NOTES. 163 



Owl, which k> this day, as Philippe' says, "may often be put 

 up and chased by Hawks'-' as I have seen a wild F. jugger do 

 near this very place. Considering how the identifications were 

 made, I do not think that any weight can be attached to 

 Philipps' paper, P. Z. S., 1857, 85. 



Following Finsch, Mon. Pap., 263, and the Marquis of 

 Tweeddale, Blyth's Birds of Burma, 57, I have in Vol VI, and 

 previous volumes, adopted Wagler's name melanorhynchus for 

 our Indian Blossom-breasted Paroquet No. 152 of Jerdon. 



On myself examining the question I find that this is entirely 

 wrong. 



The question turns upon whether BufiWs Planche Enluminee 

 No. 517, Perruche de Pondichery, represents the Indian or 

 Javanese form. 



The leading distinction between these two forms consists in. 

 the males of the former having the upper mandible red and 

 the lower mandible blackish or brownish dusky, while in the 

 latter both mandibles are red. Now in my copy of the Planches 

 Euluminees the lower mandible is brownish dusky, not a trace 

 of red about it. Again, referring to his copy of these plates, 

 Schlegel remarks " L'individu de Buffon a la mandibule in- 

 ferieure foncee." 



Moreover, from the name assigned, although the fact is no- 

 where separately stated, it is evident that the specimen figured, 

 and for the period very well figured, was brought from Pondi- 

 cherry, at which place, as indeed everywhere along the west 

 coast of the Bay of Bengal, specimens of this Parrot are to be 

 constantly met with in cages brought by the native boats, 

 which constantly pass to and fro across the Bay of Bengal from 

 Chittagong and the Burmese coasts. 



It does not appear to me that any possible doubt can exist 

 as to the fact that plate 517 of the P. E. represents the Indian 

 species ; and I am altogether at a loss to understand how ray 

 friend, Dr. Finsch, can assert, loc cit supra, that this plate un- 

 doubtedly represents the Javan species. Now, on this plate were 

 founded three names : 



fasciatus, P. L. S. Mull. Supplement, S. N., 74, 1776. 

 vibrissa, Bodd., Tabl., P. E., 30, 1783. 

 pondicerianus, Gm., S. N. L, 325, 1788. 



Linnaeus did not include this species under a distinct name, 

 though he may have included it in his extremely confused 

 synonymy of one of the species of this group, and Miiller's 

 name is therefore the oldest and must stand. 



