142 Letters, Announcements, 5)T. 



As regards the Yellow Wagtails [torn. cit. p. 214) I do not 

 think that these have as yet been correctly discriminated. We 

 have in India six quasi-species : — (1) Budytes flavus (L.); (2) B. 

 viridis (Gmel.); (3) B. cinereocapillus, Savi; (4)£. melanucephalus, 

 Bp.; (5) B. citreolus (Pallas), and (6) B. aureocapillus, Vieillot. 

 But of these I confess that I should be disposed to regard 

 Nos. 2, 3, and 4 as different stages of the same species. I have 

 fully discussed these various species in the rough notes on Indian 

 ornithology which I hope to find time to print during the present 

 year, and I will therefore here only add that B. citreolus (Pallas) 

 measures — length 6 to 6"2 ; wing 2'86 to barely 3 ; bill, from 

 front, '45; tail about 2*75, — thus difi'ering conspicuously in 

 size as well as in other points from B. aureocapillus, Vieillot, de- 

 % scribed, by an oversight, by Dr. Jerdon (B. Ind. ii. p. 325) under 



the name of citreolus, of which the dimensions may be taken 

 as — length 7'25 ; wing 3*2 to 3*4 ; bill, from front, '55 ; tail 

 about 3. The first species is common in Behar in the cold 

 season, and has been sent me from Darjeeling in the hot weather. 

 The latter is the Wagtail so common during the summer in 

 Cashmere. 



In regard to Parus cinereus (Ibis, 1869, p. 215) I would re- 

 mark that I have specimens from almost all parts of the Hima- 

 layahs, from Etawah and Jhansie in the Doab, and Bundelcund, 

 from Mount Aboo, Goonah, Ahmednugger, and the Neilgherries, 

 all of which appear precisely similar. Whether the Singalese 

 race be really distinct, I am not in a position to decide ; but it 

 would be curious if, while the same species extends from Murree 

 to Darjeeling, and from Seharanpoor to Conoor, a different re- 

 presentative species should occur in Ceylon. 



5th. The small Flamingo mentioned by Dr. Jerdon {pp. cit. 

 p. 231) and considered by him to be the Phcenicopterus minor of 

 Vieillot, is now, owing to the kindness of Major McMahon, in 

 my museum. 



The structure of the bill suffices to separate it from any other 

 Flamingo that I have ever seen. This species is very wary. It 

 is found in considerable numbers in the Sambhur Salt Lake, in 

 company with myriads of the common species P. roseus, from 

 which its small size and brilliant rosy hue suffice to distinguish 



