504 SOME NOTES ON SINDH BIRDS. 



Male. — Length, 14 ; wing, 12; tail, 6; bill at front, 1*06 ; 

 bill from gape, 1*12 ; expanse, 35*73. 



Toes lavender ; bill dusky horn ; irides brilliant orange yel- 

 low."— Ed. S. F.] 



[553.— Hypolais rama, Syhes. 



553 ter. — Hypolais pallida, Hemp, and Ehr. (ante 

 p. 398.) 



Both these were sent me long ago from near Sehwan by 

 Mr. James, but I was not satisfied as to the identity of the 

 latter, and I sent it to Mr. Brooks, who said it was only a 

 large rama, in which I did not concur, and so the specimens 

 lay by unnoticed until I got specimens of pallida identified 

 at home from Persia and Europe, and then I forgot that neither 

 species had been noticed. — Ed., S. F.] 



[738.— Oarpodacus erythrinus, Pall. 



Amongst specimens of Erytlirospiza githaginea, Mr. Murray 

 has recently sent me two examples of this present species, killed 

 near Sehwan in December 1877.— Ed. S. F.] 



932. — Ardetta flavicollis, Lath. 



On the 25th January 1 noticed what I thought was a re- 

 markably dark green Bittern, and again on the 26th I had a 

 nearer view of the same bird, and I then distinctly saw a yellow 

 streak along the side of the neck and the throat of a whitish 

 colour ; the rest of the plumage apparently black ; when too late 

 to shoot it, it flashed across my mind it was a Black Bittern. 



[Captain Butler writes : — 



" I discovered another novelty on the 29th January in a swamp 

 about eight miles from here (Sukker) on the other side of the 

 river, viz., the Little Black Bittern. I have no books by me, and 

 cannot recollect the scientific name now. There was no mistak- 

 ing the bird, as it crossed the canoe I was in, with the sun 

 shining full on it so close (about 6 or 7 yards) that I did not 

 shoot for fear of blowing it to pieces. 



It dived into a thick bush, whence I was unable to dislodge 

 it. As far as I could see, it was about the size of A. sinensis or 

 A. cinnamomea of a glossy (!) black throughout, with a pale 

 yellowish line on the side of the neck/' 



It would have been much more satisfactory if one of these 

 gentlemen had shot the bird. Neither of them are familiar 

 ■with it, and there is always a possibility of error in this kind of 

 identification.— Ed., S. F.] 



