NOTES. 285 



the wing in sthenura runs to 5"4 ? Clearly, therefore, if hetero- 

 eaca, with a wing of only 554, is larger than heterocerca, 

 heterocerca cannot be larger than sthenura, and as the other 

 diagnoses, number of lateral tail feathers and shape of tail, 

 are, so far as stated, invalid, one has a right to presume, until 

 we are favoured with a proper description, that heterocerca 

 equals sthenura. If this were so, then heteroeaca (from Luzon, 

 where, so far as we know, only ccelestis and megala occur) 

 might be megala. 



I have now contributed my mite towards the elucidation of 

 this troublesome question, and I must leave it to Dr. Oabanis 

 and other European writers to clear the matter up thoroughly. 

 At present (i heteroeaca " is a myth to most of us, while hetero- 

 cerca, treated by some as identical with megala, by others (like 

 Prjevalski) as distinct, and applied to what I think must be 

 sthenura, is a perfect bete noir, Anathema maranatha ! 



When treating of Acridotheres siamensis, S. F., VI., 388, 

 I was unable to give a proper description of the bird not 

 having then seen a specimen. From Mr. Swinhoe's description 

 (I should say remarks, for he never gave any description) I had 

 gathered that the bird was very close to fuscus ; but it is really 

 totally distinct, as the following particulars taken from a bird, 

 said to have been shot on the Tenasserim river, will sufficiently 

 show : — 



Length, about 9 5; wing, 5*3; tail from insertion of 

 feathers, 3*3 ; tarsus, 1*6; bill from frontal bone, 1*15. 



The bill, legs and feet appear to have be^n orange yellow. 



The whole bird may be said to be entirely black, except, (1) 

 the lower tail-coverts which, save at their bases, are pure white ; 

 (2) the tail feathers which are tipped with pure white, the 

 central ones narrowly, and each succeeding feather more and 

 more broadly till, on the exterior pair of all, the white tippings 

 are nearly an inch in length ; and (3) the wings, of which the 

 primary greater coverts are pure white, and the primaries white 

 at their bases. The first primary on the inner web only, the 

 rest of the primaries on both webs. 



The feathers of the forehead are linear and (all but the front 

 row or so which are shorter,) an inch or more in length, and 

 form a conspicuous crest contiuued by a baud of similar feathers 

 along the centre of the crown. 



When I say that the bird is black, it must not be understood 

 that it is jet black ; it is black, everywhere, except on the 

 secondaries, tertiaries and their greater coverts, and the 

 central portions of the scapulars (all of which have a bronzy 

 brownish lustre) overspread with a slightly greenish hoary 



