346 ON THE BIEDS INHABITING [1875. 



examined. Wagler bestowed as a new title that of furcatiis on Corvus halicassius, Linn., as 

 seems to have been his habit when he altered the genus. The fact that true B. halicassius is a 

 purely Philippine bird was not fully appreciated by my lamented friend the late Dr. Jerdon ; for 

 (Ibis, 1872, p. 119) he alludes to the Himalayan Dicmrus as being "distinct from the Malayan 

 species to which the name of halicassius was applied." The Malayan species here referred to is 

 Edolins affinis, Blytli (J. A. S. B. 1842, p. 174, "Malay peninsula"), and which, after com- 

 Tr. Z. S. ix. parison, I am unable to separate from the Himalayan D. amiectens, Hodgs. (Ind. Rev. 1837, 

 ^" ^^^' p. 326, "Nipaur'),=i>. halicassius (Linn.), apud Jerd., Blyth, Horsf. and Moore, etc., nee Linn. 



The following titles have been regarded by some authors as belonging to the Luzon species, 

 although they have nothing to do with it : — 



Corvus afer, Lichtenst. M. A. A. H. Lichtenstein, in the Hamburg Cataloguef, p. 10, 

 no. 99, identified with doubt what can only be the South-African Dicrurus musicus with Corvus 

 afer, Linn. (Z. c. no. 12), founded on Pica senegalensis, Briss. {torn. cit. p. 40, no. 2). Lichten- 

 stein did not create the title. Brisson's bird is doubtless a Senegal Sturnine form, and was sent to 

 Eeaumur by Adanson. 



Corvus adsimilis, Bechstein, Latham's allgemeine Uebersicht der Vogel, ii. p. 562, no. 47 

 (1791), ex M. A. A. H. Lichtenstein; Kurze Uebersicht, p. 117, no. 44. A title given by 

 Bechstein to Corvus afer, Linn, apud Lichtenstein /. c, and which therefore becomes the senior 

 title for Dicrurus musicus, Vieillot. 



Oriolus furcatus, Gm. S. N. i. p. 395, no. 52. A title given to the Icterus cauda bifda, 

 Brisson, Orn. ii. p. 105, no. 16, which in its turn was founded originally on the Turdus uiger 

 Tnexicanus, Seba, Thesaurus, i. p. 102, pi. 65. fig. 4. Clearly a Dicrurus [Buchanga), said by 

 Wagler (Syst. Av. p. 364) to be Dicrurus ccerulescens (Linn.), but which, from the crissum only 

 being described as white, I believe to be Dicrurus leucopygialis, Blyth. 



81. * Dicrurus mirabilis. 



Dicrurtis mirabilis, Walden & Layard, Ibis, 1872, p. 103, pi. 5, " Negros." [Antea, p. 120.] 



Ilah. Negros {L. C. Layard, Meyer). 



Only differs from D. halicassius in having the lower breast, abdominal regions, flanks, and 

 under tail-coverts white instead of black. Dr. Meyer procured several examples in Negros. 



In the 'Birds of India' (i. p. 438) it is stated, on Mr. Blyth's authority, that Edolius 

 rangoonensis, Gould (P. Z. S. 1836, p. 5 ; and Jard. Illustr. pi. xxxviii.), is a Philippine, and 

 not a Burmese species. It is not impossible that the genus Dissemurus is represented in the 

 Philippines ; but E. rangoonensis, Gould, although apparently unknown in Burma, seems to 

 have been founded on an example of the Malaccan crestless Dissemurus. 



t Catalorjus rerum naturaliiim rarissimarum Hamlurgi, d. xxi. October, 1793. An auction catalogue of zoological 

 specimens sold at Hamburg on tbe above date and following days, and drawn up by M. A. A. H. Lichtenstein, Hector of 

 the Johannis School. Many species are described and new titles bestowed. The work is rare, the only cojjy known to me 

 being contained in the Library of the University of Kiel. 



