NOTES,: 453. 



' "Will it surprise" ray readers to learn that I had nothing 

 earthly to do with this matter, and that my name has been substi- 

 tuted for Mr. Brooks', who in this case is the guilty party. As 

 if I did not make blunders enough, alas ! of my own without 

 being saddled with those of other people ! 



Now the Index is doubtless a most excellent one, but I must 

 say that before assailing their neighbours with ironical u sic fs" 

 on account of a trival misprint, (which moreover has no exis- 

 tence except in their own or their Printers' fervid imaginations) 

 the learned authors would have done well to purge their pages 

 from errors far less venial than mere misprints, and to have 

 borne in mind the wise words of the great prophet Ingoldsby-— 



" Last of all if you'd thrive and still sleep in whole bones, 

 If you've any glass windows, why never throw stones !" 



A. 0. H. 



Soto. 



In continuation of what I said (Stray Feathehs, Vol. I., 

 p. 437) of the entire distinctness of Drymoipus rufescens, nobis, 

 and D. Jerdoni, Blyth, let me quote Blyth, Journal Asiatic 

 Society, 1847, p. 459 :— 



" D. Jerdoni, nobis, described as a new species of Prinia in 

 Vol. XI., p. 883, but regarded as a variety of D. inornata 

 in Vol. XIII., p. 376, intermediate to D. sylvatica and D. inor- 

 nata (vera) of Southern India ; also nearly allied to the Javanese 

 species, which it resembles in size, but differs in its subtermi- 

 nal dusky tail-band not being nearly so broad, and essentially 

 resembling that of D. sylvatica. Except in being smaller, I 

 can detect no available distinction of this species from D s . 

 sylvatica, i.e., distinctions which I might predicate as constant; 

 but two specimens before me correspond exactly in dimensions, 

 having the wing two inches and an eighth, middle tail feathers 

 two and a half, bill to gape five-eighths, and tarsi three quar- 

 ters ; inhabits Southern India." 



Now, how could this apply to my large dark rufous bird, with 

 a wing of 2-62 to 2-75 ? 



Then again I showed my bird to Jerdon, and he said he did 

 not know it. I have still a note from Mr. Brooks, saying : * l I 

 got one or two more of that large Drymoipus which Jerdon 

 could not name. 



My dear friend Dr. Stoliczka and others, who will, vi et 

 armis, make rufescens=Jerdoni, go upon one single point — the 



