496 Letters, Announcements, ^c. 



easily distinguished by their much smaller stature and brighter 

 plumage. Lieut, Feilden procured three of these birds (adults) 

 and two of P. roseus. Dr. Jerdon (B, Ind. iii. pp. 775^ 776) 

 is inclined to believe in the existence of another species of Fla- 

 mingo in India, under the name of P. miyior ; but if this is in- 

 tended for the bird I now describe, it seems to be an inappropriate 

 name, as, apart from the variation in size, it has other more charac- 

 teristic differences, as will be seen by the following description : — 



Throughout of a bright pink colour; wing-coverts, tertials, 

 upper tail-coverts, and under the wing dark red-pink; breast 

 mottled with the same. Chin covered with feathers to the base 

 of the lower mandible, and no bare spot between the lower 

 mandible and the neck as in P. roseus ; the feathers bordering 

 the eye and base of bill scarlet. Bill claret- colour at base, 

 shading off to lake towards the tip, which is black; irides a fine 

 ring of golden-yellow, surrounded by an outer ring of orange- 

 scarlet ; tarsus^ legs, and feet blood-red. Length 35 inches, 

 wing 13*5, bill 3'125, tarsus 8, middle toe 3. 



The great points of difference between this and P. r'oseus would 

 strike the most casual observer, and are — the whole colour a uni- 

 form bright pink, instead of rosy-white, and the intense bright- 

 ness of the wing-coverts, upper tail-coverts, and under the wing, 

 the complete difference in the coloration of the irides, legs, tarsus, 

 and feet, the absence of a bare chin-spot, and the size, which dis- 

 tinguishes this species from P. roseus at the distance of a mile. 



Taking all these circumstances into consideration, I think that 

 this will be admitted as a different species from P. minor or 

 P. blijthi, which both Dr. Jerdon and Mr. Blyth regard as 

 varieties of P. roseus ; if so, I would claim for this bird the name 

 of P. RUBiDUS, in contradistinction to its paler congener. 



H. W. Feilden, 18th Hussars. 



Secunderabad, lOtli July, 1868. 



*:4;* Mr. Blyth, to whom we have shown Capt. Feilden^s letter 

 above printed, kindly informs us that he has no doubt but the 

 Flamingo therein described is of an entirely new species, of 

 which he has never seen an example. — Ed. 



22nd July, 1868. 

 Sir, — I observe that Lord Waldcn, in describing the birds I 



