SUPERCILIOSUS AND REGULOIDES HUMII, &C. 477 



the head having dark blackish olive immediately adjoining the 

 supercilium. This extends to the nape of the neck, leaving 

 a distinct greenish grey coronal streak between the dark bands. 

 I have shot some here with dark heads, although they fall short 

 of Shillong examples in this respect. There is, however, no 

 difference of note, but absolute identity in this respect. I, 

 therefore, think the dark birds cannot well be separated speci- 

 fically from the rest, although we never see a dark bird from 

 the North- West. If the dark-headed bird were held to be 

 distinct, it would be impossible to say where one began and 

 the other ended. Even in new feather, no dark-headed bird is 

 seen in the North- West. Young greenish birds from both dis- 

 tricts perfectly accord. 



When speaking of the note of R. superciliosus, I forgot to 

 say that it is more like that of Reguloides subviridis, except 

 that the latter' s is a distinctly double note, while that of super- 

 ciliosus is single, and much louder. 



I have lately been shown April examples of Reg. subviridis, 

 obtained at Grilgit in the north part of Cashmere. Where 

 this obscure little bird goes to breed is yet unknown. It is as 

 much a western or north-western species in India as super- 

 ciliosus is eastern ; and I don't think it would be procured 

 further east than Allahabad. 



This species is not well known, and as one of my friends, in 

 spite of what I have written, suggests that it is the younw of 

 Reguloides humii, a brief notice of it here will not, perhaps, be out 

 of place. It is like a pale-toned Reguloides proregtdus, without 

 the yellow rump patch, with brighter yellow about the head, and 

 with the same distinctly defined dull yellowish coronal streak. 

 By " distinctly defined," I mean that the edges of this central 

 head stripe contrast abruptly with the other colour of the top of 

 head, and are not blended into it as in the cases of super ciliosus, 

 humii, erochroa, and others. The coronal streak of maculipennis 

 is of the proregulus distinct class. The distinct coronal streak 

 of subviridis, as well as the distinct tone of plumage, and its 

 most thoroughly distinct voice, yellow bill below, and paler legs 

 and feet, amply serve to distinguish it from Reg. humii. The 

 absence of the yellow rump separates it from R. proregulus. 



The Reguloides, of which I have spoken, after all, don't 

 resemble each other so closely as some of the Hypolais and 

 Acrocephali do. The Larks and Pipits, too, are much more 

 difficult to those who don't know them well. 



There is a great tendency now-a-days to unite birds that 

 differ to the utter destruction of ornithological science. Its 

 chief charm lies in the closely-affined species, This lumpino- 

 system is even worse than making bad species ; and speaking 



