfectly fresh specimen just shot here. Hypsipetes ganeesa. Male. — Head glossy black, the feathers lengthened into a demicrest ; body-plumage dusky bluish grey, paler on the throat, and the feathers on the back dark-centred ; under tail-coverts edged with white ; wings and tail brown. Bill red; legs and feet dusky yellow; irides brown. Length 9^ in.; wing 4 * " In that water-space, like every other portion of the Sivash seen by us, where devoid of reeds, it was clear, blue, and sparkling, as if the depth of its waters equalled that of the Atlantic.'' * * * * "The northern basin of the Sivash is divided from the southern one by a central area, which bears far more, in its usual aspect, that morass-like character which the general reader would be inclined to impute to the term Putrid Sea." * * * * In this solitude [the inlet of Changkoi] breed vast numbers of wildfowl ; and all the summer long we found Muscovy Ducksf and flocks of Divers frequenting the lagoons." * ^ * * "The rapid evaporation — the extraordinary mirage from the heated atmosphere playing over the surface of this area in a summer day was very striking ; and between sunrise and sunset at that season of the year it was as utterly im- possible to distinguish objects but a mile or so distant upon it as it would be had a cauldron of boiling liquid been there in its place. There are roads through these morasses, only known, however, to the Tartars and smugglers, who are ever at war with Russian custom-houses and tax-gatherers." * ^ ^ ^ "We suflFered from nothing but the offence to the sense of smell ; and some of our vessels were months breathing the tainted air. * * the smell was like decayed vegetation mixed with a peculiar odour not unlike gas-water, from which I infer there are bituminous vents in the Sivash * * the exhalations from which give the name of Putrid to this sea." * * * * That birds should breed in such a salt marsh is very re- markable, as showing that their food is there to be found, ''The Muscovy Duck and Common Diver or Shag fed and bred in the Sivash in vast numbers ; and in the shoal water and t [What species js here referred to ? Surely not Cairina moschata,— &2 228 Mr. G. C. Taylor on the marshes abreast of Chongar Strait, in which we spent a broiling day, we could see abundance of weed, as well as shoals of young fish." Now here is some new ground for the adventurous orni- thologist, where he will find Waders and waterfowl in abun- dance, to say nothing of other kinds of birds. The locality is easily accessible by way of Odessa and Kertch ; and in May, when the birds are breeding, the climate is very pleasant, and not too hot ; and, according to Captain Osborn's experience, the air of the Sivash is not unhealthy. I will promise that he will not meet with any drawbacks half so dangerous and disagreeable as the fevers, bad food and lodging, and ferocious insects of the tropical back regions. He may extend his visit to the sandy spits of the Azov, and, I have no doubt, will return with a collection of skins and eggs which it will be hard to beat. For more detailed information of these localities I must refer him to Captain Osborn^s article above mentioned, or to my own * Adventures in the Crimea,* which, I believe, contains the only existing account, except the letters and despatches published at the time in the press, of the capture of Kertch, and the first and principal raid of the allied squadron through the Sea of Azov, and the attacks on Ghenitchi and Taganrog. I will now proceed to the notes on the various birds observed by me. Unless otherwise stated, the designations are fi'om * YarrelPs British Birds,* 2nd edition. Griffon Vultures ( Vultur fulvus) were abundant in the vicinity of Sevastopol ; and no wonder, considering the quantity of food provided for them, and which they could obtain without risk or trouble. I well remember, when returning from Balaklava to the camp in the dark afternoons in November 1854, how enor- mous they appeared when seen against the sky-line, perched on the bodies of the numerous dead horses lying on the plain — victims of the battle of the 25th of October. The Egyptian Vulture {Neophron percnopterus) is abundant in and about Constantinople in spring and summer. They sit on the roofs of the houses, and breed on the ruined walls and towers of Stamboul. Ornithology of the Crimea i^c. 229 I saw Sea-Eagles [Haliaetus albicilla) frequently in Balaklava Bay, where the lofty cliffs afforded a suitable refuge for them. I also observed several fine adult birds with white tails near Koslou, on the coast of Asia Minor, where there are also lofty cliffs. Both the common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) and the Lesser Kestrel [F. cenchris) were common about the ravines leading from the camp to Sevastopol. They were eaten by the French whenever obtainable. Black Kites [Milvus migrans, Bodd.) were most abundant about Constantinople, breeding in the trees in the courts of the mosques, where they are never disturbed by the Turks. I noticed several nests on the same tree. I saw the Marsh-Harrier {Circus an-uginosus) on the extensive marshes near Ismid, on the Sea of Marmora. I re- member seeing Owls in the dusk of the evening in and about the camp in the Crimea, but never obtained a specimen. My list of Raptores here ends, and is certainly scanty, my atten- tion having been chiefly devoted to the game-birds and water- fowl. Both the Lesser Grey Shrike {Lanius minor, Gmel.) and Red- backed Shrike {Lanius collurio) I found abundant in the spring of 1855 near the camp, and also the Barred Warbler {Curruca nisoria). My principal hunting-ground was on the battle-field of Inkerman, especially in the ravines, where a good deal of scrubby bush still i-emained. I was usually followed by French soldiers, who acted as retrievers, and darted into the bushes to look for the slain as soon as the gun was fired, often very much to the detriment of the specimen. The Blue Rock-Thrush {Petrocincla cyanea) I saw in Crete ; the Golden Oriole {Oriolus galbida) was common in the Crimea, though I do not remember seeing any. I «aw some, however, in the vicinity of Constantinople. In Crete I saw the Stonechat {Saxicola rubicola), and the Wheatear {S. oenanthe) in the Crimea. When I went, on the 4th of May, with the first expedition to Kertch, which returned without effecting a landing, several examples of the Willow- Warbler flew on board the steamer I was in. A Nightjar, a Hoopoe, several Redstarts, and Doves also came on board. The Great Tit {Parus major) was observed at Constantinople. 230 Mr. G. C. Taylor on the 1 never saw the Bohemian Waxwing {Bomhy cilia garrula) in the flesh ; but a skin was given to me by Mr. Churchill, of Pera, then, if not now, the editor and proprietor of the 'Turkish Gazette' (the 'Djeride Havadis'), who had a collection of birds of the vicinity, and from whom I obtained many specimens. A Wagtail [Motacilla), the Crested Lark [Alauda cristata), and the Goldfinch [Carduelis elegans) were all observed in Crete; and near Constantinople, and in the Crimea, I saw the Starling {Sturnus vulgaris) and Magpie {Pica caudata). Grey Crows {Corvus comix) and Jackdaws [Corvus monedula) were noticed near Constantinople. The Rook [Corvus frugilegus) I found in the Crimea. When on the passage from Malta to Alexandria, in November 1853, three Rooks alighted on the rigging, and were shot. They came from the north, and were evidently bound for Africa. Wagtails, Pipits, Chaffinches, Redbreasts, and a Golden-crested Wren also came on board. The Hoopoe {Upupa epops) is abundant during the spring migration. I note having seen as many as thirteen in one day about the camp, and four of them together. Rollers [Coracias garrula), too, were also abundant about the camp. The soldiers used to call them Parrots. I shot one while sitting on the lime- kiln down in the large ravine leading from the Inkerman battle- field to the Tchernaya bridge. In this limekiln 340 Russians had been buried. I followed another ; but it led me up to the French outposts, who were then keeping up a brisk fire with the Russians ; so, not feeling inclined to be made game of, I returned home to skin the birds I had obtained, by no means an easy task, having to sit on the ground, with the bird on my knee, and a penknife my only implement. Under such circumstances it is difficult to produce good specimens, especially when the skin has to be put away and crushed before it has time to dry. Bee-eaters [Merops apiaster) were seen in the Crimea, and also at Koslou, in July, breeding in colonies, like Sand-Martins, in the river-banks. The Swallow [Hirundo rustica), Martin [H. urbica), and Swift {Cijpselus apus), were observed in the Crimea, and at Constantinople. The Alpine Swift [C. alpinus) was abundant in the Crimea, breeding in tiie cliffs. They were constantly to be seen flying in flocks, over and about the camp ; Ornithology of the Crimea 8^c. 231 near St. George's Monastery was a great resort for them. Plen- tiful as they were, it so happened that I was never able to secure a specimen. I also saw them at Koslou. In Constantinople they are common, and may be seen any summer's day wheeling round the Galata tower. Nightjars [Caprimulgus europceus) were common in suitable localities about the camp. One day I was out on the Inkerman battle-field, when one of these birds rose from under a bush. I was about to pull the trigger, when a Zouave, whom I had not seen, jumped up in a line with the bird ; I just managed to miss both of them, the former not without difficulty. Turtledoves [Turtur auritus) were common in the Crimea. I saw them in flocks between the camp and the trenches. Doves, probably T. risorius, as well, are also abundant in Con- stantinople, frequenting the forests of cypress trees which cover the Turkish cemeteries. I heard of Rock-Doves being in quan- tities along the cliffs near Balaklava, but I do not remem- ber seeing any. There are Domestic Pigeons in enormous quantities at one of the mosques in Stamboul, the name of which I now forget. When food is thrown for them, they descend in such dense masses that I have seen them two or three deep in their eagerness to obtain it. Pheasants [P. colchicus) I never saw wild; but one day I met a man walking down the Grande Rue de Pera with a live Pheasant in a trap under each arm. They were frequent items in the bill of fare at Misserie's Hotel, and were no doubt caught at no great distance. I take this opportunity of saying that the market of Constantinople, or, more properly speaking, Pera, the Frank quarter, is well supplied with game. I have seen Wild Boars, Roe-Deer, Hares, Bustards of both kinds. Pheasants, Red-legged Partridges, Woodcocks, Snipes, Bitterns, Pintails, Shovellers, and various wildfowl. Fish are also abundant; 1 noted Mussels, Oysters, Crawfish, Lobsters, Mullet, Swordfish, Mackerel, Turbot, and large and most brilliantly coloured Gurnards. I remember seeing a bird (I believe it to have been a Fran- colin) which had been shot in the .spring of 1854 by an officer of the Guards, then encamped near Scutari. It was of the 232 Mr. G. C. Taylor on the same size and, as well as I can recollect, of similar plumage to a Francolin ; but 1 had no opportunity of examining it closely. I need hardly say that Quails [Coturnix vulgaris) are common everywhere at suitable seasons. I shot them in Crete in Feb- ruary. Large flocks were about the camp in September 1855. An officer of Engineers shot sixteen brace one morning close to Balaklava. They were fine game for the French officers, who used to go out en grande tenue, and not unfrequently with swords on as well as guns. I have already mentioned both species of Bustards {Otis tarda and 0. tetrax) as occurring in the markets of Pera. Towards the close of 1855, after I had left the Crimea, Otis tarda was frequently obtained in the camp. Golden Plovers [C. pluvialis) and Lapwings ( Vanellus cristatus) both occurred at Constantinople and Ismid. When on the expedition to Kertch I saw a large flock of Cranes, of what species I cannot say, passing over the ships, and high up in the air. Herons {Ardea cinerea) were observed at Constantinople, Ismid, and Crete; and though I never saw Purple Herons [Ardea purpurea) in the flesh, I have a skin of one given to me by Mr. Churchill. The White Heron [Ardea alba) occurred at Ismid, also in Crete. White Storks [Ciconia alba) were common in the outskirts of Constantinople. The Curlew [Numenius arquatus) was seen at Ismid ; the Whim- brel [N. phceopus), too, according to Mr. Churchill, occurs near Constantinople. The Green Sandpiper [Tot anus ochropus) I saw at Koslou, in July. I saw Woodcocks [Scolopax rusticola) at Constantinople, also in the Crimea. I remember flushing one in the thick outer scrub on the ground where the battle of Inkerman was afterwards fought. Snipes [S. gallinago) are common near Constantinople ; and I was credibly informed that good sport was to be had on the Karasu river, not far from Buyuk Chekmedji. They were abundant in the great marsh near Ismid — also in the salt marsh at the head of Sudha Bay, in Crete, not far from Khania. The Jack Snipe [S. gallinula) I found in Crete ; I also killed several in the above-named marsh at Ismid. The Coot [Fulicn at7'a) occurs at Constantinople, and is abundant near Ismid, in large flocks. I saw Swans, Wild Geese, and Pelicans, I cannot say of what Ornithology of the Crimea &^'C. 233 species, duriug the bombardment of Ghenitchi by the allied squa- dron on the 29th of May, 1855. They were evidently bewildered by the heavy firing, and after flying round a few times, made off to security and quiet in the marshes of the Sivash. The Gadwall {Anas strepera) occurs in the Crimea; and the Shoveller {A. cly- peata), Pintail {A. acuta), Garganey {A. querquedula) at Constan- tinople. Teal {A. crecca), Mallard {A. ioscAas), and Wigeon [A. penelope) I found abundant in the marsh near Ismid. It was ground most difficult to walk on, consisting chiefly of rushy hil- locks, with deep water between them, and intersected in all direc- tions with streams, just too wide to jump over, there being no firm ground on either side. It is a famous haunt for wildfowl. The water at the edge of the bay is quite shallow. Loopholed boxes have been erected on posts, at some little distance from each other, evidently to enable the natives to indulge in la chasse aux canards with as little trouble and discomfort as possible. Here I saw also Tufted Ducks, Great Crested and Eared Grebes, and Pelicans, also numerous footmarks of Otters, and I tallyhoed a Fox out of some high rushes. I was sorry not to be able to remain longer in this locality. Of Red-Crested Ducks {Fuligula rufina) I have a skin from Mr. ChurchilFs collection ; the Pochard {F. ferina) occurs near Constantinople, and is also common in the Bay of Eregli, near Koslou. The Tufted Duck {F. cristata) is common in Eregli Bay, and also at Ismid. In January I killed three by one shot in Balaklava harbour, also a Smew {Mergus arbellus) in imma- ture plumage. Great Crested Grebes [Podiceps cristatus) and Eared Grebes (P. auritus) I found plentiful in the Bay of Eregli and at Ismid, and killed many for the sake of their skins. My mode of procedure was to take a caique, with a couple of rowers ; and I found little difficulty in getting within range. I have always found, when in pursuit of diving waterfowl, that, if they are wary, the best mode of obtaining a shot is to fire at them out of range. The bird then, instead of diving, usually puts up its head, and looks out inquiringly, giving time for the boat to approach much nearer. When within fair distance, if the shooter aims well before and under the head, no bird can dive 234 Mr. G. C. Taylor on the quick enough to escape the shot of a good percussion gun. I speak from years of experience in shooting waterfowl. At one time, when I followed punt-shooting with a large gun, I had become from long practice so adroit in stopping cripples, that I could kill them by moonlight, by aiming at the splash they made on rising to the surface, before they had time to dive again. My difficulty with the caiquejis was that they talked incessantly, and alarmed many birds which I should otherwise have obtained. Having no interest in the sport, and being naturally lazy, they soon got tired of it, and would not exert themselves at the right moment. Sluggish rowers are useless for such work. I one day met a French soldier, on his return to camp, carrying some Grebes, which he had shot in the Tchernaya with a Russian musket. I ventured to express a doubt as to whether they would be good eating, upon which he assured me that I was mistaken — that they were " poules d'eau " and " bien cstimes." Still I doubt if they proved as good as the cat which on another occasion I met two French soldiers swinging between them, on their way from Sevastopol, and which they told me they intended for a ragout. Cormorants {Phalacracorax carbo) and Shags (P. graculus) were abundant in the Crimea. I remember one day especially, in January 1855, when the harbour of Balaklava was alive with them, probably owing to some unusual influx of fish. They were flying to and fro among the rigging of the ships, and diving dose alongside, and were very tame. I killed four, in two shots, for the sailors of the ' Oscar,' in which ship I was then living, who wanted some fresh meat. I hope they liked them, and found them as good as the Frenchmen did the Grebes. For ray part, I should think Cormorants and Turkey Buzzards [Cathartes aura) were about equal in flavour. When I was on board the ' Agamemnon,' then anchored off" the entrance of Sevastopol harbour, flocks of Cormorants used to string along every evening to roost, in such multitudes that I might have taken them for Brent Geese, had I not been mindful of Colonel Hawker's maxim for distinguishing the diff"erence under such circumstances, viz. that the former have longer necks and tails, and occasionally cease to flap their wings as they fly. Ornithology of the Crimea ^c. 235 They were equally, if not more abundant in the Sea of Azov, which swarms with tish ; and the long sandy spits, so remark- able a feature in that sea, are most suitable to their habits. Captain Sherard Osborn observed them breeding in the Sivash ; and Captain Blakiston remarks ('Zoologist,' 1857, p. 5678) " that the numbers of these birds about Balaklava must be greatly increased at the commencement of winter." This accession of numbers is no doubt caused by the birds fre- quenting the Sea of Azov being driven out of their summer haunts by the annual formation of ice in that sea. I saw a few Pelicans at Ismid ; but the Sea of Azov is where I found them in the greatest abundance. Immediately after the capture of Kertch and Yenikale, the allied squadron proceeded with all speed to Berdiansk, on the north coast of the Sea of Azov, in pursuit of four Russian war-steamers which had escaped from Kertch, and which on their arrival were burned by their crews. The squadron anchored ojff the lighthouse at the end of the Berdiansk Spit, fully six miles from the mainland. The boats were hoisted out and armed, and proceeded to destroy a number of small vessels which were anchored inside the Spit. I obtained a seat in the ' Stromboli's' gig, which was sent ahead of the other boats to sound. The whole shore of the spit was covered with birds in thousands, all Grallatores and Natatores. 1 particularly observed Terns, Redshanks, Sandpipers, and Plovers ; but of what particular species I had no opportunity of judging, as at that time shooting, at any thing smaller than a man was forbidden. The Cormorants were in dense masses, sitting on the sandy beach, and, owing to the effect of the mirage, appearing at a distance as large as men — so much so that many on board the squadron thought they were Russian soldiers, and expected a warm reception. There were also flocks of Pelicans in great numbers, and so tame that they would hardly make way for the boats to pass. One might almost have touched them with a boat-hook. They evidently were not accustomed to be molested. It was a rare opportunity for an ornithologist to see so many of these magnificent white birds at such close quarters ; but my attention was soon directed to other things. The attraction the spits offer to these birds is no 236 Mr. G. C. Taylor on the Ornithology of the Crimea ^c. doubt the quantity of fish which frequent the shallow water; and on this and the other spits in this sea were establishments for the catching and curing of fish for the supply of the Russian troops. These establishments consisted of huts built of lath and reedsj boats, heaps of nets and other implements of the craft, together with quantities of fish already cured, and hanging on scaffolding to dry in the sun. All these we proceeded to fire and destroy; and a tremendous blaze they made. The sailors then commenced shooting pigs and fowls, firing their muskets in the most reckless way, to the imminent danger of all around. The fish were of small size and very bony. We brought some on board, and found them tolerable eating, making a change from the salt junk and biscuit on which we were living. These spits extend a long distance from the mainland. Tliey are covered with reeds, and are full of creeks and lagoons, and are of course well suited to the habits of Grallatores and Natatores. I shot several Sandwich Terns [Sterna cantiaca) near Eregli. I have already stated, above, that Terns of various species were abundant in the Sea of Azov. The Little Gull [Larus minutus) is generally to be seen in the Golden Horn at Constantinople. The Shearwaters I saw may be the species called by Messrs. Elwes and Buckley (Ibis, 1870, p. 336) Puffinus yelkouan ; but my specimens answer better to the spe- cies described by Thompson (Birds of Ireland, vol. iii. p. 413) as P. anglorum. Probably both are to be met with. Any way, no one can be long on the Bosphorus or Dardanelles without seeing these birds. They are always passing up and down, flying close to the surface of the water. Only twice during more than a yearns residence in Turkey did I see them resting on the water. Once I saw a flock settled, and swimming about near the Leander tower, opposite Scutari ; and again I saw a very large flock settled on the sea, which at the time was very calm, when passing through the Greek archipelago. There is no difficulty in obtaining specimens. One day in July I was staying at Therapia, and wanted some ; so I took a caique, and went so as to intercept their line of flight. They came in rapidly succeeding flocks, passing close to the boat. Out of two flocks I got five birds — quite as many as I wanted. On Mr. A. Anderson on the Nidification of Indian Birds. 237 being lifted they vomited a clear oil. This seems to be the experience of every one. I was told that they breed on the Cyanean rocks (the Symplegades) at the Black-Sea entrance to the Bosphorus. I planned an expedition to these rocks, but was unable to carry it into execution. There is plenty of ground and opportunity in Turkey for a sporting ornithologist. Wildfowl are plentiful, and compara- tively tame. There are Snipes and Woodcocks in all suitable localities. Two officers of Engineers, who went on a surveying expedition previous to the arrival of the allied troops, told me that they saw abundance of Grey and Red-legged Partridges and Bustards not far from Gallipoli, also quantities of wildfowl near Buyuk Chekmedji and along the Maritza river and near the Gulf of Enos. XXVIII. — On the Nidification of certain Indian Birds. Part I. By Andrew Anderson, F.Z.S. BuRNEsi A LEPiDA, Bly th, = Malurus gracilis, Riippell (accord- ing to Blyth) *. I first became acquainted with this interesting little bird in April 1871 ; but although it was far from uncommon, I found it very local, and confined entirely to the tamarisk-covered islands and " churs^^ along the Ganges. From dissections made it was evident that these birds were then breeding : and any doubts there may have been on this score were speedily removed; for shortly afterwards I saw young fledgelings being fed by the parent birds. I need hardly say that the acquisition of the nest and eggs of this diminutive bird was looked forward to with no small degree of pleasure ; but, unfortunately, it was then too hot for me to work at the subject personally, and the matter was left in the hands of my native collectors, with the usual unsatisfactory results. This season, having returned from my cold-weather tour somewhat earlier than usual, I devoted my mornings to exploring the islands, determined to become possessed of this desideratum ; but fresh difficulties had to be overcome. Not only had the river * Cf. Blyth's "Identifications of Synonymy," Ibis, 186.5, p. 44. 238 Mr. A. Anderson on the Nidificatiun of Indian Birds. changed its course, but the favourite haunts of the Thao War- blers had been washed away by the late unprecedented heavy rains. This added to the distance I had to travel before pro- ductive hunting-ground could be reached, which, with the delay in crossing the river &c., left me only two hours for actual col- lecting, notwithstanding I frequently got up at 2 a.m. Under these circumstances any great success was hardly to be expected ; and the acquisition of two nests has been the sole result of my exertions. But these, I pride myself, are unique, so far as Indian-taken specimens are concerned ; another week and it would have been again too late. The first nest was taken on the 13th of March last, and contained three well-incubated eggs ; of these I saved only one specimen, which is now in the collection of Mr. Brooks. The second was found on the following day, and contained two callow young and one perfectly fresh egg. In both cases one of the pai'ent birds was shot off the nest, so that the eggs have been thoroughly identified. In its actions, habits, and nest-architecture B. lepida resembles the true Drymcec<2. The nest is domed over, having an entrance at the side ; and the cavity is comfortably lined, or rather felted, with the down of the madar plant. It is fixed somewhat after the fashion of that of the Heed- Warbler, in the centre of a dense clump of surput grass, about two feet above the ground. On the whole, the structure is rather large for so small a bird, and measures six inches in height by four in breadth. But while the nest corresponds exactly with Canon Tristram's description* of those taken by him in Palestine, there are differ- ences, oologically speaking, which induce me to hope that our Indian bird may yet be restored to specific distinction. In the first place, my single eggs from each nest have a green ground- colour, and are covered all over with reddish-brown spots. Now Mr. Tristram describes his Palestine specimens as " richly coloured jt7m^ eggs, with a zone of darker red near the larger end, and in shape and colour resembling some of the 7-*rmm-group." Is it possible for the same bird to lay such widely different eggs ? If I had taken only one specimen, it might have been looked upon * Tristram, ou the Ornithology of Palostino, P. Z. S. 18G4, p. 437; Ibis, 18G5, pp. 82, 83. Ibis. 1872 .PL. VIII. J.GKeuleman ]l^]^ MftN.Ha,nh.a,rt imp . LEUGOPTERNIS PLUMBEA. Mr. 0. Salvin on the Genus Leucopternis. 239 as mere variety. Again, our Indian bird lays three eggs ; and I have never seen the parent birds feeding more than this number of young ones, occasionally only two. Mr. Tristram, per contra, mentions having met with as many as five and six. Lastly, it is difficult to conceive that Burnesia lepida, Blyth, and its African ally [Malurus gracilis, Rlipp.) can be identical; for, judging from the Indian representative, it is a bird of very limited powers of flight, and certainly not capable of flying more than a few yards at a time. I cannot, however, do better than forward herewith the second nest above alluded to, together with its belongings, to enable the matter to be authoritatively disposed of. The egg is certainly the prettiest and one of the smallest I have ever seen; indeed I found it too small to risk measurement. The nest referred to by Jerdon as having been found on the Indus by Lieut. Wood cannot belong to this species for two reasons : first, it is not the nature of birds of this group to make sl pensile nest; and, second, the subject of this note is one of those few birds that breed between the end of the cold weather and the beginning of the hot (March and April) — not during the rains as the generality of them do (July to September). B. lepida will probably be found wherever there is thao jungle intermixed with surput grass along all large rivers. Mr. Brooks has recently obtained a specimen on the banks of the Jumna. Like Drymoepus inornatus, the male of B. lepida has a blackish bill, while in the female it is fleshy brown. I find that the sexes, as a rule, can be distinguished by this peculiarity ; but perhaps this sexual diff"erence is only seasonal. Futtegliur, N.W, Provinces, India. XXIX. — A further Revision of the Genus Leucopternis, with a De- scription of a new Species. By Osbert Salvin, M.A. &c. (Plate VIII.) In August 1868 Mr. Sclater and I published a synopsis of the species of the genus Leucopternis, in the text accomj)anyiug a 240 Mr. 0. Salvia on the Genus Leucopternis. plate representing Leucopternis semiplumbea in ' Exotic Ornitho- logy.' The genus, as then understood by us, contained eight spe- cies, which we divided into two categories — one, comprising seven species, having the whole of the underparts white, and the other, a single species, having those parts banded with white and lead- coloured bars. The species which I now propose to describe carries with it the bird usually known as Urubitinga schistacea (Sundev.) ; and the two together form a third section of the genus, having the whole of the underparts uniformly plumbeous in colour. My remarks on these two species, and a further note on L. princeps, form the principal subject-matter of this paper. For all further details respecting the other members of the genus re- ference must be made to the summary at page 121 of ' Exotic Ornithology.' The new species I propose to call Leucopternis plumbea, sp. n. Plumbea, alis extus et cauda nigricantioribus, hac fascia mediali alba transvittata ; corporis lateribus et alarum pagina in- feriore, prseter remigum apices, albis ; tibiis albo transfas- ciatis : rostro plumbeo-nigro, cera aurantiaco-flava, pedibus flavis: long, tota cir. 14"5 poll, angl., alse 9'4, caudse 5*8, tarsi 2*5, dig. med. cum ungue 1'8, rostri a rictu 1*3. Hab. in repub. ^Equatoriali. Obs. — L. schistacea similis, sed alis extus nigricantioribus et intus albis, tibiis fasciatis et caudse apice nigro facile distin- guenda. The first primary in L. plumbea is about two inches shorter than the longest, and nearly the same length as the secondaries; the second primary is one inch and two tenths shorter than the third, which is the longest in the wing, though the fourth and fifth almost attain the same length ; the sixth is eight tenths of an inch shorter than the fifth ; the seventh and eighth divide the remaining space to the secondaries, which cover the tip of the ninth primary : the white of the under wing is almost pure to- wards the ulna, but towards the extremity of the inner pri- maries becomes spotted with pale plumbeous. The wing-formula of L. schistacea hardly differs from that just given, except that the third primary falls short of the fourth and fifth by four tenths of an inch and is equal to the sixth. Mr. 0. Salvin on the Genus Leucopternis. 241 The single specimen from which the above description was taken was contained in a collection of bird-skins recently received by Mr. E. T. Higgins from Ecuador, and was probably obtained in one of the valleys of the Andes in the vicinity of Quito; but on this point I can give no exact details. I at first took it to be a skin of L. schistacea ; but a comparison with specimens of that species at once showed the differences pointed out above. Its resemblance to L. semiplumbea led me to the conclusion that the former bird would find a more natural position in this genus, and moreover that its removal from Urubitinga would relieve that genus of an abnormal element. The diff'erences between Leucopternis and Urubitinga are not very trenchant. They consist chiefly in the shorter tarso-meta- tarsus of the former and in the proportionally longer toes; the nostril is almost circular in both genera. The primaries project beyond the secondaries rather further in Leucopternis than in Urubitinga, the secondaries being very long in the latter genus. Another distinction, which, howevei', is of a negative character, is also important. In Leucopternis we have no evidence to show that any of the species passes through a distinctive immature dress before assuming the plumage of the adult. The immature stages of the young of Urubitinga are well known ; and birds of the two commonly known species in their first fawn-coloured dress spotted with black are almost as familiar as adult specimens. Leucopternis is also closely allied to Buteo ; and the members of the two genera resemble each other in habits. In Buteo, how- ever, the wings are longer and more pointed, and the secondaries shorter than in Leucopternis. The nostril, too, of the former genus is more elliptical in shape, and thus differs from the circular nasal opening of the latter. Since our article was written in 'Exotic Ornithology' I have obtained a second specimen of Leucopternis princeps from Costa Rica ; and as the skin is marked as that of a male, I take this opportunity of giving its dimensions. Long, tota 3J "O, alse 14'0, caudse 7*5, tarsi 3*5, dig. med. cum ungue, 2*75, rostri a rictu 2*2. Comparing these dimensions with those given by Mr. Sclater in the ' Proceedings of the Zoological Society ' for 1865, p. 429, it will be seen that they indicate a rather smaller bird SEK. III. VOL. II. T 242 Mr. 0. Salvin on the Genus Leucopternis. than the type there described. It is probable therefore that the original skin sent us by Arce, but of which the sex was not noted, belongs to a female bird. Of the so-called Urubitinga schistacea, which I now propose to place in the genus Leucoj)ternis, I have recently seen and obtained skins which were collected by Hauxwell at Pebas, and by Bart- lett near Cashaboya, on the Rio Ucayali ; in the adjoining dis- trict, on the Rio Javarri, Mr. Bates procured specimens of it. I have also secured a skin which I found in a collection from Bogota which had been forwarded to Mr. Cutter direct from that city. This bird was probably obtained in one of the Andean valleys which stretch away from the cordillera to the eastward. The range of the species seems to be restricted to the basin of the Amazon and its large tributaries. In addition to the localities already mentioned, Mr. Sclater refers to its occurrence in Bolivia. Natterer obtained two examples during his journey — one at Borba on the Rio Madeira, and the other at Barra do Rio Negro. All these places come within the limits of Upper Amazonia ; but we have Prof. SchlegeFs authority for its occurrence near Para, and in Guiana, near Cayenne; a specimen in the Leyden Museum is also stated to have come from Brazil, which term doubtless must be construed in a political rather than in a zoological sense. The ten species of this genus (specimens of all of which, except L. melanops, are in our collection) may now be arranged as fol- lows, the synonymy of eight of them being given in the article already referred to: — A. corpore subtus omnino albo. a. capita toto albo, 1. L. GHiESBREGHTi. Ex Mexico ct Am. centr. ad Pa- nama. 2. L. PALLiATA. Ex Brasilia merid. 3. L. scoTOPTERA. Ex Brasilia merid. 4. L. ALBicoLLis. Ex Guiana, Venezuela, Amaz. et Ins. Trinit. b. capite nigro striato. 5. L. MELANOPS. Ex Guiana et Amazonia. 