166 Mr. Blyth's Notes relaiing 



latter " — that is, that both sexes have a colouring corresponding 

 to the ordinary feminine garb in this genus. In a female of C. 

 tickellia obtained by Mr. Blanford (J. A. S. E. 1869, p. 174) 

 " the plumage was precisely similar to that of the male " — that 

 is, the ordinary masculine garb of the genus. I cannot help sus- 

 pecting that the latter case was exceptional in the species, as with 

 a female Redstart {Ruticilla phoenicuriis) I obtained last spring, 

 and now in the collection of my friend Mr. Bond ; but this I 

 should describe as exhibiting a quasi-masculine phase of plumage. 



MusciCAPA MUELLERi, Tcmm., from Sumatra and Borneo, 

 is very like M. mugimaki of Java as well as of Japan j and my 

 Erythrosterna erythaca from Pinang is probably the female of 

 the former rather than of the latter (as assigned by Mr. Swinhoe). 



Erythrosterna leucura. In the opinion of Herr von 

 Pelzeln, this bird is not distinct from E. parva (Ibis, 1868, 

 p. 316). But Mr. W. T. Blanford remarks of E. parva (J. A. 

 S.B. 1869, p. 174) that it is "common about Nagpur. I did 

 not,^^ he adds, " obtain a single specimen of E. leucura, which 

 is probably only found in Bengal and Orissa, like some other 

 migratory birds. [I observed it to be an exceedingly common 

 winter visitant in the neighbourhood of Akyab.] In E. parva 

 the buff feathers round the orbits are peculiai'Iy conspicuous. 

 Males shot so early as the end of November had the red breast ; 

 so that, except in birds of the year, I doubt if the male ever has 

 the plumage of the female.''^ The male of E. leucura seems 

 always to have a trace of rufous or ferruginous about the chin, 

 by which it may be distinguished from the other sex ; but the 

 well-defined ferruginous gular mark (never spreading upon the 

 breast as in the other) does not make its appearance till late in 

 the spring, immediately prior to their departure from the vicinity 

 of Calcutta. It is a particularly abundant species, of which 

 specimens were brought to me continually, with others, through- 

 out the season ; and I never saw one having the gular mark ex- 

 cept late in the spring, nor a specimen that was intermediate in 

 the extension of this rufous. I therefore hold with Mr. Blan- 

 ford, that E. leucura should be recognized separately from 

 E. parva. 



