Mr. R. B. Sharpens Catalogue of Accipitres. 333 



Black 

 wing- 

 Wing. Tarsus. patch. 



Egypt (four males) 1 1-2-11-75 1-25- 1-3 3-6-5-2 



„ (two, sex unknown) ll'l & 11-4 l-2o 4-9 & 47 



Ceylon (two, sex unknown) . . 10-6 & 107 I'lo & 1-2 5 & 4-65 



India (two, sex unknown) 10-7 & 10-8 I'l & 1-3 3-6 & 3-7 



Nepal (sex unknown) 10'4 1'3 4'1 



Afghanistan (sex unknown) . . 10-6 I'l 3'1 

 Saigon, Cochin China (sex un- 

 known) 11-3 1-2 6-1 



It will be observed that in the above list the Egyptian 

 specimens show a somewhat larger wing-measurement than 

 those from other localities_, with the exception of that from 

 Cochin China ; but otherwise the variations in size are not 

 such as to indicate any marked local differences. 



Mr. Sharpe^ in treating of E. hypoleucus, refers to a speci- 

 men in the British Museum as being the type of that species ; 

 but it will be seen, by a reference to Mr. Gould's original 

 description (P. Z. S. 1859, p. 127), that this is a mistake, 

 the bird there described by Mr. Gould being a fully adult 

 male obtained by Mr. Wallace at Macassar, and now pre- 

 served in the Norwich Museum. This species, which, though 

 nearly allied to E. catruleus, is certainly distinct, at least 

 subspecifically, has an oceanic range, which is particularized 

 in Mr. Sharpens volume, and which is geographically inter- 

 mediate between the eastern limit of E. caruhus and the 

 most northerly appearance of E. axillaris. Mr. Sharpe gives 

 the habitat of the last-named species as Australia only ; but, 

 according to Mr. Gould, it occurs as far northwards as Java*, 

 where, however, it appears to be much scarcer than E. hypo- 

 leucus ; and, in confirmation of Mr. Gould's assertion, I may 

 mention that the Norwich Museum possess a nearly adult 

 specimen which was brought to this country by the celebrated 

 traveller Madame PfeiflFer, who obtained it (as I was informed 

 at the time) during her visit to the island of Java : in this 

 specimen the measurements of the wing, tail, and external 

 black wing-patch slightly exceed those of any Australian 

 example which I have examined ; and the grey on the back is 

 * Vide Gould's ' Bii'ds of Asia,' sub Elanus liypoleiKus, 