6. L. suPERCiLiARis. Ex Amazonia. On some Birds from the Chatham Islands. 243 c. capite plumbeo, dorso concolori. 7. L. SEMiPLUMBEA. Ex Isthiu. Pauama et Costa Rica. B. corpore subtus albo, plumbeo transfasciato. 8. L. PRiNCEPS. Ex Costa Rica. C. corpore subtus plumbeo unicolori. 9. L. scHisTACEA*. Ex Amaz. et Columbia. 10. L. PLUMBEA. Ex rep. jEquatoriali. XXX. — Notes on some Birds from the Chatham Islands, collected by H, H. Travers, Esq, ; with Descriptions of two new Species. By Captain F. W. Hutton, F.G.S. Mr. H. Travers having lately returned, with considerable col- lections, from an eight months' visit to the Chatham Islands (a small group lying about 475 miles due east from New Zealand), I am enabled through his kindness to draw up the following list of the birds, which includes not only those species which he brought away, but also a few others of which he was not able to obtain specimens ; so that it may be looked upon as complete, so far as our present knowledge extends. 1. Circus assimilis, Jard. Mr. Travers was unable to procure specimens of this bird ; but he saw a dead one that had been killed too long for pre- serving. He informs me that it does not differ from New-Zealand examples. 2. Prosthemadera novve-zealandi^ (Gm.). Two specimens. 3. Anthornis melanocephala, Gray. Several specimens, male, female, and young. The female and young diflfer from those of A. melanura only in size ; the latter correspond entirely with A. auriocula, Buller. The eggs are usually of a darker pink than those of A. mela- * Asturina schistacea, Sundev. CEfv. Af. K. Vet. Forh. 1849, p. 1.32; Schl. Mus. des. P. B. Asturinae, p. 8 ; Morphnus schistaceus, Scl. P. Z. S. 1857, p. 261. ; Urubitiuffn schistacea, Scl. P. Z. S. 18-58, p. 128 ; Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1866, p. 198; 1867, p. 970; Pelz. Orn. Bras, p- 2; Falco ardesiacu.s Liclit. in Mus. Berol. teste Bp. T 2 244 Capt. F. W. Hutton on some nura, and are largely blotched on the thick end with chestnut. Length 1*05 inch; breadth 0'75. 4. ZOSTEROPS LATERALIS (Lath.). Eggs only of this species are in the collection ; but Mr. Travers informs me that the bird is common on all the islands. 5. Sphenceacus rufescens, Buller. Several specimens, two of which are variegated with white feathers, principally on the wings. It is found only on the Island of Mangare. 6. Gerygone albofrontata, Gray ? Above olivaceous brown ; over the eye, region of the ears, and all the lower surface white, tinged with yellow on the flanks, abdomen, and vent. Quills brown, narrowly edged on the outer margin with olivaceou^s ; secondaries the same, but with a broader edging. Tail brownish rufous, with a brownish-black band near the tip, followed on the three outer feathers with a band of pale rufous; tip brown. Iris light red. Length 4*5 inches ; w^ing 2*25 ; bill from gape 0*65 ; tarsus 0*87. Egg pinkish white, with numerous red spots and lines. Length 0-74 inch ; breadth 0-54. Hub. All the islands. Two specimens, neither in good condition, were all that Mr. Travers brought. This bird differs from Gray's description of albofrontata, in the ' Voyage of the Erebus and Terror,' remarkably in size, and also in the colour of the tail; but I notice that although the total length and that of the wing are considerably more in Mr. Gray's bird than in mine, still the bill and the tarsus are smaller ; and the coloration of the tail in the figure agrees with the Chatham-Island bird, although the de- scription does not. Mr. Gray's bird is also said to have been brought from New Zealand by Dr. DieiFenbach ; but as this spe- cies has never been found in New Zealand since, and as Dr. Dieffenbach visited the Chatham Islands, it is possible that the label may have got misplaced*. 7. Petroica dieffenbachi. Gray. A single male specimen is in the collection. It answers * [See letter t-oni Mr. Potts, postca.—Eh.'] Birds from the Chatham Islands. 245 exactly, both in size and colouring, to P. macrocephala, No. 28 of my '^ Catalogue of the Birds of New Zealand' (Wellington, 1871) ; but as P. dieffenbachi was originally described from a Chat- ham-Island specimen, the names in my Catalogue will have to be changed, and No. 29, the smaller bird with the pale yellow breast, will be P. macrocephala. 8. Petroica traversi*. Entirely black, except the wings, which are brownish. Length 6 inches; wing 3-25; bill from gape 0-77; tarsus 1-13. Female similar to the male. Several specimens, all from Mangare. 9. Anthus nov^-zealandi^ (Gm.). One specimen. 10. Rhipidura flabellifera (Gm.). One specimen. Mr. Travers informs me that he could not hear of a black-tailed species of Rhipidura ever having been seen on the islands; it is therefore probable that Dr. DiefFenbach's specimen of R. melanura, Gray, was incorrectly labelled, and R. melanura will therefore be the same as R. tristis, Hombr. et Jacq. ?11. Stringops habroptilus, Gray. Mr. Travers never saw a specimen of this bird ; but from the descriptions of others he can hardly doubt but it once existed on these islands ; at the same time he remarks that there is no country in the Chathani Islands at all similar to the haunts it loves to frequent in New Zealand. 12. Platycercus nov^-zealandt^ (Sparrm.). One specimen. 13. Platycercus aurtceps, Kuhl. Two specimens, both of which are larger than any that I have seen from New Zealand, measuring 11 inches in length, and 4*7 inches from the carpal joint to the tip of the wing. The bill and tarsi are of the same size as New-Zealand specimens. * [This is the species called 3Iiro traversi by Dr. Buller in his second part of the ' Birds of New Zealand,' p. 123 (published June 1872), the description being taken from the same specimens. Cf. Buller, /. c. — Ed.] 246 Capt. F. W. Hutton on some 14. Chrysococcyx plagosus (Lath.). Three specimens, all exactly alike, and answering to the de- scription of C. plagosus in Gould's ' Handbook to the Birds of Australia/ having a broad bill, and only a very faint ti-ace of a single rufous bar on the second tail-feathers. The New Zealand Golden Cuckoo (C. lucidus) has the broad bill of C. plagosus, and the second tail-feathers with several well-marked bars of rufous ; but none of the feathers has a rufous base. This form does not appear to have been noticed elsewhere as yet, although it is cer- tainly migratory with us. It is very remarkable that C. plagosus should be found both in Australia and the Chatham Islands while it is absent from New Zealand, which lies between them. In the Chatham Islands this bird is also migratory. Is it not possible that all the individuals of the species C. lucidus leave Australia to breed in New Zealand? so that this species does not spread in Australia ; and the limited number which are suf- ficient to stock New Zealand would scarcely be noticed when spread over Australia. In this way C. lucidus, although in- habiting Australia, would be just as much isolated as if it re- mained altogether in New Zealand, and any variation would not be transmitted by interbreeding to Austrahan individuals. 15. Carpophaga nov^-zealandi^ (Gm.). A single specimen and two eggs are in the collection. The eggs are white, or yellowish white, with minute purple spots on the larger end. Length 1 '4-1 "47 inch ; breadth 1*1. 16. Charadrius bicinctus, Jard. Two specimens. 17. ThINORNIS NOViE-ZEALANDT^ (Gm.). Several specimens. Found on Mangare only. 18. HiEMATOPus LONGiRosTRis, VieiU. Two specimens. 19. Ardea poiciloptera, Wagl. Mr. Travers did not succeed in getting a specimen of this bird, although he knows that it exists on the islands. 20. LiMOSA UROPYGIALIS, Gould. This bird was seen by Mr. Travers several times ; but he did Birds from the Chat nam Islands. 24<7 not succeed in getting specimens. It is migratory, leaving the islands in the winter. 21. Gallinago pusilla, Buller. Several specimens. On Mangare only. 22. Rallus modestus, sp. nov. Olivaceous brown^ bases of the feathers plumbeous ; feathers of the breast slightly tipped with pale fulvous, those of the abdomen and flanks with two narrow bars of the same colour ; throat dark grey, each feather slightly tipped with brown. Quills soft brown, the first three faintly barred with reddish fulvous, fourth and fifth the longest. Tail very soft and short, brown. Irides light brown; bill and legs light brown. Young. Uniform brownish black. Length 8-75 inches; wing3'15; bill from gape 1*4; tarsus 1; middle toe and claw 1*4. A single specimen and young from Mangare ; also a specimen in spirits. 23. Rallus dieffenbachi, Gray. This bird has never been seen since Diefifenbach's visit. It appears to be quite extinct now. 24. Ortygometra affinis, Gray. A single specimen and broken egg, which is of an olive-brown colour, and highly polished. Breadth "77 inch. 25. Ortygometra tabuensis (Gm.). One young specimen. 26. PoRPHYRio MELANOTus, Tcmm. One specimen. 27. Anas superciliosa, Gm. One specimen. 28. Anas? Mr. Travers did not succeed in seeing again the Duck with red on the wings mentioned in his account of his first visit to the islands (Trans. New-Zealand Institute, i. p. 178). 248 Capt. F. W. Hutton on some 29. Rynchaspis variegata, Gould. Two males and two females. 30. Lestris catarractes, L. Several specimens. Sometimes the feathers of the back of the neck are finely streaked with pale yellow ; but usually they are of a uniform brown. Egg rather pyriform, olive-brown, with large brown and purplish grey spots. Length 3'1 inches; breadth 2"1. 31. Larus dominicanus, Licht. Two specimens, adult and young. 32. Larus scopulinus, Forst. Several specimens. 33. Sterna frontalis, Gray. One specimen. The breast is faintly tinged with rose. 34. Diomedea exulans, L. Common on the coast. 35. Diomedea melanophrys, Boie. Common on the coast. 36. Ossifraga gigantea (Gm.). Several specimens, all of which are brown, getting lighter on the breast and throat, where the colour passes into dirty white. 37. Halodroma urinatrix (Gm.). A few specimens. Length 8 inches ; wing 4*5; tarsus 0*8; bill from gape 0-9, along culmen 0*55, breadth at end of nasal tube 0*25, height at end of nasal tube 0*2. 38. Halodroma berardi, Quoy et Gaim. A few specimens. Length 7*75 inches ; wing 4*25 ; tarsus 0*8 ; bill from gape 0*9, along culmen 0*55, breadth at end of nasal tube 0'17, height at end of nasal tube 0*2, The narrow bill of this species easily distinguishes it from the last. 39. PuFFiNus TRisTis, Forst. Several specimens. 40. PUFFINUS ASSIMILIS, Gould ? No specimens, but common off the coast. Birds from the Chatham Islands. 249 41. PrOCELLARIA CAPENSIS, L. Common ou the coast. 4)2. Prion turtur, Soland. Several specimens. Egg white. Length 1'7 inch.; breadth 1-25. 43. Prion vittatus, Gml. Several specimens. Length 12 inches ; wing 8*25 ; tarsus 1*3 ; bill from gape 1"6; breadth 0*87. Egg white : length 2 inches; breadth 1'5, This is probably the very broad-billed variety mentioned by Mr. Gould at the end of his description of this bird in his ' Hand- book to the Birds of Australia;^ but I hardly think that it is entitled to rank as a separate species. 44. Thalassidroma marina (Lath.). Several specimens. 45. Thalassidroma nereis, Gould. One specimen. 46. Graculus carbo, L. One specimen. 47. Graculus carunculatus, Gm. A few specimens. As soon as the breeding-season is over, the back becomes brown, with a broad transverse white band. 48. Graculus africanus, Gm. Head, neck, throat, lower part of back, thighs, vent, and over the tail dark blue or green-black ; upper back and wing- coverts greenish bronzy-brown, each feather with a black apex ; breast and abdomen grey : quills and tail brownish black ; head crested and neck ornamented with white feathers in the breeding-season. Bill dark; legs and feet yellowish orange. Length 19 inches; wing 9'5 ; bill from gape 2*75 ; tarsus 2. Both sexes alike. This Cormorant is also found in New Zealand, but is very rare ; for I have seen portions of the skin of a bird shot at the Wade, near Auckland, which 1 have now been able to identify with this species. 250 Mr. H. J. Elwes on the Genus Henicurus. 49. EuDYPTEs PACHYRHYNCHUs, Gray. One living specimen. 50. EUDYPTILA MINOR (Forst.). Several specimens. Mr. Travers finds from careful inquiry that there is no evi- dence of the following birds ever having inhabited the Chatham Islands, although they have been reported to have been seen there (Trans. New-Zealand Institute, i. 178) — Ardea alba, Ocy- dromus, sp., Anas chlorotis, and Apteryx, sp. XXXI. — A Revision of the Genus Henicurus. By H. J. Elwes, F.Z.S. &c. (Plate IX.) Though the genus Henicurus does not present any grave difii- culties to the ornithologist, yet, as the species composing it have been a good deal confused and from what we know of its geo- graphical distribution it is not likely that any new ones remain to be discovered, I think the following notes may not be un- acceptable. Temminck first proposed the name Henicurus (errore Enicu- rus, €vik6<; et ovpd) for three species of birds from Java and Sumati'a — namely, Turdus leschenaulti (Vieill.), H. ruficapillus, and H. velatus — which he figured and described in the Planches Coloriees, vol. iii. livr. 27, 19, & 90. A few years later, when the riches of the Himalayas were first brought to light, four more species were described by Hodgson and Vigors. Though the exertions of such indefatigable and skilful natu- ralists as Jerdon, Blyth, Swinhoe, and David have added hun- dreds of species to the avifauna of Asia, only two distinct Heni- curi have, in my opinion, been since discovered. The birds in question form a very well-marked group, of doubtful affinity ; for though they are placed by most authors in the family Motacillidce, and resemble the Wagtails greatly in habits and appearance, it is by no means certain that they are rightly so placed. Blyth, a naturalist whose opinion on any point of classifi- Mr. H.J. Elwes on the Genus Henicurus. 251 cation is of great weighty taking H. ruficapillus as the most typical species of the genus (on which point, however, I do not agree with him)"^, considers the affinities of Henicurus to be with the Myiotherinse, and says, " the relation of this genus to the Wagtails I consider to be one of analogy rather than affinity/' This point will best be settled by a careful anatomical inves- tigation ; but as I unfortunately neglected to preserve the bodies of those species which I have personally observed, and am un- able to obtain the necessary materials, I must leave it for the present undecided. It will be observed, however, that Henicu- rus does not agree with Motacilla in having the tertiaries as long as the secondaries. The birds of this genus are preeminently characteristic of the densely wooded mountain-streams of South-eastern Asia, and range from Cashmere to the hill-ranges of China and Java, though nowhere found in India south of the Himalaya. Their plumage, with the single exception of H. ruficapillus, is entirely black and white ; and their habits, so far as we know them, are very similar. They frequent forest-streams and torrents in the lower ranges of mountains, and rarely stray either into the plains or the upper regions of the Himalaya ; though Dr. Stoliczka has procured H. scouleri at an elevation of 12,000 feet. Their motions are so active and lively that they form a con- spicuous feature in Himalayan scenery, being usually found either singly or in pairs, flitting rapidly from rock to rock by the side of the most rapid torrents. They appear to be very partial to the neighbourhood of a waterfall or rapid. They make a large nest of moss and fibres, which is placed under a rock * [Blyth (J. A. S. B. xvi. p. lo7), placing H. rujicapilliis first on his list of the members of the genus, by no means commits himself to the opinion that that species must be considered the type of the genus. There can be no doubt that H. velatm is the type of Henicurus, that being the only species published, with the description of the genus, in the 27th livraison of the ' Planches Coloriees,' issued 26th July 1823 {Cf. Crotch, Ibis, 1868, p. 500). H. coronatus, Temm., = 7/. leschmmdti, was published in the 19th livr. 26 June 1824, and H. ruficapillus in the 90th livr. 28 July 1832. Gray gives (Gen. B. p. 41, 1855) H. Icschcnaulti as the t}'pe of the genus, but is clearly wrong in so doing. — Ed.] 252 Mr. H. J. Elwes on the Genus Henicurus. close to the water. Their food consists of insects, larvae, water- beetles, and small shells. In describing the plumage of the several species of Henicuri, there are several points characteristic of the whole genus, which it will be unnecessary to repeat. In all the species the tail is com- posed of twelve feathers, of which the four middle pairs are black, with white tips, and graduated in length from the central pair, which are the shortest. The two outer pairs are entirely white, and about equal in length to the next pair, though they vary con- siderably in this respect in different specimens ; the base of the secondaries and tertiaries is also white, and forms a conspicuous bar on the wings (except in H. velatus) of greater or less breadth according to the extent to which it is concealed by the wing- coverts ; the axillary feathers and greater part of the under wing-coverts, with a bar on the base of the primaries beneath, are also white; the white tips of the secondaries disappear with age, and in fully adult birds are almost imperceptible. Genus Henicurus, Temm. Bill moderately long, straight and stout; the upper mandible sharply keeled at the base ; gonys well marked ; nostrils lateral, set in a deep fossa, closed from above by a membrane ; gape with a few stiff hairs. Wings moderate, rounded ; first primary short ; fourth, fifth and sixth the longest and subequal. Tail long, forked, of twelve feathers, the four inner pairs of which are graduated in length from the centre. Legs and feet moderate ; middle toe the longest and united to the outer one as far as the first joint ; nails strong and curved. CI avis specierum. A. Pectore albo. a. dorso cinereo : a', speculo alari tectricibus celato 1. velatus. h', speculo alari conspicuo 2. schistaceus. b. dorso nigro : c'. Cauda longiore quam ala 3. immaculatus. d'. Cauda breviore quam ala 4. scouleri. c. capite et collo posticis ferrugineis 5. rtificapUhis. Mr. H. J. Elwes on the Genus Henicurus. 253 B. Pectore nigro. d. dorso immaculato : e'. major 6. leschenaidti. f. minor 7. frontalis. e. dorso albo lunulato 8. macvlatus. f. dorso albo punctato 9. guttatus. 1. Henicurus velatus. Enicurus velatus, Temm. PI. Col. 160; Gray, Gen. Birds, i. p. 204; Bp. Consp. Av. p. 251; Horsf. & Moore, Cat. Birds in Mus. E. I. Comp. i. p. 347. Hab. Java {Diard). Head, back, and sides of neck dark slaty grey ; wings, chin, and spot in front of the eye black ; breast, belly, rump, tail- coverts, and a bar across the forehead white; the white bar on the wing is concealed by the coverts. Bill black; irides dark brown ; legs and feet fleshy white. Length about 7 inches; wing 3; tail 3| ; bill f ; tarsus 1. The female has the top of the head tinged with brown ; and, according to Temminck, the throat is whitish, and the back a little more ashy than in the male. This pretty and distinct species is, so far as I am aware, only found in Java, where it has been collected by MM. Diard, Reinwardt, and Duvaucel. It is rare in collections. 2. Henicurus schistaceus. Enicurus schistaceus, Hodgs. As. Bes. xix. p. 189; Gray's Zool. Misc. 1844, p. 83 ; Gray, Cat. Hodgs. Coll. in B. M. p. 76 ; Blyth, J. A. S. B. xvi. p. 157; Cat. Birds in Mus. A. S. Beng. p. 159; Swinhoe, Ibis, 1861, p. 409, 1867, pp. 29, 404; P. Z. S. 1863, p. 276; Jerdon, Birds of India, ii. p. 215. H. leucoschistus, Swinhoe, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 1870, vi. p. 154; P. Z.S. 1871, p. 365. Hab. Nepal {Hodgson) ; Sikim (Elwes) ; Bhotan [Pember- ton); Tenasserim {Bhjth) ; Moupin [David); China (Srvinhoe). Above dark slaty-grey, with a narrow white band across forehead from eye to eye; lores, cheeks, chin, and primaries black, the latter (except the first two) showing a white mark below the white bar. Throat, breast, belly, rump, and tail- coverts white. Eyes dark brown ; beak black ; feet and legs 254 Mr. H.J. Elwes on the Genus Henicurus. fleshy white. Length 8|- to 9 inches ; tail 4| to 5 ; wing 3| ; tarsus 1 ; bill, from gape, |. This species seems to have the widest range of any of the genus ; for unless we recognize the Chinese H. leucoschistus as distinct, it is found from Nepal through Szechuen to near Amoy, and southwards as far as the mountain-ranges of Tenasserim. After having, through Mr. Whitely's permission, carefully examined the specimens of this species in Mr. Swiuhoe's col- lection, I cannot see that there is any good or constant difference between Chinese and Indian specimens of this bird; and Mr. Swinhoe has twice expressed himself to the same effect (Ibis, 1867, p. 404, and P.Z.S. 1863, p. 276), though he has since dis- covered that the Chinese bird differs in having the bill straighter along the culmen, and the gonys more ascending. This, to my eye, is quite imperceptible; and as in his list of Chinese birds Mr. Swinhoe ignores this point, and mentions as the only difference the variable amount of white on the primaries and under wing, I cannot but think that it would have been better to have waited till he had made his case a little clearer. The specimens col- lected by the Abbe David at Moupin, on the borders of Thibet and China, are quite similar to the Indian bird. H. schistaceus is not common in Sikim, and keeps to the lower elevations, so far as I have observed. Its habits are similar to those of its congeners ; but nothing is recorded of its nidification. M. de Grijs told Mr. Swinhoe that he saw these birds on the margins of pools in the hills about 130 miles inland from Amoy, and that they frequently uttered twittering notes not unlike those of the Sandpiper, but louder. 3. Henicurus immaculatus. Enicurus immaculatus, Hodgs. As. Res. xix. p. 190; Gray's Zool. Misc. p. 83, 1844; Cat. Hodgs. Coll. in B.M. p. 76; Blyth, J. A. S. B. xvi. p. 157; Cat. Birds Mus. As. Soc. B. p. 159; Horsf. & Moore, Cat. Birds in Mus. E. I. Comp. i. p. 346 ; Godwin-Austen, J. A. S. B. 187.0, p. 107; Jerdon, Birds of India ii. p. 213. Hab. Nepal {Hodgs.); Sikim {Elwes) ; Khasia Hills {Godwin- Austen); Aracan {Blyth); Assam? {Griffith) (en-ore Afghanistan). Mr. H. J. Elwes on the Genus Henicurus. 255 Head, neck, back, wings, and throat black ; breast, belly, rump, sides, tail-coverts, and wing-bar white ; a white band on the forehead about f inch broad, extending from above the eye across the base of the bill. Beak black ; eyes dark brown ; legs and feet fleshy white. Female like the male, but slightly duller-coloured on the head. Young birds are of a duller black, and have no white on the forehead. Length 8| inches ; tail 4^ to 4f ; wing 3| ; tarsus 1 ; bill from gape f. This species, which, in the Himalayas, is the rarest of all the genus, appears to be commoner in the hill-ranges of Burmah and Aracan. I shot one pair on April 4th, 1870, by the side of a narrow jungle- torrent, at a place called Sivoke, where the Teesta river debouches from the Sikim mountains into the plains. They were apparently breeding, and exactly resembled H. guttatus in flight and habits. Of this pair the male has hardly any white tips to the secon- daries, whilst in the female they are quite conspicuous. This seems to be a most variable character in other species of the genus. This bird much resembles H. schistaceus ; but adult specimens may be distinguished by the broader white band on the forehead, as well as the colour of the back, and immature ones by the absence of the conspicuous white mark on the primaries, which in H. schistaceus extends beyond the primary wing-coverts. 4. Henicurus scouleri. Enicurus scouleri, Vigors, P. Z. S. 1830-31, p. 174 : Gould, Cent. Him. Birds, pi. 28; Birds of Asia, pt. xviii. ; Jameson, Calc. Journ. Nat. Hist. vii. p. 363; Blyth, J. A. S. B. xvi. p. 1 57 ; Cat. Birds in Mus. As. Soc. Cal. p. 159 ; Beavan, Ibis, 1868, p. 75 ; Horsf. & Moore, Cat. Birds in Mus. E. I. Comp. i. p. 347 ; Gray, Cat. Hodgs. Coll. in B. Mus. p. 76 ; Adams, P. Z. S. 1858, p. 489, 1859, p. 179 ; Jerdon, Birds of India, ii. p. 214. Henicurus scouleri, Swinhoe, P. Z. S. 1871, p. 365 ; Stoliczka, J. A. S. B. 1868, p. 47. 256 Mr. H. J. Elwes on the Genus Henicurus, Enicurus niffrifro7is,llodgs. MSS., Gray, P. Z. S. 1859, p. 102; Jerdon, Birds of India, ii. p. 215 ; Godwin-Austen, J. A. S. B. 1870, p. 107 (?) E. heterurus, Hodgs. E. scouleri vel heterwus, Hodgs. Gray's Zool. Misc. 184i, p. 83. Hab. Cashmere (Admns) ; Chergaon, 11,000 ft., et Kotegurh, 6000 ft. (Stoliczka) ; Simla [Beavan) ; Nepal {Hodgson) ; Sikim {Elwes) ; Khasia Hills {Godwin- Austen) ; Moupin {David) ; Bhotan {Pemberton). Back, neck, and head, except a white frontal patch, black ; breast, belly, rump, tail-coverts, and broad bar on wings white ; tail short, the centre feathers black except at the base, gradually showing more white to the outer pair, which are wholly white ; the tail-feathers nearly equal in length. The young (described by mistake as another species) is of a duller black, without any white on the forehead, and has the breast mottled with black and white. Bill black ; eyes dark brown ; legs fleshy white (not black, as stated in the ' Birds of India' by mistake). Length 5^ inches, wing 3, tail 2 to 2^, tarsus I", bill \. This little Henicurus, which differs from all the rest in the comparative proportions of its tail, legs, and bill, is found from Cashmere to East Thibet, but seems to be commonest in the Eastern Himalayas. • Dr. Stoliczka found it in the valley of the Sutlej, more con- fined to the hills of the outer ranges, but not uncommonly found up to 8000 feet; while Adams says that in Cashmere it prefers the streams of the higher ranges. I found it common in Sikim ; and it is the only species which I observed in the valleys of the interior, where it frequents rivers in preference to the smaller streams. As Jerdon has related, it often contends with Ruti- cilla fuliginosa for a favourite rock in the midst of a boiling tor- rent, where, cleverly avoiding the waves, it searches among the great boulders that are rolled down from the mountains for the larvse of various water-insects, which form its chief food. The highest point where I observed it was on the Lachoong river, one of the great branches of the Teesta, 10,000 feet above the Mr. H. J. Elwes on the Genus Henicurus. 257 sea. The nest and eggs are said to be similar to those of H. maculatus, but smaller. 5. Henicurus ruficapillus. E. ruficapillus, Temm. PI. Col. 534 ; Blyth, J. A. S. B. xvi, p. 155 ; Cat. Birds in Mus. As. Soc. p. 159. E. diadematus, Miill. (exBoie, MS.) Tijds. voor Nat. Gesch. 1835, p. 346. Hab. Java [Blyth) ; Sumatra [Muller) ; Malacca [Maingay). Head, cheeks, sides of neck, and back rich reddish brown ; belly, rump, gorget, and narrow wing-bar white ; breast-feathers white, broadly edged with black ; chin and throat black, a nar- row, band on the forehead white, bordered with black. In some specimens, which, according to Temminck, are males, the chin and tbroat are white and the lower part of the back black instead of red. As, however, none of the specimens which I have examined had their sexes noted, I am unable to verify this statement. According to Miiller the female is smaller than the male, and has the back of a darker rufous. Length 7\ inches ; wing 3f ; outer tail-feathers 3 ; tarsus 1 1 ; beak |. Irides brown ; beak black ; legs, feet, and claws fleshy white. Blyth says (J. A. S. B. xvi. p. 155) : — " This fine species, preeminently typical of its group, strongly exhibits, in the form of its bill and the rufous colouring of its head and nape, the Myiotherine affinity of the genus ; the bill has the upper man- dible hooked over at the top much as in Cinclus, minus the hook and nareal orifices ; and it is the same form of bill as reap- pears in Eupetes, It is a very interesting species, as indicating more than any other the affinity of the group." I should be inclined to think that this species is more aberrant than any from the type of the genus ; and were it not connected with the rest through H. frontalis, which it resembles greatly in its proportions, I should be disposed to place it as the type of a subgenus. Temminck says of this bird (Rec. d^Oiseaux, 90th livraison) that it was first received from Pallambang, Sumatra, and is found very rarely in Java. " It is difficult to approach this very shy SER. III. — VOL. II. U 258 Mr. H. J. Elwes on the Genus Henicurus. bird, which frequents the borders of torrents in the most inac- cessible ravines of the wooded mountains." Miiller says, " I have only met with it hitherto near some of the small rivulets of the shore-mountains at the base of Boengoes (Sumatra), It is there found jumping on dry-lying rolling stones, screaming vociferously, just as Boie mentions is the habit of H. coronatus and velatus." '6. Henicurus leschenaulti. Turdus leschenaulti, Vieill. N. Diet. Hist. Nat. xx. p. 269 (1818) ; Gal. des Oiseaux, pi. 145. Enicurus coronatus, Temm. PI. Col. 113. Motacilla speciosa, Horsf. Linn. Trans, xiii. p. 155 ; Zool. Res. in Java, 1824 ; Lath. Gen. Hist. vi. p. 319. Enicurus leschenaulti. Gray, Gen. Birds, i., p. 204; Horsf. & Moore, Cat. Birds in Mus. E. 1. Comp. vol. i. p. 345 ; Swinhoe, P. Z. S. 1863, p. 276. Henicurus speciosus, Swinhoe, Ibis, 1861, p. 265 ; et 1862, pp. 261, 264. Henicurus sinensis, Gould, P. Z. S. 1865, p. 665 ; Swinhoe, Ibis, 1867, p. 404, and P. Z. S. 1871, p. 365. H. chinensis, Gould, Birds of Asia, pt. xviii. Hub. Java {Horsfield) ; Moupin [David) ; China, Fokien prov. (Swinhoe). Crown, rump, belly, tail-coverts and wing-bar white, the rest black ; the white feathers of the head more or less elongated, but not forming a crest. Length 10 inches; wing4|^; tail5|; beak from gapel; tar- sus I5. Mr. Gould has described specimens of this bird from China as H. sinensis ; but after comparing a number of specimens from Java and China, I am unable to see that the character upon which Mr. Gould relies (namely the smaller frontal patch) is sufficient to rank the Chinese bird as a good species ; and Mr. Swinhoe, though he admitted the distinctness of the species in his list of Chinese birds (P. Z. S. 1871, p. 365), wrote as follows in 'The Ibis' (1867, p. 404) :— " I see that Mr. Gould has made a new species of the Chinese I 3 Mr. H. J. Elwes on the Genus Henicurus. 259 pied Henicurus; the chief peculiarity of his H. sinensis being the less extent of white on the forehead. " I have three specimens from Foochow varying a good deal in the expansion of this white. I carefully compared my skins with those in the E. I. Museum of true H. speciosus (Horsf.), and, though anxious to find a difi'erence, could discover none. I suspect that the greater or less extent of frontal white is a sexual difference/' In P. Z. S. 1863, p. 276, Mr. Swinhoe says of this bird : — " Never procured by me in China, except on the hills round Foochow, where I have procured it both in winter and summer. My specimens from that locality correspond entirely with Javan skins," Horsfield says of H. leschenaulti, in his Zoological Researches in Java, " It is very locally distributed, and uniformly deserts the neighbourhood of populous villages. It is almost entirely confined to the southern coast of Java, which abounds in small streams descending rapidly from the hills and shaded by luxu- riant shrubs. Here I first discovered this bird in the year 1809. I afterwards met with it again in the district of Karano:-bollon£r, and in the provinces south of Kediri. In more central situa- ations, it frequents the banks of an elevated lake near the de- clivities of the mountain Prahu, where I found it more nume- rous than in any other part of Java." 7. Henicurus frontalis. (Plate IX.) E. frontalis, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xvi. p. 156 ; Cat. Birds in Mus. A. S. p. 159; Horsf. & Moore, Cat. Birds in Mus. E. I. Comp. i. p. 346; Bp. Consp. Av. p. 251. Hab. Malacca {Cantor, Maingay, Linstedt). Plumage hke that of H. leschenaulti. Breast black; belly, bar on wings, crown, and forehead white, the feathers of the head elongated like those of H. leschenaulti. Length about 8 inches wing 3|, tarsus \\, tail 3| to 4, bill from gape ff, culmen \^. This species, which in its size and proportions strongly re- sembles H. ruficapillus, is in plumage similar to H. lesche- naulti. It appears to be rare, and has only been found, so far as I am aware, in the Malay peninsula. The Plate is taken from a Malacca specimen kindly lent to me by Mr. Wallace. u2 260 Mr. H. J. Elvves un the Genus Heuicurus. 8. Henicurus maculatus. Enicurus maculatus, Vigors, P. Z, S. 1830-31, p. 9 ; Gould, Cent. Him. Birds, pi. 27, et Birds of Asia, pt. xviii. ; Cat. Hodgs. Coll. in B. M. p. 76 ; Jameson, Calc. Journ. Nat. Hist. vii. p. 363 ; Blyth, J. A. S. B. xvi. p. 156; Cat. Birds in Mus. As. Soc. p. 159; Ibis, 1867, p. 29; Horsf. & Moore, Cat. Birds in Mus. E. I. Comp. i. p. 346; Adams, P. Z. S. 1858, p. 489, & 1859, p. 179; Jerd. Birdsoflndia, ii.p.212; Beavan, Ibis, 1868, p.75 ; Brooks, Ibis, 1869, p. 57 ; Stoliczka, J. A. S. B. 1868, p. 47. Enicurus fuliginosus, Hodgs. As. Res. xix. p. 190. Hab. Cashmere (^^flms); Pangi, 9000-10,000 feet (-S^/ic^^a) ; Kangra {Elwes) ; Kumaon {Brooks) ; Simla [Beavan) ; Nepal [Hodgson) . Head, breast, wings, and back black. The feathers of the back are each tipped with a white mark or lunule, which run together on the neck, and form a mottled collar of black and white ; round patch on forehead, belly, rump, flanks, and tail- coverts white ; wing-bar conspicuous ; bill black ; feet and legs fleshy white; irides dark brown. Length 10 to 10^ inches; wing 4; tail 5f ; bill, from gape, f ; tarsus 1^. The immature bird is of a dull black, without white forehead or spots. The female has the top of the head tinged with brown. The Spotted Fork-tail is one of the most characteristic Himalayan birds, and, being common in the neighbourhood of the hill-stations at an elevation of 6000 or 7000 feet, is known to most Anglo-Indians. Its habits have been well described by Adams and also by Jerdon, to whose invaluable work I refer those who wish to know more of them. It has been found, by Dr. Stoliczka, in the Sutlej valley, at elevations of from 5000 to 11,000 feet; but it does not extend, in that locality, eastward of the large forests into the Thibetan climate. Adams says (P. Z. S. 1859, p. 179) that it is common on the mountain- streams southwards of the valley of Cashmere. Its nest was taken by the late Mr. Home, near Nynee Tal, on the 27th of May. It was placed in the side of a rocky watercourse; and the eggs, which were three or four in number, wei-e 1 inch by •625, white, with a faint shade of green, and speckled rather sparingly with rusty brown. Mr. H. J. Elwes on the Genus Henicurus. 