NOVELTIES. 503 



logue simply invaluable — a library in itself, which will supply 

 them with all the information that they chiefly require from 

 books, arranged in the simplest and most systematic manner. 



Every colonial ornithologist will owe Mr. Sharpe a debt 

 of gratitude that they can only rightly pay in one way, and 

 that is by aiding him in what he has so much at heart, the 

 perfecting of the British Museum collection. Looking through 

 this present volume, I see that he has himself presented more 

 than a hundred specimens of the Accipitres to the Museum, 

 but those of us who have much correspondence with him know 

 well that this can represent but a small share of what he has 

 already secured, one way and another, for the collections under his 

 charge. Like the apostle of old, he is instant, in season and out 

 of season, for specimens, and I think the least all of us who 

 will derive so much assistance from his work can do is, to 

 second his labours vigorously by liberal contributions to our 

 national collection. I must reserve to a future number the 

 remarks that I have to make in regard to particular species 

 included in this volume. 



a ft ,e U i i % . 



Podoces Biddulplii, Sp. Nov. 



General color pale, vinaceous buff; forehead, crown, and occiput black, (flossed 

 vnth blue ; occipital feathers forming a short broad crest ; a broad 

 black mandibular stripe on either side ; wings variegated white and blue- 

 glossed black; tail white ; central feathers with conspicuous blackish 

 brown shaft stripes, and tinged with vinaceous fawn. 



This, the finest of the four Chough-Thrushes as yet known to 

 me, Avas procured during the second Yarkand Expedition by 

 Captain Biddulph, after whom I have named it. He was the 

 only one of the Party who saw it in a wild state. He obtained 

 it in January at " Maralbashi "": later Dr. Stoliczka purchased a 

 caged specimen in Yarkand. 



In size, general tone of coloring, and appearance this species 

 resembles both P. Hendersoni and panderi, but it is distino-uish- 

 ed from both at once by its conspicuous white tail, as well as 

 by many other minor differences, which will become apparent 

 from the following description. I should add that although 

 both Captain Biddulph's specimens are females (and the females 

 in this genus appear to be smaller and to have smaller bills than 



