230 NOTES. 



Of late years, the range of Goisakius melanolophus within 

 our limits has been found to be far more extended than was 

 formerly supposed. 



Jerdon only seems to have known of it as from Malacca, 

 Sumatra, and Japan, but Layard had long previously reported 

 its occurrence in Ceylon. 



We procured it in the Nicobars, and later in Southern Tenas- 

 serim, and all through the Malay Peninsula. Mr. Inglis sent it 

 to us from Cachar. We obtained it near Dibrughur, in Assam, 

 and Mr. Cripps sent it to us from near Sibsagar in that province. 

 Mr Frank Bourdillon sent it to us from Southern Travancore, 

 and now Mr. Laird has obtained it as far north in the Penin- 

 sula of India astheBelgaum District, and to him I am indebted 

 for the oldest and most perfect specimen I have yet seen. 



Probably this species is less rare, and more widely spread 

 in zones of heavy rainfall, than has hitherto been suspected, it 

 having escaped detection owing to its purely nocturnal habits. 



Mr. Dresser, in a recent number of the Birds of Europe, 

 figures and describes Chcetura caudacuta, Latham {ciris of Pallas, 

 and nudipes of Hodgson apud Dresser) with a broad white 

 frontal band. The specimen he figures is said to have come 

 from the Himalayas. 



It is curious that out of ten very fine adults of both 

 sexes, sexed by dissection, from various localities in the 

 Himalayas, namely Hazara, Cashmere, Kotegurh, Darjeeling, 

 and native Sikkim, not one single specimen shows the smallest 

 trace of this white band ; on the contrary the deep brown, 

 glossed with green, runs down unbroken right to the bill. 

 Moreover Hodgson, when he described his nudipes, made no 

 mention of this white band. 



On the other hand every one of my Australian specimens shows 

 the white band distinctly. 



I can discover no other constant difference between the two 

 forms, but I suspect that the Asiatic and Australian forms 

 are entitled to be kept distinct Mr. Dresser will be able to 

 ascertain whether any undoubted Himalayan examples exhibit 

 the white frontal band. 



I may notice here that Hirundo ciris, of Pallas, which Mr. 

 Dresser quotes as a synonym of caudacuta, has nothing what- 

 soever to do with this bird, as is obvious from Pallas' descrip- 

 tion. 



" Corpus supra totum nigrum. Gula cinerea ; caeterum sub- 

 tus nigra ; sed subcaudales ex albo-lutescentes, punctis nigria 

 paucis. " 