261 9. Henicurus guttatus. Enicurus guttatus, Gould, P. Z. S. 1865, p. 664, et Birds of Asia, pt. xviii.; Blyth, Ibis, 1867, p. 29. H. maculatus, Godwin-Austen, J. A. S. B. 1870, p. 109 ; Jer- don. Birds of India, ii. p. 212; Beavan, Ibis, 1868, p. 75 (in pai't) . Hab. Nepal [Hodgson) ; Sikim {Elwes) ; Khasia [Godivin- Austen) ; Aracan ? [Blyth); Burmah [Jerdon). Head, breast, and back black ; the latter marked with round or oblong white spots, from the size of a No, 4 shot on the lower back to that of a pea on the neck, where they are closer together, and form a collar, less conspicuous than in H. maculatus ; a cir- cular patch on forehead, belly, flanks, tail-coverts, and wing- bar white. Female the same, with a tinge of brown on the back of the head. Irides dark brown ; legs and feet fleshy white ; bill black. The young is of a dull brownish-black, and has no white on the forehead or back. Length 9^ to 10^ inches; tail 5 to 6; bill, from gape, f ; tarsus Ig; wing 4. This species was not distinguished from H. maculatus until 1865, when it was separated by Mr. Gould under the appro- priate name of H. guttatus. Though several other distinctive marks are given by which it is said to differ from its western representative, such as its smaller size, narrower tail-feathers, and smaller patch on the forehead, I am unable, after com- paring a large series, to find any constant diff"erence except in the shape and arrangement of the white spots on the back; and I believe that when a large series is procured from diff"erent parts of Nepal, it will be found impossible to define the limits of the two forms. Mr. Hodgson procured both in the central Himalayas ; but as his collectors travelled over the whole of Nepal, which extends about 500 miles from east to west, and no localities are given with any of his specimens in the British Museum which I have examined, it is at present impossible to say how far to the north-west H. guttatus ranges, and whether it interbreeds with H. maculatus or not. Mr. Hodgson him- self never distinguished the two species ; and he was by no means 262 Dr. J. Murie on the Genus Colius. backward in separating supposed species when any appreciable difference could be discovered between two birds. As, however, I have been able, without looking at the labels, to separate a considerable number of specimens of these repre- sentative forms when mixed together, I feel hardly justified in refusing specific rank to H. guttatus. I have observed it in Sikim at elevations of from 3000 to 7000 feet in the outer ranges of hills only, and found it paired on the 17th of May, when, from the appearance of the sexual organs, breeding must have commenced. Dr. Jerdon's account of the habits of H. maculatits applies equally well to this species. XXXII. — On the Genus Colius, its Structure and Systematic Place. By Dr. James Murie, F.L.S. &c. ^Py^o^, M^, 19 or (Plate X.) r-^^V ' By whatever motive we are impelled to study ornithology in its ciassific aspect, when first the characters of two species are pointed out to us, they appear clear and readily discernible. Proceeding to genera, they too dwell in our mind's eye as axioms, and so on to larger groups. But soon the time comes when we acknowledge distinctions which are not so obvious. Instead of that sharp definition which we had believed was the attribute of birds in their relations to each other, we are compelled to admit that there is often an interweaving of form, difficult to disentangle and hard to express in words. The subject of this paper is representative of a group of birds (the Colics) requiring nicety of reasoning to appreciate the value of its characters and their degree of relation ship to those of other forms. I. Position assigned by various writers to the COLIES. The birds in question are by no means showy, so far as their dress is concerned. The familiar name of " Mousebii'ds," which the Dutch colonists of the Cape and others have bestowed on Dr. J. Murie on the Genus Colius. 263 them, is not inapt. It expresses their pervading or dominant colour, and suggests their odd propensity to creep amongst the branches. A resume of the chief ornithologists who have treated of Colius systematically, dates from Brisson^. He it was who stamped the name on the genus, and classed it amongst the Passeres, after the Buntings and Larks [Emberiza and Alauda), and before the Bullfinches [Pyrrhula). Buffonf subsequently placed it between the Bullfinches and the Manakins. Levaillant^s work on African ornithology contains a very elegantly written little chapter respecting the characters and habits of the Colics J — one worthy of perusal to those who would take a leaf out of nature's book. That eminent naturalist brings them in between the Woodpeckers and Orioles ; whilst he asserts that they do not belong to the Bullfinches, as Buffon had marked them. No hint from the above fellow countryman seems to have been taken by Cuvier§, who, depending on beak-character, re- tained it in the Sparrow tribe — Pyrrhula and Corythus ranging on the one side, and Buphaga on the other. The traveller Burcheliy suggested its proximity to Corythaix. Vieillot^f about the same time saw likeness in it to the Rollers. Lesson ** gives in sequence the Crossbills {Loxia), Colies, and Plant-cutters {Phijtotoma). A slight remove from the last was made by Swainsonftj who gave Phytotoma precedence to Colius — the true Plantain-eaters (subfam. Musophaginse) coming after, and all three under the family Musophagidse. In his ' Genera of Birds 'J J, the late Mr. G. R. Gray adopted, almost without change, an arrangement like the last, as did Bonaparte in his ' Conspectus.' In the much more recent 'Hand List'§§, Gray's final ornithological labour ere called away from amongst us, the classification runs : — Alaudidse, * Ornithologie, tome iii. p. 304. t Hist. Nat. Des Oiseaux, tome iv. p. 400. X Oiseaux d'Afrique, tome vi. p. 32. § Eegne Animal. II Travels in South Africa, vol. i. p. 214 (footnote). H Encycl. Meth. p. 864. ** Manuel, tome i. p. 334. tt Nat. IHst. and Classif. of Birds, vol. ii. p. 296. \X Vol. ii. p. 302. §§ Vol. ii. 1870, p. 123. 264 Dr. J. Marie on the Genus Colius. ColidEB, Musophagidse, Opisthocomidse, and Bucerotidae. Riip- pell's ' Monograph ' * deals more with the specific forms of Colius, and no fresh discussion of its affinities is entered into. Hartlaub f retains it among the Musophagidse, and near the Pyrrhulinse. Most of the foregoing writers either have taken for granted that the Passerine characters were genuine, and its affinities tolerably clear, from general outward appearance, or on the same principle saw fit association with the Plantain-eaters. Nitzsch|, in assigning it likeness to the latter and to the curious Opistho- comus, broke new ground m his reasons, besides seeing likeness to the Hornbills and others ; whilst Wallace^, from an entirely different point of view, deduced association of a novel kind ; which has been uttered with so much perspicuity that I may be pardoned for here quoting his words in full. " We have now only one more group to introduce into our Scansores ; but it is one of extreme interest, as tending in some degree to fill up the wide chasm which separates the Psittacidse from all other birds. This we believe is done by the Coliidse, a small group of birds peculiar to Africa, and which have been generally classed as Finches, from their small size and thick beak. The particulars which Le Vaillant gives of their habits are, however, exceedingly curious, and show a resemblance to the Parrots which no other birds exhibit. They live entirely on fruits, never touching either seeds or insects ; they never perch or jump ; they walk with the whole tarsus applied to the ground, creeping, as it were, upon their belly ; they are vei-y fleshy, and weigh twice as much as another bird of apparently the same size ; for their feathers are so short and so closely laid upon their body that they are really much larger than they appear. They have also very weak wings, and can fly a very short distance. They climb up to the top of a tree or bush to fly to another, and in doing so lose elevation so as generally to arrive at the foot of it. They climb one foot after the other, and help themselves on with their beaks. * " Monog. der Gattung Ctjgnus, Ceblepiji-is, und Colius," Mus. Senc- kenb. p. 41. t Syst. der Ornith. Westafiika's, p. 155. \ Pterylographie. § Ann. and Nat. Hist., Sept. 1856, p. 213. Dr. J. Murie on the Genus Colius. 265 " Now, almost the whole of this description Avill apply to some of the Parrot tribe and to no other birds. Their bill is an approach to that of the Parrot, the upper mandible being thick, much curved, and acutely pointed, while the lower is much smaller, and nearly straight. Their feet are very peculiar, the hind toe being small and capable of being turned forward. The tongue is described as cartilaginous and flat — one step from the ordinary horny-tipped tongue to the fleshy one of the Psitta- cidse. We consider therefore the Coliidse to be more nearly allied to the Parrots than any other birds, and to be an isolated link serving to connect them with the other Scansores in the direction of the Musophagidse." On very different grounds, M. Emile Blanchard*, a good authority respecting the osteology of birds, offers the following opinion : — " Un petit groupe d^oiseaux d^Afrique, les Colious {Colius, Briss., Coliid(E,Bp.) ont ete generalement classes parnii les Passereaux. Au contraire, plusieurs zoologistes, d'apres la consideration de leur plumage, ont cru devoir les rapprocher des Musophages. Or je ne connais pas le sternum des Colious, ce qui est vraiment facheux ; mais M. Ed. Verreaux m'ayant obligeamment donne un individu eti peau de Tune des especes de ce genre, j'ai pu etudier les caracteres des membres et delatete. Cette etude, on le verra par la suite, me conduira a etablir que les Colious sont etroitement lies aux R-olliers." Prof. Huxleyt, without assigning any explicit reason further than " The first toe turned forwards, as well as the others," locates the Coliidse as a separate family of his Coccygomorphae. I might quote LayardJ, Blanford§, and Dr. Otto Finsch|| as among recent writers who have had something to say regarding the Colies ; but they all associate them either alongside or under the family Musophagidse^. As to the Colies^ habits they mainly substantiate the earlier authorities. Layard, however, mentions * Ann. des Sciences Nat. tome xi. p. 138. t " On the Classification of Birds," P. Z. S. 1867, p. 466. t Birds of South Africa, p. 221. § Observations on the Geolopfy and Zoology of Abyssinia, pp. 66, 317. II Trans. Zool. Soc. vol. vii. p. 276. H I regret omitting Schlegel's paper on Coitus, Amsterdam, 1857, and Eyton's notice, neither of which I could conveniently lay hands on. 266 Dr. J. Murie on the Genus Colius. that, according to the natives, several birds lay their eggs in one nest — a remarkable circumstance, if true. Mr. William Jesse, who accompanied the Abyssinian expedition, and whose speci- mens have been described by Dr. Otto Finsch, notes (/. c.) that the contents of the stomach are chiefly fruit and berries, but in one specimen mimosa-seeds were found. The latter fact is at variance with Levaillant's observations. II. Pterylosis and points of interior Organization. Nitzsch*, above all others a most skilled observer of plumage, says that Colius "has a remarkable arrangement of the feathers, and can only be compared in this respect with Buceros." He ranges it under his group of Amphibolse, in which Corythaix and Musophaga precede and Opisthocomus follow. From the first two of these it is distinguished by the stems of the inferior tract being dilated, and no diverging outer branch ; from the third by its dorsal tract being dilated on all sides and sparsely feathered. The rectrices are 10, the two outermost exceedingly small ; remiges 19, ten inserted on the pinion, 5th longest, the first four graduated. According to Johannes Miillert, Co/?v/s has a simple thick vocal muscle; Corythaix has no muscle to the inferior larynx. Owen's notes on the Purple-crested Touraco [C. porphyreolopha, Vig.)J and my own observations coincide. The tongue is said to be flat and cartilaginous, with horny papill8e§, therefore differing alike from the Musophagidse and the Finches. Of the stomach, Riippell says, it is of a semimuscular kind. AVhether cseca are present or absent in the intestines has not been recorded, so far as my search amongst the literature extends. III. Description of the Skeleton or C. kucotis, Riipp. 1. Bones of the Chest. — In proportion to the size of the bird, * Pterylograpliie, Engl. Trans. Ray Soc. 1867, p. 107. t Bericht d. Akad. d. Wiss. zu Berlin, 1841, p. 179. Miiller's Archiv, 1842, p. 11 ; and Abliand. d. Kcinigl. Akad. Berlin, 1845-47, p. .330 &c., pi. v. figs. 9 to 12. X P. Z. S. 1834, p. 4. § Riippell, Monog. already quoted, p. 41. Dr. J. Murie on the Genus Colius. 267 the breast-bone or sternum is long and remarkably shallow. Indeed this want of depth is a striking feature, especially as regards the pectoral plates : these are flattish and chevron- shaped ; their united cross diameter is barely more than half their length. In one specimen (PI. X. fig. 13) I found the outer edges of the breast-plate possessed three denticulations, giving a serrate appearance to each margin ; but in another, obtained from the same locality, the borders were only slightly sinuous and free from notching. On each side are two long delicate bony rods, the " xiphoid processes," an " external " and an " internal,'' the tip of the breast-plate being named the "middle'' one. The latter is a trifle the shortest, the former two pairs terminally pedate. The external xiphoid process runs on almost to the rib-facets ; the internal process is shorter. The keel shallows gradually back- wards with a very gentle curvature. Its anterior upright margin is larger, below moderately produced, and above running into the prominent sharp rostrum. This latter is indented, but barely cleft, at the tip, and has a small fossa internally at its base, which connects the shallow grooves lodging the coracoids. The elongate triangular costal process, partially overlapped by the coracoid, has four facets for as many ribs. The furcula (clavicle) at the sternal end possesses an inter- mediate inflected process, the interclavicle or " hypocleidium." The lower half of each furcular limb is flattened from above downwards -, the upper half, on the contrary, is laterally com- pressed, and widens out at its scapular junction into what goes by the name of " prsecoracoid." The bladebone (scapula) is narrow, thin, and ensiform, with a very slight terminal curvature. The shaft of the coracoid is on the whole rounded. Its sternal end, the " epicoracoid " of writers, may be compared to the blade of an oar. Superiorly the bone is united to the sca- pula with moderate enlargement ; and there is a short depending process of bone, the " mesocoracoid " of Parker, Each coracoid is a trifle shorter than the sternal plate. There are eight ribs on either side of the thorax. The first and second are short, and do not reach the sternum. The third 268 Dr. J. Murie on the Genus Colius. to tlie sixth are sternally attached. Recurrent processes obtain from the second costa to the sixth. 2. VertebrcE and Rump-bones. — The neck-vertebrse ai*e eleven or twelve, according as we accept the last one (with a very short riblet) as belonging to this series or not. In the back or dorsal region (that is, as far as the pelvic bones) there are eight verte- brae. The spinal portion of the pelvis appears to be composed of ten or eleven closely united vertebral elements. These seg- ments are indistinct, and appreciable only by the markings of transverse processes, visible from above. Of free tail-vertebrse seven obtain. The final one of all, or, as it has been termed, " pygostyle,'' possibly consists of a couple or more pieces, but so consolidated together that they may, for all practical purposes, be recognized as but one. Put in formula, therefore, the numbers would run : — 11 or 12 Ce; 8 D ; 10 or 11 Ls; 7 Cd =36 or 38. The rump-bone, or pelvis*, has been taken into considera- tion but by few ornithologists; and yet it is not devoid of characters. The iliac bones chiefly occupy the dorsal region. The rear halves of these in Colius are together wide and quadriform, with a smooth moderately convex surface. The fore halves narrow considerably, are concave, and set obliquely towards the spine. The latter is defined from the ilia quite in front ; but coalesces with them posteriorly. A line drawn through the foramina of the hip-joints (acetabula) gives an area in front, " prseacetabular,'' that behind being termed the " postacetabular.^^ In Colius, the former is narrower than it is long ; the reverse obtains in the latter. The interior, or renal surface is flat, shallow, and corre- sponds in outline to that described above. The ischium forms a lateral flank, posterior to the acetabulum ; and, whilst long and produced into a tapering process behind the " tuberosity," is nowhere very deep. Below it is the " pubis," * Eyton (' Osteologia Avium ') duly notes its importance. Huxley, "On the Classification and Distribution of the AlectoromorphiB and HeteromorphfB," P. Z. S. 1868, p. 298, seizes its taxonomic points. Alph. Milne-Edwards appreciates diversity of conformation in his great work ' Oiseaiix Fossiles.' Dr. J. Marie on the Genus Colius. 269 a delicate lengthened osseous rod. Above each acetabulum is a small eminence and facet, from which a line drawn backwards marks the junction of the ilium and ischium — this being sharp but not specially overarching. The ischial foramen beneath is of a long oval figure. 3. Wing- and Leg-pieces.— Oi the wing-bones, the humerus is short and relatively stout, both in the head, which is capacious, and in the rounded shaft. The pneumatic foramen, as usual, opens under the head. A small tubercle juts out above the outer lower condyle. The bones of the forearm barely exceed the humerus in length. The radius, more usually slender, in this case has proportionally a stout shaft compared with the ulna. Metacarpals and pha- langes are each and all of goodly thickness ; and the first meta- carpal is broad. A delicate plate, or partial bridge of bone, passing from the first to the second metacarpal at their upper (proximal) ends is noteworthy. The femur is by no means so powerful as the humerus, their length being almost identical. Its trochanter is rather rounded, and not prominently ridged. The tibia, again, far exceeds the ulna in magnitude ; and the fibula is diminutive and spicular. The upper anterior tibial tube- rosity (or " cnemial " ridge) is not prominent as in some birds. Inferiorly, there is a small intercondylar bridge of bone, through which the extensor tendons pass at the joint ; but some of these are also restrained by ligamentous bands situated obliquely. A tiny tubercle of bone above the external condyle marks the outer attachment of the latter. The tarsus, or, as more frequently named by anatomists, tarso-metatarse, is about two thirds the length of the tibia, and has a more antero-posteriorly compressed shaft. In front a longitudinal, but somewhat oblique convex ridge traverses from the upper outer margin to the lower middle and partially inner digital knuckle. Behind, the fluting of the shaft is straighter and to the inner side. The proximal or articular end of the bone, which plays against the bottom of the tibia, is concavely incised at the middle of its fore border. At its hind border is the so-called " calcaneal " eminence — in this case small, semi- 270 Dr. J. Murie on the Genus Colius. lunar, and pierced towards its inner side by a foramen. The distal or inferior articular end of the tarso-metatarse is relatively wide, and provided with three grooved knuckles (condyla), of nearly equal length, for as many of the outer toes. That which is named the metatarsus is a diminutive canary- seed-shaped ossicle, which lies a trifle behind the inner lower- most end of the shaft of the tarsus. It is so placed that the axis of the first or inner toe (hallux) is directed partially for- wards and inwards. Although all the four toes of Colius are afiirmed to be dii'ected forwards, I find that the inner (hallux) is perfectly capable of being thrust nearly backwards. This may not be its natural condition ; the joint, however, displays ready movement in a semicircle. I think it can hardly be doubted that for those habits which the Colics possess in perfection (clambering along branches and stems, traversing sideways, and suspension) it will be admitted that a certain amount of opposition of the digits is necessary. Unlike the Perchers, which require grasping-power attained by complete reversion of the first toe, and the true Scan- sores, with the fourth toe also turned behind so as to seize the slightest inequality, the Colics have the inner toe capable of wide abduction. It may therefore be compared to a human hand strongly clawed, which, by a kind of griping or squeezing of the digits, securely fastens to the slightest inequalities of surface. The inner toe is shortest, the third longest, and the second and fourth subequal. All are armed with strong, laterally com- pressed, curved claws, which are iuferiorly grooved. The usual avine number of the phalanges obtains, viz. 2, 3, 4, 5 respectively, in the digits, counting from within outwards. The segments of bones comprising the wing and leg of birds bear a certain ratio of length the one to the other. When closely investigated, it appears they often tally with the avine grouping drawn from other characters. I shall, in this place, only record the absolute length, in inches and decimals, of one species of the Colics examined by me. I give elsewhere* the proportions and comparisons in full, so need not trouble the * " Anatomy of the Alcedinidpe " (Kingfishers), now in the press. Dr. J. Murie on the Genus Colius. 271 reader beyoud an after statement of probable alliances drawn therefrom. C. leucotis, Riipp. Meta- Mid pha- Total Humerus. Ulna. carpus. langes. length, in. in. in. in. in. Wing 0-95 0-9 0-55 0-45 2-85 Tarso- Mid-toe Total Femur. Tibia, metatarse. phalanges, length. Leg 0-9 1-35 0-95 08 40 4. Skull and Mandible. — Both the tip of the latter and the whole of the beak are eusheathed with what, in the dried speci- men, is a very hard, terminally thick, horny case. In the beak it projects with a slight hook, less or more marked according to the species. In the lower jaw, as in Parrots, besides clothing the bony contour, it pouts at the symphysis in a deflected narrow gutter, which, however, is overlapped by the upper mandible. The bones of the lower mandible are not very strong, being thin and laterally compressed, but of some depth. Each half or ramus has a low antero-posterior arch, the bend being most perceptible at the narrowed apex. There is an elongate fissure or imperfect ossific space about the middle of the bone, at what is termed the " dentary " division by embryologists. At the joint or articular end the bone is moderately developed. The cavity wherein fits the " quadrate " is deepish. There is a well- marked internal angular process. Postarticular process is well- nigh obsolete; but there is a pronounced angle quite at the inferior extremity of the jaw. The skull does present certain points in common with some of the Musophagidse ; but it is also undeniable that it closely resembles some of the Finches', not alone in size but in each exterior aspect ! The hinder segment, or that containing the brain, is broad, full, and rounded, and of considerable depth. At the same time the top of the skull is not so very high, the ascent from the beak having a gradual slope. Superiorly the frontal space between the orbits is of medium width, and rather short on account of the postfrontals coming well forwards. It is deeply hollowed. The prefrontal processes 272 Dr. J. Murie on the Genus Colius. do not protrude much ; and the postfrontal processes are like- wise short, as are the zygomatic. The septum orbitale has a considerable open space below ; and each orbital plate is par- tially membranous. As regards the bones which surround the occipital foramen, and that in front, which has been named " basitemporal " by Parker*, I need only say they are plump. The articular or quadrate bone has a short orbital process. Its inferior or distal end is unlike the Parrots', and similar to some of the Raptores' in the internal and external knuckles being subequal in depth, the former compressed and set ob- liquely inwards, whilst the posterior knuckle is short and flat. The pterygoid bars are of medium stoutness and length, and directed well inwards. Jugal rods slender. The most important features of the base of the skull have yet to be mentioned, namely the palatal construction. I regret to say, however, that slight injury to the parts makes me speak with a degree of caution ; but I believe, and as far as I could make out, they are as I shall describe. Quite in front the in- ferior surface of the prsemaxillse forms a short, somewhat trian- gular or arrow-headed concave area. Widely apart from this start rearwards the palate-bones. The fore half of each of these, as in the Finches and some of the Raptores, is narrow, rod-like, and convex superficially, and nearly horizontal, or with a trifling outward tilt. The hind half widens out into a great thin plate of bone, truncate posteriorly, and with a decided inward obliquity. The inner margin possesses a longitudinal o-roove, and meets its fellow of the opposite side, they together lying on the long central beam inferiorly dividing the orbital cavities and termed the " rostrum of the basisphenoid." The maxillaries do not appear to obtrude much into the basal aspect of the beak, at best only to be detected on the outside of the prsepalatals. The inward processes from these, called " maxillo-palatines " by Huxley f (which in many birds contribute * Fully traced in its development in many birds ; see his numerous im- portant memoirs to the Royal, the Zoological, and the Ray Societies. t Vide P. Z. S. 1867, p. 419 (footnote). Nitzsch, fully half a century ago called attention to the Knochenkapsel or Mmchelhcin as analogous Dr. J. Murie on the Genus Colius. 273 much to form the roof of the mouth), are in Colius relatively small. They may be spongy or slightly lamellar ; but this I can- not aver with certainty from the condition of the specimen ; at all events they intrude but a slight way beyond the palatal rods, and leave a wide middle space betwixt them. As respects the presence of a vomer, there is apparently a short one, tapering rather than abruptly truncate anteriorly, and not visibly deeply cleft behind. Lastly, the hinged beak is perforated by large and wide nasal apertures, which extend well forwards ; the lachrymal or tear- bone is nearly perpendicular, its inferior limb spongy ; and there is no depending spicule or crotchet bone*, nor any backward upper orbital process. IV. Structural Comparisons and Affinities. From the great majority of the Passeres (Coracomorphie of Huxley) Colius is trenchantly separated by its possessing two pairs of notches on the sides of the sternum. Neither is its sternal manubrium deeply forked, nor do the pectoral plates correspond in figure &c. to them. Even in Scytalopus and Pteropiochus, aberrant Passerine genera, with four clefts and xiphoid processes, these and the pectoral surfaces are very different from the Coly type ; besides other details, their rostrum is deeply cleft. Phy- totoma, though classed by some among the Musophagidse, Blanchardf says has the sternum like those of the Finches. The wing-bones of Colius are relatively shorter and stouter than those of the Finches, Larks, and Orioles it has been associated with. In these latter and the Sparrow-tribe gene- rally, six canals for the flexor tendons perforate the tarso-meta- tarse ; their first toe is strong and turns backwards. The Coly therein differs. By the non-truncation forwards and want of cleavage behind in the vomer, by the diffei'encc in the maxillo -palatines (if I inter- to the " antrum Higmori " of the human cheek-bones (Osteographische Beitrage zur Naturgeschichte der Vogel, p. 26). * See paper by Prof. Reinhardt "Om en hidtil ukjendt knogle i Hoved- skallen hos Turakoerne (Musophagides, Sunder. )," Copenhagen, 1871. t L. c. p. 90. SER. III. VOL. II. X 274 Dr. J. Murie 07i the Genus Colius. pret these correctly), by the brevity of the orbital limb of the quadrate, and relative diminution of the articular knuckles, it cannot be classed with them. If these reasons apply to one division of the Passeres, it equally holds good with Phytotoma and the Orioles. The Passerine tongue, vocal apparatus, and feathering are sensibly modified in Colius. From the Psittacidse our genus is as much distinguished — the Parrots having two sternal foramina instead of clefts, and cla- vicles either absent or disunited and always without hypo- cleidium. They again excel in the proportion of all the seg- ments of the bones of the wing, but possess a humerus dimin- ished in comparison with the wing's length. In contrast, the Coly far exceeds the Parrots in the proportion of each leg-bone to the femur, but shows inferiority when the entire length of the leg is the standard, save its long tarso-nietatarse. In Parrots the outer lower articulation of the latter has two facets, and the fourth toe is permanently turned backwards. The Psittacine inferior mandible differs in several respects. Their lachrymal bone has a long inferior backward limb ; they have a single laterally compressed inferior articulo-quadrate facet ; their pterygoids are more elongate, their maxillo-palatines more ex- tensive ; prsemaxillffi greatly curved over lower mandible, and other specialities (pterylosis and inferior laryngeal muscles), — all in contrast to Colius. As to the Musophagidse (supposed allies of our form in ques- tion), their characters break down when compared with Colius in detail. Although their sterna have two pairs of notches and processes, yet each of these is relatively short, the latter thick, not pedatc, and the middle xiphoid terminally wide and abruj)tly truncate: the breast-plates are quadriform and deeper; rostrum abbreviate ; five, not four, costal facets ; furcula narrow above, and without hypocleidium ; a supracoracoid foramen, not a simple groove ; coracoids relatively shorter and stouter ; epi- coracoids unusually wide, and, in some cases, overlapping ; sca- pula nearly straight. Dr. J. Murie on the Genus Colius. 275 One less caudal vertebrae, and the coalesced lumbo-sacrals apparently in excess of Colius. The latter has advantage in metacarpo-phalangeal length ; an external inferior condyloid tu- bercle, and an osseous bridge betwixt the metacarpals ; in other respects the wing-elements correspond. In leg-proportion of the Colyto the Touracoit resembles the Parrots (as above stated), the metatarsus being greatly in excess. Femoral trochanter and cnemial ridge of tibia large and prominent. The other grooves and articular surfaces agree ; but the set and anterior position of the toes are most unlike — the Musophagidse having fourth and first backwards; in Colius they are all forwards. The pelvis of the Turacoes has the fronts of the ilia united into an arch, and the lumbo-dorsal muscles and tendons pass beneath ; the iliac blades expand forwards (as in the Cuckoos) ; and the proportion of the prseacetabular area is longer, the post- acetabular area is narrower in proportion to length ; the ilio- ischiac junction forms a prominent shelf; and there is great depth of the ischium itself. In all these particulars, therefore, the pelvis is dissimilar to that of the Coly. An outward resemblance in the skull of the two groups of birds compared is not substantiated by the basal plan of the maxillo-palatal segment and other particulars. Nearly, if not all, of the Plantain-eaters have a development, and sometimes a curious one, of the crotchet bone (infralachrymal). This is absent in the Colies. The Musophagine spongy maxillo- palatines meet in the middle line ; their palatal plates are less wide apart, broader fore than aft, and throughout horizontal; cut sharper off posteriorly, and inwardly have not the charac- teristic valley of Colius. Their prsemaxillse possess a high cul- men, in some of the genera forming quite a nodosity ; nasal orifice small, round, and placed well forwards ; beak terminating in a long deflected point, that of Colius being shorter, and the nares very large. Both the tongue and the vocal apparatus of the Touracoes disagree with those of the Coly ; and so even do the plumage and coloration to a degree. The Rollers {Coracias), as Vieillot and Blanchard both sur- x3 276 Dr. J. Murie on the Genus Colius. mise, exhibit a relationship to our form, but, like the last- mentioned, very considerably modified. Their sterna have quadruple notching ; but the shortness and strength of the xi- phoids, depth of pectoral plates, occasional want of intercla- vicle, supracoracoid foramen, &c. define them most trenchantly from Colius. Their pelvis, however, has a form approaching nearer to the latter than that of the Musophagidse. On the other hand, a longer-beaked skull, the cranial vertex high, and praemaxillse give a totally different contour. There are rudiments of basipterygoids in Coracias* ; the zygomatic spicule reaches thejugal; praeniaxillary hinge almost deficient; interorbital sep- tum totally ossified; maxillo-palatine construction more like Turacus than Colius ; mandibular and other points are all signi- ficant of separation of cranial character. The whole of the leg-bones of the Roller are shorter through- out, and especially that important one the tarso-metatarse. This fact even comes out stronger when the homologous pieces of the leg and wing of the genera compared are studied ; for Coracias, be it observed, has a long ulna. There are some points in one genus of the Rollers which point to alliance, even if otherwise subdued : I allude to Colaris. In this form there is a progressive shortening of the beak, a wider separation of the maxillo-palatines and palatal plates, and, anteriorly, presence of hypocleidium and a short thickish tongue. One short notch on each side of a massive sternum, a great prow formed from keel, bifid manubrium, absence of intercla- vicle, &c. distinguish the Bucerotidse. These have one dorsal vertebra less. Their pelvis is vastly different in shape, propor- tional length to breadth of prse- and post-acetabular areas, ischial shortening, flattening, and an additional external marginal pro- cess evince complete separation. Their skull is quite as sin- gular ; and in limb-bones more especially, the shortening of tarso- metatarsus, position of toes, and syndactylism offer the reverse of coincidence to the Coly tribe, * Huxley states there are none, " Classification of Birds," P. Z. S. 1867, p. 448. Dr. J. Murie on the Genus Colius. 277 The equally remarkable Opisthocomus, although placed in close apposition to Colius by Nitzsch on pterylographic grounds, presents remoteness from this form osteologically. The very numerous points of difference I need not dwell upon, but in- stead refer the reader to Huxley^s* terse and graphic descrip- tion. Even a comparison of the present plate with his woodcuts will suffice. As regards the fictitious brothei'hood of the Colies with the Woodpeckers, possibly from their branch-creeping propensities — their organization is of a most opposite kind. Neither the shape of the skull, its constituent upbuilding, the sternal and shoulder-girdle configuration, the number of the terminal spinal vertebrae, the shape of the pelvis, disposition and length of toes, tarsal proportion, tongue and visceral structure, nor the ptery- losis displays conformation which would suggest their being ranked together. I might extend my comparisons ; but I fear I have already drawn them out to an inordinate length. I presume, however, that my evidence will be sufficient to show that Colius con- sistently is not a true Passerine (or Coracomorph) — a verdict already arrived at by ornithologists studying external characters alone. No more do I find from my observations that it is either a true Parrot (Psittacomorph) or an aberrant one, as the shrewd reasoning of Wallace from habits &c. would imply. As little does its organization comport with the WoodpeckeiV [Celeomorphce), the Hornbills^, or that of the Hoaziu [Opisthocomus, a Hetero- morph). To the Rollers and the Touracoes (Coccygomorphs) undoubtedly there are many structural traits which suggest affinity. But so, on the other hand, might we as well assume it to be a Finch, from the remarkable simifarity of the one skull to the other. The facts are these : if we take one set of regional characters — the feet, the head, the breast- bones, the pelvis, and so on — we can place it in as many different groups ; we can even trace Raptorial kin ; so that it is hard to say where Colius could not be * Chapter III. " On the Affinities of Opi^sihocomus," in his paper in P. Z. S. 1868, p. .304. 