238 PET BIRDS OP BENGAL 



coverts, inner scapulars, axillaries. upper 

 tail-coverts and the lower plumage from 

 breast downwards were white, edged 

 with black ; the rump and the under 

 tail-coverts were entirely white. There 

 were also some w^hite streaks on the 

 lower breast and a shading of white 

 on the inner webs of the tail-feathers 

 and innermost secondaries, and on the 

 outer webs of the outer secondaries. 

 The bird was obtained from a bird-dealer 

 of Calcutta. Finn was not inclined to 

 accept it as an aberration. He writes, 

 **Takino^ into consideration the extreme 

 rarity of symmetrical albinism (except in 

 the case of albinoid or pallid varieties) 

 and the fact that the appearance of 

 this specimen is not suggestive of ordi- 

 nary albinism, but rather of specific differ- 

 ence, I venture to characterize it as 

 new, and name it Dissemurus alcocJcL '* 

 Birds with black plumage are not 

 infrequently prone to albinism. But a 

 symmetrically albino specimen is a case of 



