30 Mr. A. Hume on Indian Ornithology. 



the neighbourhood of Jodhpoor by my friend Dr. King, who 

 most kindly allowed me to select any specimens required for ray 

 museum. I knew that it was new to India; but, with the mul- 

 titude of little-known African species in view, I hesitated to 

 describe it until it had been examined in Europe. M. Verreaux 

 remarks in regard to it, " I have sought for this species not only 

 in collections but also in all the ornithological works I could 

 think of, and have failed to find it, though I remember a similar 

 specimen having passed through my hands when I was resident 

 in South Africa, which specimen I had received from my friend 

 Captain Latouche, who was living in India, and who had killed 

 it himself; but it is so long ago that I cannot remember exactly 

 when or whei'e it was procured. ^^ Of course this is merely 

 negative evidence; but considering M. Verreaux^s gi'cat famili- 

 arity with this genus, and the opportunities at his command for 

 identifying the species, if previously described, it is presumably 

 new, and I designate it as above. 



t 492 ter. Aedon familiaris, Menetries, Bp. Consp. Av. 

 vol. i. p. 286. 



Si/lvia familiai'is, Menetries, Zool. du Caucase, 1832, p. 32. 



Whether this species is really distinct from A. galactodes, 

 Temm., or not, is a matter which depends on individual concep- 

 tions of what constitutes a species. In adopting Menetries' 

 name, all I wish to signify is that the form occurring in Western 

 India most nearly approaches that of Southern Russia and 

 Greece, and has less resemblance to the more richly coloured 

 type of Western Europe and Northern Africa. M. Verreaux 

 remarks, " After examining a great number of specimens, I 

 could well suppose that this form is nothing more than A. 



very naiTowly margined ^\^tll pale rufescent. The cliin and upper throat 

 white, with a faint creamy tinge. The sides of the neck behind and 

 below the ear-coverts grey, gTeyish white, and gi-eyish brown, blending on 

 the one side into the colour of the throat, and on the other into that of the 

 back of the neck. The breast and upper abdomen are a very pale rufescent 

 brown, all the tips of the feathers being paler. The centre of the abdo- 

 men and vent slightly rufescent white ; flanks rufescent fawn ; lower 

 tail-coverts somewhat pale buff; wing-lining and axillaries pure white. 