278 Dr. J. Murie on the Genus Colius. wedged in, and plausibly too. Not only is it entitled to be con- sidered aberrant, but to aflford the strongest proof of the inter- linking of type — not in the chain- series so often advocated, but, like- the Isle of Man tripodal coat-of-arms, kicking its legs about, and whichever alighting upon, there it stands. But if, in the true spirit of ornithology, we take the bii-d in its completeness, it will be allowed it does not so closely re- semble any acknowledged individual group as to come under its definition. Without advocating its proper place, I propose equally to exclude it from the old Fissirostral and Scansorial, and the Passerine groups, the recent Coccygomorphse and Coracomor- phse. It, as I conceive, is equally with tlie Woodpeckers and Goatsuckers, Celeomorphse and Cypselomorphse, annectent be- twixt the Coccygomorphse and Coracomorphse. Professor Huxley, in his severely heterodox arrangement (Z. c), gave a brief diagnosis of his Coccygomorphre. With several of its essentials the Coly does not agree, no skeleton having pro- bably been seen by the above writer. With prescience he hints the said groups may hereafter be required to be divided ; and in this I acquiesce, the Coliidse here being the first slice I have removed, the Todiidse* partly taking its place. Before adding characteristics of the Coliomorphse I may curtly allude to genera of the Colics. Apart from synonyms, Colius, Briss., Urocolius, Bp., Rhahdocolius, Bp., and Hypocolius, Bp., are admitted by some. Skins and stuffed specimens of the first three of these I have carefully examined. To ornithologists these genera may be good; but I think, if bird-genera are so feebly defined. Heaven help the coming generation of workers ! Characters of the ColiOxMorph^. In these the rostrum is arched, slightly bent at the tip, and with a frontal movable hinge. Nares large ; external aperture basal, naked, linear, and oblique. Maxillo-palatines diminutive, wide apart. Palatines are narrow, rod-like in front, and posteriorly expand into large, partially horizontal, truncate plates. Only * Paper lately read bj- mo before the Zoological Society, May 1872. Dr. J. Murie on the Genus Colius. 279 slight ossification of the nasal septum, with extensive naso-pala- tine space. Vomer short, acuminate anteriorly, and without cleft posteriorly. No basipterygoid processes. Absence of crochet or infralachrymal bone. Quadrate with a short orbital process; articular knuckles subequal in depth, the inner one laterally compressed and obliquely set. Mandibular rami deli- cate, deep ; a large dentary space ; internal angular process well developed ; a pronounced postinferior angle. Sternum 4- notched; xiphoids very long and slender. Keel and pectoral plates shallow, the latter occasionally denticulate. Four rib- facets. Eostrum indented, but not deeply cleft. A large inter- clavicle present; and prsecoracoid moderately wide. Pelvic postacetabular area wide and square ; prseacetabular without special median contraction; the iliac margins do not form spinal bridges. Ilio-ischial junction without special outward shelving ; ischial tuberosity lengthened. Tarso-metatarse long, the calcaneal process pierced by one foramen. All four toes turned forwards, and furnished with acute slender claws. Tongue flat, cartilaginous, with horny papillae. A simple inferior laryn- geal muscle. Stems of the inferior feather tract sparse, dilated on all sides, and no diverging outer branch. DESCRIPTION OF PLATE X. The skeleton, minus the ribs and some of the vertebrae, of the Bejook Colitis (JRhabdocolius, Bp.) leiicotis, Rtipp. The bones are di-awn as nearly as possible of their natui-al dimensions, excepting figs. 7, 8, 26, and 27, which are enlai'ged to double their size. Fig. 1. Upper cranial surface. Fig. 2, The lower suiface of the skull. Fig. 3. Profile of the cranium. Fig. 4. The lower jaw or mandible in side view. Fig. 5. Upper or oral sui'face of the same. Fig. 6. Occipital surface of skull without the mandible. Fig. 7. The quadrate or articular bone on its outside and anterior aspect. Fig. 8, The same bone of the right side, from below. Each twice nat. size. The following lettering applies throughout to the corresponding parts of the skull in the above figures : — pynx, prsemaxilla ; n, nasal ; I, lachrymal ; p, palatine ; mxpy maxillo- palatine ; vo, vomer ? ; po, postfrontal process ; z, zj'gomatic process ; pt, pterygoid ; ju, jugal ; q, quadrate ; fm, foramen magnum ; i n, internal 280 Dr. J. Murie on the Genus Colius. angle ; a, angle of mandible ; d s, dentary space ; o /, orbital limb ; and » k, internal knuckle of the quadrate. Fig. 9. The runip-bouea and tail, or pelvis and caudal vertebrae, shown laterally. Fig. 10. Interior view of the same parts. Fig. 11. Upper or dorsal surface of the same. Points in the anatomy of the pelvis &c. are specified as subjoined : — il, il*, ilium, its anterior and posterior divisions ; is, ischium ; t, tube- rosity ; sp, spine of same ; p, os pubis ; a, acetabulum ; f, facet ; o, obtu- rator notch or foramen ; if, ischiatic or thyroid foramen ; sa, coalesced sacral vertebrae ; cd, caudal vertebras ; p)/, pygostyle ; dotted line indi- cates its natural position. Fig. 12. A side view of the sternum and shoulder-girdle. Fig. 13. The inferior pectoral surface of the same. The parts lettered in these two figures are : — k, keel ; r, rostrum ; m x, middle xiphoid ; i x, internal, and e x, external xiphoid process, the spaces corresponding ; c^j, costal process ; co, cora- coid ; ep, epicoracoid ; /, furcula ; hy, hypocleidium ; sc, scapula ; g, gle- noideum or articular facet. Fig. 14. Left upper wing-bone or humerus, seen from behind. Fig. 15. Its superior end (shoulder-joint). Fig. 16. Its lower end (elbow -joint). Fig. 17. The remainder of the wing-bones. Fig. 18. Upper radio-ulnar articulation. Letters have the undermentioned signification : — h, head of humerus ; pn, pneumatic foramen ; u, ulna ; r, radius ; c' and c^, first and second carpal bones ; m^ and wt^, first and second meta- carpals; d^, d^, and cP, digits, first, second, and third, respectively. Fig. 19. Thigh-bone of the right side, front view. Fig. 20. The left tibia in profile, outside view. Fig. 21. Tibia and fibula, anterior aspect. Fig. 22, Posterior aspect of the same. Fis:. 23. Posterior surface of the left tarso-metatarse. Fig. 24. Profile of the same, seen from without. Fig. 25. The left tarsus and foot, seen from behind. Fig. 26. Upper articular surface of the tarso-metatarse. Fig. 27. Lower articular end of the same. This and preceding enlarged to about double their natural dimensions. The lettering runs : — t, tibia ; /, fibula ; e, bony eminence or tuberosity ; tin, tarso-meta- tarse ; m, metatarsal piece ; i, ii, iii, iv, digits ; ca, calcaneal tuberosity or " hypotarsus." Ml...!-- ibi- 1^7: PI :-^ CBer-je^xt-litK . SilELETOl^l Li. US LEU C OTIS MAlS.liiiihd.T t- irnj- Two Months* Bird-collecting on the Gold Coast. 281 XXXIII. — Two Months' Bird- collecting on the Gold Coast. By Captain G. E. Shelley and T. E. Buckley. We left England on the 12th of January, 1872, to study the rich and, as yet, very imperfectly known avifauna of the Gold Coast. After a rough passage, we anchored in the beautiful bay of Funchal, the capital of Madeira. The town itself is prettily situated at the foot of the hills (of rugged and bold outline), which are terraced with vines &c. almost to their summits. Behind the town, halfway up the mountains, stands a con- vent, one of the most conspicuous objects on entering the harbour. As yet we had seen but few birds ; for Gulls were not veiy abundant, the two commonest species being the yellow-legged Herring-Gull and the Kittiwake. Near the Canary Islands sea-birds were more numerous ; and we saw quantities of two species of Shearwater, one of which appeared to be P. anglorum. Between TenerifFe and Sierra Leone we frequently met with Petrels, probably the two species P. pelagica and P. oceanica, both of which appear to be equally abundant on the west coast of Africa. While within fifty miles of TenerifFe a Hoopoe came on board, and some hundred and fifty miles further south we shot a spe- cimen of Lanius algeriensis which had alighted on the rigging. As the weather was fine and the sea calm after passing the Canaries, we were often on the look-out ; and though we saw but little of interest ornithologically, yet whales, porpoises, and innumerable nautili relieved somewhat the monotony of our sea voyage. On approaching the pretty harbour of Sierra Leone we first sight Africa. Freetown, its capital, is situated at the mouth of a broad river, and is a thriving place ; in the background the hills rise abruptly over the town, and are densely wooded; while the low ground and the opposite side of the river, which is likewise flat, are covered with thick bush, with here and there occasional large trees. In the harbour we saw many Gulls and some Terns ; among 282 Messrs. Shelley and Buckley on a the latter we recognized S. bergii, S. cantiaca, and S. leuco- pareia-, these we met with abundantly throughout our tour when near any lagoons. Of land birds we saw but two species, Budytes flava and Passer simplex, both very common throughout the Gold Coast. After leaving Sierra Leone we kept the land in sight nearly the whole way ; but the scenery was most uninteresting ; it con- sisted of one continuous flat densely wooded country, the out- line scarcely broken except by the rocky promontary of Cape Palmas, a pretty little spot belonging to the Americans. Here we waited for an hour to land the mails, and took the oppor- tunity of visiting the missionary station, which is very creditably conducted, though the lighthouse attached to the establishment is lamentably deficient in light. At length, on the 29th of January, we landed at Cape-Coast Castle. The most prominent object is the castle itself; a large white building, washed on one side by the sea ; it was built for holding slaves in former days, but is now used as barracks. Behind the castle, and near the centre of the town, stands Government House, and most of the larger buildings, all white- washed; the native dwellings are square mud huts, with flat roofs, but much more comfortable and better built than we ex- pected to find them. Altogether the town has a picturesque appearance ; the palm trees here and there break the outline of the square-built houses ; while the immediate neighbourhood of the town, unlike the general coast-line, is surrounded by small hills, on which are situated a lighthouse, powder-magazine, and a look-out. The country is covered with low, dense bush, interlaced with creepers, which form an impenetrable network, so that we were almost entirely confined to the narrow paths, two of which aspire to the name of roads — one the Ashantee road, running inland to the north-east, by the foot of Connor's Hill; the other, leaving the town westward, leads to Denkera, by way of Abro- bonko and Bula. The climate is too well known and justly abused to require any comments from us, though we were neither of us laid up with fever during our short stay in the country, which was pro- Two Months' Bird-collecting on the Gold Coast. 283 bably owing to the precautions we took and the hospitality shown us by the many friends we found out there, which ob- viated the necessity of our having to " rough it." We cannot pass over the kindnesses we received while on our travels, and the assistance which was always so heartily given us, without offering our warmest thanks to the friends we met with at Cape- Coast Castle and Accra. The year out here may be divided into two seasons — the summer or wet season, and the winter or dry season : the first is the most dangerous, on account of fevers, though the best time for collecting; while the latter, at which period we were out, is, towards its close, the worst for dysentery ; and on long excursions the want of good water is a serious drawback. The wet season is ushered in by tornadoes; and, owing to their being rather earlier than usual, we had several during our stay at Cape Coast. These storms, though of short duration, are very heavy, and are accompanied by a downpour of rain such as is rarely seen in more northern climes, while the lightning is in- cessant. At other times the nights are damp, and the days close and muggy, which causes the least exertion to be felt. The sun's rays are very powerful ; and the risks of over-fatigue or taking a chill were so frequently brought before our notice, that we were rarely out of doors after ten in the morning or before three in the afternoon. No assistance can be obtained from beasts of burden; for they cannot live in these bushy parts of the west coast, owing to the " Tsetzi Fly," while at Accra, seventy miles to the east, where the country is more open, there are a few horses — though they cannot be taken far inland even here, on account of this pest. At Cape Coast there are a few light carriages, drawn by natives ; but the usual mode of progression is in a hammock. On the 30th of January we started at 5 a.m. in a carriage drawn by six men, for Abrobonko. The road leads out of the town by an avenue of cocoa-nut palms, then turns off by the side of the Salt Pond, and is soon enclosed on each side by dense bush. On reaching Abrobonko (a small village of square mud huts thickly thatched with grass) we met with the first large trees we had seen in Fantee ; some of these are at least 284 Messrs. Shelley and Buckley on a 150 feet high, and are generally without a bough to within some 50 feet of the top. These large trees are the resort of a few birds of prey, chiefly Buteo desertorum, Milvus eegyptius, and Neophron pileatus. This latter species, though extremely abun- dant at Cape Coast, is never met with at Accra ; and where it breeds is not yet known, although it is numerous all the year round at Cape-Coast Castle. Small birds are plentiful at Abrobonko, and wonderfully varied ; but on this occasion our special object was to collect the Sunbirds, which were abundant round the tulip-trees, at- tracted thither by their large red flowers. These trees, however, were not particularly picturesque; for though covered with flowers, they were entirely devoid of leaves. In half an hour we had collected some twenty specimens of Nectariniidse belonging to seven species. The habits of all the Nectariniidse are very similar: they seek their food (which consists of small insects) among the flowering trees and shrubs, and are lively and active in their pursuit, and appear to glory in the sunshine ; for they rarely hide themselves in the shady bushes. At Cape-Coast Castle, Connor^s Hill, within ten minutes' walk of Government House, we found a very good spot for col- lecting, especially in the morning, after rain ; and here we ob- tained most of the European forms, as Phyllopneuste trocliilus, P. sibilatrix, &c. Fort William, on the opposite side of the town, was particularly good for collecting Swifts and Swallows, while the Lighthouse Hill is the only spot where Chaetura ussheri has yet been obtained. The avenue of cocoa-nut palms along the road to the Salt Pond was, in the morning, a great attraction for the Nectariniidse, while the Salt Pond itself abounds with Waders and Terns. The Abrobonko road beyond this was, perhaps, one of the best grounds for general collecting, as here and there spaces had been cleared in the bush. On February the 5th we left Cape-Coast Castle, on board the Government steam-yacht, for Accra, intending to ascend the Volta in her ; but our plans were frustrated by her boilers getting out of order. The country round Accra is much more open than at Cape Coast, the plain being covered with high grass and scattered Two Months' Bird-collecting on the Gold Coast. 285 bushes, together with innumerable red-clay hills of the white ants. On the 11th we made up a party to go to Quamin-fio, some ten miles inland, where we remained two days ; here we col- lected several good birds, among others Caprimulgus longipennis, Hirundo senegalensis, Nilaus hrubru, and CEdicnemus senegalensis. Had we devoted our time entirely to sport, we might here have made a very fair bag of antelopes and Francolins. To the west of Accra, beyond the Salt Pond, the country is also good for antelopes, especially the harness-back ; and here we also found three species of Francolins plentiful. On the 18th we started for Abouri, in the Agua-pim district. After travelling about eight miles, the country became densely bushed, so that we had to keep entirely to the path. Towards the outskirts of the plain of Accra we passed a small spring ; and here birds were extremely numerous and varied. We put up for the night at Abokobi, with the German missionaries ; and as it was late when we arrived, the glow of innumerable fire-flies lighted up the ground. We remained here the follow- ing day ; but the bush was so dense that we could obtain but few birds ; so we devoted some of our attention fo the butter- flies, which were so abundant that we collected nearly fifty species in one morning. On the morning of the 20th we left Abokobi ; and after two hours' tedious journey along a level, narrow path, we came into much finer scenery as we ascended the hills of the Agua-pim range, and finally arrived at Abouri about mid-day, where we again put up with the German missionaries, who were most hospitable, and rendered us every assistance they could in col- lecting. Having now concluded our journal, it may be thought not out of place for us here to make a few remarks from our per- sonal notes upon the distribution and habits of some of the birds which have already been recorded from the Gold Coast, while we shall keep in a separate list, at the end, all the species we obtained which have not hitherto been mentioned by Mr. Sharpe in his numerous papers in this Journal on the birds of Fantee. Scotornis climacurus is very abundant throughout the district ; 286 Messrs. Shelley and Buckley on a during the day they crouch close to the stems of the bushes, and are very hard to detect or disturb, while towards dusk they frequent the paths, rising close before one from the bare ground, and alighting again a few paces distant. Cypselus apus, C. affinis, and C. parvus are very abundant, the latter species frequenting the palm trees, in the folded-up leaves of which it was breeding in February, always in colonies. We obtained three species of Merops. Merojjs albicollis is extremely abundant and evenly distributed throughout the country, while M. pusillus is confined to the more open districts, where it frequents the low bushes; it was always in pairs in February. Eurystomus afer is plentiful at a short distance inland from Accra, but has not been met with, to my knowledge, near Cape- Coast Castle, where its place appears to be taken up by the nearly allied species E. gularis. Ceryle rudis we observed hovering over the Salt Pond at Cape Coast. Ispidina picta we obtained at Abrobonko and at the foot of Connor's Hill. Halcyon malimbica and H. cyanoleuca we met with at Abrobonko. Buceros albocristatus we found very abundant about Abouri, where it frequents the highest trees, and on the wing looks very graceful as it floats easily through the air. At Quamin-fio we obtained a pair of Toccus nasutus, which were feeding in the cassava-fields when we saw them : their irides are red, while those of the former species are dark brown. Corythaix macrorhyncha frequents the thick bush ; it has a peculiar loud jarring song. Schizorhis africana is plentiful near Accra, where it may generally be seen perched upon the very topmost bough of some large tree in the more open country, and is very difficult to approach. The irides are dark brown. Coccystes glandarius we killed near Accra. C. caffer is not uncommon throughout the district. The beautiful Golden Cuckoo, Chrysococcyx cupreus, we shot on Connor's Hill. Ce7i- tropus senegalensis is extremely abundant throughout the west coast. Its song is rather pleasing, consisting of a regular scale of notes, commencing with the highest one. The irides are red. We only met with Barbets in the dense forests of the Agua- Two Months^ Bii^d- collecting on the Gold Coast. 287 pirn district, where we killed Iricholama hirsuta, Xylobucco du- chaillui, X. scolopacea, X. subsulphurea, and Gymnobucco calvus. Of the Picidse we obtained three species, mostly near Abouri, where Campethera gabonensis is not uncommon. We shot several examples of the genus Criniger, one new to the Gold Coast. In habits they rather closely resemble Campe- phaga, and frequent the dense forest, where their dull colours render them very hard to observe. We never passed a day without seeing Pycnonoius barbatus, which we met with breeding at Abouri in February. Craterojms reinwardti was not uncommon near Accra, where we found it singly or in pairs. The irides are white. Cossypha verticalis is tolerably abundant throughout the dis- trict ; it usually frequents the thick detached bushes, rarely showing itself in the open. When driven out of one bush it flies close along the ground to the nearest covert. The irides are brown, C. cyanocampta, a much rarer species, we obtained both at Abouri and Cape Coast. Pratincola rubetrais extremelycommon throughout the district. Of Drymoecce, the following are very evenly distributed throughout the more open country — D. navia, D. fortirostris, D. brachyptera, D. melanorkyncha, D. schwarzi, D. erythro- ptera, and Cisticola schcenicola ; while such Warblers as Sii- phrornis badiceps, S.prasina, S. erythrothorax, Eremomela pusilla, Camaroptera concolor, and C. brevicaudata we only met with in the more densely wooded districts of Abrobonko and Agua-pim. Of the Nectariniidse, so well represented in these parts, we obtained the following, N. verticalis, N. cyanocephala, N. adel- berti, N. chloropygia, and N. obscura, plentiful in the wooded districts — N. superba and N. Johanna only at Abouri. N.cuprea, a very abundant species, frequents the more open country, while N. splendida was equally abundant everywhere. Butalis grisola, B. epulata, and B. comitata are not uncommon ; the latter two, however, are more confined to the wooded parts. Elminia longicauda we met with on Connor^s Hill, where we saw a pair. Bias musicus we shot at Abouri. Platystira melano- ptera is plentiful at Cape Coast : on the approach of danger it hops leisurely into the denser part of the bush. 288 Messrs. Shelley and Buckley un a Psalidopi'ocne holomelcena is very plentiful throughout the country, especially in the more wooded districts, where during the heat of the day flocks may be seen sitting together on the more shaded dead boughs of the large trees, and may frequently be met with after the sun has set, still in pursuit of insects. Hirundu rustica is very abundant in February. We only occa- sionally met with H. leucosoma. H. senegalensis we found near Accra, especially at Quamin-fio ; they were paired in February, and probably breeding in the large hollow trees, the topmost boughs of which they usually frequented. H. gordoni is plen- tiful throughout the district, and generally met with in pairs perched on the top of some low bush or on the coarse grass of the plains. H. puella is also abundant everywhere. Dryoscopus major frequents the dense bush, which resounds with its soft silvery notes, as pairs keep answering each other at short intervals. Laniarius barbarus, alike conspicuous for its pleasing notes and bright-red breast, is extremely abundant throughout the district. L. sulphureipectus is more sparingly distributed, and is difficult to drive out of the bush ; its notes are rough and not musical. Nicator chloris frequents the more densely wooded districts ; and we only met with a few specimens at Abouri and Abrobonko. Sigmodus caniceps we obtained on Connor's Hill. Lanius smithi is constantly to be seen on the topmost bough of some bush or on a mound of the white ants. Corvinella corvina is not uncommon : in habits it closelv re- sembles true Lanius, from which it appears rather improperly separated. Telephonus erythropterus is very abundant, especi- ally amongst the more detached bushes : they have a peculiar way of rising in the air, like our Sky-Lark, when the flapping of their wings may be very audibly heard. T. ininutus is apparently rather rare ; for we only once met with it at Cape-Coast Castle. At Abouri we obtained one specimen of Campephaga quisca- lina. C. phceuicea is also met with at Abouri : they are both forest-birds. In the same locality we found Oriolus brachyrhjnchus and 0. nigripennis plentiful, and occasionally shot them both out of the same tree. Pholidauges leucogaster we saw near Accra, where they were in. Two Months' Bird- collecting on the Gold Coast. 289 flocks; and in similar localities found Lamprocolius auratus. These handsome birds are strong on the wing and generally to be met with in flocks in the open country. Their irides are yellow. Corvus scapulaius closely resembles the Hooded Crow in its habits, and is plentifully distributed throughout the country. Hyphantorms castnneofuscus generally frequents the more wooded districts, where it is very common : the irides are yellow in the males and brown in the females and young. H. textor is even more common : it selects some tree of moderate height close to a village for breeding, which it literally covers with pendent nests. H. vitellina, a nearly allied species, is far less abundant, though rather evenly distributed. H. brachjpterus we met with usually in pairs. H. pcrsonatus, known as the Palm-bird, suspends its nest from beneath the leaves of the cocoa-nut trees, as many as four or five sometimes hanging from one frond. All these species of Hyphantornithes differ in the plumage of the sexes. Malimbus cristatus and M. nitens we ob- tained at Abouri, where they were plentiful, frequenting the large trees. Nigrita emilice and N. bicolor also inhabit the more wooded districts, where they are not uncommon. The irides of both species are red. Foudia enjthrops,Euplectes fran- ciscana, and E. flammiceps are common, usually in flocks, in the more open districts. The red plumage of the two latter species is assumed about April. Vidua principalis we found plentiful on the road to Abrobonko. In the dry season the long tail- feathers, so characteristic of this species, are absent, and the ge- neral plumage is mottled brown and black. Coliostruthus ma- crurus frequents the more open country about Accra. The winter plumage is mottled brown and black ; and in some of the specimens we shot the yellow patch on the carpal joint is absent, the birds being probably immature. Spermestes bicolor we only met rather sparingly at Abouri, while S. cucullata was very common at Cape Coast. Lagono- sticta rufo-picta, is extremely abundant about Cape Coast, where they are generally met with in small flocks, frequenting the paths and adjacent bushes. Pytelia hypogrammica. We shot a specimen of this rare bird at Abokobi, in the dense bush. SER. III. VOL. II. Y 290 Messrs. Shelley and Buckley on a Estrelda melpoda is abundant, usually met with in small flocks on the roads about Cape Coast. Crithagra chrysopyga is a very common species and usually in large flocks. Spermospiza hcematina is not very abundant, and, as it keeps very much to the thick bush, is difficult to pro- cure. Passer simplex resembles our House-Sparrow in all its habits, and is extremely common. Anthus gouldi and Macronyx closeiis are abundant on the plains of Accra, while Budytes flava is common everywhere. Milvus (Egyptius is common throughout the country, and often met with at sea, preying probably upon dead fish, which we ob- served them devour while on the wing, like a Gull. Elanus melanopterus we once observed at Accra, and at the same locality killed Scops senegalensis on the 28th of February, when we found its nest containing three eggs. Treron calva, Turtur senegalensis, T. semitorquatus, T. ery- ihrophrys, and Peristera afra we met with plentifully throughout the country. Francolinus bicalcaratus is sufficiently common about Accra to afford fair sport. Turnix lepurana is also very abundant on the plains. Eupodotis melanogastra we often saw near Accra, where they are not shy. ^gialitis intermedia and ^. marginata are common at the Salt Ponds both of Accra and Cape Coast. Ardea schistacea is plentiful at Accra. Numenius arcuatus, N.pJmopus, and Tetanus calidris we saw on several occasions. The following list is intended to form a suite to Mr. R. B. Sharpe's papers in *' The Ibis ' "On the Birds of Fantee," and are numbered accordingly. A dagger (f) is appended to the names of such species as we believe to be hitherto unrecorded from Fantee. t272. Caprimulgus fulviventris, Hartl. We shot two specimens of this rare Goatsucker at Quamin-fio, near Accra, on the 11th of February. t273. Cypselus apus (L.). Abundant throughout the country. Two Months' Bhd-colleding on t/te Gold Coast. 291 t274. Merops malimbicus, Shaw. Met with in considerable numbers at Abouri about the middle of February. t275. ToCKUS NASUTUS (L.). t276. Criniger serinus, Verr. We shot a specimen of this bird at Abouri on the 19th of February. t277. Crateropus platycercus, Sw. Frequently met with near Accra, and always in parties of ten or twelve. They keep up an incessant chatter, their notes some- what resembling that of the common Fieldfare. t278. ])rym(eca fortirostris, Jard. Very abundant and evenly distributed throughout the country. t279. Camaroptera coxcolor, Hartl. We shot a specimen at Abouri in February. t280. Hypolais salicarius, Retz. We obtained a specimen of this Warbler at Abouri in February. t281. Phyllopneuste sibilatrix (Bechst.). Plentiful throughout the country in February ; shot on Con- nor's Hill and at Abouri. t282. Phyllopneuste trochilus (L.).. Plentiful, and met with in similar localities as the last species. t283. Daulias luscinia (L.). The Nightingale is plentiful throughout the country in Feb- ruary. We collected specimens from Cape-Coast Castle and Abokobi. t284. Sylvia hortensis, Gm. We shot one specimen at Abouri on the 22nd of February. t285. Sylvia cinerea, Bp. We shot one specimen at Accra on the 8th of February. Neither this, nor the Nightingale, nor the last species has ever, I believe, been hitherto recorded from any part of West Africa. y2 292 Two Months' Bird-collecting on the Gold Coast. t286. Megabias flammulatus, Verr. We shot three specimens of this rare Flycatcher at Abouri in the middle of February. Irides red, tarsi and feet pink. t287. Nilaus brubru (Lath.). We shot one specimen at Quamin-fio from the top of a high tree in the more open country. Irides brown, legs and base of the lower mandible pale slate-grey. 288. Lanius auriculatus, Miill. Not uncommon throughout the country. We obtained three specimens. t289. IIyphantornis tricolor, Hartl. We killed three specimens at Abouri in the middle of Feb- ruary. This is a very rare species in collections, but appears not to be uncommon in the Agua-pim district. t290. BUDYTES flava (L.). This is an extremely abundant species throughout West Africa. 291. Neophron pileatus, Burch. Abundant at Cape Coast, where they are never molested, but not met with at Accra. t292. BuTEG desertorum, Daud. Plentiful in the more wooded districts, where they frequent the high trees. 293. Circus pallidus, Sykes. Common at Accra, and also met with at Cape-Coast Castle. t294. Ptilopachus VENTRALis (Valcnc). Very plentiful near Accra, where we met with it always in pairs in February. Naked patch round the eyes, legs, and basal half of the beak vermilion; end of the beak bluish pink ; irides hazel. t295. CoTURNix COMMUNIS, Bonu. We shot one specimen near Accra, but did not preserve the skin. t296. CEdicnemus senegalensis, Sw. We shot a specimen of this Thick-knee on our way from Quamin-fio to Accra on the 13th of February. Mr. D. G. Elliot on a new Humming Bird, 293 t297. jEgialitis minor, Mey. 298. ^GIALITTS PECUARIA, Kittl. These two species are abundant near Accra and Cape-Coast Castle. t299. ^GiALiTis TRicoLLARis, Vieill. We shot one specimen near the Salt Pond at Cape Coast on the 8th of February. The legs and eyelids are pink. 300. TOTANUS STAGNATILIS, Bcchst. t301. ToTANUS OCHROPUS (L.) . t302. ToTANUS GLAREOLA (L.). 303. ToTANUS CANESCENS (Goi.). All these four species of Sandpipers are plentiful on the Salt Ponds of Accra and Cape Coast. 304. HiMANTOPus CANDiDUS, Bonn. We saw a pair on the Salt Pond at Accra. It has since been sent home by Mr. J. Smith, of Accra. 305. Tringa minuta, Leisl. Plentiful on the Salt Pond at Cape Coast. t306. PODTCEPS MINOR, L. Very abundant on the Salt Pond at Accra. t307. Sterna cantiaca, Gm. We collected several specimens of this Tern both at Accra and Cape-Coast Castle. t308. Sterna bergi, Licht. This is the commonest Tern at Accra and Cape-Coast Castle. XXXIV. — Description of a supposed new Species of Humming Bird of the Genus Eriocuemis. By D. G. Elliot, F.L.S., F.Z.S,, &c. There has lately come into my possession a Humming Bird, from an unknown locality, belonging to the genus Eriocncmis, which, in the peculiar coloration of its plumage, differs remark- 294 Mr. D. G. Elliot on a new Humming Bird. ably from any of the known species composing this well-marked group of the Trochilidse. Four specimens, precisely alike, were, as I was informed, con- tained in the small collection of birds from which my example was taken ; and, although no locality was given, it is supposed that Ecuador is the habitat of the species. I propose to call it, from its sombre plumage, Eriocnemis dyselius. Head, and entire upper parts, black, with a purplish gloss ; upper tail-coverts having a very dark greenish gloss ; throat and underparts black, but not of so deep a shade as the upper parts, purplish on the abdomen ; wings purplish black ; tarsi thickly covered with pure white downy feathers ; under tail-coverts pur- plish black ; tail rather deeply forked, steel-blue, with purple reflections ; the bill is perfectly straight and rather slender. Total length 4 inches, wings 2^, tail 1|, bill f . Among the many groups that comprise the great family of the Trochilidse, there are few more strongly characterized than that of Eriocnemis, from the fact that all its members are possessed of very conspicuous tufts of various colours, viz. white, black, brown, or brown and white, which cover the tarsi, and from which the species have obtained the trivial name of Puff-leg. Thirteen species have been described ; and Mr, Gould, in his beautiful monograph of this family, has divided them into six sections according to their plumage. In this arrangement the present species would take its place among the sombre members of the genus, and would be found with E. Ivgens, E. squamata, and E. aurelia. The species known as E.isaacsoni has usually been considered a member of this genus, and has been placed, by Mr. Gould and others, close to E. luciani and E. mosquera. The great rarity of this bird has prevented ornithologists from becoming- well acquainted with it. I only know of two examples — one in the Derby Museum at Liverpool, and the other in my own collection. After a very careful examination of the bird, and comparison with those heretofore considered its allies, I have come to the conclusion that it is much nearer the members of the genus Helianthea than it is to those of Eriocnemis. In the Mr. D. G. Elliot on a new Humming Bird. 295 first place, it does not possess the puffs upon the legs, which all the species of Eriocnemis have to an eminent degree ; and this of itself is sufficient to remove it from the genus ; and, again, it differs in exhibiting a certain amount of brilliancy upon the forehead, as is customary with the species of Helianthea. Omitting E. isaacsoni therefore from the list, the genus Ei'io- cnemis, including the species here described, contains fourteen members, which may be enumerated as follows : — 1. Eriocnemis cupreiventris. Hob. New Granada. 