NOTES. 165 



I can only suppose. that it was prematurely published before 

 the authors had bad time to revise it. 



The very first page, and the very first species, illustrates the 

 kind of error to which I allude. 



That species is Palceornis derbianus, of which Palaornis mela- 

 norhynchus, Wagl., is given as a synonym ; but the dimensions 

 show that the true derbianus and not melanorhynclius is intended, 

 viz., total length, 18 inches; wing, 9-85. The artist professes to 

 have drawn to half scale, and figures a bird less than 16 inches 

 in length, with a wing of 6*5. However he figures the 

 green running up the nape and occiput, which is the case in 

 derbianus, and not in melanorhynclius ; and this, coupled with the 

 figured dimensions given in the text, show that the true derbi- 

 anus is referred to. In melanorhynclius {fasciatus,) of the 

 Himalayas, Burma, and the Audamans I may mention that 15*5 

 in length is the absolute maximum ; nine out of ten adult males 

 are below 15 "0 ; for the wings 7*0 is the maximum, and nine 

 out of ten males have the wings below 6*75. 



Well the text opens by informing us that " this large and 

 beautiful Paroquet, which is common enough in Nepal and Arra- 

 Jcan, conies to pass the summer in the wooded valleys of the 

 Upper Yangtze." 



It is needless to tell my Indian readers that melanorhynclius ', 

 Wagl., is not a synonym of derbianus, and that derbianus has 

 never yet been known to occur either in Nepal, Arrakan, or 

 any other part of the British Indian Empire, but it may be 

 useful to note that independent of the immense difference in 

 size the wing in melanorhynclius never exceeding 7'0, and in 

 derbianus running to 9'0, or more. The two species are distin- 

 guished amongst other points by the green of the back in 

 derbianus running up on the nape and occiput, whereas in 

 both sexes of melanorhynclius, the nape and occiput are uni- 

 colorous with the crown, and again by the breast in derbianus 

 being much more of a lavender and much less of a vinaceus 

 rosy than in melanorhynclius — the lavender or lilac in derbianus 

 moreover extending considerably lower down towards the vent, 

 than does the vinaceous rosy in the other species. 



After comparing a tolerably large series of the two forms, 

 I am still doubtful whether Gyps jyallescens, nobis, and Gyps 

 indicus, Scop., should be considered specifically distinct. 



The former appears to be the bird of Western and Central 

 India, and it invariably breeds on cliffs, never on trees, though 

 numbers of suitable ones may be growing alongside ; the 

 latter is apparently the bird of the moister aud more eastern 



