OF THE ANDAMAN ISLANDS. 495 



of rufigastra to that of Beavani, to commemorate the original 

 discoverer of this species." 



No one, I think, will doubt an author's right to change either 

 his own name or one he has conferred on a new species ; what I 

 object to are people who presume to alter other people's names ; 

 but whether as rufigastra or Beavani, I fear this supposed new 

 species cannot stand. 



We have ten specimens from the Andamans, one from Cut- 

 tack, one from the Rajmahal hills, two from the Bhootan Doars, 

 one from Tipperah, one from Ye, and two from Amherst, and all 

 clearly belong to the same species ; but what is noticeable is, 

 that while some specimens have the upper surface very similar 

 to that of moluccensis, (as figured by Mr. Sharpe, I have not a 

 specimen down here) , in others this corresponds perfectly with 

 the figure of Asiatica, so that I can only conclude that the va- 

 riation in tint in the upper surface (and it varies more or less in 

 every single specimen) depends upon age and season and the 

 length of time that has elapsed since the last moult. 



351 Us.— Cyanocincla solitaria, Mull. 



We failed to obtain a specimen of the Blue-rock Thrush ; 

 one killed whilst Mr. Davison was at Port Blair exhibited no 

 trace of rufous on the lower plumage ; but Lord Walden men- 

 tions receiving one killed at Port Blair in February, having the 

 whole lower breast and ventral region deep chesnut, a few 

 feathers only here and there tipped with blue. The above 

 species must, therefore, be included in our list. 



356 bis.— GeocicMa albogularis, Bhjth. 



Lord Walden considers that the Andaman Bush-Thrush is 

 distinct from the Nicobar race, and has named it {Ann. and 

 Mag. of Nat. Hist., 1874J G. andamanensis. He says : — 



" When writing on Andaman birds (1. a), I had not had the 

 advantage of seeing examples of the Nicobar GeocicMa named 

 G. albogularis by Mr. Blyth. Lately a considerable series has 

 come under my observation ; and a comparison made between 

 them and Andaman examples makes it clear that they belong 

 to a totally distinct species. Having already shown that the 

 Andaman species differs from the Malayan G. innotata, it remains 

 without a title ; and therefore for the Andaman bird I propose 

 the name given above." 



I have not, it appears, a single Nicobar specimen. We saw 

 the bird continually, but failed to preserve one. Lord Walden 

 is doubtless right, and we must therefore enter 356 tei\ — Geo- 

 ciciila andamanensis, Walden, in our list. 