2. Eriocnemis luciani. Hah. Ecuador. 3. Eriocnemis mosquera. Hab. New Granada. 4. Eriocnemis vestita. Hah. New Granada. 5. Eriocnemis nigrivestis. Hah. Ecuador. 6. Eriocnemis smaragdinijiectus. Hah. Ecuador. 7. Eriocnemis godini. Hab. Ecuador. 8. Eriocnemis d'orbignyi. Hab.' Peru ; perhaps Bolivia. 9. Eriocnemis derbiana. Hab. Volcano of Puraci, New Granada. 10. Eriocnemis alina. Hab. New Granada. 11. Eriocnemis lugens. Hab. West side of Pichincha, Ecuador. 12. Eriocnemis squamata. Hab. Ecuador. 13. Eriocnemis aurelice. Hab. New Granada; Ecuador. 14. Eriocnemis dijselius. Hab. Ecuador ? 296 The Rev. Canon Tristram on a new Sijlviad. XXXV. — On a new Sylviad from Palestine. By H. B. Tristram, LL.D., F.R.S., &c. The recent expedition for the exploration of Moab was too limited in time to afford much opportunity for ornithological investigation ; nor could it be expected that any novelties would occur on a highland plateau only separated by a fissure of 20 or 30 miles from the hill-country of Judsea, A few birds not noticed in previous expeditions were obtained, as Budytes flavus (L,), Querquedula circia (L.), and a hybrid between Anas boschas and Dafila acuta. All the new or peculiar species obtained in the Dead-Sea basin during my last expedition were obtained or noted again, with the exception of Caprmiulgus tamar^icis, mihi. When searching among the trees and shrubs at Engedi, where birds are generally plentiful, I noticed consorting with the Black- headed Warbler {Sylvia melanocephala) a pair of another species; and after a long pursuit I succeeded in obtaining both male and female. My attention was at first directed to them by the note, which differs most markedly from that of S. melanocephala. The bird, in the hand, may at once be distinguished by the irides, which are bright yellow instead of red, the throat and breast, which are black instead of white, and the abdomen, which is cinereous, as dark as the back, without any white. The primaries are deep black instead of rusty brown; and the secondary wing-coverts are black, with a narrow white margin on the outer webs. The female has the throat black, mottled with white, and the irides yellow as in the male. In the rest of its coloration it resembles the female of S. melanocephala. I propose for this well-marked species the name Sylvia melanothorax, n. sp. S. melanocephala partibus superioribus simillima, at paullo in- ferior statura. Supra cinerea, pileo nigerrimo : subtus thorace et pectore nigris : abdomine cinereo : remigibus nigris, secundariis in parte externa albo limbatis, iridibus laetissime fiavis : long. tot. 4-8, alar. 2-4, caud. 2*3, tarsi •57, rostr. a rictu '55 poll. Supplementary Notes to ' The Birds of India.' 297 Fern, mari pectore et gutture similis, aliter $ S. melanocephalce similis est iridibus flavissimis. Hab. in valle Jordan! in hyeme. XXXVI. — Supplementary Notes to ' The Birds of India.' By T. C. Jerdon, F.L.S., F.Z.S., Retired Deputy Inspector-General of Hospitals, Madras*. [Continued from p. 139.] 373. Paradoxornis flavirostris. I have recently found this curious bird rather common in Assam and Sylhet, frequenting reeds and long grass in pre- ference to tree-jungle. It is generally in pairs, and has a very pleasing whistling call. It feeds chiefly on insects ; and I have had it alive, caught by a very ingenious snare baited with a winged white ant, which the goldsmiths of Assam use to catch birds for their own food. One measured in the flesh 8| inches long, extent 10, wing 34, tail 4, tarsus \\, foot nearly 1|. Bill gamboge-yellow ; feet plumbeous green. 374. Paradoxornis gularis. This species was obtained by Major Godwin-Austen in North Cachar. Legs slaty green. 376. Heteromorpha unicolor. Beavan states that he saw a small party of this bird hopping about low shrubs and dwarf bamboos near the ground on Mount Tongloo. I recently observed it myself in the same locality, whence, indeed, I formerly had it through shikarees. 377. Chleuasicus ruficeps. This is Paradoxornis sphenura of Hodgson, MS. 378. SuTHORA NiPALENSis, Gould, B. Asia, pt. iv. pi. 9 (the upper figure) . The flanks are bright rusty, and the thigh-coverts fulvous ; bill dusky livid, pale at the base of the lower mandible. Extent of wing 6 inches, wing 2. * [Dr. Jerdon gave us the MS. of this portion of his notes when pros- trated with the attack of illness which ultimately proved fatal. In some respects it was incomplete ; but the omissions have been supplied by Lord Walden, to whom we submitted the MS. and the proof. — Ed.] 298 Dr. T. C. Jerdon's Supplementary Notes 379. SUTHORA POLIOTIS. The reference to Gould should be pt. iv. pi. 9, lower figure. 380. SUTHORA FULVIFRONS. Gould, B. Asia, pt. iv. pi. 10. 382. Grammatoptila striata. This species extends westward as far as Kumaon, Mussoorie, and the Sutlej valley. I saw it up to 10,000 feet in Kumaon ; and Stoliczka states that near Simla he only got it in the winter. Extent of wing of one 17 \, wing 5|, tarsus If, foot 2\. Ac- cording to Hodgson's drawings it builds a compact Jay-like nest, and the eggs are spotless blue. 385. Pyctorhis sinensis. Layard wrote to Blyth informing him that he bad a second species allied to this, but much larger. 386. Pyctorhis longirostris. Blyth states of this bird : — " An interesting species, allied to Acanthoptila, but the feathers not spiny, and with a tendency to Chatarrhoea." He suggests that it is the Megalurus verreauxi, Tytler (not described) ; but that is my Graminicola bengalensis, q. V. 387. Trichostoma abbotti. Blyth states that this species differs but little from HorsfiekPs Brachypteryx sepiaria, and that Trichostoma umbratile (Miiller) also approaches it very closely. These two species, with T. rostratum, form one group, whilst T. magnirostris, T. bicolor, and T. cantori form another. 388. Alcippe nipalensis. I omitted to notice a white ring round the eye in this bird. One measured in the flesh was 5| inches in length, extent 7\, wing 2|, tail 2\, tarsus |-, foot 1|. The nest is figured by Hodgson deeply formed, the eggs reddish white spotted with deep ferruginous. 389. Alcippe poiocephala. A supposed new species {Alcippe hrucei) from the Mahablesh- war hills, has been separated from this bird by Fairbank ; but to ' The Birds of India.' 299 Hume (Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 1870, p. 122) refuses to allow its distinctness. 392. Stachyris pyrrhops, Gould, B. Asia, pt. xv. pi. 9. I give a more correct description than I was enabled to do in * The Birds of India.^ Colour greenish olive, somewhat brighter on the head and occasionally with a pale rufous tinge ; below light cinnamon or rufescent, paler on the ear-coverts, lower abdomen, and vent ; lores black, as also a small patch on the chin ; wings and tail olive-bi'own, the central feathers of the latter faintly barred ; bill bluish horny, with a tinge of pink ; legs fleshy yellow; irides light red. Length A^ inches, extent 65, wing 2, tail 2, tarsus |. This species is by no means rare at Mussoorie and in other parts of the N. W. Himalayas as far as Kashmir. Blyth, through some mistaken impression (I imagine) as to what I had written, says : — " This, and not Stachjris chryscea, is the bird obtained by Adams in Kashmir ; '' for it will be seen, on refe- rence to the text, that I distinctly state this. Stoliczka says that it chiefly frequents the zone from 4000 to 7000 feet, and frequents brushwood and low jungle, with the habits of a Tit. I have heard it occasionally utter a clear, musical, bell-like note. 393. Stachyris ruficeps. This, it appears, is the Timalia pileata of M'Clelland's list of Assam birds (P. Z. S. 1839, p. 161) — though, as a matter of fact, that species is in reality more abundant in Assam. 394. Stachyris chrys^a. The colours of this bird fade much and quickly. I give a description of one obtained recentl5Mn freshly moulted plumage. Above bright olivaceous yellow ; forehead and crown deep rich yellow, with black streaks ; ear-coverts greenish ; wings and tail margined with greenish yellow ; legs greenish ochrey. Length 4|- inches, extent 6^, wing 2g, tail 2, tarsus |, foot 1. Hodg- son figures the nest as domed and placed on the summit of a sedge ; the eggs pinkish white. 39d. MiXORNIS RUBRICAPILLA. • Length of a fresh specimen 5 inches, extent 6|, wing 2 j, tail 2, 300 Dr. T. C. Jerdon's Supplementary Notes bill from front i, tarsus |, foot 1^^. Irides dull yellow } legs dingy oil-yellow. It is not rare in long grass and brushwood in Assam, in tlocks of eight to ten and more ; and Major Godwin- Austen found it apparently still more common, in flocks from twelve to fifteen, in thick bamboo-jungle in Cachar. 396. TiMALIA PILEATA. Our bird is distinct from the Javan species, and must stand as Timaliajerdoni, Walden, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 4, vol. x. p. 61 (1872). 397 & 398. DuMETiA albogularis and D. hyperythra have been figured by Gould, B. Asia, pt. xii. pis. 15, 16. The latter was previously badly figured in Guerin's Mag. de Zoologie, p. 1835, pi. 40. 399. Pellorneum ruficeps. I found this bird very common in Assam. One measured in the flesh was 7 inches in length, extent 9^, wing 3^, tail 3, tar- sus \-^, foot 1|. Mr. Beavan says it is called Bulhul postha in Maubhoom. Now Bulbul bostha is the name given by all bird-fanciers to the true Nightingale ; and it was probably wrongly applied to this bird. 399 his. Pellorneum palustre, Jerdon, antea, p. 188. Upper surface uniform olive-brown ; forehead and upper tail- coverts with indications of ferruginous ; lores, chin, throat, and some of the abdominal feathers pure white ; breast-feathers pure white, with broad olive-brown central streaks, in many the white changing into cream-colour, mixed with pale rusty ; flanks and thigh-coverts olive-brown, tinged with ferruginous ; under tail- coverts and shoulder-coverts bright ferruginous ; cheeks and ear-coverts pale rusty ; wings and tail ferruginous brown, tinged with olive. Wing 2f, tail 2-1, tarsus 1. I found this new species many years ago near Cherapoonjee. I recently found it not rare in Assam in long grass, and also in bush and low tree-jungle ; and Major Godwin- Austen also got it at the base of the Khasia hills, near Chatak, in grass and reeds by the margin of rivers and swamps. Pellorneum subochraceum, Swinhoe, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. to * The Birds of India: 301 vol. vH. p. 257 (1871), from Tenasserim, is pronounced by Mr. Blanford to be Pellorneum tickelli, Blyth. 401. POMATORHINUS FERRUGINOSUS. The black of the lores and ears is narrowly edged below with white. One measured in the flesh 9 inches, extent 10^, wing 3|, tail 4|, foot l^^. 401 bis. PoMATORHiNUS PHAYRii, Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 1847, xvi. p. 452. This very closely allied species (which chiefly differs from the last in the crown of the head being of the same colour as the back, and in the ferruginous tint being less deep) must be added to the Indian fauna, specimens from Nepal, or more probably from Sikkim, being in Hodgson's collections. The irides were pale yellow in one procured by Major Godwin-Austen. Length 9 inches, extent 10|, wing 3|, tail 4, tarsus If, bill from front 1^. 403. POMATORHINUS LEUCOGASTER. One killed lately in Assam measured in the flesh 9 inches, extent 10|, wing 3|, tail 4, bill from front 1 j^, foot 2^. 405. POMATORHINUS ERYTHROGENYS. The wings are olivaceous on the outer web, ashy brown on the inner web ; tail olivaceous, obsoletely barred. In winter this bird associates in flocks. 405 bis. POMATORHINUS HYPOLEUCUs (Blyth), Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 1844, p. 371. Pomatorhinus alhicollis, Horsf. MS.; Gray, Gen. of Birds, pi. 57. The White-bellied Scimitar Babbler. Entire upper surface, wings, and tail ferruginous brown ; chin, throat, middle of the breast, and belly creamy white; feathers on the sides of the breast creamy white, with ashy edgings ; flanks and under wing-coverts ashy, tinged with the hue of the upper plumage ; thigh-coverts white, mixed with ashy; under tail-coverts bright ferruginous. Wing 4f, bill from nostril If, tarsus 6|-, tail 4f . This species must be added to the Indian fauna, having been sent by Hodgson (?) probably from Sikkim. It occurs also in 303 Dr. T. C. Jerdon's Supplementary Notes Assam. Tickell (Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 1855, p. 273) notes that the bill in this species is softer than in typical Poma- torhinus, and is subcylindrical ; the sinciput is fiat, the tail broad and fan-like ; and it might, perhaps, with P. erythrogenys, form a peculiar group. It is the type of Orthorhinus, Blyth, /. c. 405 ter. Pomatorhinus m'clellandi, nobis, B. of India, vol. ii. p. 32. This bird was noted by me [1. c.) from specimens procured on the Khasia hills. I have since found it by no means rare in Assam, down to the level of the river Burrampootra; and Godwin-Austen got it in Sylhet. I add a brief description. Above ashy olive, appearing faintly tinged with ferruginous in some lights ; forehead distinctly ferruginous ; lores, a large spot at the gape, chin, throat, breast, and abdomen white ; some of the pectoral feathers tipped with pale spots, coloured like the upper plumage ; flanks and some of the abdominal plumes dingy ferruginous ash ; nareal plumes and ear-coverts ferrugi- nous ; thigh-coverts and under tail-coverts bright ferruginous ; a broad stripe following the rami of the mandible. Wing 3|, tail 3^, tarsus -f|-, bill from gape -f. 406. XiPHORHAMPHUS SUPERCILIARIS. Gould, B. Asia, pt. ix. pi. 9. A female taken on her nest measured 8i inches, extent 9|, wing 3, tail 3|, bill 2. Irides reddish white, with an outer circle of dull red. The nest was loosely made of grass and bamboo-leaves, lined with fine grass, and contained two fleshy- white effffs. ■'oo"- 407. Garrulax leucolophus. The tail is very faintly but distinctly barred. 408. Garrulax c^rulatus. By an error of the pen or press the wings, instead of the flanks, are said to be ashy blue. The eggs are figured by Hodgson as bright blue. 409. Garrulax delesserti. Gould, B. ^sia, pt. xix. pi. 14. to ' The Birds of India: 303 409 bis. Garrulax gularis (M'Clelland), P. Z. S. 1839, p. 159. Gould, B, Asia, pt. xix. pi. 15. Description. — Head and nape dark fuliginous ashy ; throat, cheeks, and upper breast lemon-colour ; chin, lores, streak below the eyes, including the ear-coverts, and a small tuft of feathers on the sides of the mandible near the gape black ; upper plumage cinnamon-brown, brightest on the upper tail-coverts ; lower breast pale lemon-colour, clouded with ashy ; sides of the breast fuliginous ashy, not so dark as the head; abdominal region, under tail-coverts, and under wing-coverts bright ferruginous, deepening into mahogany on the flanks ; the two middle pairs of rectrices rich brown, with a broad terminal band of dark brown ; remaining pairs uniform bright ferruginous ; legs and nares in dried specimens yellow ; bill horn-colour. Wing 4, tail 4, tarsus 1-|, bill from nostril -|- Gould's figure is taken from a specimen I procured on the Khasia hills in 1862. Godwin-Austen obtained one in the Cachar hills. 410. Garrulax ruficollts. The eggs are figured by Hodgson of a fine green colour. 411. Garrulax albogularis. The lateral tail-feathers are barred with dusky, and the tips white. 412 bis. Garrulax merulinus, Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 1851, p. 521. Description. — "General colour deep olive-brown; the median part of the underparts pale rufescent whitish brown, and spotted with black on the throat and upper part of the breast much as in Turdus musicus ; a narrow white streak behind the eye ; irides whitish brown ; bill dusky plumbeous ; legs brown, with albescent toes. Length 9^ inches, expanse of wings 12, closed wing 31, tail 3|, bill to gape Ij, tarsi If. Common in Chera Punji.^' (Blyth, /. c.) . I procured this rare species on the Khasias in 1862, and have not since had an opportunity of observing it. 304 Dr. T. C. Jerdou's Supplementary Notes 414. Garrulax ocellatus. Captain Bulger mentions the fine, clear, and mellow notes of this bird, which I had previously recorded, and says they sounded to him like "away, away, aivee," whistled in rapid succession. The birds not only (he says) answered one an- other, but they replied readily to the imitation of this call. 415. Trochalopteron erythrocephalum. The outer wehs of all the wing-feathers are bright greenish yellow, with a rusty tinge, the inner webs being blackish ; the tertiaries are broadly tipped with ashy -, all the tail-feathers have a yellowish green tinge. These remarks by Stoliczka supply a deficiency in my description. Beavan gives the dimensions of one :— Length 10-625, wing 3-75, tail 4-375, extent 10-25, foot 1-875. The irides are greyish brown ; the legs fleshy pink; the bill horny brown. Hodgson figures the egg as green spotted like that of Turdus musicus. All the other species of this group from the Himalayas have the egg unspotted, except (if my information was correct) T, phceniceum, which was blue, with a few dusky wavy streaks. The Neilgherry species, however {T. cackinnans) , has the egg well spotted. 416. Trochalopteron chrysopterum. The greater coverts of the secondaries are also chestnut; and the rufous of the breast gradually changes to olivaceous on the belly. One measured in the flesh 10^ inches in length, wing 3^, tail 4|-, extent llf, tarsus If, foot 2fV' 417. Trochalopteron subunicolor. Hodgson figures the eggs as green. 417 bis. Trochalopteron austeni, Jerdon, apud Godwin- Austen, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 1870, p. 105. Description. — Head, nape, and sides of the neck rich rusty brown, each feather with a paler shaft ; back and uropygium olive-brown, tinged with the colouring of the head, but devoid of pale shafts ; middle pair of rectrices and outer edges of quills above deep rich ferruginous; remaining rectrices dark brown, tipped with pure white, the central pairs more or less edged with to ' The Birds of India.' 305 the colour of the middle pair. General colour of the under sur- face of the body similar to that of the head, but each feather terminated by an albescent border and a penultimate brown band, most prominent on the breast ; ventral feathers almost entirely albescent, with narrow brown terminal edgings ; under tail- and wing-coverts tawny ferruginous, the former faintly tipped with albescent ; major wing-coverts and some of the tertiaries with terminal albescent drops ; bill black ; legs brown. Wing 3i, tail 4-|-, tarsus 1-pV, bill from gape -jL. The pale central streaking of the head- and neck-plumage varies in degree in each individual. This species was detected by Major Godwin -Austen on Heng- dan peak, in the North Cachar hills, at about 7000 feet of ele- vation. 418. Trochalopteron variegatum. I first obtained this species in the valley of the Sutlej, and subsequently in various other parts of the N.W. Himalayas up to Kashmir, where it is common in summer in forests at from 8000 to 10000 feet of elevation. My description being taken from a faded specimen, is rather imperfect ; and I add a few particulars and corrections. The white line behind the eye is very minute ; the winglet is black ; the bar on the middle of the wing is situated on the middle of the secondaries ; the edge of the shoulder is pure white ; the lower tail-coverts are rufous ; the middle only of the chin is black ; the outer web of the pri- maries is pearl-grey, sometimes pure, at other times tinged more or less by yellow or greenish yellow or orange; the central tail- feathers are ashy grey, tipped vvith white, and black at their base; and the outer tail-feathers are in some externally pure grey, in others golden yellow, the inner web being dusky or dingy green. Captain Cock has named those with the wings and tail orange or reddish externally Trochalopteron humii ; and Mr. Hume has named those with the primaries and tail-feathers pure grey externally T. simile (Ibis, 1871, p. 408). As these colours are liable to change and fade in this and other species, I consider them to be all of one species, though, perhaps, varying somewhat according to locality as well as to age of SER. III. — VOL. II. X 306 Dr. T. C. Jerdon's Supplementary Notes sex*. Stoliczka remarked some females from Lalioul that had the outer webs of the quills only ashy grey tinged with yellow ; whilst some males have the outer edges of the wings and tail-feathers bright rufous ; moreover, some are more olivaceous on the back, others more ashy. Those I got at Gulmerg, in Kashmir, have the wings and tail pure grey, without any orange. Dimensions of one measured in the flesh were: — length 11 inches, extent 13, wing 4g, tail 5|, tarsus li, bill from front |. Irides yellow green ; legs dark yellow ; bill black. 419. Trochalopteron affine. One measured in the flesh was 10| inches long, extent \2\, wing 4, tail 4|, foot 2^. 420. Trochalopteron squamatum. The reference to Blyth^s ' Catalogue ' should be 490. 421. Trochalopteron rufogulare. The reference to Blyth^s ' Catalogue ' here is erroneous ; it should be 489. The quills have the outer webs greyish olive at their base, then black (from the third primary) in an oblique line increasing in width towards the tip ; the secondaries are black- tipped ; and the last two or three primaries have a faint white edging on their outer webs, as have the secondaries also. Length of one in the flesh 9f inches, extent 11, wing 3|, tail 4, tarsus 1|, foot 2^. 423. Trochalopteron cachinnans. The chin is black, not white (as is, by some mistake, stated in the text). 424. Trochalopteron jerdoni. In this species also, the chin is black. 424 bis. Trochalopteron fairbanki, Blanford, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. xxxviii. pp. 175, 177, pi. 17 a (1869). The Pulney Laughing-Thrush. Description. — Head above dark brown, the margin of the * These remarks appear to be well founded ; but if there are grounds for establishing two species, there are none for making three. Cinchsoma variegatum, Vigors, was described fi-om an example with gi-ey wings ; therefore the title T. simile, Hume, must be suppressed. — W, to ' The Birds of India.' 307 colour distinct and not passing into any thing else on the nape, but distinctly contrasting with the olive colouring of the back ; lores, which are small, and a narrow streak running back from the eye dusky ; supercilia and orbital feathers white ; back olive, rather brighter towards the rump ; wings and tail rather darker ; beneath the chin and throat, with the sides of the head below the eyes, rather pale grey, the feathers of the middle of the breast the same, but with dark stripes in the centre ; sides of the neck ashy, this colour passing far back close to the dark brown of the head ; whole of abdomen and lower tail-coverts ferruginous ; flanks and thigh-coverts olivaceous ; beak dusky ; legs dark plumbeous. Dimensions as in T. jerdoni; wing 3-4, tail 3-7, bill at front 0-7. This species is very close to T. jerdoni, but diff"ers apparently in the want of the black chin, in the head being darker; the rufous colour of the abdomen is paler j and this colour extends to the under tail-coverts, which are olivaceous in T. jerdoni. It abounds in the Pulney range of hills, in Southern India. 7\ jerdoni has hitherto only been found by myself on the peak of Banasore, a hill on the south-western edge of the Tognaad, at a height of between 5000 and 6000 feet ; but it will probably occur in other equally elevated ridges in that mountainous dis- trict or in the conterminous region of Coorg, from which it is not separated by any depression. Banasore is at no very great dis- tance (say 50 or 60 miles) from the western slopes of the Neil- gherriesj and it would not have been at all remarkable had the Neilgherry species extended all along the crest of the Tognaad to Banasore ; but the mass of the heights intervening are mostly at a lower level than this species loves. South of the Neilgher- ries and the Tognaad occurs a great gap in the hill- region, narrow towards the west, but opening out into the plains of the Carnatic eastward. The Pulney hills rise out of this plain ; and they are continued, though at unequal elevation, westward to the Annamally range, which is believed to be still higher, at all events to include certain much more elevated points than.the Pulneys. It will be interesting to find what species of Trochalopteron in- habits this range, whether T. fairhanki, which is perhaps most probable, T. jerdoni, or a distinct race. I trust that some of the z2 308 Dr. T. C. Jerdon's Supplementary Notes rising race of ornithologists in the south of India will ere long determine this point, as well as the extension of T. jerdoni to Coorg. 425. Trochalopteuon lineatum. This is the most common and familiar bird of the group in all the stations of the N.W. Himalayas, from Nynee Tal to Murree and Kashmir. It may be very generally seen feeding on the roads, and allowing a very close approach before it bounds off like a rat down the hill-side. The eggs are pale greenish blue, usually three in number. 4.27. ACTINODURA EGERTONI. The egg is figured by Hodgson as pinkish white, whilst that of A. nipalensis has been stated to be white, with ferruginous spots. It is not likely that this difference occurs between two such nearly allied species ; and one of the statements is therefore probably based upon erroneous information. 429. SiBIA CAPISTRATA. The reference to Blyth's ' Catalogue ' should be 504. Mr. Gray, in his ' Hand-list,' p. 273, separates from this species Sibia nigriceps, Hodgson, but, I think, on insufficient grounds. I accidentally omitted to give the coloration of the wing in this bird. The lesser wing-coverts are black, as are the median coverts ; the greater coverts are white for the basal half, the rest grey on the outer web, black on the inner web, some of the last being white with ashy and rufous tips ; primaries black- grey at the tips and on the first four outer webs ; secondaries dull black, some ashy on the outer webs towards the tips ; ter- tiaries rufous, with pale shafts, ashy on the outer and blackish on the inner margins ; the legs are pale livid brown. Captain Bulger endeavours to syllabize the call of this bird (Ibis, 1869, p. 164). 429 bis. SiBiA GRACILIS (McClelland), P. Z. S. 1839, p. 159. The Graceful Sibia. Description. — Entire under surface white; under tail-coverts pale rusty ; head dark smoke-brown ; back ashy pale smoke- brown ; rump and upper tail-coverts more ashy than brown; to ' The Birds of India.' 309 tail deep brown or black, broadly tipped with pale grey ; quills brown, the primaries being edged with glossy greenish black for about half their length, the remainder with a narrow border of pale yellowish white ; long tertiary nearest the body pale ashy brown. Wing 3-|, tail 3-i, tarsus 1. This species replaced T. capistrata on the Khasias and other ranges to the eastward, Godwin-Austen having found it tolerably abundant in North Cachar. He observed it hunting for insects in the flowers of the silk-cotton-tree [Bombax) . Another species {Sibia auricularis, Swinhoe), from Formosa, has been figured (Ibis, 1866, pi. 4). 431. ACANTHOPTILA NIPALENSIS. The chin and throat are white; the neck and breast rufesceut brown, with dark stripes ; bill dusky ; legs horny brown. This interesting species was found by Captain Pinwill in Eastern Kumaon, near Lohoo Ghat. He informed me that it sings well. 432. Malacocercus terricolor. I have observed, since the publication of the ' Birds of India/ that this species extends over the whole of the N.W. Provinces to the Punjab, and eastwards to Sylhet, w^hich is, I think, its eastern limit. It is therefore the M. somervillii of Boyle^s list of birds. 433. Malacocercus griseus. Swinhoe gives this as found in Bombay, which is certainly an error, M. somervillii being the only species, I believe, occurring there. 434. Malacocercus malabaricus. Some of Sykes's specimens of M. somervillii appear un- doubtedly to belong to this species, which Blanford found to re- place the former bird {M. somervillii) a little inland from the edge of the Ghats. 435. Malacocercus somervillii. Mr. Blanford found this well-marked race to be abundant at Khandalla, on the top of the Bhore Ghat, — I having obtained it in Bombay. This naturalist is the only one who has noticed this species, besides myself, since Sykes's time ; and I think it clear. 310 Dr. T. C. Jerdoa^s Supplementary Notes. fi'om the description of the latter gentleman, that he had this species before him, though it appears probable that he has con- founded it with the race named M. malaharicus by myself. Mr. Blanford has had the opportunity of observing and procuring specimens of all five species in the space of one year (1867). 436. Malacocercus malcolmi. This bird is very abundant in the N.W. Provinces from Alla- habad upwards, and is far more familiar in its habits than in the south of India, freely entering gardens and compounds. 438. Chatarrh(ea caudata. Blyth notices a race from Candahar. doubtfully distinct from the present bird, as C. huttoni, Blyth (Journ. As. Soc. Beug. 1847, p. 476) , whence it was brought by Hutton : wing 3^ inches, tail 5. The same naturalist also remarks that Crateropus ful- vus, Desh., C. chahjheus, Bonap., and C ruhiginosus, Riippell, from Africa, appear to be true species of Chatarrhoea. 439. Chatarrhcea earlii. This is the Malacocercus geochrous, Hodgson, MS. Extent of foot H inch. o 440. Megalurus palustris. Extent of foot 2xV inch. This species is said to extend to the Philippines. Another fine species was obtained by Wallace in Timor, M. timoriensis. 442. Schcenicola platyura. This rare bird, which has not to my knowledge been procured again since my unique example sent to Blyth (but now lost, I fear), has a considerable general resemblance to Sylvia cettii. The generic name Schcenicola given by Blyth to my bird, has been since applied by Bonaparte to a group of Buntings. 443. EURYCERCUS burnesi. This generic title must stand Laticilla, Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 1845, p. 596, that of Eurycercus having been previously employed by Dr. W. Baird, Ann. Nat. Hist. vol. xi. p. 88 (1843). Since I procured this bird at Monghyr, I have only seen it again at Kaparthalla, in long grass, whilst out shooting with the late excellent Rajah. Mr. 0. Salvin on the Birds of Nicaragua. 311 XXXVII. — Notes on the Birds of Nicaragua, based upon a Collection made at Chontales by Mr. Thomas Belt. By Osbert Salvin, M.A. &c. Though the Coleoptera and Diurnal Lepidoptera of Nicaragua have received considerable attention at the hands of the English residents in the mining-districts of Chontales, birds have as yet been comparatively overlooked, and until now the only bird-skins I have had the opportunity of seeing were sent from there by Mr. E. M. Janson. It was therefore with considerable interest that I examined a collection, comprising 130 skins of 73 species, quite recently made by Mr. Belt, and brought to this country by his wife. Our knowledge of the birds of this district is extremely limited, and is contained partly in the scattered notes on De Lattre's collections published by Prince Bonaparte in his " Notes Ornithologiques" and in the * Comptes Rendus' for 1853 (vol. xxxvii. pp. 806-810), partly from M. Sailers exploration, who also visited Nicaragua, but of whose collections I am not aware that any account was ever published. The ' Annals of the Lyceum of New York,' vol. viii. pp. 179-185, also contains a paper by Mr. Lawrence on a collection formed at Greytown, Nicaragua, by Mr. H. E. Holland. In this list 61 species are enumerated. In the 'Proceedings of the Zoological Society' for 1867, pp. 178- 180, a list of Birds collected on the Blewfields River by Mr. H. Wickham is given, drawn up by Mr. Sclater and myself, in which mention is made of 39 species. We have also in our cabinet a few skins from a collection made on the shores of the Lake of Nicaragua by the late Mr. Bridges, better known for his explorations in Bolivia and California, who died in the country. A very few additional species were collected by the officers of the 'Sulphur ' during Captain Kellett's voyage. These are recorded as having been obtained at the port of Realejo, on the Pacific coast, where I also secured a few skins in company with Captain Dow during my passage down the coast of Central America in 1863. The number of species mentioned in these various papers only amounts to about 150, including the ])rcscnt list compiled from 312 Mr. 0. Salvin on the Birds of Nicaragua. Mr. Bellas collection. A glance at the riches of the surrounding countries, Guatemala with its 600 species and upwards, and Costa Rica with considerably over 500, shows that we cannot con- sider our knowledge of the bird-fauna of Nicaragua at present anything more than fragmentary ; for, Nicaragua being clothed with rich tropical vegetation, interspersed with open plains, and also possessing a volcanic chain of mountains of no in- considerable altitude, we cannot but anticipate that future ex- plorations will reveal a bird-fauna as rich in specific forms as that we know to exist in the surrounding regions. Though our knowledge can only be considered imperfect, enough is before us to enable us to form a tolerably accurate opinion as to which of the two subprovinces of the Central- American fauna the eastern or Chontales side of Nicaragua be- longs. These subprovinces are indicated in my two papers on Veraguan Birds, published in the ' Proceedings of the Zoological Society' for 1867 and 1870. I there endeavoured to show that the district lying on the South-American side of the lake of Ni- caragua, and that included in Southern Mexico and Guatemala^ formed two great faunistic divisions of Central America. The birds noticed in the present paper are from no great distance from the boundary between the two ; but they show pretty con- clusively that the depression of the Isthmus, represented by the great Nicaraguan lakes and their outfall, the Rio San Juan, does not form the actual bo undary between them, but that thisboundary must be sought further north-westwards, towards Honduras. What I suspect to be the case, though I cannot as yet bring evidence to prove it, is that the forests of Chontales spread un- interruptedly into Costa Rica, but that towards the north and north-west a decided break occurs and that this break determines the range of the prevalent Costa-Rican and Guatemalan forest- forms. There are difficulties connected with the supposition that the Lake of Nicaragua once formed the bed of an interoceanic chan- nel, when viewed with reference to the very peculiar aspect of the freshwater fish of the lake ; but this extension of the southern bird-fauna is by no means incompatible with the theory of the former existence of such a channel, if then (as would appear Mr. 0. Salvia un the Bi/ds of Nicaragua. 