Letters y Announcements, ^*c. 109 



one day walking along a low ridge of rocks, from which I 

 flushed an Owl, the common Bubo maculosus, that flew to some 

 distance to a clump of trees. 



Presently I heard an agonized scream, such as is made by a 

 young antelope when just seized by a dog; and so exact a 

 repetition of the sound was it, that even my dogs were deceived 

 by it, and rushed o& in the direction whence it came. I also 

 sent ofi" a Kafir boy, and presently followed myself, when I 

 discovered it was the frighted scream of Schizorhis, of which a 

 party were collected ai'ound the Owl I had previously disturbed, 

 and whose presence appeared to be the exciting cause. 



At a later period I had a second opportunity of verifying this 

 observation. 



I am, dear Sir, 



Yours most truly, 



E. L. Layard, Esq. H. Extox, M.D. 



Greatham Vicarage, loth Dec. 1870. 



Sir, — In continuation of the few notes on the synonymy of 

 the Syhiidce in 'The Ibis,' Oct. 1870, I beg leave to add one 

 or two further remarks. I have had the pleasure of receiving, 

 through AI. Jules Verreaux, a specimen of the Phyllopneuste 

 schwartzi, Radde, from Lake Baikal. This new Siberian 

 species proves to be identical wdth the well-known Phylloscopus 

 viridanus, Blyth, J. A. S. xii. p. 967, = Abrornis tenuiceps, Hodgs. 

 It is evidently the eastern representative of our P. rufa (L.), 

 and never remains in India during the hot season. The Indian 

 autumnal birds are brighter in plumage than the others. 



There has been much confusion respecting Phyllopneuste 

 eversmanni. The bird so figured by MiddendorfF is undoubtedly 

 distinct from the P. eversmanni, Bp., and is perhaps the P. bore- 

 alis, Bias. I have MiddendorS'^s bird from the south side of Lake 

 Baikal, 18th June. It is identical with P. sylvicultrix, Swinh. 

 A specimen shot at Amoy in April, given me by Mr. Swinhoe, 

 exactly corresponds in dimensions and shade with my Baikal 

 bird. The autumnal and winter specimens from China are 

 brighter in colour. This is exactly as in the British P. tro- 

 chilus. Some of Mr. Swinhoe's specimens are rather smaller, 



