Mr. E. Blyth on the Indian Phylloscopi. 163 



signed to Phyllopneuste, An older name than Hippolais, Brchm, 

 occurs, however, in Ficedula, Koch (1816), which is adopted by 

 Dr. Riippell for the Pouillots *, and by Dr. Schlegel for both 

 groups t ; but it is faulty as implying these birds to be fig-eaters 

 (or Beccqficos), whereas all of the series are exclusively insecti- 

 vorous, and in no way to be confounded with the highly frugi- 

 vorous FauvcttesJ. 



In former papers we followed Mr. Gray^s arrangement, but 

 with this error, that certain Indian species were assigned to 

 Phyllopneicsfe apud Gray (v. Hippolais, Brehm) ; whereas upon 

 referring to the characters of this genus, as specified by M. De- 

 gland, we find that we had misapprehended it, and incline now to 

 suspect that with it should be united the divisions Culicipeta, 

 nobis, and Abrornis, Hodgson. 



In a series of twenty-two species actually before us, excluding 

 Regulus, we observe that one only, the European Phylloscopus 

 sibilatrix (type of Sibilatrix, Kaup), is remarkable for the com- 

 parative great length of its wings ; whereof the first primary is 

 minute and the second is nearly as long as the third. In all the 

 rest, the small first primary is considerably less diminutive, and 

 the second is much shorter than the third : the proportions vary- 

 ing, however, to some extent, and the wing being more or less 

 rounded in different species ; affording a good differential cha- 

 racter in several instances. In general, the wings are shorter 

 and more rounded than in the European Ph. trochilus; but 

 looking to the ensemble of characters, it seems doubtful whether 

 more than three divisions can be retained in the whole series 

 under review. These are : Phylloscopus, certain species of which 

 (constituting the Reguloides, nobis §) offer a close approximation 

 to Regulus, and serve to indicate the true systematic position of 

 that genus, — Regulus (which M. Degland and others have ar- 

 ranged nearP«rMs), — and Culicipeta (including Abrornis) , which 

 should perhaps be merged in Phyllopneuste (v. Hippolais) . Under 

 these three groups only, we now comprise the following Indian 

 species. 



* Systematische Uebersicht der Vogel Nord-ost Afrika's (1845), p. 57. 

 t Revue critique des Oiseaux d'Europe (1844), pp. 25, 26. 

 X The four European species described by M. Degland under Hippolais 

 are as follows : — 



1. H.polyglotta; Motacilla hippolais, L.; Sylvia polyglotta, Vieillot ; 

 H. salicaria, Bonap. 



2. H. icterina ; Sylvia icteriua, Vieillot (nee Temminck) ; S. hippolais 

 apud Temminck, Manuel, 2nd edit. (1820). 



3. H. olivetorum ; Sylvia olivetorum, Strickland. 



4. H. elaica ; Salicaria elaica, Lindermnyer; Ficedula ambigua, Schlegel. 

 § J. A. S. xvi. 442. 



11* 