313 to be the case now) the northern forests of Guatemala did not extend continuously to its margin. On the land commencing to assume its present contour the southern forest might have spread with the gradual upheaval of the earth, and can'ied its forest- forms with it. It is only a small portion of a fauna that gives us a clue to form such hj^otheses as the present ; and the more limited the area investigated the fewer such test-species become. Species of wide range do not help us ; and we are left to form conclusions from the range of such species as stand quite distinct in one district only, and also from such as are represented in both by allied races. The following summary will show how Chontales is connected as regards its bird-fauup,. Of southern species which here find the northern limit of their range, we have 32 species, which are : — Basileuterus lU'opygialis. Dacnis cayana. Calliste laviniae. Phoenicothraupis fiiscicauda. Lanio leucothorax. Tachvphonus luctuosus. Pitylus grossus. Embernagra striaticeps. Cacicus microrliynclius. SjTiallaxis pudica. Dendrornis lacrymosa. Phlogopsis macleaunaui. Grallaria dives. Copui'us leuconotu*. Myiozetetes granadensi.'?. Myiarchus nigricapillus. Pipra leucon-hoa. Cai-podectes nitidus. Chalybura melanorrhoa. Thalurania venusta. Microchera parvirostris. Clais meritti. Momotiis martii. Prionirhynclius platyrhynchus. Trogon atricollis. Monasa grandior. Neomorphus salvini. Ramphastus tocard. Selenidera spectabilis. Odontophorus melanotis. Botaurus pinnatus. Porzana albigularis. Of northern species ranging no further southwards only seven can be enumerated, viz. : — Prionirb-sTichus carinatus. Tyrannuliis semiflavus. Camptostoma imberbe. Heliomaster pallidiceps. Thaiimantias candidus. Trogon elegans. Conurus astec. Thus we see that the connexion with Costa Rica and the south is much closer than that with Guatemala and the north. The following: Tabic shows that a similar state of things exists 314 Mr. 0. Salviu on the Birds of Nicaragua. as regards the species represented by allied forms in the two districts. Costa Kica. Chontales. Guatemala. P. fuscicauda. Phoenicothraupis fuscicauda. P. rubicoides. L. leucothorax. Lanio leucotliorax. L. aurantius. E. striaticeps. Embernagra striaticeps. E. chloronota. S. pudica. Synallaxis pudica. E. erytlirotborax. P. albigiilaris. Porzana albigularis. P. rubra. T. brunneicapillus, Tyrannuliis semiflavus. T. semiflavus. H. longirostris. Heliomaster pallidiceps. H. pallidiceps. One more circumstance remains to be noted. If at present we except Tknjothorus brunneus, which I do not know, and which was described by Mr. Lawrence from an imperfect skin, no species appears to be peculiar to Chontales and Nicaragua. Does not this fact prompt the supposition that the fauna is a derivative one, and that its presence dates from no distant period ? TURDUS GRAYI, Bp. Chontales (Janson). TuRDUS TRISTIS, Sw. T. leucauchen, Salv. P. Z. S. 1867, p. 133. Chontales {Belt). A single specimen of this Thrush has its plumage variegated with white feathers. The normal plumage is very dark, perhaps in consequence, and in this respect is even more deeply coloured than in any of the Vera-Paz specimens we possess, and to which I have already alluded {I. c.) . Dendrceca blackburni^ (Gm.). Chontales [Belt). Hylophilus decurtatus (Bp.). Chontales {Belt). ViREOLANIUS PULCHELLUS, Scl. & Salv. Chontales {Belt). A single specimen of this species, which has already been traced southwards through Costa Rica and Vcragua to Panama. Mr. 0. Salvin on the Birds of Nicaragua. 315 Dacnis cayana (Linn.). Choutales {Belt, Janson). Mr. Belt sends one specimen of this species ; and I possess another from the same locality, which was collected by Mr. Jan- son. These approach to a trifling extent rather nearer to Z). ultramarina, Lawr., than the Veraguan specimens already re- ferred by me to D. cayana (P. Z. S. 1870, p. 185). This is the first recorded instance of any member of this genus being found northwards of the Costa-Rica fauna, Chlorophanes guatemalensis, Scl. Chontales [Belt). Two male examples. CCEREBA CYANEA (Linn.). C. carneipes, Salv. P.Z.S. 1867, p. 137, 1870, p. 185. Chontales [Belt). I doubt if the differences stated to exist between the Central and South American races can be maintained. EUPHONIA GOULDI, Scl. Chontales [Belt). A single male specimen is in the collection. Calliste lavini^. Cassin, Pr. Ac. Phil. 1858, p. 178, 1860, p. 142, t. 1. fig. 1. Chontales [Belt, Janson). This species of Calliste was first obtained on the river Truando by Mr. Wood during Lt. Michler's Darien Expedition. Until quite recently it was only known to us from Cassin's description and plate as quoted above. Within the last few weeks, however, two specimens have come into our possession. The first was collected with a few other bird-skins by Mr. E. M. Janson at Chontales ; and the other I picked out of a large series of birds recently brought to this country from Costa Rica by Dr. Van Patten. In addition to these, Mr. Belt's collection contains several examples; so that it would appear that the species is by no means rare at Chontales. The species clearly belongs to the gyrola group of the genus, and is perhaps more nearly allied to C. gyrola of Cayenne itself than (o cither C. f/f/roloides, which 316 Mr. 0. Salvin on the Birds of Nicaragua. abounds in the country where C. lavinice is found, or C desmaresti of Venezuela. It has, like C. gyi-ola, the under surface green, with the centre of the abdomen blue. Unlike C. gyrola, how- ever, the lesser wing-coverts and the edges of the inner primaries are rufous; and this character forms a distinctive feature in this species. It is also marked by the green colour of the throat reaching up to the mandible, the raentum in the other species being rich rufous, like the head. Calliste larvata, Du Bus. Chontales {Belt). The differences stated to exist between this species and the more southern C. francisccB become almost evanescent when an extensive series of the two are brought together. The Chontales specimens, if any thing, incline to the Guatemalan race. Tanagra diaconus. Less. Chontales [Belt). RaMPHOC(ELUS PASSERINII, Bp. Chontales {Belt). RaMPHOC(EI,US SANGUINOLENTUS (LcSS.). Chontales {Belt). Pyranga RUBRA (Linn.). Chontales {Belt). Pyranga ^estiva (Gm.). Chontales {Belt). Phcenicothraupis fusciuauda. Cab. Chontales {Belt). A single male specimen in Mr. Belt's collection and another from Mr. Janson agree accurately with one from Costa Rica, whence Cabanis's type was derived. The species has not hitherto been noticed north of Costa Rica, its place being taken in Guatemala and Mexico by P. rubicoides (Lafr.). EuCOMETIS SPODOCEPHALA, Bp. N icaragua ( Bridges) . Mr. O. Salviu on the Birds of Nicaragua. 317 Tachyphonus luctuosus. D'Orb. & Lafr. Mag. Zool. 1837, p. 29; D'Orb. Voy. Ois. t. 20. Chontales {Belt). This species, already well known in Costa Rica, I now trace to Chontales, whence Mr. Janson has sent a single specimen. Lanio leucothorax, Salv. Scl. & Salv. Ex. Orn. p. 63, t. xxxii. Chontales {Belt). The range of this species also is now shown to extend north- wards of Costa Rica, three male examples being in Mr. Belt's collection. In Guatemala its place is taken by L. auraatius, Lafr. Arremon aurantiirostris, Lafr. Chontales {Belt). PlTYLUS POLIOGASTER, Du BuS. Chontales {Belt). PiTYLUs GROSsus (Linn). Chontales {Janson). Mr. Janson's Chontales collection contained an example of this species. It is well known to the Costa-Rica collectors, but has not hitherto been noticed so far north, GuiRACA CONCRETA (Du Bus) . Chontales {Janson). Spermophila corvina, Scl. Chontales {Belt). Cyanospiza cyanea (Linn.). Chontales {Belt). Ocyalus wagleri, G. R. Gray. Chontales {Belt) . Cacicus microrhynchus, Scl. & Salv. Chontales {Belt). Icterus baltimorensis (Linn.). Chontales {Belt). Dendrornis lacrymosa, Lawr. Chontales {Belt). ^18 Mr. 0. Salvin on the Birds of Nicnrayua. FORMICIVORA BOUCARDI, Scl. Chontales [Belt). Phlogopsis macleannani, Lawr. Chontales [Belt). Mr. Belt notes that the bare part of the head of this bird is blue. The species has not before been noticed north of Costa Rica. CopuRUs LEUCONOTus, Lafr. Chontales {Belt). Myiozetetes granadensis, Lawr. Scl. & Salv., P. Z. S. 1867, p. .279. Chontales {Belt) . Megarhynchus mexicanus (Lafr.). Chontales {Belt). Myiodynastes luteiventris, Scl. Chontales {Janson). Milvulus tyrannus (Linn.). Chontales {Belt). Milvulus forficatus (Gm.). Chontales {Belt). Costa Rica seems to be the southern limit of the range of this northern species. Tityra personata, Jard. & Selb. Chontales {Belt). LiPAUGUS UNIRUFUS, Scl. Chontales {Belt). PiPRA MENTALIS, Scl. Chontales (Belt). PiPRA LEUCORRHOA, Scl. Chontales {Belt). This is the first time this species has been met with north of Costa Rica. Mr. Belt sends two specimens. ChIROXIPHIA LINEARIS, Bp. Chontales {Belt). Mr. 0. Salvin on the Birds of Nicaragua. 319 This Isthmean species extends its range southwards into Costa Rica ; but at Chiriqui the continental C. lanceolata supplants it. Phaethornis longirostris (De Latt.). Chontales {Belt). Phaethornis adolphi, Bourc. Chontales {Belt). Chalybura melanorrhoa, Salv. Chontales {Belt). This species has hitherto only been sent from Costa Rica, Two pairs are in Mr. Belt's collection. The female, of which we have had a Costa-Rica skin for some time, does not appear to have been as yet described. It much resembles the same sex of C. isaurce, of which I have given a short description (P. Z. S, 1867, p. 152). It differs, so far as I can see, only in having the tail deeper purplish bronze, and in the crissum being dingy instead of pure white. Thalurania venusta, Gould. Chontales {Belt). Mr. Belt's specimens show a further northward extension of the range of this species. Florisuga mellivora (Linn.). Chontales {Belt). Microchera parvirostris (Lawr.). Salv. P.Z. S. 1867, p. 154; Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. ix, p. 122. Chontales {Belt). Several males and one female of this beautiful species are in Mr. Belt's collection. The former agree accurately with Costa- Rican examples, and differ from the true M. albocoronata in the manner pointed out by Mr. Lawrence and myself (//. cc). This, again, is an instance of a northward extension of the range of a hitherto purely Costa- Rican species. Clais meritti (Lawr.). Chontales {Belt). The difference between this and the southern race C. guimeti is so very slight that I doubt if it will prove to be ultimately 3-0 Mr. 0. Salvin on the Birds of Nicarayua. separable. The species is known from Costa Rica, but not so far north as the present specimens indicate. Heliothrix barroti (Bourc). Chontales [Belt) . Petasophora. delphin^ (Less.). Chontales {Belt) . Heliomaster pallidiceps, Gould. Salv. P.Z.S. 1867, p. 155. Chontales {Belt). Though I have hitherto hesitated to unite the Mexican and Guatemalan H. pallidiceps with the southern H. longirostris, the differences between them are so extremely slight that I doubt if the two races can be ultimately maintained as distinct. The paler colouring of the head of the more northern bird probably indicates a tendency towards differentiation rathei' than an es- tablished specific difference. However, the Chontales bird agrees with my Guatemalan examples rather than with others from more southern localities, the colouring of the crown being of precisely the same tint. Thaumantias candidus (Bourc. et Muls.). Chontales {Belt). This species, so common in Guatemala, has not yet been no- ticed in Costa Rica; and this is the most southern locality whence I have seen it. Mr. Belt's collection contains a single example- Amazilia RiEPFERi (Bourc). Chontales {Belt). Chrysukonia ELICIT (Bouvc. et Muls.). Chontales {Belt). Centurus pucherani (Malh.). Chontales {Belt). Celeus castaneus (Wagl.). Chontales {Belt). MoMOTUs martii, Spix. Chontales {Belt). Not before noticed north of Costa Rira. Mr. 0. Salvin on the Birds of Nicaragua. 321 MOMOTUS LESSONI, LeS3. Chontales {Belt). Prionirhynchus platyrhynchus, Leadb. Chontales {Belt). This species was also procured on the Blewfields River by Mr. Wickham. Prionyrhynchus carinatus, Du Bus. Scl. Cat. Am. B. p. 263. Chontales (Belt). Quite recently two Guatemalan skins of this rare species have come into our possession, though it entirely escaped my obser- vation during my stay in that country. Mr. Belt's collection contains a single example, so that in Chontales we find both species occurring together. P. carinatus was obtained near Lake Yojoa by Mr. G. C. Taylor, and is evidently a species of much wider northern range than its congener, which, common in Costa Rica and southwards to Panama, has not been known to pass the present district. The two, though strictly congeneric, are easily recognizable as species, P. platyrhynchus having the whole head and neck rufous, these parts being green like the back in P. carinatus. Ceryle alcyon (Linn.). Chontales (Janson). Ceryle cabanisi, Tsch. Chontales {Belt). Galbula melanogenia, Scl. Chontales {Belt). Trogon massena, Gould. Chontales {Belt). Trogon atricollis, Vieill. Chontales {Belt). I am at a loss to discover any really tangible characters whereby to distinguish the Central-American bird called T. te- nellus by Cabanis (described from an immature male !) from SER. III. VOL. II. 2 A 322 Mr. 0. Salviu on the Birds of Nicaragua. the true T. atricoUis of Vieillot, which name must be applied without doubt to the Guiana and Trinidad bird. The mottling of the wing-coverts, the number of bars on the tail, and the precise shade of the colouring of the central tail-feathers, as well as the breadth and squareness of the rectrices themselves, are all somewhat variable characters in this group, upon which it is not safe to place too much reliance in seeking for specific differences. So far as our large series shows, the older the male bird the squarer, broader, and shorter are the rectrices, the greater the number of bars on the tail, and the finer the mottling of the wing-coverts. Compared with a specimen of T. atricoUis from Demerara, a male from Chontales has rather fewer bars on the tail, the colour of the uuderparts is rather more of a lemon tinge, and the two central feathers of the tail have a bluer tint. These differences are barely definite, and are not, in my opinion, sufficient to justify the separation of T. tenellus as a distinct species. Trogon caligatus, Gould. Chontales {Belt). Trogon elegans, Gould. Nicaragua [Bridges). We have a single skin of this northern species from Virgin Bay, Lake Nicaragua, which was collected by the late Mr. Bridges. Trogon melanocephalus, Gould. Chontales [Belt). BUCCO DYSONI, Scl. Chontales [Belt). MONASA GRANDIOR. Scl. & Salv. P.Z. S. 1868, p. 327. Chontales [Belt). In our original notice of this species we mentioned its probable occurrence in Mosquitia. A specimen in Mr. Belt's collection confirms this extension of the range of the species beyond the limits of Costa Rica. Mr. P. L. Sclater on a New Parrakeet. 323 Neomorphus salvini. Scl. P. Z. S. 1866, p. 60, pi. V. Chontales [Belt). Mr. Belt sends a single skin of this species, whicli I have hitherto only known from Veragua. PlAYA MEHLERI, Bp. Chontales {Belt). Pteroglossus torquatus, Wagl. Chontales {Belt). Ramphastus tocard, Vieill. Chontales {Belt). Selenidera spectabilis, Cassin. Chontales {Belt). Neither this nor the last- mentioned species has been before noticed north of Costa Rica. Nauclerus furcatus, Vieill. Chontales {Belt). TiNNUNCULUS SPARVERIUS (L.). Chontales {Belt). Leucopternis ghiesbreghti (Du Bus). Chontales {Belt). Odontophorus melanotis, Salv. Chontales {Belt). A head only. XXXVIII. On a New Parrakeet of the genus Loriculus /?-o?» the Philippine Islands. By P. L. Sclater, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S. (Plate XI.)* In April 1871 the Zoological Society of London obtained by purchase, of a dealer in Liverpool, a pair of Parrakeets of the genus Loriculus, said to have been brought from the Philippine Islands. These I determined as Loriculus culacissi, that being * [This Plate will be issued with the October number. — Eb.] 2 a 2 324 Mr. P, L. Sclater on a New Parrakeet. the species in Dr. Finsch^s excellent Monograph^ with which they appeared to agree most nearly. Along with these birds the Society also obtained a specimen of Tanygnathus luconensis, the Philippine representative of these large-billed Parrots, which was likewise new to the Society's collection. In the list of additions to the Zoological Society's Menagerie, published in the ' Field ' of 26 May, 1871, and also in my Report on the additions in the month of March 1871 in the Society's 'Proceedings' (1871, p. 479), the pair o? Loriculus are inserted as L. culacissi, as likewise in the ' Revised List of Vertebrates,^ just published (p. 202) f. Last autumn the female of this pair of Loriculus laid several eggs. Two of these were removed and placed in the nest of an Undulated Parrakeet [Melopsittacus undulatus). In this way one was hatched in the Gardens on the 27th of August last, but did not live to attain maturity. On his return from the Phihppines,in June last, Dr. A.B.Meyer brought with him, amongst other living birds, a single male example of this same Lon'cw/MS, which I purchased for the Society's Menagerie. Dr. Meyer, on my informing him that I had deter- mined the species as L. culacissi, at once stated that he believed this bird, which he had obtained on the island of Zebu, not to be the true culacissi, and, in order to settle this question, was kind enough to allow me to examine his series of skins of the Parrots of this genus. On comparing them with the descriptions in Dr. Finsch's Monograph I found that Dr. Meyer was undoubtedly correct. Three species are represented in Dr. Meyei-'s Philippine collection — namely, the true Loriculus culacissi from Luzon, Lori- culus regulus from Negros and Pauay, and the present species obtained only on the island of Zebu. The present bird is at ouce distinguishable from its two allies by its golden back, whence I propose to call it Loriculus chrysonotus, sp. nov. (Plate XI.) Viridis : fronte, uropygio et caudse tectricibus cum mento et * Die Papageien, monograpliiscli bearbeitet, von Dr. Otto Finsch, 2 vols. Leiden, 18G8. t Revised List of Vertebrated Animals now or lately living in the Gardens of the Zoological Society of London. London, 1872. Ibis. 1872 PLII J.G.Keulemms lifJ-i M&N.Ha-iLhart imp LORICULUS CHRYSONOTUS. Letters, Announcements, ^c. 325 gutture coccineis : capite colloque supero usque ad dorsum medium aureo-flavis : rostro rubro, pedibus flavis. Fern. macula gutturali caret : long, tota 5-9, alse 3'8, caudse 3. Hab, ins. Zebu, Philippinarum. Obs. Affinis L. culacissi et L. regulo, sed pileo dorsoque aureo- flavis distinctus. The Plate represents the pair of this beautiful species purchased by the Zoological Society on the 24th of March, 1871, from a sketch by Mr. Keulemans. XXXIX. — Letters, Announcements, ^c. We have received the following letters addressed to "The Editor of 'The Ibis'":— Sir, — Would one of your readers kindly give a description of the egg of Eudynamis taitiensis, the long -tailed Cuckoo of the Pacific ? Thomas H. Potts. Ohinitahi, N. Z., Feb. 5, 1872. [In ' The Birds of New Zealand,' p. 76, Mr. Buller says, " An egg, forwarded to me some years ago by the Rev. R. Taylor, of Wanganui, as belonging to this species, is almost spherical in shape, with a slightly rough or granulate surface. It is of a pale buff or yellowish-brown colour, and measures 1-25 inch in length by I'lS in breadth. I ought to state, how- ever, that it was obtained from a native, and that its authenticity cannot be considered quite certain." — Ed.] Sir, — Whilst journeying in the dense bush which clothes the western slopes of the middle island, making acquaintance with the Kinei and Kakapo, the note of a bird was heard that was new to us ; it was evidently that of a Genjgone, but differed much from that of our familiar gully-haunting warbler. The habitat was unusual, in the thick bush, between the bluff of Okarito and Lake Mapourilla; whereas our little Riroriro delights in trilling fi-om the shrubs on the creek side or more open country, or in 326 Letters, Announcements, ^c. flitting about the bushy vegetation of the gullies that fringe or form the outskirts of a forest. Neither my son^ who accom- panied me, nor myself had ever heard a similar note ; with diffi- dence we set it down as a new species ; for the next few days, whilst rambling in that locality, we heard the same note re- peatedly, and saw the birds, but we never observed one of them on the outside of the bush. The diagnosis of a male bird, killed Dec. .20, four miles W. of Lake Mapourilla, is here given. (This bird was in full song.) Upper surface dark oliva- ceous ; wings smoky black, except first two feathers, outer webs fi'inged with yellow; cheek dark grey, darkest in a line from the gape through the eye ; chin grey ; neck and breast pale grey ; abdomen white ; under wing-coverts white ; upper wing- coverts brown, margined with yellow; upper tail-coverts slaty black, tipped with yellow ; tail brown, with a broad baud of black, two centre feathers black, tipped with brown, four feathers on each side tipped with white on inner webs, pale brown on outer web, two outer feathers broadly barred with white, tipped with brown. Bill, black ; both mandibles horn-colour at the point ; legs and feet black ; inside of feet yellowish flesh ; irides bright blood-red. Bill, from gape, 6 lines; wing from flexure 2 inches; tail 2 inches 2 lines; tarsus 9 lines; middle toe and claw 5 lines; total length 4 inches 5 lines. We hesitate to give this species a new name, having the fear of the cabinet ornithologist before our eyes. Thomas H. Potts. Oliinitahi, N.Z., Feb. 6, 1872. [Mr. Buller, to whom we submitted Mr. Potts's letter, has kindly forwarded us the following note respecting this species of Gerygone : — " The bird described by Mr. Potts as possibly a new species of Gerygone is, I believe, Gerygone albofrontata (G. R. Gray, Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 5, pi. 4. f. 2). Mr. Gray remarks (p. 6), " This fine species was brought by Dr. Dieffen- bach from New Zealand ;" but the single specimen in the British Museum on which the description is founded is labelled as having come from the Chatham Islands. The figure of the species in the ' Voyage of Ereb. & Ttrr.' is apt to give a very false idea of this bird. — Ed.] Letters, Announcements, ^c. 327 Allahabad, ISth March, 1872. Dear Sir, — Dr. Jerdon, in some additional notes on the Birds of India, in 'The Ibis' for January 1872, p. 11, mentions that " Messrs. Marshall disbelieve in the species Megalama marshal- lorum of Swinhoe." Since the publication of the ' Monograph of the Capitonidse ' we have been fully convinced that the species will hold good. We made mention of it in an Appendix, which unfortunately arrived from this country too late for publication with our last part. We regret the oversight in the book, and take this oppor- tunity of acknowledging its occurrence. The plate in the Monograph named M. virens is really M. marshallorum, while of the true M. virens, the Chinese bird, no figure is given. Mr. Swinhoe's diagnosis, published in the Annals (Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 4, vol. vi, p. 348), suffici- ently points out the specific distinctions ; it is therefore unneces savy to repeat them here. While on the subject, we would wish to acknowledge the cor- rectness of Lord Walden's remarks in ' The Ibis' for April 1871, page 163, regarding Caloramphus lathami, the true name being Caloramphus hayi. Yours truly, C. H. T. Marshall & G. F. L. Marshall. Sir, — I am desirous of recording in * The Ibis ' the following miscellaneous notes : — 1st. In a collection of birds of prey recently submitted to me for examination by Mr. Edward Gerrard, jun., were three from the island of Formosa, which I think worthy of notice, viz. : — iEsALON LiTHOFALCO (Gmel.), an immature male beginning to assume adult plumage. This is the most south-easterly spe- cimen of the Merlin which has come under my notice, though further to the north this species occurs as far eastward as the shores of the Sea of Okhotsk, an example from that locality being preserved in the Norwich Museum, where the present specimen is also about to be placed. Scops japonicus, Tem. & Schl. — This is the fii-st individual of this species, which, so far as I know, has been satisfactorily 328 Letters, Announcements, ^'c. identified as a native of Formosa, some confusion having oc- curred between this species and another small horned Owl which also inhabits Formosa, Lempijius hambroecki, described by Mr. Swinhoe in the ' Annals and Magazine of Natural History ' for 1870, vi. p. 153, to whose remarks I beg leave to refer. The type specimen of L. hambroecki is preserved in the Nor- wich Museum, which has also acquired the Formosan specimen of Scops japonicus here referred to. In the Proceedings of the Zoological Society for 1871, p. 343, Mr. Swinhoe unites Scops japonicus with Scops sunia of Hodg- son, which is a native of India. This view is also adopted by Professor Schlegel, in the ' Mus. des Pays Bas,^ Oti, p. 20; but I have not had the opportunity of examining a sufficient series of specimens to enable me to form an opinion as to whether the Indian race is really identical with that which occurs in China, Japan, and Formosa, and I there- fore retain provisionally for the latter the distinctive appellation of Scops japonicus. Brachyotus accipitrtnus (Gmel.). — This is, I believe, the first instance of the almost cosmopolitan Short-eared Owl being recorded from the Island of Formosa. 2nd. I am desirous of ofi'ering a few remarks on the subject of Aquila clanga of Pallas. The Eagle described by Pallas under this name at p. 351 of his ' Zoographia Rosso-Asiatica ' is probably the large race of Aquila navia, which is so frequently received in collections from Sarepta on the Volga, and also from the countries adjacent to the mouth of the Danube, and which only difl^ers from the typical A. ncevia in its larger size and in having indistinct trans- verse bars of dark grey on the rectrices and also on the inner webs of the secondary wing-feathers. Pallas's description appears by the measurements to have been most probably taken from a male bird of this large race, to which the name of Aquila clanga has therefore been a])plied by most English ornithologists. I have hitherto been one of those who have thus used the name of Aquila clanga; but as, on reexamining Pallas's original Hrticle, it appears to me that he was not aware of the distjnc- Letters, Announcements, &;c. 329 tion between what may be called the smaller and larger races of Aqvila ncevia, it is probable that he considered the descrip- tion of his Aquila clanga applicable to both ; and I would therefore suggest the propriety of using for the larger and cer- tainly distinct race, of which the head quarters appear to be about the mouths of the Volga, the specific name of " orientalis " proposed for it by Cabanis in the 'Journal fiir Ornithologie/ 1854, p. 369 (note). It should, however, be observed that Aquila orientalis must not be confused with another nearly allied, but yet larger, Eagle which inhabits the country of the Amoor river, and to which Mr. Swinhoe has given the specific name of amurensis. Vide Proc. of the Zool. Soc. 1871, p. 338. 3rd. I am also desirous of calling attention to what appears to me to be an accidental error in Dr. Jerdon^s " Supplementary Notes" in 'The Ibis' for the present year at p. 139, where, under the head of Oreocincla dauma, it is stated that the Thrush obtained in Formosa by Mr. Swinhoe, and named by that gentleman 0. hancii, is now considered by him to be identical with 0. dauma ; but in Mr. Swinhoe's paper on the Birds of China in the Zool. Society's Proceedings for 1871, at p. 368, he give O. hancii as a synonym of the well-known "White's Thrush," O. varia (Pallas) j and the latter identification was also communicated to me in a letter with which Mr. Swinhoe favoured me on the subject, 4th. It is well known that the South-African Ostrich is now largely kept in the colony of the Cape of Good Hope in a semi- domesticated state for the sake of its valuable plumes. I have recently seen a letter from a gentleman engaged in that colony in this new pursuit of " Ostrich-farming," which gives some particulars respecting the incubation of his tame Ostriches (twenty-seven in number) that appear to me worthy of being recorded in the pages of ' The Ibis.' He says, " Two females generally lay in one nest, and sit from 7 a.m. during the day, the cock keeping guard somewhere near ; at 5 p.m., as re- gularly as possible every night, the hens leave the nest, and the cock takes his turn. They lay more eggs than they can sit upon : there arc often between forty and fifty in a nest; so there 330 Letters, Announcements, &^c. has been a great want of incubators for the surplus eggs — two very good ones have been invented in the colony." 5th. I have to offer a few observations on the occurrence of Somateria stelleri in the North Pacific Ocean. In the article on this scarce Duck contained in Part 3 of Messrs. Sharpe and Dresser's admirable work on the Birds of Europe, reference is made to a female of this species purchased by me several years since from a person who sailed as ship's steward in the Arctic Expedition commanded by Captain Collinson. I regret that owing to my absence from Norfolk, and to the mislaying of a contemporary memorandum which I have since found, the information which I furnished to Messrs. Sharpe and Dresser was not so complete as it should have been ; and I am therefore now desirous of supplementing it by such further par- ticulars as I am at present in a position to supply. The number of specimens of Somateria stelleri which I pur- chased from Captain CoUinson's steward was not one, but two, both of which were obtained in July 1854, on Flaxman's Island, lat. 70'' 11' N., and long. 145° 50' W. These specimens appear to be an adult male and female, ex- actly agreeing with European examples in full dress, except that in the male bird the green band on the occiput appears rather narrower, the inner scapulars and the adjoining feathers of the back rather more tinged with brownish, and the buff feathers on the upper part of the breast adjoining the throat somewhat paler and more tinged with greenish brown at the tips than is the case in a full-plumaged European male with which I have compared the American specimen. I am, Sir, &c., Marldon, Totnes, June 1, 1872. J. H. GuRNEY. Sir, — Captain Hayes Lloyd, in an interesting letter {antea, p. 197) has stated his conviction to be that Cyurnis tickellice, Elyth, is the female of Cyornis jerdoni, G. R. Gray (olim C. banyumas, Horsf., apud Jerd.). Captain Lloyd's observations were made in a part of India ornithologically little known ; and it is therefore not impossible that the Cyornis he refers to is distinct from either of the species he has associated it with. But Letters, Announcements, S^c 331 for my present purpose it is sufficient to assume that the Cijornis of Gujerat does belong to one or other of the above-named species. There can be little doubt that the birds Captain Lloyd de- scribes are male and female of one and the same species ; for Dr. Jerdon's surmise that the female of C.jerdoni ( = C. bayumas, ap. Jerd.) is olive^ has not been sustained by subsequent investiga- tion. On the contrary^ the females of C.jerdoni and C. tickelliae are blue, like the males, but of a much paler shade. The young birds also of both sexes change directly from their rust-spotted plumage to the full blue plumages of the adults. Now if this be so, before Captain Lloyd's conclusions can be adopted, the Cijornis male and female of Central India must be compared with the Cyornis male and female of Malabar and Ceylon, This comparison examples of both sexes from Candeish, Malabar, and Ceylon in my collection have enabled me to institute. My results are, that from all those localities the females are paler- coloured than the males ; and this is also the case in C. banyu- mas (Horsf.) ex Java. The females of Candeish individuals (C. tickellia;) are, above, almost ashy grey, tinged with blue. The lazuline hue of the forehead, supercilium, and shoulder is pre- sent, but less intense than in the male. The orange under- surface of the male degenerates into a dull buff in the female. The lores in the female are white, whereas in the male they are black. The cheeks and ear-coverts are palpably darker in the male than in the female. In Malabar and Ceylon birds [C. jerdoni) the females are darker and bluer than the Candeish females. They closely resemble Candeish males, from which they can only be distin- guished by their ivhite lores. Malabar and Ceylon males are, above, very dark blue, below very bright orange, with the lores and chin black. It may be that an examination of a larger series than I command may not bear out these facts ; but if it does so, it appears to me that we may fairly continue in the belief that C. jerdoni and C. tickellice designate two distinct spe- cies, the male of the last wearing the female livery of the first. Yours &c., Walden. Chislehurst, June 1, 1872. 332 Letters, Announcements, ^c. Sir, — In treating of the genus Hieracidea in my ' Birds of New Zealand/ I ventured (at page 4) to assert my belief that " there are in reality two distinct species closely resembling each other in plumage, in both the young and adult states, but differ- ing appreciably in size." My friend Dr. Otto Finsch, of Bremen, has arrived, however, at a different conclusion, and has noticed the subject in a paper on New-Zealand Birds which he has communicated to the 'Journal fiir Ornithologie ' (March 1872, pp. 87,88). The following is a translation of the passage in question : — " The following descriptive account is based on a fine series of five specimens, which represent not only both sexes, but the most divergent shades of coloration. I have before me two male birds from Banks's Peninsula, and one male from the west coast of the South Island, all three sent to me by Dr. Haast, and a pair (male and female) received from Captain Hutton, as North-Island specimens. The careful comparison of these ex- amples leaves not the smallest doubt as to the identity of the species. After Dr. Buller, as already stated (/. c), had given proof that the plumage described by Mr. Gould as characteristic of F. hrunnea, was only the immature dress — a fact established by taking the young birds from the nest*, — Gurney advocated ('Ibis,' 1870, p. 535) the recognition of two species, distin- guishing the larger as F. novce-zealandice, and the smaller as F. brunnea. The measurements adduced by him are valueless in decidina; such a question, inasmuch as the determination of the sexes of his specimens is somewhat incomplete or doubtful. It may therefore be inferred, without much hesitation, that the large specimens which Gurney refers to F. novcB-zealandm are invariably females. Dr. Haast (in litt.) is likewise in favour of two species, the Quail-hawk {F.brunnea v. /?roa;), according to his view, being distinguishable from the other by its greater size as well as its different mode of life and the peculiarities of its nesting-habits. But the specimen sent in by him under the latter denomination is, on the contrary, remarkable for its small size. Captain Hutton, in his recent Catalogue, allows but one species, remarking, ' very variable in size ; but a large male can * Trans. N. Z. Instit. 