IN JERDOK OR STRAY FEATHERS. 383 



372 quat.— Oreocincla imbricata, Layard. 



Holdsworth says that this is nothing but 0. nilghiriensis, 

 vide P. Z. S., 1872, 446. On the other hand I have suspected 

 that it may be 0. gregoriana, vide S. F., IV., 244. I quote now 

 Layard" s original description : — 



fi Among- the birds received from Mr. Thwaites is one which 

 I cannot identify with any Indian species, and which may 

 perhaps prove new. I have, therefore, provisionally named 

 it imbricata from its scaled appearance. 



Length about 9 inches; of closed wing, 4*75 ; tail, 3; bill 

 to end of gape, 1*25 in j tarsi, 1"08. 



General colour of back aud upper tail-coverts darkish olive 

 brown, darker on the head ; each feather pales off to the edge, 

 where a black border, one line in breadth, succeeds ; tail fea- 

 thers wholly brown ; shafts black ; shafts of wing feathers 

 dark brown ; outer webs reddish brown ; inner webs dark brown. 

 On the breast the same style of marking prevails, the colours 

 being pale rufous yellow, darkening into deep rufous, with 

 very dark brown edge ; vent and under tail-coverts rufous ; 

 bill corneous ; legs brown. — Layard, A. and M., N. H., XIII. , 

 212, 1854. 



390 ter.— Alcippe nigrifrons, Myth. 



Closely affined to A. atriceps, Jerdon, from which it differs 

 in not having the whole crown black, but only the forehead 

 continued as a line backward over each eye and the ear-coverts ; 

 the tail also is darker and distinctly rayed with dusky black. 

 General hue fulvous brown above, and on the flanks and lower 

 tail-coverts ; rest of the under parts pure white ; the axillaries 

 tinged with rufescent. Wing, 2'25 inches. The irides are pale 

 straw colour. — Blyth. 



404 his. — Pomatorhinus melanurus, Blyth. 



Resembles P. Horsfeildi, but seems always to have a shorter 

 bill, and the colours are more brought out ; the hue of the 

 upper parts is more rufescent ; the tail much blacker, and the 

 cap is suffused with blackish, mingled with rufescent, but con- 

 trasting with the rufescent hue of the rest of the upper parts ; 

 the black of the tail affords the readiest distinction. Inhabits 

 Ceylon. — Blyth. 



