472 Letters, Extracts, Notices, &)C. 



the right plan. The day before my first visit arrived a box of 

 skins from Tsu Shima, the island whence my Picus richardsi 

 came. They sent a collector there for it^ as the Corean species 

 is distinct. He has brought back 2 ? and 1 ^ , which latter 

 has the head and crest rich crimsom. The Hypsipetes is dis- 

 tinct from H. amaurotis, and an Emberiza is between E. ciopus 

 and E. cioides. Ijima is going to send you a paper on 

 the birds of Tsu Sliima. In the forests on the mountains 

 here 1 have had the pleasure of watching Erithncus akahige 

 and Accentor rubidus. The Robin is a mountain bird and 

 keeps to the skirts of the forest. The AccetHor too keeps to 

 the high ground, not below 3000 feet ; the other I found 

 only 4000 feet up, and the people at Nikko, 2000 feet, do not 

 know it. Altogether 1 am having a good time, though I 

 cannot collect myself. The forest is an Imperial preserve, 

 and no shooting is allowed. 



Yours &c., 



H. B. Tristram. 



Calcutta, l-5t]i May, 1891. 



Sir, — I received the other day, from a correspondent of 

 mine, Mr. Harold S. Ferguson of Trevandrum, in Travan- 

 core, a bird for identification. We have no sj)ecimen like it 

 in the Museum here, but I take it to be a young bird of the 

 year of Merula bourdilloni, the Travancore Blackbird. 



As the young plumage of this species appears to be un- 

 known I have drawn up a short description of it, which 

 may be useful. 



Above slaty black, the feathers of the head, anterior part 

 of the back, and scapulars with pale yellow shaft-lines ; 

 primary and secondary coverts and upper tail-coverts with 

 slight ochreous tips ; rest of the wings and tail black like 

 the back. Beneath ochreous yellow, each feather with a dusky 

 tip, so that below the bird has a mottled appearance, the 

 dusky tips are larger on the upper breast and lower abdomen ; 

 under wing-coverts, axillaries, and under tail-coverts black, 

 with yellow tips to the feathers. Bill (in skin) horny, with 

 yellow tips, legs (in skiu) light horny. A female. Length 



