OF THE MALAY PENINSULA. 127 



Then again he says, (of Hhinomyiai) u the distance between 

 the tips of the primaries and the tip of the tail, not as much aa 

 twice the length of the tarsus." In our bird, the 1st is 1*5, the 

 2nd, 07. So that, so far as I am able to test his diagnosis, my 

 bird would not be a Rhinomyias according to Mr. Sharpe. 

 But I cannot but feel that all these empirical and artificial 

 distinctions are liable to misconstruction by any one but 

 the person who himself evolved them, and therefore 

 I cannot feel at all certain that this bird should not, according 

 to Mr. Sharpe, be classed as Rhinomyias. Though I am quite 

 certain myself that if general structure, habits, texture of plu- 

 mage, and general appearance are to be considered, it should be 

 classed with Cyornis, which also I am quite sure should not be 

 united with Siphia strophiata. But if Count Salvadori's figure 

 is at all to be relied upon, or if Mr. Sharpens description is cor- 

 rect, then certainly my bird is not R. pectoralis. In my bird 

 the head is decidedly not duller, but if any thing richer colored 

 than the back. The breast band is no doubt grey, but it is 

 everywhere overlaid with a rich olive brown. 



The olive brown of the cheeks, ear-coverts, and sides of the 

 neck is precisely the same color as the head. There is no dark 

 brown patch on the under side of the wing. The flanks and 

 thighs are white and not " entirely ochraceous brown." 



The stripe above the lores I have already alluded to, and 

 generally for the present I prefer to retain my bird under its 

 original name Cyornis albo-olivaceus. 



387 A. — Trichastoma rostratum, Bly. 



Blyth says, Ibis, 1865, p. 47 : — " Napothera atricapilla, Mailer 

 = Trichastoma rostratum, nobis. Male with blackish cap ; female 

 with brown cap." This is altogether a mistake.* I have a con- 

 siderable series of the true Trichastoma rostratum, Blyth, identi- 

 fied with his types ; the sexes are precisely alike ; in both the 

 cap is brown. 



Napothera atricapilla may be Malacopteron ajlnis, but it is 

 certainly not Trichastoma (lege. Malacopteron) rostratum, 

 which in no sex ever has a dark cap, let alone a blackish one. 



390 A. — Alcippe cinerea, Blyth. 



It may be well to notice that I have numerous specimens of 

 the bird which Blyth identified under the name of Alcippe 

 cinerea (J. A. S. B., XIII., 384.) with Malacopteron cinerewn 

 of Eyton. My specimens have been compared with Blyth's 

 bird ; there is therefore no doubt that this is Alcippe cinerea, apud 



* It must be remembered that Blyth was writing from memory, with no specimens 

 to compare, and when years had elapsed since he had seen hid own types. 