1868, vol. i. p. 106. Letters, Announcements, i^c. 333 be distinguished from a small female by its more slender legs, which are '6 of an inch in circumference (!) in the male, and •88 of an inch in the female.' No one will attach any import- ance whatever to a criterion of this kind, especially in the case of dried skins. Of far more importance are the measurements which Hutton gives, if, as I must suppose, they are taken from positively ascertained males and females, because they confirm the view that the latter are always large birds, and, with the table of measure- ments compiled by myself, serve to prove that the discrimination of two species differing in size cannot well be maintained/' There is no doubt on my own mind that the marking of the smaller species as " Quail-hawk" was merely a lapsus calami ; because, in all his correspondence with me on this subject. Dr. Haast has distinguished the larger Falcon by that name, and the smaller one as the " Sparrow-hawk." With regard to the data furnished in Captain Hutton's Ca- talogue, I would simply remark that there is no evidence whatever of the sex having been, in a single case, determined by dissection. As I have already pointed out in my history of the species, the fact that a male example of my H. novts-zealandicB (carefully sexed by Dr. Haast, and exhibiting the testes fully developed) proves to be actually larger than the female of H. brunnea, is decidedly opposed to the theory of there being only one species. Mr. Gurney, after a further examination of the specimens in the British Museum, writes me : — " I am sure you are right about the distinctness of the two New- Zealand Hieracidea." In the last letter which I had the pleasure of receiving from Dr. Haast (dated New Zealand, March 10), the following state- ment occurs : — " Concerning the specific distinctness of the Sparrow-hawk and the Quail-hawk, I may tell you that on my last journey into the interior I got two of the former [i. e. the small species). They were male and female; and I secured them at the nest, where they had young ones. The female was a little bigger and lighter than the male bird. Both birds were full-grown, diud showed at a glance the impossibility of their ever developing into the large and perfectly distinct Quail-hawk." I am yours &c., Walter L. Buller. 7 Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, London, S.W., June 8, 1872. 334 Letters, Announcements, S^c. Boston, June 13th, 1872. Dear Sir, — Your interesting monograph of the genus Geo- thhjpis came in opportune explanation of some remarkable phe- nomena in the flight of the Dendrceca castanea along the 42nd parallel during the present spring, and in confirmation of the hypothesis by which we accounted for them. So far as I know, up to the present year this bird has been very rare in Massa- chusetts. Such an indefatigable collector as Mr. Maynard in the course of his life has obtained but one bird. It is not, however, a rare bird in the northern parts of Maine, nor about Lake Superior, abounding there in the breeding-season. Why is this bird so common three or four degrees north of us, yet so rare here ? From Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin came the same story. The D. castanea, unknown there in spring, was this year very common — here between May 25th and 28tJ], there a little earlier. The explanation was, that this Warbler, which passed north the last of the migrants, made a long flight, without stopping or pausing, and went through here in the night — that this year something deranged its flight, so as to make our latitude the area of its halt before its last northern movement. Flocks were seen containing nearly fifty individuals. One of my young friends shot twelve in a single morning. They were all, too, in full song, though unmated, the males bringing up the rear. It was interesting to see bow your statements, as re- gards some species passing by Mexico and Guatemala in their return to the south, seems to confirm our explanation. In Wisconsin D. castanea is not rare in the fall, with us it is so. Yours very truly, T. M. Brewer. Sir, — A small flock of Pallas's Sand-Grouse {Syrrhaptes para- doxus) was observed for about a fortnight on the coast of North Northumberland, opposite the Fern Islands, from the last week in May till about the 6th of June. The birds confined them- selves to the low flats on the mainland, never being observed on the islands. They were much persecuted, and consequently very wild. About the end of the first week of June they dis- appeared altogether. Only one of the flock was obtained. This Letters, Announcements, ^c. 335 bird was examined by the Rev. C. Thorp, but he did uot ascer- tain the exact particulars of its capture. I am yours &c., H. B. Tristram. Greatham Vicarage, West Hartlepool, July 8th, 1872, Sir, — As every thing relating to the reappearance in Great Britain of Pallas's Sand-Grouse may be said to possess unusual interest, I beg leave to send you the following note from a lady whose pursuits are in many respects closely associated with my own, and who has had the pleasure of seeing at least four spe- cimens of that remarkable bird alive in Ayrshire : — " Girvau, July 2. On Tuesday last (25th June), while walking on the sandy pathway leading to the north shore, I saw a strange bird basking on the hot sand a few yards before me. It got up almost immediately on being disturbed, and after a few hurried steps it darted swiftly over an adjoining wall. A , who was with me, at once noticed its long pointed wings ; and as we were both satisfied that the bird was a stranger, we hastened through the stile near at hand to see what had become of it. To my great surprise and delight I found it had joined three other birds of the same kind on the other side, and that they were Sand-Grouse. The four, after quietly crouching among the tufts of grass, seeing themselves watched, ran wildly about for a few minutes, and then by short flights led us both some distance after them until I had quite time enough to observe their appearance and plumage accurately. We have no doubt as to our recognition of the birds, having repeatedly got so near them. They looked scared and restless when followed, and had evidently arrived but a short time before, as we had never pre- viously seen them, though we walked almost daily in the same direction. A few days afterwards, namely on Saturday the 29th, we saw another (perhaps one of the four) in the same place ; but it flew off at once and gave us no opportunity of watching its movements. — E. G." I may add that the locality where these birds were seen, though somewhat exposed as a place of public resort, is one 336 Letters, Announcements, &^c. likely enough to attract them, the path, which is of considerable breadth, being covered deeply with dry sand and stones, which, on hot days especially, form just such a spot as Sand-Grouse would delight to bask in. There are, indeed, many similar places much more retired between the town of Girvan and the ruins of Turnberry Castle, a distance of six miles ; and I hope yet to be able to report that they have bred in the district. I am, Sir, Your obedient servant, Robert Gray. Glasgow, July 11, 1872. Sir, — I promised to send you an account of the birds seen during my voyage to Para, as a continuation of the many letters I have sent you on the same subject; I fulfil this promise, if only to record the most desert and bird-forsaken portion of the ocean that it has ever been my lot to traverse. We left Liverpool in the steamer ' Lisbonneuse ' on the 18th of May, and, passing down the Mersey and the English coast, crossed over to Havre. Half a dozen Gulls and a small flock of Grey Plover, making across the channel for the English side, were all the sea-fowl we saw. A Swift and a Swallow flew round the ship ; and a female Wheatear came on board. Between Havre and Lisbon, where we arrived on the 25th, I only saw a few Thalassidromce — T. leachi and T.pelagica, I think, from their respective sizes. On Wednesday the 29th, between Madeira and the Canary Islands, lat. 31° 31' N., long. 16° 20' W .*, we saw two black Petrels, and one grey one, but so far away as to preclude my even guessing at the species. On Friday the 31st, lat. 25° 7' N., long. 21° 52' W., we first reached the region of flyingfish and Physalia atlantica. Now surely, I thought, we shall see some birds ; but, no ! Saturday, June 1st, lat. 21° 49' N., long. 24° 22' W., only brought us two ThalassidromcE, and the next day (lat. 15° 13' N., long. 29° 26' W.) a grey Petrel in the morning and again at night. Not a bird did we see after this till the evening of the 5th * Our position at noon each day is given. Letters, Announcements, &^c. 337 (lat. 8° 40' N., long. 34° 31' W.), vvhen a solitary specimen of my old friend, Procellaria mollis, scudded away southward, as if it wished to get away from such a bird-forgotten place. On June 7th, at 9 a.m., in lat. 2° 50' N., 30° 50' W. (nearest land, Paranahyba, 350 miles distant), a pair of Gannets came up from the southward, and, without stopping to fish or even to have a look at us, passed on to the northward. Next day at 11 a.m. we crossed the line. At 10.30 a.m. (lat. 6' S., long. 41° 33' W.) a Ground-Dove flew round the ship, but would not alight, and finally struck ofl" for shore. Capt. Mutton calculated we were at least 180 miles from shore : he told me he heard a Frigate-bird during the night. Sunday, June 9th. — Land, though not visible, was supposed to be 30 miles a-head at daylight, and a Goatsucker and several Crotophaga ani came and pitched in the rigging. The latter were so exhausted that they dropped to the deck, and we caught several ; the Goatsucker, a fine large grey fellow, rested for a few moments, and then flew away landward. We were now covered with moths, butterflies, dragonflies, &c. Another Ground-Dove visited us, and Terns and Frigate-birds fished around us. We presently made the mouth of the Maranao River, and came to anchor opposite the town. On landing I soon made the ac- quaintance of Humming-birds and others; but as all the forms of bird-life are new to me I say nothing of them. We reached Para on the night of the 19th ; and the first object that greeted my eyes in the dim grey morning light next day was a Urubu Vulture, perched on the gable of the opposite house, with ex- tended wings, waiting to catch the first rays of the sun to dry up the night dews from his plumage. They are very abundant here (at Maranao I saw none), and act as scavengers. If you will take the trouble to trace our course on a map, vou will see we made a wonderfully straight course to Maranao. We picked up the N.E. trades far to the northward of Madeira, and never moved a sail till we approached the land on this side. The absence of bii'd-life was curious ; and Capt. Mutton tells me he never observes it otherwise, and he constantly crosses and re- crosses. SER. III. VOL. II. 2 B 338 Letters, Announcements, ^c. I expect to get into a house next week, and shall then begin to pay attention to the birds around me; at present I do not care to kill and examine any, as 1 have no means of preserving them. I see two kinds of Humming-birds, two Swallows, a Spiny-tailed Swift, and lots of unknown genera in my morning rambles. Farewell. E. L. Layard. Para, June 1872. Dr. Buller^s work on the Birds of New Zealand"^", which we mentioned in our last issue {antea, p. 194), has progressed to its second part, three more remaining to finish it. It is not often that thorough practical knowledge, both in the field and at home, is possessed by the author of a work like the present ; but Dr. Buller has studied his subject in both aspects, and the value of his book is clearly enhanced thereby. Moreover, he has set about his task in a way that shows us that he thoroughly appreciates the difficulties sur- rounding it. His personal acquaintance with the birds them- selves has been followed up by a critical and impartial investi- gation of the writings of previous authors ; and, lastly, an independent examination of many of the typical specimens in England has placed him in a position to speak with great pre- cision upon intricate points of synonymy. The consequences to many of the indigenous birds of New Zealand arising out of its colonization by Europeans seems likely to be so disastrous, that it is high time that authentic histories of them should be put on record before they finally disappear. Dr. Buller^s work, therefore, supplies what might have proved a serious omission in ornithological literature. It is not too late to write a full life-history of those New-Zealand birds whose numbers are rapidly diminishing; but a few years hence it is more than probable such a task could not be accom- plished. Though the present active causes may be novel, the rapid destruction of the indigenous fauna of New Zealand dates back to far beyond historic times ; for though Maori tradition may give an approximately recent time when the Moa still * A History of the Birds of New Zealand. Parts I. & II. 4to. Letters, Announcements, ^c. 339 survived, numbers of other similar forms have succumbed whose remains are now found in a semifossilized state, and of these we have not another vestige of record. They, like the Dodo and the Solitaire, seem to have fallen victims to some enemy suddenly introduced into their domain, against which they were powerless to make successful resistance. The remains of these extinct birds have furnished the materials for Prof. Owen's series of ex- haustive memoirs on Dinornis and its allies. Dr. Buller's will form a fit companion work, and thus provide us with a very com- plete record of the birds of New Zealand both past and present. We are promised an account of the structural peculiarities of the more remarkable New-Zealand species; this will doubtless be reserved for the last part. In the mean time the influence these observations may have upon the sequence of the species in their arrangement ought to be borne in mind. The re- tention of Heteralocha in the Picarise and in the family Upupidse is unfortunate ; Mr. Garrod has recently shown, in a paper read before the Zoological Society, that it is certainly a member of the Sturnida^ and a strictly passerine form. The Annual Report of the Trustees of the Museum of Com- parative Zoology at Harvard College for the year 1871 con- tains some matter which, though more strictly geological, is of great interest to us, in the bearing it has upon the distri- bution of animal life in the vicinity of Panama. Dr. G. A. Maack, who accompanied the recent U. S. Darien Exploring Ex- pedition, brought home with him thirty cases of geological, palse- ontological, and lithological specimens; and in his Report he gives a short abstract of his views of the changes that have taken place in the physical aspect of the isthmus, as suggested by an examination of the material he collected. The point of special interest to us is the indication of two channels between the oceans up to the later Tertiary times, one between the Gulf o^ San Miguel and the Gulf of Uraba, the other between Panama and Aspinwall. Dr. Maack also adds that he has evidence to show that the Pacific Cordillera belongs to a later eruptive period, and that of the Atlantic slope was in a state of tranquillity when the waters of the Pacific Ocean covered the present southern 2b2 340 Letters, Announcements, ^t. watershed. The picture thus suggested presents a chain of islands in Tertiary times in place of the continuous isthmus now existing. Zoology enables us to discern but faintly the old islands that appear once to have existed in this region. These observations of Dr. Maack's, giving them greater definition, will doubtless enable us to read the history of the present geographical distribution of the birds of the isthmus with far greater precision. Our valued contributor Dr. Coues is about to publish a * Key to North-American Birds.' The prospectus states that the work will consist of about 300 octavo pages, and will be illustrated by six steel plates and upwards of 250 woodcuts. Its object is to furnish a manual of the birds of North America, in which will be expounded the latest views in ornithology. The introductory part will give a general account of the anatomy and classification of birds, and full explanations of all the terms used in ornithology. A key to the genera and subgenera will follow, in the form of a continuous artificial table, while a synopsis of living and fossil birds will contain concise descrip- tions of every North-American species known to this time, with characters of the higher groups and remarks relating to forms not found in North America. Since our last issue, ornithologists have lost two of their most zealous colleagues, both of them having worked through a long series of years up to within a short period of their deaths. Another veteran ornithologist has also passed away whose name is familiar to all working at Indian Birds. The loss sustained by the death of Mr. George Egbert Gray can only be partly estimated by viewing retrospectively the mass of work he accomplished during the forty-one years he remained in charge of the ornithological collections in the British Museum. Mr. Gray contributed greatly to Griffith's enlarged edition of Cuvier's ' Regne Animal,' and also published several works on entomological subjects, including an illustrated catalogue of the genus Pajnlio. In ornithology, Mr. Gray's first work was the ' List of the Genera of Birds,' which was pri- Letters, Announcements, S^c. 341 vately printed in 1840; a second edition (also privately printed) of this work was called for in 1841, to which an Appendix was added iu 1842. 1232 divisions were recognized in this last edition with its Appendix. In 1844 the great work on the Genera of Birds was com- menced iu conjunction with the late Mr. Mitchell, who under- took the superintendence of the engravings. This standard work, completed iu 1849, is too well known to need comment here. In 1855 a third edition of the ' List of Genera and Subgenera of Birds ' appeared, in which were incorporated all the additions since the issue of the edition of 1842. Finally, so far as this portion of ]\Ir. Gray's work is concerned, we have the three volumes of the ' Hand-list of Genera and Species of Birds,' the third volume of which was only issued last year. The scope and objects of this final and most laborious under- taking have been fully set forth in these pages, so far as the first two volumes are concerned; the last volume contains the completion of the enumeration of the remaining families, genera, and species, and also a comprehensive index to the whole three volumes, both of generic and specific names. The amount of labour bestowed on this work can be gathered from the state- ment of Mr. Gray's, that of the 11,000 species of birds which are there recognized, no less than 46,000 references had to be made and entered. The value of the ' Hand-list ' has been at once recognized by working ornithologists ; and references are so frequently made to its pages as to show that it is constantly and necessarily referred to by every one working at the subject. Its utility will remain for some time to come, indeed until, as is the fate of all such compilations, another ornithologist shall arise endued with Mr. Gray's perseverance, and give us another ' Hand-list' with the references fully extended. Such a task will not readily be accomplished. Comparing the early editions of the ' Lists of Genera' and the ' Hand-list,' a fair epitome of the progress of ornithological science from 1840 to the present time might be formed. Besides the above works, Mr. Gray's Catalogues of the Col- lections in the British Museum form another scries of useful 342 Letters, Announcements, i^c. books. These do not comprehend nearly the whole subject, but are restricted to different groups as the requirements of the Col- lection led Mr. Gray to work them out. The British Museum is fortunate in possessing valuable series of birds from the islands of the Paciiic Ocean, and these formed the subject of several useful lists, containing descriptions of many new species, which were published in the 'Proceedings of the Zoological Society/ Some contributions from Mr. Gray's pen will also be found in the pages of this Journal. Mr. Gray's works are concise to a fault; he has usually given us the bare results of his investigations without detailing the steps by which he arrived at those results — the problem and the answer, without the intermediate operations. In some in- stances this is sufficient ; but, as our science moves, or ought to move, by observation rather than authority, many a weary search might have been spared the working ornithologist had an ob- scure reference here and there lightened his task. Perhaps few men have written so much in so few words; and this sparing use of words led Mr. Gray to be even backward in describing many a species upon which he simply bestowed a name, leaving it to others to supply the requisite details. To those studying the ornithological riches of the British Museum Mr. Gray was ever ready to lend efficient help, and his presence will long be missed by those who are occasionally or regularly in the habit of consulting the collection. Mr. Gray died on the 6th of May, after a short illness, being in the 64th year of his age. By the death of Thomas Caverhill Jerdon, in his 61st year, the science of ornithology has lost one of its most zealous sup- porters, and at a time too, when, by his return to England after a long sojourn in India, the remainder of a useful life might have been spent in the revision of much valuable work published at dif- ferent times during his residence abroad. But such was not to be; and a glance a few pages back in the present Number of this Journal shows where his hand was arrested. Mr. Jerdon was the son of Mr. Archibald Jerdon, of Bonjedward, Roxburgh, and was born in 1811. In 1835 he entered the service of the Letters, Announcements, ^'c. . 343 Hon. East-India Company as Assistant Surgeon in the Presi- dency of Madras. In 1844 he pubUshed his first work on zoology, the ' Illustrations of Indian Ornithology.' Mr. Jerdon's name, however, will be best known to ornithologists by his work on the Birds of India, which was published in 1862. This book has unquestionably proved of incalculable service in pro- moting the study of ornithology in India. The edition was speedily sold ; and we believe that it was the author's intention to have published a second edition, incorporating all the mate- rials that he had since collected, both by his own observations and those of others. The " Supplementary Notes " published in this Journal, and continued down to the end of the Timaliidce, were intended to prepare the way for this second edition. Mr. Jerdon had special facilities granted him by the Indian Government to enable him to bring out the ' Birds of India,' and in collecting the material for his work he visited the greater part of India, and also visited Assam and Burmah. His knowledge of birds was very great ; but he studied them , not by amassing their skins, as is the usual, and perhaps the best, way, but by committing, as it were, their peculiarities to memory, with the aid of copious notes and sketches. Mr. Jerdon was elected an Honorary Member of our Union in 1864; on his return to England, at his own request he was placed on the list of Ordinary Members. He died on the 12th of June last, after a long and tedious illness originally contracted in Assam, and which not even the change to the climate of Europe enabled him to shake off. Colonel William Henry Sykes, who died June 16th, in his 83rd year, is better known as a politician and as a statist than for his labours as a zoologist. He was the only son of Samuel Sykes, Esq., of Friezing Hall, Yorkshire, and was born in 1790. In 1804 he entered the Bombay army, and served under Lord Lake at the first siege of Bhurtpore, in 1805. In 1817-18 he commanded a native regiment in the battles of Kirkee and Poona, besides taking part in other military operations. Having retired from the Hon. East-India Company's service in 1837, he was elected one of the Home Directors of that body in 1840, and 344 Letters, Announcements, l^c. continued as such until the abolition of the Court of Directors, having been Deputy-Chairman since 1856, and annually elected Chairman of the Shareholders since 1858. Col. Sykes was Lord Rector of Marischal College and of the University of Aberdeen in 1854, and was Chairman of the Society of Arts in 1856; in 1858 he was elected President of the Uoyal Asiatic Society, and of the Statistical Society of London in 1863. He was first elected M.P. for Aberdeen in April 1857, and was unopposed in all of the subsequent elections. As a legislator he was chiefly known for his advocacy of the claims of Indian officers. Col. Sykes was the author of several statistical papers, relating mostly to India, and when on service in the Bombay Dukhun, he studied the zoology of that part of the country, and made collections, which are now deposited in the India- House Museum. His catalogues of the Mammalia and of the Birds of the Dukhun, published in the 'Proceedings of the Zoological Society^ for 1831-32, are the earliest systematic catalogues which we possess of those classes in any part of India (properly so called) ; and he subsequently contributed to the ' Transactions of the Zoological Society' papers on the Quails and Hemijjodii (or Turnices) of India, and upon the fishes of the Dukhun, the latter illustrated by figures taken by native artists under his superintendence. In his catalogue of the birds of the Dukhun as many as 56 species are described as new ; and of the specific names which he bestowed upon them, we find that 27 are accepted at the present time. The following is a list of them, but with the modern generic appellations : — Milvus govinda, Circus pallidus, Stjrnium indranee, Ptyonoprogne concolor, Cecropis erythropygia, Capri- mulgus mahrattensis, Hemipus picatus, Hypsipetes ganeesa, Lanius lahtora, Oriolus kundoo, Malacocercus somervillii, Pomatorhinus horsfieldi, Hippolais rama, Prinia socialis, Drymoeca inornata, Motacilla dukhunensis, Pratincola bicolor, Spizalauda deva, ^tho- pyga vigorsii, Leptocoma minima, Palumbus elphinstonii, Turtur meena, Microperdix erythrorhyncha, Turnix taigoor, Herodias asha, Ardeola grayi, Gallinula (?) akool. THE IBIS. THIRD SERIES. No. VIII. OCTOBER 1873. XL. — The Humming -birds of the West Indies. By D. G-. Elliot, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c. The geographical distribution of the various species of the great Family Trochilidse inhabiting the different islands of the West Indies never having been separately worked out, I have thought it would be interesting if a list of the Humming-birds now known to be found in that portion of the world were pub- lished, with the habitats of each, so far as ascertained, and that, the attention of ornithologists having been directed to the sub- ject, additional light might be thrown upon it by futui-e researches. For many years we have had a more or less perfect knowledge of the avifauna of certain of the larger islands, although, even of these, but few have had the advantage of the presence of a resident practical ornithologist. Of the large number of the small islands, as regards their fauna, we at present actually know nothing. It is not necessary for me to recapitulate here the extent of our information and the means by which it has been acquired, that having been already accurately done by Mr. Sclater in his paper on the birds of Santa Lucia, pub- SER. HI. — VOL. II. 2 C 346 Mr. D. G. Elliot on the lisbed ill the Zoological Society's 'Proceedings' for last year ; it will suffice for me to say that, of all the West- Indian Is- lands, we have more or less complete information of the birds inhabiting the following islands only : — Nassau and Long Island of the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, St. Domingo, Porto Rico, St. Thomas, Sombrero, Ste. Croix, St. Bartholomew, Dominica, Martinique, and Santa Lucia. Guadaloupe and St. Vincent possessed resident naturalists; but only fragmentary accounts of their avifauna have ever been published. Here, then, out of the very great number of islands comprising the group known as the West Indies, from only thirteen have ornithologists obtained any information ; and that from some of even them is of a most unsatisfactory description. I do not pretend, therefore, in this paper to be able to give the complete geographical distribution of the Trochilidse of the West Indies, but am merely able to add to what is already known certain other localities regarding which we have of late obtained information. A peculiarity that is remarkable of this group is the fact that cer- tain islands contain species not met with elsewhere, and that but few species of those found in the West Indies are ever seen upon the continent of either North or South America. It will be under- stood that in speaking of the West Indies, I do not include the islands of Tobago and Trinidad, whose fauna is more that of the neighbouring portion of South America than of the scattered islands lying to the northward. The two islands of the Bahamas mentioned in this paper contain each a distinct species oiDoricha, a genus not found in any other of the West Indies, and the only representatives of which are to be met with in Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Veragua. Cuba, besides being visited by the migratory Trochilus colubris, has two species peculiar to itself, Calypte helence and Sporadinus ricordi, the last a genus only found in the Greater Antilles except Jamaica. This latter island possesses three species, two of which, however, are not found elsewhere; and the third, which is the smallest Humming-bird known, and incapable, it would seem, of any continued flight, is nevertheless an inhabitant of St. Domingo. This would seem to show that at one period those two islands were only one, and that this little species, the Mel- Humming-birds of the West Indies. 347 lisuga minima, has been enabled to preserve its specific distinct- ness in spite of climatic and other influences, although, since the two islands were established as they now are, other and distinct forms of the same family have asserted themselves within their respective limits. Besides the species just named, St. Domingo contains two others which are not found elsewhere. Porto Eico contributes two species to the family, of which it is the only habitat; and this island mai'ks the south-eastern boundary of the genus Sporadinus. Of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas and Ste. Croix are known the best ; in fact they are about the only ones of which we have any full information. The former of these contains three species of Trochilidse, none of which, however, are peculiar to it. It is, however, the northern limit of the genera Orthorhynchus and Eulampis. Ste. Croix has but two species, which are also inhabitants of other islands. Prof. Sun- devall, in his list of the birds of St. Bartholomew, mentions two species of Trochilidse as indigenous to that island, the Orthorhynchics exilis and Eulampis holosericeus. Prom his de- scription of the former, it would seem to be the 0. ornatus (if the differences pointed out by the describer of that so-called species were not so unsatisfactory as to render it exceedingly difficult to make it out), as he mentions a slight amount of blue on the crest. As to the latter, we might naturally look for it in this island, which is in a direct line with the others inhabited by this species. Sombrero, a mere naked rock, contains at times the Eulampis holosericeus, specimens having been collected by Mr. Julien and sent to Mr. Lawrence. Our next point where any members of this family are known to dwell isthesmallislandof Nevis, which contains two species, one of which, the Eulampis jugularis, is also found in Dominica, Martinique, and Santa Lucia, and possibly in the large island of Guadaloupe, although we have no proof of the fact. Dominica possesses three species of Humming-birds, none of which is restricted to it; but between this island and the more southern one of Santa Lucia, appears to be the stronghold of the genus Eulampis, as both this island and the one last named contain the two species comprising the genus. Only two species are known in the large island of Martinique, both of which are also inhabitants of Nevis. 2 c2 348 Mr. D. G. Elliot on the Santa Lucia, of a certain number of whose birds, collected by Mr. J. E. Semper, Dr. Sclater has lately given a list, has three species, all of which are found in Martinique. Only one species inhabits St. Vincent and Barbadoes^ the Or- thorhynchus crisiatus ; and it is not found anywhere else. These are all the islands of the West Indies of which we are aware that any member of the Trochilidse is an inhabitant. From the foregoing it will be perceived that, although the same species may be an inhabitant of several islands, yet they are always contiguous to each other, and that no other species of the same genus ever intervenes, as is the case with some genera in the Indian archipelago, where one species inhabiting two islands will have a distinct form of the same genus living on an intermediate one. The members of the genus Eulampis appear to have one of the widest ranges (only exceeded by the next), ex- tending from the island of St. Thomas to that of Santa Lucia; and we may naturally expect to find it on the islands lying between these, when their avifauna becomes known. Orthorhynchus passes over the greatest extent of latitude, being found from St, Thomas to Barbadoes, one species extending to Dominica, the second to Santa Lucia, and the third to the limit of its dispersion. The remaining genera Lampornis, Aithurus, Doricha, Trochilus, Calypte, Mellisuga, and Spo?-adinus are either (as is thecasewith the first, third, and fourth) casual or outlying representatives of conti- nental divisions of the family, or peculiar forms of most restricted habitats, and which have sprung into existence, in all probability, after this extent of land had been broken up into the dispersed groups by which it is now known to us. The annexed Table (p. 357) will give a more correct idea of the geographical distribu- tion of the various species. In the following list I have made whatever corrections have ap- peared necessary in synonymy or nomenclature, and referred to their respective places any species which I have considered established upon doubtful or insufficient grounds. Lampornis viridis. Trochilus viridis, Aud. et Vieill. Ois. Dor. vol. i. p. 34, pi. xv. (1802). Humming-birds of the West Indies. 