424 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c. 



Hypsipetes niveiceps, sp. nov. ^neo-niger : capite usque ad 

 pectus cum scapularium abdominalium subcaudaliumque 

 marginibus niveis : alis caudaque saturate fuscis : rostro 

 coralline : pedibus rubro-aurantiacis. Long. 9'7 poll., alae* 

 4"7, caudse 4, tarsi 7, rostri 9, rostr. ad rictum 1'25. 



Rictal bristles white; 1st quill short; 4th *! in. longer than 

 3rd, slightly longer than 5th, and longest in the wing. Tail of 

 twelve feathers, inclining outwardly, and giving to that organ, 

 when expanded, a triangular form ; the rectrices with mucronate 

 tips. 



This is the first species of the black Hypsipetes group, with 

 red bill and legs, procured in China. To this form, but more 

 nearly allied to the Indian races, belongs our Formosan H. 

 nigerrimus, Gould. From this last the Swatow bird, besides in 

 having a white head, difiers in some remarkable particulars. It 

 is larger, and has a smaller bill, more suddenly dilated at the 

 base, and with the gonys ascending towards the rictus, giving a 

 somewhat Sturnine appearance to that organ. The feathers of 

 the back are moi'e regularly defined, and reflect a bluer bronze. 

 The wings are uuicolour, hair-brown. The legs have shorter 

 tarsi and toes ; and the claws are orange, instead of black. The 

 wing is of nearly similar form, the same feather being the longest ; 

 but the 3rd and 4th are more nearly of a length than in H. niger- 

 rimus. The tail is more expanded. 



If this species turn out to be the sole representative of the 

 black Hypsipetes form in South China, it will introduce a new 

 topic of inquiry as to why the Formosan type should approach 

 so near to the Indian races, while in the intermediate locality 

 of South China the group is represented by so divergent a 

 species. 



I also, at the same time, received from Swatow a male Kestrel, 

 only sparsely spotted with black on the mantle. Of this I had 

 before procured an example from Amoy, which Mr. Gurney now 

 has, and which, I believe, that gentleman considers only a casual 

 variety of the largely and deeply spotted Japanese race [Tinnun- 

 cuius japonicus), which is the prevailing species at Amoy. I 

 strongly suspect, however, that the sparsely spotted form will 

 eventually prove to be a straggler from some area in South 

 China, where it will be found to predominate. In such case, as a 



