1870.] INDIAN AND AUSTRALIAN EEGIONS. 73 



Cinnyris ajancns, Vieill., Enc. Method. Orn. p. 599, no. 56 (1823), descr. orig. 

 C. orientalis, Frankl., P. Z. S. 1831, p. 122, no. 105, 6 adult. " India centr.," descr. orig. 

 C. cnrmcaria (L.), Sykes, P. Z. S. 1832, p. 98, no. 133, "Poona." 

 C. epauletta, Hodgs., Ind. Rev. ii. p. 272, c? adult. "Nipaul" (1837), descr. orig. 

 C. strif/tila, Hodgs., I. c, "Nipaul" (1837), descr. orig. 



Nectarmia mahrattcnsis (Lath.), Jard., Nat. Lib. xiii. pp. 222, 264, t. 24, d adult. " India." 

 Arachncchthra cwrucaria (L.), Cab. Mas. Hein. i. no. 572; Blyth, Ibis, 1866, p. 364, 

 no. 234, nee Linn. 



Eastern Creeper, part., Lath., Gen. Hist. iv. p. 232, no. 21, " India." 



Hah. Throughout all India, the greater part of the west of Central India, North-west 

 Provinces, Sindh, North Burmah, top of the Neilgherries (Jerdon) ; Ceylon (Layard) ; Nipaul 

 (Hodgs.) ; Kotegurgh in winter, Rampoor (Stoliczka) ; Maunbhoom (Beavan) ; Almorah ibis, 1870, 

 (Brooks); Candeish (Mus. nostr.) ; Arracan, Calcutta (Blyth)*. P- ^2- 



The extreme western and eastern limits of this dominant species have not been as yet deter- 

 mined. When not in nuptial dress the males cast off all the black body-feathers, except those 

 on the mesial line. On this subject, which has given rise to much speculation, Mr. Blyth's 

 statement (Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng. xii. p. 978) that the females, when breeding, assume the full 

 dress of the male, has been denied by Capt. Beavan (Ibis, 1865, p. 416). An individual, either 

 of this species or else of some as yet unrecognized AracJinechthra, in the non-breeding plumage 

 just described, formed the subject of Brisson's Certhia liliilippensis grisea (Orn. iii. p. 615, 

 t. XXX. f. 3). It cannot have been an example of A. lotenla ; for the length of the bill is stated 

 to have been 9 lines. Nor can it have belonged to any of the other Arachnechthrce, because 

 the wing-coverts of Brisson's bird were of a polished steel-violet colour. The type specimen, 

 according to Brisson, was sent to M. Aubry from the Philippines. No binomial title has ever 

 been given to Brisson's species ; but, most unfortunately, Linnceus added Brisson's titlef as a 

 synonym to his Certhia currucaria, the name he bestowed on a female or young male of either 

 I^ectarophila zeylonica or else of A. asiatica. Linnseus's type was given to him by Governor 

 Loten, who procur-ed it in Ceylon. Thus runs the diagnosis : — " C. olivacea, subtus flavescens" 

 &c.; and then " subtus a gula ad anum flavescens " is added. No mention is made of the central 

 dark stripe, nor of metallic wing-coverts. Brisson's description therefore can in no way help us 

 to determine the true C. currucaria, L.; yet every author, from Montbeillard down to the 

 present time, has so used it. The word currucaria has even come to be an ornithological 

 term; for we find, in the 'Birds of India,' Dr. Jerdon using this phrase (i. p. 372), — "a Ibis, 1870, 

 specimen has the currucaria or winter plumage of the last." The Linnsean description agrees ^' ~'^' 

 best with the female of N. zeylonica ; and to that species I have referred C currucaria,. Gmelin's 

 diagnosis is a reprint of that of LinntBus ; but in his additional remarks he copies from Brisson. 

 Latham (Ind. Orn.), under C cwrucaria, describes nothing but Brisson's bird. 



* Cnshmere (Huntley). — TVeeddale. 



t Linnfciis omitted tbo word '^ r/risea," wliich makes Brisson's title read C. iMUppensis, a different species, on which 

 Linnasus founded his G. jjhilijipina. Linnocus, however, quoted the page, plate, and figure correctly ; yet he added the 

 number 2, the number of the figiire which represents C. phUippensis on the same plate with C. pliilippensis grisea. This 

 does not alter the main fact that the Linnjcan diagnosis of C. currucaria was original. 



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