392 Mr. E. Blyth's Remarks on M. SundevalPs Paper 



The Pavo bicalcaratus, L., apud Sundevall, is without doubt 

 Polyplectron bicalcaratum, Temm., of Mr. G. R. Gray's list of the 

 British Museum collection ; but I suspect this is the true Pavo 

 tibetanus, auct., which, though assuredly not a Tibetan species, 

 is common in the hill regions of Assam, Sylhet, Arracan, and I 

 believe the Tenasserim provinces : while its representative, equally 

 abundant in the Malayan peninsula, I take to be P. bicalcaratum 

 (L.), the P. Hardwickii, Gray, of Hardwicke's ' Illustrations 3 

 (his P. lineatum being the female of the preceding species). The 

 former is occasionally brought alive to Calcutta ; but I have never 

 seen the Malayan species alive. 



No. 75. That the ^Hargilah' (Leptoptilos argala) lives "chiefly" 

 on human corpses, does not at all comport with my observation. 

 Many frequent the provision-bazaars, and particularly a large 

 abattoir in the vicinity of Calcutta ; and they pick up quantities 

 of refuse thrown into the streets : not but that they do attack 

 human bodies of course ; but this I have rarely happened to wit- 

 ness, and the latter constitute an article of food that certainly 

 forms but an insignificant item of their weekly diet. A much 

 greater number than M. Sundevall intimates may commonly be 

 seen of an evening perched on the top of Government House, and 

 upon other eminences which command an extensive view : they 

 continue as tame in Fort William as he describes, but would cer- 

 tainly not make resistance if attacked unless wounded and unable 

 to rise. 



No. 78. I have seen no Indian specimen of a heron according 

 with Dr. Horsfield's figure and description of his Ardea speciosa. 

 The species meant is Ardeola leucoptera apud Gray, which in 

 breeding dress is A. Grayi, Sykes, and in non-breeding dress 

 A. malaccensis, auctorum. 



No. 86. It is clear to me that M. Sundevall did not distin- 

 guish between Gallinago media and G. stenura. At the com- 

 mencement and close of the cold season, the latter is the more 

 abundant species ; in the intermediate period the former. G. major 

 does not occur, and the woodcock very rarely. G. stenura is the 

 prevalent Malayan species, and extends to China and Australia. 



Charadrius cirripedesmos,^ agler (No. 90) . This common little 

 Indian plover I take to be Hiaticula Leschenaultii (Lesson). 



Larus ridibundus, var. (No. 91). This is L. brunnicephalus, 

 Jerdon. The true L. ridibundus also occurs, but less numerously. 

 I have never chanced to see either of them upon a dead body, 

 and they certainly exhibit no peculiar predilection for the mag- 

 gots there found ; though, like other gulls, they would of course 

 readily take to such food, especially when hungry. The general 

 mode of life does not differ from that of Larus ridibundus in Eng- 



