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JMUtiima! Jtote <m %\mmw thmo-zM ox MixoM* 

 and gtowax Uxxhohx. 



By W. E. Brooks. 



I have had an opportunity of examining the large series of 

 these birds in my friend's, the Editor's, museum ; and, although 

 the two are very closely affined, still I think they are separable. 



The following are the points of difference worthy of 

 notice : — 



1. Cinereo-alba has a somewhat shorter bill ; it is also 

 slightly wider at base, and generally its outline, when looked 

 upon from above, is more bulged or slightly convex at the 

 sides than that of terricolor, which latter has the sides of the 

 bill almost straight. 



2. The bill is very black above in cinereo-alba, and the black 

 on the apical portion of the lower mandible is most striking, 

 and extends about half way towards the base ; this black is 

 replaced by pale brown in terricolor, and this brown is of less 

 extent. 



The upper mandible of terricolor is generally much paler, 

 and frequently only an ordinary rather light brown. 



3. As a rule, cinereo-alba has a decidedly shorter tail, from 

 one-eighth to one-quarter of an inch. 



4. Upper plumage of cinereo-alba, as a rule, is darker and 

 greyer. The white of lower surface purer, and the dusky 

 across the breast is greyer in cinereo-alba, and browner in 

 terricolor. 



5. The first primary of cinereo-alba is shorter, as a rule, 

 and more pointed than in terricolor. In both species, however, 

 the size of this little feather is variable, and especially so in 

 cinereo-alba. I would not attach so much importance to this 

 distinction, but still it is worthy of notice and is sometimes of 

 assistance. 



I think the superior blackness of the lower mandible, and 

 the great extent of this blackness, together with the almost 

 invariably shorter tail in cinereo-alba, are very good distinctions, 

 and might be taken as conclusive, when we only get the paler 

 billed and longer tailed bird in the northern parts of India. 

 I have seen one or two South Indian examples referable to 

 cinereo-alba, and some of the Burmese examples appear to 

 be referable to terricolor ; but terricolor appears to be as scarce 

 in the east as the other is rare in the west. 



The young birds of each are more difficult to separate than 

 the older birds, being similarly pale toned, the bill often 

 included. 



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