144 Letters, Announcements , i^c. 



but it is new to me. I detected it amongst a number of Hima- 

 layan birds, and owe it to the kindness of Major McMahon. 



"V^ NiLTAVA LEUCOTIS, Sp. nOV. ? 



Male. Dimensions. — Length 6; wing 3*4; tail 2'4; tarsus '9; 

 billj from front, "4 in. 



Description. — The forehead, top, and back of the head glis- 

 tening black ; part of the lores, the cheeks, and ear-coverts pure 

 silky white ; chin and throat black, more or less glistening, and 

 with more or less of a bluish tinge. A greyish-white half-collar 

 on the nape, not quite extending on either side to the white ear- 

 and cheek-patches. Back and scapulars dull black; a bright 

 patch of glistening smalt-blue at the base of the neck on either 

 side. Rump and upper tail-coverts bright glistening blue; 

 shoulder of the wing, middle tail-feathers, and outer webs of 

 lateral ones deep dull blue ; inner webs of the lateral tail-feathers 

 and wing-quills dusky brown, outer webs of quills dusky cya- 

 neous ; breast, abdomen, flanks, lower tail-coverts, and wing- 

 lining bright ferruginous; bill apparently horny-black; legs 

 and feet fleshy-brown. 



This bird is closely allied to N. sundara, but differs in its 

 somewhat smaller size, in the pure glossy black head, greyish- 

 white half-collar, and large, conspicuous, glistening <vhite cheek- 

 and ear-patches. The bill is a trifle longer and the feet are de- 

 cidedly feebler and smaller than those of N. sundara. The single 

 specimen I possess came from the interior of the Himalayas ; but 

 the exact locality at which it was obtained is unknown to me. 



I may note that the white ear- and cheek-patches, which are 

 the most conspicuous features in this bird^s plumage, closely re- 

 semble those of Otucompsa leucotis; but they are slightly less 

 wide (not projecting downwards so far into the throat) and con- 

 siderably longer (extending forwards under the eye to the lores) . 



Let me add a decidedly new species of Prinia : — 



-^ Prinia humilis, sp. nov. 



Dimensions. — Length 4*75 ; expanse 5*5 ; tail 2"25 ; wing 

 2, when closed, reaching to within 1*38 of end of tail ; bill, from 

 front, '4; tarsus '76. 



Description. — Head, neck, and upper back pale earthy-brown, 



