Dicruridae and their Arrangement. 73 



archipelago ; nor has one been found at Malacca. Exclusive 

 of C. hottentotta, the species form a natural section of the 

 DicruridcB, limited in distribution (with the exception of 

 D. bimaensis) by the bounds of the Austro-Papuan area, the 

 Moluccas inclusive, D. leucops and B. pectoralis dwelling on 

 its confines in Celebes and the Sula Islands. 



Chibia hottentotta. — The title given to the Chinese race of 

 this species {brevirostris) and its reference (Mus. Hein. i. 

 p. 112. no. 603) are not to be found in the list of synonyms, 

 although C. brevirostris is considered by Mr. Sharpe as being 

 specifically inseparable. An examination of the type specimen 

 at Halberstadt, and a comparison made with forty examples 

 from China, lead me to the same opinion. The bill is slightly 

 shorter ; but that is all. 



The " long silky hairs " of Mr. Sharpe, which spring from 

 the base of the maxilla in C. hottentotta, and, recurved back, 

 fall over the nape, are really the denuded shafts of a certain 

 number of the frontal plumes. Under a lens the aborted 

 rudiments of the lateral Avebs can be readily detected. Behind 

 these denuded shafts are usually a number of elongated frontal 

 crest-plumes in different states of perfection. 



Chaptia. — Three species are admitted; yet, as Mr. Sharpe 

 employs the expression " subspecies " for forms which, in his 

 opinion, are closely allied, it is not easy to detect his reasons 

 for allowing C. malayensis and C. brauniana to stand as full 

 species. The former is little else than a smaller form of C 

 cenea, while the latter is hardly distinguishable at all. 



BucHANGA. — Hodgson formed this genus for the reception 

 of B. albirictus* and B. annectens. The latter species is 

 scarcely congenei'ic with the former ; but all the long- and 

 deeply forked-tailed Asiatic species constitute a natural group, 

 to which Hodgson^s generic title is generally applied. Mr. 

 Sharpe includes in the genus an African species t, which has 

 hitherto, and apparently with good reason, been classed under 

 a separate section. 



Buchanga atra. — Under the specific title given by Hermann 



* Mr. Sharpe gives B. macrocerca as the name of the type — a title he 

 does not admit when dealing with the species. 

 t D. musicus, Yieill.= C'. nrhiiniUs, Bechst. 



