Letters, Announcements, i^c. 353 



from the Solomon Islands, which appear to me to be new, they 

 are jet-black, with blue flesh on the throat and head. I have 

 persuaded the authorities to make a present of them to the Re- 

 gent's Park Gardens. 



We have also in the Museum what is probably a new species 

 of Megapode, from Nuipo, one of the islands in the Friendly 

 group. 



I am, &c., 



F. W. HUTTON. 



Etawah, 25 March, 18G9. 



Sir, — In my notes on the birds I met with in Kumaon 

 [supra, pp. 43-60) I have made a few mistakes, owing to the 

 great brevity of some of Dr. Jerdon's descriptions and my not 

 having seen many of the birds before : — 



Dic(sum minimum (p. 47). Dr. Jerdon, on looking at these 

 specimens, pronounced them to be Sylviparus modestus. 



Lanius erythronutus (p. 48) . With these birds is one Lanius 

 nigriceps. 



Dicrurus longicaudatus (p. 48). I am not sure about this 

 bird. It agrees better with the description of D. longicaudatus 

 by Dr. Jerdon than with that of D. ivaldeni by Capt. Beavan 

 (Ibis, 1868, p. 497). 



Oreoccetes cinclurhynchus (pp. 50, 51). I have seen other eggs 

 of this bird in Mr. Hume's collection which agree exactly with 

 those I took. The wrapper of ' The Ibis ' is about the colour 

 of the ground of this bird's eggs. The mottling, of a rather 

 darker shade, is very slight and indistinct. 



Merula boulboul (p. 51). The song of this Thrush is a most 

 agreeable one, rather more varied than that of the English Black- 

 bird, and in a higher key. 



Pratincola rubicola (pp. 53-55). If the labels were removed, 

 and the Stonechats sent me by Mr. Tristram were mixed with 

 my large Indian series, I do not believe any one could separate 

 them again. Herr von Pelzeln (c/. Ibis, 1868, p. 309) has 

 rightly pronounced the birds identical. There is not the shade 

 of a diflference in winter plumage. I have not a European bird 

 in summer plumage. 



