YRM.OW-MUOWKT) WAHBLKH. 445 



the information coutaiued iu these notices had been pub- 

 lished, Mr. Blyth had recognized the species in India, in 

 most parts of which country it seems to be pretty common 

 during the cold weather, though he very naturally at first 

 followed the errors of his predecessors *, Little, however, 

 was he able to add to the real history of the bird, which may 

 be said to have its rise in the important paper by Dr. Cabanis 

 just mentioned. Thus in it was shown on the evidence of 

 Mr. Gatke, that between the years 1847 and 1850 the species 

 had been eight times observed by him in Heligoland, and 

 that he had procured two examples. Subsequently he stated 

 (Naumannia, 1858, p. 419) that it was every autumn of 

 regular appearance, that eight specimens had been taken — 

 nearly all by boys with blowpipes, and that had the use of 

 firearms been allowed he could have obtained double the 

 number. In 1859, as he informed the Editor, three more 

 examples were killed. 



On the continent of Europe two other examples are sup- 

 posed to have been observed in Germany (Journ. fiir Orn. 

 1859, p. 103, and 1863, p. 60) ; and a male is recorded 

 (Nederl. Tijdschr, Dierk. iii. p. 244) by Heer Crommelin, as 

 obtained at Leyden, September 15th, 1861, and as having 

 lived for eight days in captivity. Blasius (Naumannia, 1855, 

 p. 485) suggests that it may breed in North-eastern Russia, 

 for he says he observed it in the region of the Dwina in 

 August, but this statement, together with those of other 

 naturalists in the Russian dominions, must be received with 

 caution, since they do not seem to have been aware of the 

 distinction between the two allied species, which as already 

 mentioned, have been frequently confounded. In Italy too 

 it has been said to have occurred : according to Dr. Salvadori 

 Signor Laufossi has recordjgd an example taken in the 

 Milanese province in October, 1847, while Signor Perini 

 declares it to be common in the Veronese. Herr von Pelzeln 

 informs the Editor of an example, caught near Vienna in 

 1836, which lived for half a year in the museum there. 



* He also described examples in abraded plumage as a distinct species, which 

 he called Regular inornatu-i, but speedily discovered and corrected the mistake. 



