432 ON THE LATE COLONEL TICKELL'S [187G. 



The next two volumes, v. and \i., contain the Dextieostres, vol. v. being restricted to the 

 Laniidse and the Muscicapidae, with thirty-eight plates. 



The Burmese Volvocivora avensis, Blyth, is figured from Tenasserim examples under the title 

 of r.finhriafa{T.). 



The particoloured middle pair of rectrices found in certain examples of Pericrocotus speciosus, 

 more especially among those from Assam and Burma, have been regarded by some as constituting 

 Ibis, 1876, a good specific character, sufficient to differentiate individuals possessing them specifically from 

 ^'' "*"■ the type. For such examples the title of P. elegans (McClell.), founded on an Assam bird, has 

 been adopted by Mr. Hume and others. Burmese and Assam birds, however, occur with the 

 middle pair typically coloured (that is, entirely black), while in Darjeeling birds both varieties 

 are to be met with. Colonel Tickell figures and describes an example from Singbhoom, Bengal, 

 with the outer webs of the middle pair of rectrices red, as in so-called P. elegans. P. specioms 

 being a widely spread and dominant species, exhibits that tendency to vary usual among species 

 occupying wide areas. 



The female of Pericrocotus roseus is correctly, and for the first time, figured, but inaccurately 

 described as only difiering from P. solan's 2 by having the head no darker than the back. In 

 P. solan's 2 the ashy upper surface is dark leaden, as in the male, the under plumage being 

 bright pure yellow, and not pallid yellow as in P. roseus 2 ; nor is the throat greyish white. The 

 back in P. Solaris 2 is strongly coloured with olive-green ; in P. roseus ? the green shade is 

 much less marked. The bird depicted by Mr. Gould as P. solans 2 (B. As. pt. i.) is clearly 

 P. brevirostris 2 . 



P. roseus 6 is figured and described by Colonel Tickell from a Tenasserim example. The 

 uropygium and upper tail-coverts are described as being "pure brilliant scarlet." This is 

 certainly the case with all Burmese and Assam birds I have seen. But is it so in typical Bengal 

 and other Indian individuals % These last I have never met with varying from the description 

 given by Jerdon (B. Ind. i. p. 422) — " rump tinged with rosy." 



Lanius hypoleucus, Blyth (collurioides, Less.), from Tenasserim, is figured ; and so also, 

 among the Dicruridae, is Dicrurus halicassivs, apud Tickell {annectens, Hodgs.), and Chibia 

 hotfcntota {Criniger splendeus, Tickell). Examples of Ilcmrpus picatus d 2 , from Ye, Tenasserim, 

 are figured ; and this species seems to be the only one found in Burma, unless the Mergui bird, 

 included by Blyth (Cat. B. Burma, No. 407), was correctly identified as being H. obscurus. 

 Ibis, 18(6, Among the Flycatchers Darjeeling examples of Butalis ferrugineus, adult and young, 



Jliiseicapid(f siipercilians, strophiafa, and sapj)Iura, adult and young, and a Tenasserim example 

 of Enjthrosterna maculata are well figured ; while the plate of Eumyias melanojys, taken from 

 Akyab individuals, appears to be referable to Cyornis unicolor. The young, in mottled plumage, 

 and the adult male and female of Cyornis rubeculoides are represented on one plate, and figured 

 from Tenasserim examples. All three species of Niltava are well delineated ; and X. macgregorioB 

 d , in the young plumage, is introduced. 



Volume vi. contains Part 2 of the Dentirostres, and is confined to the MeruJida;, which 

 family is made to comprise the Wrens, Pittas, Thrushes, and some of the Timeliine genera. It 

 contains thirty plates, with figures of thirty-six species. Pnoepyga squamata and P. caudata are 

 prettily figured on one plate ; the first species with the throat and breast rufous. In tlie letter- 



