CEATEE0P0DE9. 325 



Wing very much rounded ; first 



primary short, much less than 



the long secondaries; tarsus 



very long, and equal to one 



third of length of tail. 



8°. Bill very long, equal to head, 



the culmen exceeding length 



of hind toe and claw ; no 



rictal bristles . 3. Eupetes, p. 838. 



i". Bill not so long as head, the 

 culmen not exceeding the 

 hind toe and claw ; rictal 

 bristles present, though small. 

 a'. Legs not very stout, the 

 hind toe and claw less 

 than half the length of the 

 tarsus. 

 a". Quills very much gra- 

 duated, the 3rd much 

 shorter than the 4th, 

 which is again shorter 

 than the 5th, which is 



one of the longest .... 4. Fycnoptilus, p. 342. 

 ¥. Quills less graduated, the 

 3rd nearly equal to the 

 4th, which is one of the 

 longest 6. Drymacedus, p. 343. 



Crateropodine form. Thus Jerdou, writing in 18(53, observes, concerning 

 Thamnucataphus : — - 



" This reiuarkable form differs from all the other members of this family 

 (except Sibia and Gampsorhynchus) by its white wiug-spot, assimilating it still 

 nearer to the Shrikes ; and indeed it is very similar in its mode of coloration to 

 some of the African Shrikes. The general character of its plumage, however, 

 combined with its elevated and strong tarsi and feet, its habitat in a region rich 

 in varied forms of this family, and its near affinity to Gampsorhi/nchus. have 

 influenced me in placing it here." 



Since the above date the species has been duly catalogued in the lists of 

 Indian birds, including the latest and most complete one by lilr. Hume, pub- 

 Ushed in 1879. 



On reading Jerdon's description, however, I came to the conclusion that the 

 species must be an African Dryoscopiis ; and an application made to Dr. Ander- 

 son, the Director of the Indian Museum, for a loan of the specimen, was readily 

 acceded to. When the skin arrived in England it needed but a glance to see 

 that Thamnocataphus picatus was nothing but the common Bush-Shrike of 

 South Africa, Dryoscopits rujiveniris (Swains.). The following synonymj, 

 belongs to the specimen, and must be added to that of jD. riijiveniris: — 



Thamnocataphus jiicatus, Tickell, J. A S. Beng. xviii. p. 812 (1849) ; 



Bli/th, Cat. B. Mm. As. Soo. p. 150 (1849) ; Jerd. B. hid. ii. p. 13 (1863); 



U'ume, Sir. F. 1879, p. 95. 

 Garrulax picatus, Grai/, Hand-l. B. i. p. 282, no. 4175 (18G9). 



How the mistake arose is impossible to say, but it is probable that the skin of 

 the African Bush-Shrike was received by Colonel Tickell in exchange from 

 M. Verreaux or some other collector, and that it got mixed up with his 

 Darjili'jg coUeclion, and was described by him as a new species and the type of 

 a new genus. 



