22 Mr. Blyth's Commentary 



N. flavolivacea in nestling plumage, and I riglitly referred them 

 to the same genus as the other ; only the species proves to be 

 different. The matter accordingly resolves itself into this — that 

 Horornis becomes reduced to the Javan H. montanus (Horsf.) 

 and H. assimilis, Hodgson [Drymoeca brevicaudata, nobis), which 

 I do not think can be separated generically from Neornis flavo- 

 livacea, Hodgson. It remains to decide which of the two gene- 

 ric names should be retained ; and I think that Horornis, as the 

 source of so much confusion, had better be abandoned. The 

 following species would then fall under Neornis : — 1 . Sylvia 

 rnontana, Horsf., from Java; 2. N. assimilis, Hodgson; and 3. 

 N. flavolivacea, Hodgson. N. assimilis [Drymoeca brevicaudata, 

 nobis) is rufescent olive-brown above, much paler beneath, 

 more or less whitish on the throat and belly, and tinged with 

 fulvous on the flanks ; fore part of the wing underneath pure 

 yellowish-white. Wing 2 inches ; tail 2*25 in., its outermost 

 feathers half an inch shorter; tarsi "75 in. A specimen from 

 Afghanistan is of a paler general hue, not quite so much inclined 

 to ruddy, and more to greenish ; whilst N. rnontana of Java is 

 darker, and wants the rufous tinge above, but has it on the 

 breast and flanks. N. flavolivacea is dull greenish-olive above, 

 and dull yellowish below. Mr. Hodgson figures the egg of A'. 

 assimilis as uniform dark red, and the nest as cup-shaped. 



527 and 528. Horeites brunneifrons and H. pollicaris. 



Specimens in the British Museum labelled H. brunneifrons 

 and H. schistilata are undistinguishable; others marked H. pol- 

 licaris appear to me to be the same in nestling plumage. H. 

 robustipes, Swinhoe, is described from Formosa (Ibis, 1866, 

 p. 398). 



530. Orthotomus longicauda (Gmel.) ; 0. phyllorrhapheus, 

 Swinhoe, Ibis, 1860, p. 49, P. Z. S. 1863, p. 294. 



O. patia, as figured by Mr. Hodgson, is a small Priniu with 

 twelve rectrices. I have had the common Tailor-bird's nest 

 brought to me within ten or a dozen oleander-leaves drawn to- 

 gether, and have also seen it within a single leaf of Brugmannsia 

 suaveolens, and commonly within the broad leaves of the brinjal 

 [Solanum esculentum). The oleander-leaf nest referred to should 



