370 MR. A. ANDERSON ON A NEW SPECIES OF PRINIA. [Mar. 19, 



6. On a new Species of Indian Prinia. 

 By Andrew Anderson, F.Z.S. 



[Keceived March 18, 1878.] 



(Plate XIX.) 



It had been my intention to write a connected account of the birds 

 of Northern Kumaon, the result of a two months' ornithological excur- 

 sion into the Alpine regions of this part of the North-western Hima- 

 layas during the summer of 1875 1 . Time, however, has failed me, 

 to say nothing of bad health and heavy official duties ; so that I must 

 leave all details for another time, and content myself for the present 

 with offering to the Society a description of a Prinia, which I feel 

 confident is new to science, and which was ohtained in the Bagesur 

 valley on the 18th June, 1875, at an elevation of between 3000 and 

 4000 feet. 



Prinia poliocephala, sp. n. (Plate XIX.) 



Similis P. steward, et fronte cinerea piled concolori, sicut in hac 

 specie ; sed dorso brunneo nee cinereo diversa ; rostro niyro ; 

 pedibus pallide brunneis ; iride pallide Jlavida ; palpebris 

 pallide stramineis. 

 Long. tot. 3*8, cuhninis 045, alse 1*7, caudee T8, tarsi 0*8. 

 Hab. Kumaon, India. 



This species is of the same group as P. cinereocajnlla and P. 

 steward, but is distinguished from both by trenchant characters, 

 which may be expressed in the following synoptic table : — 



a. Back grey, as also the entire head stewarti. 



b. Back rufescent brown, contrasting with the head, which is 



grey. 



a'. Forehead grey, like the crown poliocephala. 



b'. Forehead fulvous, crown of head grey cinereocapilla. 



This discovery of an apparently new species of Prinia in a com- 

 paratively speaking well-explored country like Kumaon is an event 

 of some interest. 



I should not, however, omit to mention that I am indebted to my 

 friend Mr. W. E. Brooks for having brought to my notice that the 

 bird in question is apparently undescribed, and that it is not " P. 

 cinereocapiUa," by which name I had it catalogued in my note-book. 



Unfortunately, I only obtained one specimen of the new bird, a 

 male ; but at the same place a fair series of P. hodgsoni, all males, was 

 also added to my collection. Both species of Warblers were in beau- 

 tiful plumage ; an examination into their sexual organs indicated 

 that the latter end of June and July must be their breeding-season ; 

 and hence probably the reason why no female examples were met with. 



1 In an article contributed by me to ' Stray Feathers ' for 1875, vol. iii., en- 

 titled " Little or unknown Himalayan Oology," I have already given an ac- 

 count of the nidificatiou and habits of some of the birds I met with on this 

 occasion. 



