LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 507 



tarsus, 1*4 to 1*45; culmen, 09 to 095. The length is given 

 by Mr. Bourdillon from 8£ to 9| inches in different specimens. 



" T. meridionale is distinguished from T. fairbanki by (1) 

 the much shorter white superciliary stripe terminating above 

 the eye, whereas in T. fairbanki it extends back above the 

 ear-coverts ; (2) by there being no brown baud behind the eye, 

 the feathers immediately behind the eye being rufescent grey 

 like the cheeks in T. meridionale, whilst they are brown like 

 the lores and the crown in T. fairbanki; (3) by the back and 

 upper parts generally being much greyer, and by the brown 

 colour of the crown passing gradually into the olivaceous tinge 

 of the back, and not being separated by a distinct margin ; (4) 

 by the tail-feathers being browner and more distinctly trans- 

 versely barred above; (5) by the striation on the throat and 

 breast being more strongly marked ; (6) by the middle of the 

 abdomen being white instead of ferruginous* ; and (7) by the 

 rather stouter bill. I consider the differences marked 1, 2, 

 and 3 characteristic ; the others taken alone would scarcely 

 justify the separation of the two forms. 



" From T. jerdoni the present species may be known by the 

 absence of a black chinf, by the flanks and under tail-coverts 

 being rufous instead of olivaceous, and the middle of the 

 abdomen white instead of rufous. It is greatly to be regretted 

 that T. jerdoni has never been collected again, so far as can be 

 judged by published accounts, since Jerdon first procured it." 



I am inclined to agree with Mr. Blanford, and coincide 

 specific rank to this form, and I have only to add that both it 

 and fairbanki are quite distinct from jerdoni^ of which we 

 have procured recently numerous specimens. 



liters k tfo (Mitor. 



Sir, 



I have lately had an opportunity of examining an albi- 

 noid Goose Teal {Nettopus coromandelianus) , and in the hope 

 it may not be without interest to some of your readers, I 

 append a brief description of the bird : — 



Forepart of head, neck, and a line from bill to eye, dark 

 brown, mixed with dirty white ; breast white, with transverse 



* This may not be constant ; I have an indistinct recollection of having seen a 

 specimen of T. fairbanki with the middle of the abdomen whitish, but I am not 

 sure. 



f With reference to this distinction between T. jerdoni and the two Southern forms, 

 T. fairbanki and T. meridionale, it is as well to note that the presence of a black 

 chin in the former is mentioned by Blyth in his original description J. A. S. B., 1861, 

 XX, p 622. I call attention to this distinction, as Mr. Hume has overlooked it in his 

 note on the species (Stray Feathers, VII, p. 36.) 