349 Lampornis viridis, Gould, Mon. Troch. vol. ii. pi. Ixxviii. ; Tayl. Ibis, 1864, p. 169. Hub. Porto Rico [Taylor). This species seems to be entii'ely restricted to the Island of Porto Rico, where it is by no means common ; and among collec- tions of Trochilidaj it is one of the species generally absent. Lampornis dominicus. Trochilus dominicus, Linn. Syst. Nat. p. 191 (1766), ? ; Gmel. Syst. Nat. p. 489 (1788). Trochilus maryaritaceus, Gmel. Syst. Nat. p. 490 (1788), $ . Trochilus aurulentus, Vieill. Ois. Dor. pi. xii. (1802). Pohjtmus margaritaceus, Gray, Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 108, sp. 13. Lampornis margaritaceus, Bon. Consp. Gen. Av. i. p. 72, sp. 5. Lampornis aurulerdus, Gould, Mon. Troch. vol. ii. pi. Ixxix. ; Cass. Proc. Acad. Phil. 1860, p. 377. Lampornis virginalis, Gould, Mon. Troch. vol. ii. pi. Ixxx. Hah. St. Thomas [Riise, Cassin), St. Domingo, Porto Rico [Bryant) . This is undoubtedly the species described by Linnaeus, in his twelfth edition, as Trochilus dominicus; for, although it was a female upon which he founded the species, the characters enu- merated by him are too clear, particularly those of the tail, to permit the supposition that some other bird was intended. Be- sides, the account given by Brisson, whom Linnaeus followed, is very full, and shows plainly that the female of the species generally called Lampornis aurulentus was well known to that author ; and it is described by him in his ' Ornithology,^ vol. iii. p. 673. There is no other species which possesses a similarly coloured tail inhabiting the West-Indian Islands ; and it would appear that there is less doubt about the rightful appellation of this species than there is about many of this family mentioned by the earlier writers. I have said there is no other species of Humming-bird in- habiting the West Indies which may be taken for this. It will be noticed that I have placed among the synonyms Mr. Gould^s Lampornis virginalis, as I have not been able to satisfy myself 350 Mr. D. G. Elliot on the that it is entitled to specific distinction. The colour of the median tail-feathers, mentioned by Mr. Gould as one great point of difference, does not hold good, as I have seen specimens from St. Thomas with them as dark as can be seen in any ex- ample from St. Domingo ; and the size of the birds from the two islands is not appreciably different. Dr. Bryant obtained the species in Porto Rico. Lampornis mango. Mango-bird, Albin, Birds, vol. iii. p. 45, t. 49. fig. 6. Trochilus mango, Linn. Syst. Nat. p. 191, sp. 10 (1766) ; Gmel. Syst. Nat. p. 491 (1788). Trochilus poiyhyrurus, Shaw, Nat. Misc. vol. ix. pi. 333. Lampornis mango, Gosse, Birds of Jamaica, p. 88 (1847). Lampornis po7'phyrurus, Gould, Mon. Troch. vol. ii. pi. Ixxxi. Hab. Jamaica. This is the species usually known as L. pojyhyrurus of Shaw. Albin, who first gave a description of it, as quoted above, in 1740, states that in the year 1701, when he was in Jamaica, he captured, in the dusk of the evening, one of these birds and her nest ; and as the species generally called Lampornis mango is never found in Jamaica, there can be no doubt to which bird Albin referred. Linneeus, in 1766, in his * Systema Nature,' p. 191, gives Lampornis mango, with a short diagnosis that may well apply to this species, and quotes as the first of his synonyms the Mellivora mango of Albin, which is the bird usually mentioned by authors as L. porphyrurus. Whether or not it is correct to consider the synonym first given as the type of the species an author intends to indicate when writing out his list, is in this case of little or no moment ; for as Linnasus thus quotes the species named M. mango by Albin under this appellation, it naturally takes precedence Qi porphyrurus bestowed upon the bird by Shaw many years afterwards. Brisson, in his description of Polytmus jamaicensis, evidently had the bird from the mainland, the L. mango of authors, before him. Linnseus did not discri- minate the difi'erence between the two birds of Albin and Brisson, but confounded them in his synonymy, which Gmelin tried to rectify by making two classes under the same specific name. The Humming-birds of the West Indies. 351 term mango, however, is evidently the one applied first to the species from Jamaica ; and if the law of priority has any force, the porphyrurus of Shaw must sink into a synonym, and the present species be henceforth known as Lampornis mango, and the one usually called by that name will bear that of Lamptornis vio- licauda, it being the Trochilus violicauda of Boddaert, L. alhus of Gmelin. Lampornts calosoma. Chrijsolampis chlorolcemus, Elliot, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 4th ser. vi. p. 346 (1870). Hab. ? I described this species in the ' Annals & Magazine of Natural History ' as above cited, under the name of Chrysolampis chloro- leemus, placing it in that genus after consulting with i\Ir. Gould, who considered it belonged there, on account of the feathers protruding forward upon the bill, somewhat like those in C. mos- chitus. But after further investigation, as suggested by Messrs. Salvin and Sclater, Ibis, 1871, p. 429, I am satisfied that its pro- per position is among the species of the present genus, and comes nearest to the Lampornis dominions ; the specific name of chloro- lcemus, having been already bestowed on a bird of a very closely allied genus, cannot well be retained without danger of creating confusion ; and I therefore propose to substitute for it the appellation of calosoma, so that the species will henceforth be known as Lampornis calosoma. The habitat of this species is unknown ; but it is not unlikely that it may be a native of some one of the West-Indian Islands of whose ornithology we at present know nothing. If this sup- position should prove to be correct, a fine field still remains unexplored for some enterprising naturalist ; for among the mem- bers of the genus Lampornis the present species is one of the very handsomest, and doubtless many equally fine birds in this and other families are still unknown to science, to reward the re- searches of the explorer. I give a short description of the species, in order to bring it more prominently before ornithologists, in hopes that other specimens may be procured, the type in my collection remaining as yet unique. 352 Mr. D. G. Elliot on the Top of head and neck light metallic green, in some lights pur- plish ; a black band across the back, rest of upper parts green ; tail fiery copper-colour, feathers margined with blackish purple; throat brilliant emerald-green ; underparts black, flanks white ; tail-coverts chestnut, basal portions black. Length 4 inches, bill '55, wing 3'4, tail 1"3. EULAMPIS JUGULARIS. Trochilus jugularis, Linn. Syst. Nat. p. 190, sp. 7 (1766); Gmel. Syst. Nat. p. 489, sp. 7 (1788). Trochilus auratus, Gmel. Syst. Nat. p. 487, sp. 29 (1788). Trochilus hancrofti, Lath, Ind. Orn. vol. i. p. 317. Eulampis jugularis, Gould, Mon. Troch. vol. ii. pi. Ixxxii. Hah. Island of Nevis {Gould), Martinique, Dominica (Taylor), Santa Lucia [Semper). This genus comprises, according to my views, two species, the present and the one following. The one now under consideration is among the most beautiful of all Humming-birds ; and although it was formerly common in collections, having been received chiefly from Martinique by the French naturalists, it has become of late years rather scarce. There does not seem to be any difficulty in the synonymy, the species being too conspicuous and well marked to be easily mistaken for any other. Eulampis holosericeus. Trochilus holoseiiceus, Linn. Syst. Nat. p. 191, sp. 11 (1766). Eulampis holosericeus, Gould, Mon. Troch. vol. ii. pi. Ixxxiii. ; Cassin, Proc. Phil. Acad. 1860, p. 377. Eulampis chlorolamus, Gould, IVIon. Troch. vol. ii. pi. Ixxxiv. Eulampis longirostris, Gould, Introd. Mon. Troch. p. 69, sp. 95. Hab. St. Thomas, Ste. Croix (Newton), Martinique, Dominica (Taylor), Santa Lucia (Semper). E. holosericeus has been known for many years to ornitho- logists ; and there are few collections that do not contain numerous examples. Mr. Gould, in his well-known work on this family, has named a bird supposed to come from the island of Nevis E. chlorolcemus. With every desire to perceive any spe- cific diff'erence it might exhibit, and although I have examined carefully, by the kindness of Mr. Gould, the specimens in his Humming-birds of the West Indies, 353 collection, I am unable to consider that there is more than one species of this form. The difference in the shade of colour is what may be seen in many species of Humming-birds, notably in such a one as Calothorax cyanopogon, where the luminous throat- mark in individuals varies greatly, and cannot be deemed a specific character. Mr. Gould has also described two specimens in his collection as E. longirostris. These were kindly shown to Mr. Salvin and myself: and we compared them carefully with examples of E. holosericeus. They are unfortunately in very bad condition, and the frontal feathers of the best one are wanting ; allowing for this, we ascertained that the bill was but very little longer than those of the common species. Not thinking this a sufficient character to establish the species, I have placed E. longirostris among the synonyms of E. holosericeus. AlTHURUS POLYTMUS. Trochilus pohjtmus, Linn. Syst. Nat. p. 189, sp. 4 (1766). Ornismya cephalatra, Less. Ois.-mouch. p. 78, pi. xvii. Trochilus maria, Hill, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 2nd. ser. iii. p. 258(1849). Aithurus polytmus, Gould, Mon. Troch. vol. ii. pi. xcviii. "Aithurus fuliginosus, Hill,'^ March, Proc. Ac. Phil. 1863, p. 285. Hab. Jamaica. This handsome bird, conspicuous for the lengthened plumes of the lateral tail-feathers, is one of the commonest species of the island of Jamaica, where alone it is found. The female is a plain little bird, with a white breast, the long tail-feathers being absent. DORICHA EVELYNS. Trochilus evelyme, Bourc. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1847, p. 44. Trochilus bahamensis, Bryant, Proc. Nat.-Hist. Soc. Boston, vol. vii. p. 106 (1859). Doricha evelynce, Gould, i\Ion. Troch. vol. iii. pi. civi. Hab. Nassau and New Providence, Bahamas {Bryant). This species still remains very rare in collections, only the dried bodies of the birds having been received; good skins have never yet been sent to Europe. 354 Mr. D. G. Elliot on the DORICHA LYRURA. Doricha lyrura, Gould, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 4th ser. vol. iv. p. 112 (1869). Hab. Long Island, Bahamas [Bryant). This beautiful species, closely allied to the D. evelyn/e, is one of the last novelties procured by the late Dr. Bryant during his sojourn in the West Indies. It differs chiefly in the remarkable shape of the tail-feathers, which, when they are spread, partake of a lyre-like form ; hence its specific name. It has only been obtained by Dr. Bryant ; and how many islands it may inhabit, or whether it is restricted to the one given above, is unknown. Trochilus colubris. Trochilus colubris, Linn. Syst. Nat. p. 191, sp. 12 (17G6) j Gould, Mon. Troch. vol. iii. pi. cxxxi., et auct. Hab. Cuba (Gnndl.), Bermuda (Gould). The Bermudas, Bahamas, and the island of Cuba appear to be the only ones visited by this little wanderer, which in its annual migrations is found from the plains of the Arctic regions to those of Central America. Mellisuga minima. Trochilus minima, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 193; Gmel. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 500. Trochilus vieilloti, Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. viii. p. 347. Onismya catharince, Salle, Rev. Zool. 1849, p. 498. Mellisuga humilis, Gosse, Birds of Jamaica, p. 127 (1847). Mellisuga minima, Salle, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1857, p. 233 ; Gould, Mon. Troch. vol. iii. pi. cxxxiii. Hab. Jamaica {Gosse, March), St. Domingo {Salle). This plain little bird, if iiot the smallest, is certainly one of the most diminutive of the Trochilidse, and is an inhabitant of the two large islands of Jamaica and St. Domingo, where alone it has been found. It is the only species known of the genus Mellisuga ; and neither sex possesses any conspicuous metallic colouring. CaLYPTE HELENA. Orthorhynchu^ helena, Lembeye, Aves de la Isla de Cuba, p. 70, pi. X. fig. 2 (1850). Humming-birds of the West Indies. 355 Calypte helente, Gould, Mon. Troch. vol. iii. pi. cxxxvi. Orthorhjnchus hoothi, Gundl. J. f. Orn. 1856, p. 99. Hab, Cuba. This beautiful species has never been met with elsewhere than in the island of Cuba, and it does not appear to be very abundant even there. Orthorhynchus cristatus. Trochilus cristatus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 192; Schomb. Hist. Barb. p. 681. Trochilus pileatus, Lath. Ind. Orn. vol. i. p. 318. Orthorhynchus cristatus, Gould, Mon. Trochil. vol. iv. pi. cev. Hab. Barbadoes [Schomburgk], St. Vincent [Guilding). This handsome species has as yet only been met with on the islands of St. Vincent and Barbadoes — a distinct species (or at all events a race of the same form) inhabiting the island of Santa Lucia, a little to the northward. Orthorhynchus exilis. Trochilus exilis, Gmel. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 484 (1788). Orthorhynchus exilis, Gould, Mon, Troch. vol. iv. pi. ccvii. Hab. Dominica {Taylor), Nevis, St, Thomas, Ste. Croix {Newton) . This species appears to have, so far as our knowledge enables us to say, a much wider range than its allies. It has been dis- covered upon the four islands enumerated above ; but as there are many others lying between Dominica and Nevis (the two nearest together of those named), of the ornithic fauna of which we are in perfect ignorance, it is natural to suppose it may be found also on some of them, especially as the great islands of Guadaloupe and Martinique are among those that intervene. Up to the present time the species is only known from the four islands given. Orthorhynchus ornatus. U oiseau-mouche hvppe. Less. Hist. Nat. des Ois.-mouch. p. 113, pis. xxxi. & xxxii. ? Orthorhjnchus ornatus, Gould, Mon. Troch, vol. iv. pi. ccvi. ; Scl, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1871, p. 272. Hab. Martinique, Santa Lucia {Semper). 356 On the Humming-birds of the West Indies. This species, if it is really entitled to such a distinction, is found exactly between O. ci'istatus of Barbadoes and St. Vin- cent, and 0. exilis of the Virgin Islands and Nevis. It has perhaps a little more blue upon the crest ; but if the locality is wanting, it is not an easy matter to separate specimens from O. exilis, to which the present bird bears a very close resemblance. Sporadinus ricordi. Orthorhynchus rfcor? 15-50 10 3-50 Nearly adult, Ceylon. » M 15-50 10 3-50 V « » J> 14-50 9-80 3-50 » V >.» 5> 14-50 9-80 3-50 " " )> >> 14-75 11 3-25 Adult, Malacca*. V » 13-25 10 3-25 2 juv., Jambusan. » }) 12-62 8-75 3-12 J (?)juv., Sarawak (?). * The examples noted as adult have the crest pure white and black. The others have the bLick portion of the crest-plumes edged with fen-u- ginous brown. The caudal banding of one Ceylon individual agrees with the banding in the Javan and Malaccan. In the three other Ceylon indi- viduals three dark brown bands are more or less indicated. Collection of Birds from Northern Borneo. 365 Phodilus RADIUS (Horsf.), Tr. Linu. Soc. xiii. p. 139, "Java" (1820) ; Zool. Kes. Java, pi. — ; Temm. PI. Col. 318, " Java "; Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, Striges, p. 23. No locality given; probably from neighbourhood of Sarawak. Example sent uudistinguishable from Malaccan and Burman (Tongboo) individuals. Sumatrau individuals are considered to belong to the same species (Schlegel, /. c.) . NiNox BORNEENSis (Bp.), Mus. Lugd. Consp. i. p. 41. no. 23, " Malaiasia, Borneo " (1850) j Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, Striges, p. 25. " Marup." Although also given by Bonaparte from Malaiasia, the only examples in the Leyden Museum were from Borneo. Of a paler and ruddier brown than Malaccan individuals I have examined. Underneath, the broader centres are almost bright rufous, and occupy more of each feather, less white being thus apparent than in N. scutellatus (Rafl3.) = N. malayensis, Eyton, or in any other of the alHed forms. Dimensions less than those of the Ceylon, South-Indian, Assaui, Burmau, or Malaccan species. Four caudal bands are present. Longitudu Alse. Caudee. 5 4-75 4-75 5 5-50 5-50 4-75 4-75 4-50 Meiglyptes tristis (Horsf.), Tr. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 177, "Java" (1820). Picus poicilophos, Temm. PI. Col. 197. fig. 1, 6 , "Java" (1823). "Marup, July, J, iris crimson; Simunjon, d, iris crimson; Marup, 2 ." The example from Simunjon is in the plumage of M. tristis Ninox hirsutui .... .. 7-75 » JJ 7-75 » 17 7-75 V ?> 8 ?> V 8-50 V }> 8 50 >j scutellatus . . .. 7-50 -V ?) 7-50 » borneensis . . .. 7-12 Ceylon, five caudal bands. V » » Coorg, V }) V >> V Assam, 5' >> Tonghoo, ,"» J} Malacca, four caudal bauds. )) V >> Marup, )) }) 366 Viscaunt Waldt-n on a verus, ap. Malh. (Monogr. ii. p. 10) ; and a Banjarmassing spe- cimen displays the same characters. The first, although marked a male, wants the usual red cheek-stripes ; the Soath-Bornean bird displays only traces of red feathers on the cheeks. Ma- laccan examples frequently exhibit one or other of the pecu- liarities insisted upon by Malherbe as being characteristic of M. tristis (Horsf.), notably the dark breast and under surface generally. All the individuals with the under surface coloured fulvous, with brown cross bands, Malherbe has separated under the title of P. yrammithorax {torn. cit. p. 13). That author, however, admits that it is impossible to indicate with precision the separate localities they inhabit. The Marup specimens are in the plumage of P . grammithorax, and they do not differ from some Malaccan and Sumatran examples. The probabilities are that the dark-breasted individuals, M. tristis (Horsf.), are birds not arrived at maturity, and that when in adult plumage they assume the garb which induced Malherbe to regard them as belonging to a distinct species, P . grammithorax^ . Centrococcyx EURYCEiicus (A. Hay), J. A. S. B. xiv. j). 551, "Malacca" (1845). Cuculus bubutus, Horsf. apud Raffles^ Tr. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 286, " Sumatra." Centropus bomeensis, Bp. Consp. Vol. Zygod. p. 5 (1854). "Marup, ?, iris crimson." Prince Bonaparte (/. c.) separated the large Bornean Crow Pheasant; but this example agrees so closely with Malaccan and Sumatran individuals that I cannot recognize its specific di- stinction. C eurycercus can always be distinguished from the continental C. rufipennis, Illiger, by its larger size, by the tail of the full-plumaged bird (?) being blue and not green, and by the interscapularij region of the bdck being coloured like the wings. Even in young birds with striated plumage, this part of the back will be found to have some rufous feathers. I have not been * This view is supported by the fact, above mentioned, that the Simun- jon male wants the usual red cheek-stripes. Mr. Everett's notes of the sexes throughout his collection appear to have been made with scrupulous accuracj'. Collection of Birds from Northern Borneo. 367 able to determine with any certainty whether the rectrices pass from green to blue^ or blue to green ; but in one stage they are certainly blue, which never occurs in C. rufipennis. If, on comparison, the Javan Centrococcyx (C. bubutus, Horsf. Tr. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 180, sp. 2) prove to belong to this species, Horsfield^s title will have precedence. Both Moore and Cabanis unite it with the continental form ; but, judging from Horsfield^s plate and description (Zool. Res., C. philippensis, yav. Javanica), it is the Malayan species or else nearly allied to it. Centrococcyx javanensis (Dumont de Ste. -Croix), Diet. Sc. Nat. xi. p. 144, "Java" (1818); Walden, Tr. Zool. Soc. viii. p. 59. " Jambusan, $, iris brown." In almost perfect plumage. Identical with Javan, Malaccan, and Celebean examples. Penthoceryx pravatus (Horsf.), Tr. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 179, "Java" (1820). Cuculus 7'ufovitiafus, Drapiez, Diet. Class. d'Hist. Nat. iv. p. 568, "Java" (1823). Cuculus fasciolatus, Sal. Miiller, Verb. Nat. Gesch. Nederl. Ov. Bez. Land- en Volk. p. 177, note, sp. 4, "Java and Su- matra" (1839-44). " Sabu, 2 , iris warm brown, legs pale bluish lead ; Busan, $ , iris yellow, October." The species which inhabits Malacca, Sumatra, Java, and Borneo is considerably smaller than P. sonnerati (Lath.) of India and Ceylon. Longitude Penthocen/x sonnei'citi Penthoceryx jjravatus it ») 6 2 2 Alse. 4-88 4-75 4-75 4-88 4-25 4-25 3-88 40 40 Caudae. 5-12 4-88 4-62 50 4-37 4-50 4-0 40 4-12 Caudeish. Ceylou. Malabar. Maunbhooui. Java. Malacca. Sarawak. Busan. Sabu. 3G8 Viscount Waldeii on a SuRNicuLus LUGUBRis (Hoi'sf.), Tr. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 179, adult, "Java" (1820); Zool. Res. Java, pi. — . Cucalus albopundatus, Drapiez, Diet. Class. d^Hist. Nat. iv. p. 570, "Java'' (1823), av. juv. Pseudornis dicruroides, Hodgs. J. A. S. B. 1839, p. 136, pi. — , " Nipaul." " Marup, iris brown." Himalayan, Ceylon, Malaccan, and .lavan individuals do not differ ; and this Marup example also agrees with them. Longitudo Alse. Caudae. Surniculus luguhris 5'7o 6 Java, fiill black plumage. „ „ 4'82 5"50 Java, full black plumage. . ^~ K QT I Malacca, changing from brown to I black plumage ; no spots. „ „ 5"37 6'88 Valley of Nipaul, full black plumage. 5'75 6'0 Darjeeling, full black plumage. 4'88 6-88 Ceylon, full black plumage. 4'88 5"75 Ceylon, spotted plumage. 1i ' V « » „ „ 4-62 5 Mai'up, spotted plumage. Pelargopsis leucocephala (Gm.), S. N. i. p. 456 (1788); Sharpe, Mon. Alced. pi. 59. " Marup, c? , ii'is brown, bill and legs scarlet." Ceyx sharpii, Salvadori, Atti Ac. Sc. Torino, 1869, p. 463, pi. — , " Sarawak ; " Sharpe, Mon. Alced. pi. 63. "Marup, S, ii'is brown, bills and legs pale red." A single example of a beautiful Cej/x in Mr. Everett's collec- tion seems referable to this species, although it does not quite agree with Count Salvadori's diagnosis, nor with that given by Mr. Sharpe. It has the wings of Ceyx tridactyla, and it also possesses the large deep-blue spot on the sides of the head of that species. It is certainly not C. dillwynni, Sharpe^ with the type of which I have compared it. Alcedo asiatica. Swains. Zool. Illustr. 1st ser. i. pi. 50, "some part of India" (1820-21) ; Sharpe, Mon. Alced. pi. 75. " Marup, 6 , iris brown, feet claret-coloured ; Marup, 6 , August, iris brown, bill black-brown, feet coral-red." Collection of Birds from Northern Borneo. 369 Lyncornis temmincki, Gould, Icones Av. pi. 6, "Borneo" (1838)*. Caprimulgus jjulcher, A. Hay, Madr. Journ. L. Sc. xiii. p. 161, "Malacca" (1844). " Marup, 2 , July, iris brown." Identical with Malaccan examples. Calyptomena viRiDis, Raffles, Tr. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 295, d, "Sumatra" (1821) ; Horsf. Zool. Res. Javaf, pi. — , d. Rupicola viridis, Temm. PI. Col. 216 (August 20, 1823), " Su- matra." Calyptomena rafflesia, Swains. An. in Menag. p. 296. no. 49, pi. 48. f. a, c? adult (18—?), ex Raffles. Calyptomena caudacuta, Swains, tom. cit. no. 50, pi. 48. fig. b, S juv. vel $ , " India." "Marup, S , iris brown, July, not pairing." Malaccan and Bornean examples do not differ. CoRYDON suMATRANUs (Rafflcs), Tr. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 303, "Sumatra" (1821). Eurylaimus corydon, Temm. PI. Col. 297, " Sumatra " (1824). Corydon temmincki, Lesson, Man. d'Orn. i. p. 177, ex Tem- minck (1828). "Busau, d, iris light brown, bill and legs purplish." A young bird changing into adult plumage. Prevailing colour above dingy dark olive-brown. Malaccan and Sumatran examples exhibit no distinctive cha- racters. Eurylaimus JAVANicus, Horsf. Tr. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 170, "Java" (1820) ; Zool. Res. Java, pi. — . Eurijlaimushorsfieldi, Temm. Pi. Col. 130, ^ ad., 131, av. juv., "Java" (1823). "Marup, (J , iris yellow ; Jambusan, ^ {av.juv.),\v\% ydXow, bill blue, legs claret; $ [av.juv.), iris yellow, bill blue, legs claret." Identical with Malaccan examples. The young birds are * Mr. Goiild (/. c.) quotes P. Z. S. pt. vi. 1838 ; but I have failed to find the reference, t But not known to occur in Java. 370 ' Viscount Walden on a fairly represented in Temminck's plates. The young of both sexes are in similar plumage. The bill is black in the dried specinieu. EuRYLAiMUS ocHROMELAs, Raffles, Tr. Linn. Soc, xiii. p. 297, *' Singapore and Sumatra" (1821). Eurylaimus cucullatus, Temm. PI. Col. 261, " Sumatra " (1824). Eurylaimus raffiesi, Less. Compl. BuflF. ii. p. 433, ex Raffles (1840). " Simunjon, $, iris yellowish, bill blue, legs purplish; $ [av.juv.), iris yellow, bill blue, legs pinkish.'^ The young bird has little or no black on the throat, which, with the upper breast, is white ; remainder of under surface yel- low, a few new vinous feathers appearing on the breast. Black collar wanting. Frontal plumes yellow. A Pinang example in perfect plumage has the black collar interrupted on the breast. According to Sir Stamford Raffles this is peculiar to the female ; and in the adult authentic female examples from Simunjon the collar is likewise interrupted, being almost absent. Cymbirhynchus macrorhynchus (Gm.), S. N. i. p. 446 (1788), ex Latham. Great-billed Tody, Lath. Synop. i. p. 664. no. 14, pi. 30, " Leverian Museum," descr. orig. Todus nasutus, Lath. Ind. Orn. i. p. 268. no. 14, ex Lath. (1790) ; Gen. Hist. iv. p. 94, pi. 65 ; Temm. PI. Col. 154, " lies de la Sonde." Eurylaimus lemniscatus, Raffl. Tr. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 296, "Sumatra" (1821). Platyrhynchus ornatus, Desm. Hist. Nat. Tang. (Hist. Nat. Platyrinques) livr. iv. ex Lath. (1805). Erolla nasica, Less. Tr. p. 260, " Sumatra ^^ (1831). Examples from Malacca, Baujarmassing, and Sarawak do not differ. The sternum alluded to by Mr. Sclater [anteh, p. 178) and figured (p. 179. fig. 3) belongs to a Bornean example of this species and not to Eurylaimus javanicus. Collection of Birds from Northern Borneo. 371 PiTYRusis GYMNOCEPHALUs (Teiiim.), Pl.Col.572, "Borueo " (1835). " Marup, 2, ii'is dark brown, legs pinkish white." Colour of soft parts in the male is not noted. Females seem to diflFer from males by having most of the abdominal and ventral feathers edged with carmine. The wing of this remarkable species is long and powerful. The first quill is about two thirds of the length of the second, which is three fourths of an inch shorter than the third ; the third is equal to the fifth, the fourth being a little the longest. The tail is short and even. The first quill has a round white mark at its insertion, on the inner web. In the next six quills this white mark expands and forms a broad white bar on the inner webs. It is wanting on the secondaries. One, a middle rectrix of a female example, is crossed by a dingy, obscure, carmine mark. In all the other examples the rectrices are uniform dark slate-black. Longitudo Alse. Caudae. Tarsi. Rostr. 6, 5-88 3-50 1-37 1-50 2, 6- 3-50 1-37 1-50 Artamus leucorhynchus (Linn.), Mantissa Plant, p. 524, "ManUla" (1771) ; Waldeu, Tr. Zool. Soc. viii. p. 67. " Marup, S , iris brown, bill bluish white, legs lead-grey." This locality must be added to those given by me (/. c). Graucalus concretus, Hartlaub, J. fiir. Orn. 186J?, p. 445, $ vel S juv., '' Borneo." Graucalus fasciatus (Vieill.), apud Hartlaub, torn. cit. p. 444, nee Vieillot. An example of a female or of a young male Graucalus, but unfortunately without a label, formed part of Mr. Everett^s col- lection. It is not to be distinguished from Malaccau individuals collected by the late Mr. Maingay, and noted by him as being females, excepting that the wing is slightly shorter and the secondaries are not so broadly margined with white. It agrees completely with Dr. Hartlaub's diagnosis (/. c.) of G. concretus. Dr. Hartlaub {torn, cit.) described two distinct species from Borneo : the one he referred to G. fasciatus, Vieill., a title given 372 Viscount Walden on a to Daubenton's 6,29th plate, and within whose range he includes Sumatra; on the other he bestowed the above title, restrict- its range to Borneo. Without questioning the fact that two dis- tinct species of fasciated Cuckoo- Shrikes may inhabit Borneo, only one is known in the Malay peninsula, which we may by analogy infer to be the same as the Sumatran ; and this species is certainly not Coracina fasciata, Vieillot. Indeed the Malaccan Graucalus has never had a distinctive title bestowed upon it, it having been confounded with the bird figured by Daubenton, pi. 629, a Philippine species and totally distinct. I adopt, therefore, for the Bornean and Malaccan Graucalus, Dr. Hart- laub's title. Pericrocotus ardens, Boie; Bp. Consp. Av. i. p. 357, " Su- matra" (1850). "Marup, d, iris brown, July, pairing." It is with some doubt that I identify the example sent with P. ardens, Boie ; for the Indo-Malayan members of the genus have never been brought together and satisfactorily identified. This Marup bird agrees in all respects with Sumatran and Ma- laccan individuals. In colouring it closely resembles P. speciosus (Lath.), of which it is nothing but a miniature form. Wing 3"18 inches, tail 3*37. Muscicipa miniata, Temm. PL Col. 156. fig. 1, " Java," if not the same species, may be the Javan repre- sentative form. The bird represented (/. c. fig. 2) must be another species. Pericrocotus minutus, Strickl. Contrib. Orn. 1849, p. 94. no. 22, 6, pi. — , "Borneo." " Marup, 2 , iris brown, July, not breeding." Streak over the eye but not extending beyond, cheeks, fore- head, chin, throat, all the under surface of the body, under shoulder-coverts, and underside of the wing-band deep golden. Sides of the head pale ash. Head and back slate-grey ; tips of the rump-feathers orange-red. Upper tail-coverts bright orange- red. Alar bar above orange-yellow. Middle pair of rectrices brown, lateral orange-red. Wing 2*80 inches, tail 2'95. The style of plumage of this example is certainly never met with in P.peregrinus, which it barely exceeds in dimensions; Collection of Birds from Northern Borneo. 373 and with little doubt I refer it to Mr. Strickland's species, which, although closely resembling the preceding species, P. ardens, apud nos, is described by him as not exceeding P. peregi'inus in size. P. igneus, Blyth, J. A. S. B. 1846, p. 309, may possibly be this form ; for it likewise is described as being barely larger than P. peregrinus ; but it may be equal to P. ardens, apud nos. If identical with this Bornean bird, Mr. Blyth's title will have precedence [conf. BIyth, Ibis, 1866, p. 369, and op. cit. 1867, p. 184). Philentoma VELATUM (Temm.), PI. Col. 334, 6, "Timor and Java" (1825). Monacha ceesia, Lesson, Rev. Zool. 1839, p. 167, $, ''Su- matra." Muscicapa pecturalis, A. Hay, Madr. Journ. L. & Sc. xiii. p. 261, s, "Malacca" (1844). Philentoma unicolor, Blyth, Ibis, 1865, p. 46, $ , " Borneo." Vicinity of Sarawak ? One male in the collection. Sumatran, Malaccan, and Bor- nean examples do not differ. With doubt I follow Mr. Moore and the late Mr. G. R. Gray, and place this Flycatcher in Philentoma, Eyton. TcHiTREA AFFiNis, A. Hay, J.A. S.B. 1846, p. 292, ''Ma- lacca." " Foot of Matang, $ , iris white, legs and bill cobalt ; Marup, cJ, iris brown." The female is in dingy rufous plumage with a grey throat. The male in pure white, the black of the shafts of the central pair of rectrices extending to their tips. In a white Sarawak male (Wallace) the terminal half of the shafts are white, as in T. pa- radisi, excepting within half an inch of the end, where they are black. In a Pinang example a similar variation is observable. One from Sumatra has the entire shaft black. Cyornis elegans (Temm.), PI. Col. 596. f. 2, "Sumatra" (1836). " Marup, in August, 6 , iris chocolate, legs lead-colour." I provisionally identify a single example obtained of a Cyornis 374 Viscount Walden on a with the Sumatran species, not having had an opportunity of making a comparison. Chin, the entire throat, forehead, superciliary stripes, upper tail-coverts and shoulders of the wing bright cobalt blue. A patch of pale rufous on the breast. Flanks very dilute rufous, Lower breast, belly, and under tail-coverts pure white. Lores and under surface of rectrices black. Remainder of plumage rich indigo-blue. Of the same tyipe as Cyo7-nis rubeculoides (Vigors), but much more brilliantly coloured. Mr. Blyth (Ibis, 1865, p. 44) considers Muscicapa elegans-=Phcemcura ruheculoides, Vigors; if this be so, the Bornean Cyornis is a distinct species. I very much question the correctness of Mr. Blyth's identification ; for Temminck describes the Sumatran Cyornis as having the chin and cheeks, along with the forehead and shoulders, of a bright azure-blue, a feature not to be found in the continental species. Erythropitta GRANATiNA (Tcmm.), PI. Col. 506, " Ponti- anak, Borneo " (1830) ; Schlegel, Vog. Nederl. Ind. Pitta, p. 35, pi. 5. fig. 3, S , adult, " Banjarmassing ; '' Mus. Pays-Bas, Pitta, p. 5. Brachyurus granatinus (Temm.), Elliot, Ibis, 1870, p. 417, partim, tig. 4. "Marup, d, iris brown, April." I concur with Mr. Gould in regarding the Bornean bird as specifically distinct from that of Malacca, E. coccinea (Eyton). The following points of diSerence appear to be constant in Ery- thropitta granatina : — The black on the forehead recedes more from the base of the bill and occupies more space, thus dimin- ishing the extent of crimson. The shade of crimson is much darker, being deep cherry-red and not vermilion. The blue stripes on the sides of the head and the blue wing-coverts are distinctly paler ; on the other hand the back is very much darker, and glossed with a totally different shade of purple. The red of the abdominal region and under tail-coverts is conspicuously deeper. Melanopitta muelleri (Bp.), Consp. Av. i. p. 256, "Ce- lebes," errore (1850), ex MUll. & Schlegel. Pitta atricapilla, Miill. & Schlegel, nee uuct., Verli. Nat. Collection of Birds from Northern Borneo. 375 Gesch. Nederl. Ind. Zool. p. 19. no. 19, "Borneo;" Schlegel, Vog. Nederl. Ind. Pittce, p. 31. no. 4, pi. 2. fig. 2, "Borneo meridional/' Mus. Pays-Bas, Pitta, p. 3. " Marup, S , iris brown ; $ , iris brown.'' Both examples in adult plumage. In the male the first four primaries are tipped with black, the fifth slightly ; the next five quills are pure white to their extremities. In the female exam- ples all the quills are terminated with black, on the first quill the white forming but a narrow bar. TiMALiA NiGRicoLLis, Temm. PI. Col. 594. fig. 2, " Borneo " (1836) ; Hartl. Rev. Zool. 1846, p. 4. Timalia erythronota, Blyth, J. A. S. B. 1842, p. 793, " Sin- gapore." Brachjpteryx nigrogularis, Eyton,Ann. Nat. Hist. 1845,p, 228, " Malay peninsula." " Marup, S > iris crimson ; Matang, S > iris crimson, bill and legs black." Agrees with examples from Sumatra, Malacca and Pinang. Macronus ptilosus, Jard. & Selby, 111. Orn. pi. 150 (1835). Timalia trichorros, Temm. PI. Col. 594. fig. 1, " Sumatra, Borneo" (1836). "Busan, S , Marup, $, iris brown." Sexes alike. Bornean examples are somewhat larger than those which inhabit Sumatra and Malacca, and are perhaps somewhat lighter in shade. '&' MixoRNis BORXENsis, Bonap. Consp. i. p. 217, "Borneo" (1850) ; Hombr. & Jacquin. Voy. Pole Sud, iii. p. 90, pi. 19. fig. 2, " Banjarmassing;" Sclater, P. Z. S. 1863, p. 215. no. 64, " Banjarmassing." " Marup, c? ,iris Naples yellow ; $ , bill lead-brown, iris Naples yellow, legs red-brown ; August, not breeding." This Mixornis is well figured (/. c.) . The Marup examples have the ground-colour of the lower breast and belly of a more lively yellow than a Banjarmassing individual. I am ac- quainted with and have compared five distinct species of this genus, of which the following are the titles : — 376 Viscount Walden on a 1. Motacilla rubicapilla, Tickell, J. A. S. B. 1833, p. 576, " Jungles of Borabhum and Dholbhiim." lora chloris, Hodgs. MS.; Blyth, J. A. S. B. 1842, p. 794; op. cit. 1844, p. 380, "Lower hills of Nipaul/' Mixornis ruficeps, Hodgs. P. Z. S. 1845, p. 23. Mixornis rubicapilla (Tickell) ; Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p. 23 ; Walden, P. Z. S. 1866, p. 547, " Salween valley." Nipaul and Bootan Himalayas, Central India {Jerdon) ; Assam {Godwin- Austen) ; Tenasserim (Beavan). 2. Motacilla gularis, Raffles, Linn. Tr. xiii. p. 312, "Su- matra" (1821) ; Walden, I.e. Timalia gularis (Raffles) ; Horsf. Zool. Res. in Java, pi. — , " Sumatra." Mixornis sumatrana, Bp. Consp. i. p. 217, "Sumatra" (1850). Timalia similis, Temm., Mus. Lugd. ; Blyth, Ibis, 1865, p. 47, " Sumatra." Mixornis similis, Blyth, G. R. Gray, Hand-list, no. 4723, " Sumatra." Mixornis sumatrana, G.R.Gray, torn. cit. no. 4720, "Sumatra." Prinia pileata, Blyth, J. A. S. B. 1842, p. 204, " Malay pe- ninsula." Sumatra {Wallace) ; Malacca {mus. nostr.). 3. Mixornis javanica, Cab.^' Mus. Hein. i. p. 77, "Java" (1850). Myiothera gularis, Temm. PI. Col. 442. fig. 1, " Java and Sumatra." Mixoi-nis gularis (Horsf.) ; Bp. Consp. i. p. 217, " Java," uec Horsf. ; G. R. Gray, H.-list, no. 4717, " Java," nee Horsf., nee Hombr. & Jacquin. Voy. Pole Sud, pi. 19. fig. 2. Java {Wallace). 4. Mixornis bornensis, Bp. ut supra. 5. Timalia flavicollis, Muller ; Bp. I.e. "Java" (1850). A true Mixornis. Java {Wallace). * Cmif. Bp. Coll. Delattre, p. 41, note. Notwithstanding the ungenerous observation contained in the reference, Dr. Cabanis is undouljtediy right. He was the first to recognize the fact that Horsfield (Zool. l»es.) figured the Sumatran bird. Ibis. 1872, PL.XIL J Cy.KeuTemarLS lifh M