316 Viscount Walden on the Muscicapa melanictera. 



brown. Skin round eye ochreous. Legs and feet fleshy-brown, 

 whitish on joints and soles ; claws black, the comb on central 

 claw whitish. Inside of mouth flesh-coloured. Ear-covert large, 

 nearly as big as the immense eye, which is "4 inch in diameter. 

 First quill about '4 inch shorter than the second, which is "1 

 shorter than the third and longest. First four quills white 

 about their middle, the spot extending over the inner web only of 

 the first, including the edge of its shaft, running right across the 

 second and third, and occupying the fourth, except on the edges 

 of the outer and inner webs. The two outer tail-feathers on each 

 side pure white, obliquely tipped with brown, more strongly on 

 outer lateral, the margins of both being limned all round with 

 light bufi". A large pure white spot occurs on each side of the 

 throat. The male shows this species to have very close affinity 

 with C. monticolus of India ; and until I have the opportunity to 

 compare ours with the individuals of the same sex of its ally, I 

 shall not be certain of its specific distinctness. It was on the 

 view of a female from Amoy that Mr. Blyth recommended me 

 to separate it. 



I have many more jottings in my journal for January 1866, 

 but I fear I have already reached the length of an ordinary 

 article. I must therefore hastily conclude. I am off to the 

 mountains. 



Takow, 1 February, 1866. 



XXVI. — On the Muscicapa melanictera of Gmelin. 

 By the Viscount Walden, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c. 

 Forming part of a large collection of birds recently made in 

 the island of Ceylon by my friend Mr. Spencer Chapman, are 

 three skins of Le Vaillant's " Cap Negre/' a species whose cor- 

 rect systematic title has not hitherto been satisfactorily deter- 

 mined. In the hope of being able to refer that species to its 

 oldest specific designation, I trust that a few observations on the 

 subject will not be unacceptable to the readers of ' The Ibis.^ 

 Before, however, entering into the history of this bird, I will 

 give a short description, taken from the specimens I have just* 

 received. 



The entire head, nape, and cheeks intense, yet unglossed, 



