Calcutta j with Notes by H. E. Strickland. 45 



Latham (v. nigriceps, Franklin, v. tricolor, Hodgson, and Indian 

 Shrike, Latham), and L. tephronotus, Vigors (v. nipalensis, Hodgson, 

 and Grey -backed Shrike of Latham). 



No. 115. This is Ocypterus leucorhynchos of Mr. Jerdon's cata- 

 logue, and also the Assamese leucorhynchos of Messrs. M'Clelland 

 and Horsfield. 



No. 116. Chibia hottentotta, v. Cometes krishna; the former spe- 

 cific name, according to Mr. Strickland, being "expressive of its 

 black plumage ;" the Hottentots, however, are not a black race ; and 

 the name (of which Mr. Martin failed to learn the derivation) is 

 evidently a corruption of heiden-staat, the Dutch equivalent for 

 " heathen state*." Corvus hottentottus is also stated to have been 

 observed by Thunberg in CafFraria, which, if true, indicates another 

 meaning for the specific name ; but the description certainly applies 

 to the young of the Indian species. 



With respect to the other Indian Drongos, there is no difficulty 

 about the birds themselves, but only as regards their synonymy. I 

 have endeavoured to reduce this in J. A. S. B. xi. 799 et seq., to 

 which I have subsequently added, that D. aeratus, Stephens, is iden- 

 tical with ceneus, and that I have received the true balicassius from 

 Mr. Hodgson as his annectens. But I had not Latham's work to refer 

 to at the time of preparing the synopsis of the birds alluded to, and 

 now that it is before me, I will endeavour to advance another step 

 towards their complete determination. 



The name Edolius I limit to those species which have prolonged 

 stems to their outer rectrices, whereof the twirled extremities are 

 barbed only on the outer sidef; the Bhringa (subsequently Melisseus) 

 tectirostris of Hodgson, founded on E. remifer, auct., differs consi- 

 derably from the others, and has the extremities of its outer rectrices 

 barbed on both sides and not twirled. I now think that there are 

 as many as four species of these restricted Edolii, for a Singapore 

 specimen without any crest which I saw lately in the possession of a 

 friend, and which is doubtless Gould's rangoonensis, appeared to differ 

 from that with a slight frontal crest which I described in J. A. S. B. 

 xi. 172, and of which I figured the bill and forehead in the plate an- 

 nexed to p. 802 of the same volume ; but on sending for my friend's 

 specimen to compare it with that in the museum, I regret to learn 

 that he has shipped it for France. The following appears to me to 

 be the synonymy of the species. 



* Such at least is the opinion of a friend, tolerably well versed in philo- 

 logy ; but another friend of mine, who is familiar with the Dutch language, 

 will not admit it ; and referring to the ' Encyclopaedia Britannica,' I find it 

 remarked, that " The natives of this country are called Hottentots, in their 

 own language ; a word of which it is vain to inquire the meaning, since the 

 language of this country can scarce be learned by any other nation." 



f This is not quite correct ; the long webs are on the inner, not the outer 

 side. Moreover both sides of these feathers are furnished with webs, though 

 the external ones are very short. These species Bhould therefore be placed 

 in the same genus as Bhringa remifer; and as Cuvier's name. Edolius cannot 

 be retained (being a mere synonym of Dicrurus, Vieill.), the term Bhringa 

 should be extended to all these racket-tailed Dicrurince. — H. E. S. 



