OF NORTH-EASTERN CACHAR. 251 



402— Pomatorhinus schisticeps, Eodgs. 



" Rather rare.— J. I." 



A specimen, clearly belonging* to this species, a male from 

 Dilkhushah, 24th July 1878 :— Length, 9*3 ; expanse, 108 ; 

 wiug, 36 ; tail, 4*0; tarsus, 1*5 ; bill from gape, 1*3; weight, 

 15 oz. 



Referring to my remarks, S. F., VI., pp. 282, 284, 1 have 

 now re-examined our series, and my general conclusion is, that 

 Pomatorhinus nuchalis, Tweeddale, is not specifically separa- 

 ble from P. leucog aster, of Gould, and that, despite variations 

 discernible in plumage, &c, both these forms are very doubt- 

 fully distinct from P. schisticeps, Hodgs. 



Mr. Gould's name was published at the close of 1837. 

 Mr. Hodgson's name was first published in Asiatic lies., 

 Vol. XIX., p. 181, and I have not now the means of ascertain- 

 ing when this latter was published. On this will depend, sup- 

 posing we agree to unite all the three forms, which name 

 should be adopted. 



As to schisticeps I have a very large series of Darjeeling and 

 Nepal specimens ; they are all, with one exception, of the same 

 type, with the more or less distinctly slaty head, larger bill and 

 more intense, almost maroon, ferruginous of the red stripe at 

 the sides of the neck and breast, and they are all characterized 

 by more or less conspicuous white shaft stripes, or shafts on a 

 greater or less number of the rufous feathers on the sides of 

 the breast. Two Cachar specimens are precisely similar, but 

 have less of the slaty tinge on the head. One Thayetmyo 

 specimen was precisely similar. 



Turning to leucogaster and to Gould's original description, 

 P. Z. S., 1837, p. 137, we find that it was characterized by the 

 absence of the marked slaty tinge on the head, which is des- 

 cribed as unicolorous with the back (summo capite, corpore 

 supra, alis crissoque, olivaceo-fuscis) , and by the brighter 

 colour of the rufous on the sides of the neck and breast; and 

 the absence of white central shafts to the feathers of this rufous 

 band [lateribus colli, pectoris, corporisque, idtide rufis.) 



Now these birds of Gould's were collected by Mr. Furell 

 somewhere near Simla, and I have two specimens from the 

 immediate neighbourhood of Simla, which answer precisely to 

 Gould's description. The heads are practically concolorous with 

 the back, the red is a brighter and more rusty rufous, and there 

 are scarcely any traces of white shafting to the feathers of this 

 rufous. These birds are absolutely inseparable from some of 

 the Tenasserim nuchalis, but some of these latter differ in 

 having the red of the sides of the neck continued right round 

 its back as a broad nuchal collar. This is by no means an 



