Prof. T. Salvador! on Melaniparus semilarvatus. 301 



has written to me, asking for the description of my Melani- 

 parus semilarvatus ; but that, at the same time, I must state 

 that I have not the least recollection of having received such 

 a request. 



2Dd. That had I received Mr. Hume's request, it would 

 have certainly given me pleasure to meet it^ as I have always 

 done in such cases. 



3rd. That, simply because he had not access to my descrip- 

 tion, or had not received it from me, Mr. Hume, according 

 to my opinion, had no right to think, nor to state publicly, 

 that I do not wish to "come to the fronf about this parti- 

 cular species. 



4th. That I am not too jealous of my own species, and 

 that more than once I have destroyed some of them myself, 

 as the discovery of the truth is invariably the object of ray 

 scientific researches. 



5th. That many ornithologists know from experience that 

 I never refuse to send any species of mine to be examined ; so 

 that the assertion of Mr. Hume that I don't wish to " come to 

 the front'' about Melaniparus semilarvatus is quite gratuitous. 



6th. That Mr. Hume, having no access to the description of 

 my bird, had merely the right to say that he was not ac- 

 quainted with it, but not to condemn it as a " wretched 

 species," which is, as I believe, hardly a polite expression. 



As to Melaniparus semilarvatus being a bad species, I shall 

 leave Mr. Hume himself to judge after having seen the ac- 

 companying plate (Plate IX.), which the Editors of 'The 

 Ibis^ have most kindly agreed to publish. 



My Melaniparus semilarvatus is a most distinct species of 

 the group, on account of the white face. There is a very 

 surprising likeness in the colouring between it and Pentholeea 

 albifrons (Riipp.), which also is black, and has a white patch 

 on the forehead. But I don't suppose that I shall need to 

 point out the dijBFerences between a Penthola:a of the family 

 Saxicolidse and a true Melaniparus of the Paridae. Besides, 

 I may mention that the white patch on the forehead of P. 

 albifrons is only superior, and does not come down on the 

 sides of the face. 



