Calcutta, with Notes by H. E. Strickland. 43 



me ia J. A. S. B. no. 59. p. 963 et seq. as occurring in the vicinity 

 of Calcutta. 



No. 88 a. I have just procured a second specimen of Phylloscopus 

 nitidus, so that I have now confirmed all my described new species 

 of this genus on a plurality of specimens. 



No. 90 a. Add a smaller species of Acrocephalus , allied to A. 

 inontanus, and which I believe is the Sylvia rama of Sykes. 



Nos. 92 and 93. These are species of true Sphenura, vel Dasy- 

 ornis. Of Sph. collurkeps I have recently obtained two fine speci- 

 mens, and Mr. Jerdon has procured additional examples of Sph. stri- 

 ata. These birds frequent the densest grass-jungle, and Mr. Frith 

 has well suggested to me that the remarkable firm and elastic ant- 

 orbital bristles are designed to protect the eyes when the bird is 

 pushing its way through the grass-stems. This intent is, indeed, 

 obvious enough when once suggested. 



No. 95. This, with some allied species, now constitutes my genus 

 Cyornis, of which I know four Indian representatives, viz. C. rubecu- 

 loides, C. banyumas, C. Tickellice*, nobis {Muscicapa hyacintha, apud 

 Tickell), and C unicolor, nobis. 



No. 97. Add Muscicapa bilineata. Lesson, to the synonyms of this 

 species. 



No. 98 is, I now think, the true Saxicola rubicola, and no. 99 also 

 occurs in this neighbourhood. 



No. 99 a. A splendid living specimen of Orocetes cinclorhyncha 

 was brought to me, and kept some time in a cage, when the care- 

 lessness of a servant suffered it to escape. It was impossible to look 

 at this beautiful bird alive without being convinced of its close affinity 

 to the Stone-chats, and not to the Petrocincla ; and with the Saxico- 

 line birds it must be arranged. In this neighbourhood it seems to be 

 a rare and accidental bird. 



No. 101. Respecting Muscipeta paradisi, I have to observe that 

 both sexes are rufous, with short tails, and merely an indication of the 

 black hood, in nestling plumage ; that during the following year both 

 sexes continue rufous, with the crested black hood, the male being al- 

 ready distinguished by its lengthened middle tail-feathers ; that after 

 this the males, I think generally, but the females not until a later pe- 

 riod, assume the white dress, wherein the sexes are still distinguished 

 by the difference of tail. I am informed that the males breed in the 

 rufous plumage, and I have repeatedly seen a white male paired with 

 a rufous female : white females are indeed rare ; and I possess one 

 specimen of this sex with rufous upper-parts and white under-parts, 

 which however is not moulting, but had thrown out this parti-coloured 

 plumage at its last change : a similar parti-coloured male is figured 

 by Mr. Jerdon in the first number of his ' Illustrations of Indian Or- 

 nithology,' published a few weeks ago. 



* I have described this species as C. Ticlcel'lce, but I now suspect that the 

 Muscicapa rubecula, Sw. (Nat. Libr., Flycatchers), is the female of this 

 one rather than of C. hamjumas, in which case the name rubecula must be 

 retained for it. 



