Major H. H. Godwin-Austen on new Species of Birds. 411 



XXXVIII. — Descriptions of supposed new Birds from the 

 Khdsi-Ndgd Hill-ranges south of the Brahmaputra River^ 

 Assam. By Major H. H. Godwin-Austen, F.Z.S. &c. 



Garrulax nuchalis^ n. sp. 



Above, top of head to nape dark slaty grey, succeeded by a 

 broad rich ferruginous collar an inch in breadth, which fades 

 into the olive-green of the back. Wings and tail of a rather 

 darker tint of olive, the latter tipped black ; the first four 

 primaries are edged hoary grey ; the shoulder of wing has a 

 rusty tinge. A narrow frontal band ; the lores, with a narrow 

 line over and below the eye, black ; this is continued in a 

 streak of dark rusty brown over the ear-coverts ; a few white 

 feathers border the black frontal band above. Chin black, 

 extending a short way down the middle of throat ; breast pale 

 ashy, with a slight vinous tinge. Cheeks and ear-coverts pure 

 white. Flanks and under tail-coverts dull olive-green. Bill 

 black. Irides purple lake. Legs fleshy grey. 



Length 10 inches, wing 4*25, tail 4*6, tarsus 1*7, bill at 

 front 0-9. 



This beautiful species was among a batch of birds lately 

 received from and collected by Mr. M. T. Ogle of the Topogra- 

 phical Survey, in the Lhota-Nagd, hills. It is the representa- 

 tive there of G. chinoisis, but differs in possessing the broad 

 ferruginous nape, and the neutral grey of the head is of a 

 darker hue. In other respects it is identical, save in some 

 minor points, such as : — the black of the throat does not extend 

 so far down on to the upper breast ; the lower breast is paler 

 than in chi?iensis, and has a vinous tinge ; the under tail- 

 coverts are pure olivaceous with no ochraceous tint ; and, lastly, 

 the white of the cheek and ear-coverts extends in this new 

 form further down the side of the neck. 



On a careful comparison, made by myself and Lord Walden, 

 of Su^a atrogularis of the Darjeeling hills with specimens I had 

 hitherto supposed to be exactly the same found on the Khdsi 

 hills, the differences are so well marked that they are sufficient 

 to separate them as a distinct race, to which I give the title Suya 

 hhasiana. 



These differences are as follows : — 



Suya atrogularis^ Moore (of which eight specimens were 

 examined), 



a. Is a greyer bird, with a decided tinge of olivaceous ; 



h. None show pure white beneath j 



c. Thigh-coverts pale brown. 



28* 



