20 TCRDID^. 



9. Sylvia althea. 



CuiTuca cmerea (Lafk.), apud Jenlon, Madras Journ. x. p. 2f)8 (1839). 

 Sj'lvia affinis, Bli/th, apud Jerdon, B. Lid. ii. p. 209 (1883), apud 



Legge, Birds of Cegloti, p. 53S (1879). 

 Sylvia althea, Hume, Stray Feath. vii. p. 60 (1878). 



This is a Himalayan form, differing from the European species 

 in having the upper parts an ahnost uniform bluish grey, the back 

 being suffused with brown to an all but imperceptible extent. The 

 second primary is intermediate in length between the sixth and 

 seventh, or seventh and eighth. It is on an average a larger bird 

 than the Western form. Length of wing 2'8 to 2'55 inches, tail 2*5 

 to 2-2.5, culmcn 0-56 to 0-51, tarsus 0-s\o 0-75. 



The Himalayan form of the Lesser Whitethroat breeds abundantly 

 in the extreme north-west of Cashmere, and winters in the north- 

 west provinces of India. 



a. 6 ad. sk. Gilgit, Cashmere, Aug. 20, 1879. Dr. Scully [P.]. 



h. Ad. sk. Gilgit, Cashmere, May 8, 1879. Dr. Scull> [P.]. 



10. Sylvia miauscula. (Plate I.) 



Sylvia minula, Hume, Stray Feath. i. p. 193 (1873), vii. p. 58(1878). 

 Sylvia minuscula, Hume, Stray Feath. viii. p. 103 (1879). 



This species differs from its near allies in having the forehead and 

 crown of a pale bluish-grey colour, gradually shading into the colour 

 of the back, which is a pale isabelline brown. It is a small bird, 

 the length of wing varying from 2-45 to 2-3 inches. A male in the 

 collection measures — wing 2"43 inches, tail 2-22, culmen0'41. The 

 exposed portion of the bastard ])rimary measures 0-4.5 inch, and 

 the second primary is equal to the seventh ; in other skins it is 

 said to be intermediate in length between the seventh and eighth. 

 The outside feathers of the tail are 0-2 inch shorter than the 

 longest. 



Hume's Lesser "Whitethroat breeds in Afghanistan, and winters in 

 Baluchistan, Scinde, and North-western India. 



a. (S ad. sk. Dasht River, Baluchistan, W. T. Blanford, Esq. [C.]. 



Jan. 26, 1872. 

 h. Ad. sk. Shikapore, Afghanistan ( TV. India Museum. 



Griffith). 



11. Sylvia mystacea. 



Sylvia mystacea, Menetr.* 



Sylvia melanocephala (Gmel.), apud Licht. Verz. Doubl. Zool. Mus. 



* Hemprich and Ehrenberg's diagnosis of Curruca monws does not contain 

 a single character by which this species may be distinguished from Sylvia 

 mekmocep/uila ; nnd had it not been for the present existence of the type 

 in the Berlin Museum, no one could have suspected that their species was 

 identical with the one so excellently defined by Menetries. The rejection of 

 Menetries's name in favour of that of Hemprich and Ehrenberg is in direct de- 

 fiance of the Stricklandian code, which in this instance appears to me to be based 

 upon strict justice and common sense. 



