1867.J MR. W, T. BLANFORD ON A NEW CALLENE. 833 



to its large European population and the number of energetic natu- 

 rahsts who have devoted themselves to the investigation of its zoo- 

 logy, has been very fairly made known ; that of the Nilghiris has 

 also been pretty well ascertained, the Reptilia especially having been 

 very thoroughly worked out by Dr. Jerdon and Captain Beddome • 

 and the Reptdia and Mollusca of a small portion of the southern 

 range have been collected by Captain Beddome, almost the only 

 naturalist who has ever penetrated the Anamallay hills (which ad- 

 jom the Pulneys) ; but of the fauna of the great' range I have just 

 described m general, less is known than of that of Bhotan or of the 

 iiuls or Arakan. 



It is therefore not surprising that the first ornithological novelty 

 which has been obtained from Southern India since the publication o'f 

 l)r. Jerdon s list of the birds in the years 1839-44 in the ' Madras 

 Journa of Literature and Science ' should have been procured from 

 the Pulney hills a group 7000 feet in height, forming the north- 

 eastern corner of the mountainous tract above described. It is very 

 interesting, however, to obtain from these hills a third representa- 

 tive form of the genus Callene (formerly Cinclidium) of Blyth, pro- 

 posed first for a species inhabiting the Eastern Himalayas (C. Ln- 

 tabs Blyth), and made by Jerdon, undoubtedly with justice, to in- 

 clude a Nighiri bird first discovered by hin/self (C. r.fiventri., 

 Blyth). This distribution illustrates one of the most remarkable 

 pecu lanties in the fauna of Peninsular India, a peculiarity to which 

 1 will refer after first giving the description of the new species. 



Callene albiventris, Fairbank. (PI. XXXIX.) 

 Fusco-cyanea, mento lorisque holosericeo-nigris, fascia frontali 

 albescenh-ccBrulea, rectricibus remiyibusque fuscis ccendes- 

 cente margmatis, abdomine medio albo, laterihus cinerascenti- 

 bus; rostro 7ii(jro, pedibus fascis, iridibus brunneis. 

 Long tota 6 ate 3-1 caudae 2-6, rostri a fronte 0-5, a rictu 075 

 tarsi ] -1 poll. Angl. et dec. ' 



<;r)n?*-nn?.°"'? ?"^f ^ djctos Indiee meridionalis, ad alt. circa 

 0000-/000 ped. Angl. in dumetis et sylvis. 



C albiventris is similar in form to the Nilghiri C. rufiventris 

 Blyth; but It IS rather smaller and differs widdy in colour be .o: 

 much bluer above with a distinct light-blue, almost whitish, fron a1 

 band, instead of the faint indication which alone exists in C. Tl 

 ventris. There is no trace of the ferruginous abdomen of that specieV 

 and the white in the new species is not, like the rufous colour in C 

 rufiventris spread over the whole lower parts from the breast downl 

 wards but IS almost cor.tined to the centre of the abdomen and the 

 lower tad-coverts shading gradually into slaty on the flanks. 



C. frontalis, Blyth, ot the Sikkim and Nipal Himalayas, is a still 

 larger bird than G rufiventris, with a longer tail. The frontal band 

 IS of a darker and richer blue than in C^ albiventris, and the abdo 

 men is grey The blue of C. albiventris is purer and less duskv 

 than that o either of the two other species, ^and, so far as can be 

 judged by the somewhat faded specimens in the Asiatic Society's 



