1877.] ON NEW BIEDS FEOM THE INDIAN EEGION. 509 



P.S. — Mr. Blanford (/. c.) mentions a specimen of an adult (B. sp.) in Mr. Hume's 

 possession, ex Sikkim, " closely agreeing in general coloration with the figure of Ofothrix hodgsoni" 

 as being " marked female." Is this the same example alluded to by Mr. Hume {op. cit. ii. 

 p. 349), the only one of his four "noted as a female, with a note of interrogation," by its 

 collector, Mr. W. Mason 1 If it is not, we have some evidence of dimorphism in B. affiuis. If 

 it be the same individual, the note of interrogation must have escaped Mr. Blanford's 

 attention. — T. 



Description of four new Species of Birds from the Indian Region. By Arthur, Marquis of A.M. N. H. 

 TwEEDDALE, F.R.S. [From the 'Annals and Magazine of Natural History,' ser. 4, vol. xx., "•''^■^''^J']-^^- 

 August 1877.] 



Megalukus ruficeps, sp. n. 



$ . Lower surface white, faintly tinged with cream-colour on the breast. Flanks pale 

 earthy brown. Under tail-coverts pale dingy isabelline rufous ; thigh-coverts of a more decided 

 rufous. Space before the eye and supercilium, passing well behind the eye, greyish white. A. M. N. H. 

 Forehead, head, and nape pure bright uniform rufous. Back olive-grey, each feather broadly ^'^''•"^'"^°1-^^- 

 centred by a longitudinal stripe of brown. Uropygium and upper tail-coverts uniform olive-grey. 

 The base of the long and lax uropygial feathers pure dark grey, the tips only being olive-grey. 

 Rectrices above dull ruddy brown, obsoletely barred with narrow brown lines. Qaills brown, 

 externally margined with ferruginous olive. Lesser wing-coverts olive-grey ; greater tinged with 

 ferruginous. 



Wing 2'75 inches, tail 5'25, tarsus I'O, culmen 0-56. 



Obtained by Mr. A. H. Everett at Monte Alban and at San Mateo, in Luzon, durino- 

 February. Only one example has the sex noted on the label ; but as the dimensions of the other 

 individual coincide, it is probably also a female, the dimensions of the males in this genus 

 exceeding: those of the females. 



'tj 



NiLTAVA LEUCUEA, Sp. n. 



c? . Crown and nape blue, glossed with pale lazuline, most conspicuous on the forehead and 

 supercilium. Lores and narial plumes black. Back, uropygium, and upper tail-coverts dead 

 lazuline blue. Chin, throat, and breast grey, washed with lazuline blue, which shades into white 

 on the abdomen. Ventral region and under taU-coverts pure white. Flanks bluish ash. Quills 

 brown, margined above with dark blue. Wing-coverts like the head. Wing-lining and axillaries 

 grey. Outer pair of rectrices brown, pure white at the base ; next two pairs with the outer webs 

 brown, washed with blue, the base of each and nearly the whole of the inner webs pure white ; 

 the fourth pair brown on the inner web and with three fourths of the basal part of the outer web 

 pure white ; fifth pair brown, washed with blue on the outer webs ; middle pair blue. Bill 

 black ; legs light brown. 



3 u 



