ACCENTORIX.E. 165 



Length about 8 ; tail 2*1 j wing 3*9; tarsus 1*15; bill from 

 gape 1-15. 



Distribution. In the British Museum there is an adult procured 

 by Cockburn at Shilloug and two young birds obtained by A. W. 

 Chennell in the North Khasi hills. The latter were shot in March 

 and are those described above. In the collection of Godwin- Austen 

 are three specimens of this species, two adults, procured at Shillong 

 in April and May respectively, and a young bird procured in North 

 Cachar without date. I have seen no other specimens from Indian 

 limits. This species is found in China and the whole of North- 

 eastern Asia. 



711. CinclllS SurdidllS. The Sombre Dipper. 



Cinclus sordidus, Gould, P. Z. S. 1859, p. 494 ; Salvin, Ibis, 1867, 

 p. 118 ; Blanf. J. A. S. B. xli, pt. ii, p. 48 ; Hume, Cat. no. 349 ; 

 Sharpe, Cat.' B. M. vi, p. 317. 



Hydrobata sordida {Gould), Jerd. B. I. i, p. 507. 



The Black-bellied Cashmere Dipper, Jerd. 



Coloration. Forehead, crown, nape, mantle, sides of the head 

 and neck chocolate-brown ; chin, throat, and upper part of breast 

 the same but strikingly paler ; upper plumage and wing-coverts 

 blackish brown; wings and tail blackish, the outer webs somewhat 

 paler ; lower plumage very dark chocolate-brown ; the eyelids are 

 probably clothed with white feathers as in the other members of 

 the genus, but the type specimen, the only one I have been able 

 to examine, exhibits no ti-ace of them. 



Length about 7 ; tail 2 ; wing 3 - 5 ; tarsus IT ; bill from 

 gape - 9. 



Distribution. This species was founded on a specimen procured in 

 Kashmir. Blanford appears to have met with this Dipper in Sikhim 

 at 15,000 feet, and Hume records its occurrence in the tract of 

 country traversed by Dr. Henderson (Lab. to Tark. p. 189). I can 

 find no other notice of it, and this species appears to be very rare. 

 It has been met with in Kansu and Northern Tibet. 



Subfamily ACCENTORINtE. 



The Accentorince or Accentors comprise a number of birds the 

 position of which has been much disputed. Looking to their 

 habits and to the colour of the nestling, their position appears to 

 me to be among the Thrushes. 



The Accentors have a bill about half the length of the head, 

 wide at base, compressed somewhat abruptly in the middle, the 

 culmen nearly straight, the upper mandible teiminating in rather 

 a fine point and slightly notched ; the nostrils large, diagonal, and 



