IN JERDON OR STRAY FEATHERS. 513 



eay I begin to doubt wbether most of them, including the 

 Bornean pallidus, ought not to be lumped. Elgini and mini- 

 mus are very distinct, but the others run into each other terribly, 

 and can in many cases only be separated by their dimensions. 



However, Mr. Legge, who has given much attention to the 

 Ceylon race, keeps it distinct, so I reproduce his diagnosis. 

 Blyth applied his name to the Ceylon bird, so that this latter, 

 if considered distinct, must stand as spilogaster. 



Mr. Legge seems to consider the Ceylon, Sumatran and 

 Singapore birds identical, or differing only in the immature 

 plumage. 



His diagnosis of this species is : — 



"Wing, 15*3 to 16*6. Adult. — Chest uniform brown with- 

 out any transverse stria; throat and cheeks pale iron-grey; 

 under surface spots variable in shape and size, surrounded by a 

 dark edge, which is also variable in intensity ; median under 

 wing-coverts concolorous with the chest. Juv. — Head-feathers 

 conspicuously tipped with white ; throat and cheeks blackish." 



299 ter. — Butalis muttui, Layard. 



" Length, 5 inches ; of closed wing, 3 inches ; of tarsi, 

 056; bill (to the end of gape), 0*7; upper mandible dark brown, 

 with pale tip ; lower inaudible yellowish ; general resem- 

 blance of But. latirostris, but of a far more rufous colour ; this 

 colour most prevalent on the outer webs of the wing-primaries, 

 the outer tail-coverts, and sides of the breast and belly ; 

 throat, belly and vent white ; breast rufous ashy ; back of the 

 head dark brown ; irides light brown." — Layard, (i A. & M. 

 N. B.;' 2nd S., XIII, 127, 1854. 



(i On comparing the Ceylonese Rusty Flycatcher, several 

 examples of which I possess, with specimens of Alseonax ferru- 

 gitieus in the British Museum, I find that it is quite distinct 

 from the latter bird. Layard's description tallies very well 

 with my specimens, which were procured in forest in the north 

 and west of the island, but he makes no mention whatever of 

 the very delicate yellow legs and feet, which are the chief 

 characteristics of the bird ; nor does he speak of the white spot 

 on the lores, nor the conspicuously dark patch on the lower 

 part of the face, contrasting with the rather narrowly confined 

 white of the throat. Notwithstanding the description, short 

 as it is, comes too close to my birds to permit of my considering 

 them as belonging to another species. Alseonax ferrugineus 

 differs from the Ceylon bird in the much deeper rufous of the rump, 



