Letters, Announcements, S^c. 471 



the copy I enclose you of a letter received from Dr. NicoUs, who 

 had the skin from the time it was shot until he gave it to me. 

 I have no doubt as to the species, having not only compared it 

 with the plate in Gould's ' Birds of Europe/ but also having 

 sliown it to Mr. A. G. More — who pronounced it to be an im- 

 mature specimen, from the brown feathers on the breast. 

 I have the honour to be. Sir, 



Your obedient servant, 



John F. Dillon. 



[ Copy of Letter.^ 



Belmount, Navan, 29th Nov., I8G0. 

 "Dear Sir, — It is about ten years since the bird I sent you 

 was killed at Harristown Bay, near Beauparc, by Mr. Horin, of 

 Navan, who killed a Bittern on the same day. I looked upon 

 it as a Pied Hawk, and preserved it. 



" Yours sincerely, 

 "To J. F. Dillon:' « P. Nicolls." 



Sir, — In the ' Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal,' 

 no. V. May 1872, pp. 70, 71, will be found the description of a 

 Falconine bird, termed a " Merlin,'' from Thayet-Myo, by Mr. 

 A. 0. Hume, and entitled by that gentleman Lithofalco (!) 

 fieldeni, or Fielden's Merlin. The species in question belongs 

 to the remarkable genus Polihierax, Kaup, founded for the re- 

 ception of the African Falco semitorquatus, Smith (Illustr. S.-Afr. 

 Zool. Aves, pi. 1), and of which Hypotriorchis castanotus, Heuglin 

 (Ibis, 1860, p. 407), is the male (C/. Sclater, Ibis, 1861, p. 346, 

 pi. 12). The strongly graduated rectrices, the double-notched 

 maxillse, the powerful legs, and the pecuhar colouring of the 

 plumage, diflfering also in the sexes, fully entitle the two known 

 species to generic distinction. The occurrence of this African 

 generic form in Burmah is of the highest interest, more espe- 

 cially when considered together with the fact of Macharamphus 

 being also represented in the Malay peninsula. I have little 

 hesitation in identifying Mr. Hume's new Merlin, notwithstand- 

 ing the genus he has classed it under, as Polihierax insiguis, 

 mihi (P. Z. S. part iii. 1871, p. 627, ex Burmah). 



