530 Letters, Announcements, ^c. 



Simla, June 24th, 1870. 



Sir, — Your readers will be familiar with the beautiful figure 

 of Ruticilla rufigularis, Moore (P. Z. S., 1854, p. 27, pi. lix.). 

 The exact habitat of this species has not hitherto, I believe, 

 been known ; the only specimens in existence formed, it is said, 

 part of Griffith's Collection in the East-India Company's Mu- 

 seum. Mr. Moore originally gave the habitat as Northern 

 India ; but both Dr. Jerdon and Mr. Blyth, regarding, I fancy, 

 the species as a purely Afghan one, excluded it from our Indian 

 avifauna. During the early part of the present year Major 

 Delme-Radcliffe wrote to me, mentioning the occurrence, near 

 Attock, of considerable numbers of a large Redstart with which 

 he was not familiar ; and later he kindly carbolized a couple, 

 and despatched them to me. Being absent from headquarters, 

 I have only just received the specimens, which prove to be a male 

 and female of the species just named. In the interim I have 

 visited Attock and Peshawur, and, guessing from his description 

 what the birds were, made all possible inquiries about them. It 

 appears that they are regular winter visitants to the Peshawur 

 Valley, extending at least as far down as Attock (where they 

 were very numerous during the past cold season), and leaving 

 early in April. Next year I hope to secure a plentful supply. 

 At present it is gratifying to have rediscovered, as it were, a lost 

 species. 



A correspondent of yours inquires whether the Black-winged 

 Stilt bred this year at Suttaupoor. They did, in unusual 

 numbers ; and Baboo Kalee Narain reported early having col- 

 lected over two hundred and thirty eggs, and would, I believe, 

 have gone on collecting an indefinite number (he being very 

 much delighted at his ornithological discovery) had I not 

 pointed out to him that we had already sufficient to supply all 

 the museums in India with specimens. 



The eggs and nest of Reguloides superciliosus will possess con- 

 siderable interest to European readers. I did not, unfortunately, 

 take them myself; but I have every reason to believe them 

 genuine. They were brought to me by a native collector with 

 the parent bird, which was caught by hand on the nest. I had 

 never instructed him to search for the eggs of these birds; and 



