ASSAM, SYLHET AND CACHAR. 131 



These three specimens are obviously the same as the speci- 

 men we obtained at Mooleyit in Tenasserim (vide VI, 253). 



Now all these specimens, one male and three females, differ 

 alike from a Formosan specimen and from the figures P. C, 515, 

 and F. J., pi. XXVI, in having a most conspicuous vfhite 

 eye-brow, almost from nostril to nape ; but further Godwin- 

 Austen, in describing a bird of this species obtained at Cherra- 

 poonjee, says: " A pure white supercilium." And again describing 

 birds from the Naga hills he says : "A white supercilium ex- 

 tends to over the ear-coverts." And I gather that this bird 

 of his agreed well with specimens in Lord Walden's collection, 

 collected some of them I believe by Ramsay in Karenee. 



Now Mr. Seebohm in describing the adult male of pallidtis 

 says, " no trace of eye-stripe ;" and neither in speaking of the 

 female or young does he say that these differ from the adult 

 male in having a stroogly marked white supercilium. 



But, again, he gives 3rd, 4th and 5th primaries the longest 

 and nearly equal, and 2nd primary intermediate in length 

 between 5th and 6th, whereas in our birds the 3rd is longest, 

 4th a little and 5th very much shorter, and the 2nd either 

 longer than, or in one case only just equal to, the 5th. 



There are other differences, but knowing how carefully 

 Mr. Seebohm works, these two facts alone would suffice to 

 show that the Burmo-Assamic form must be distinct ; but 

 unfortunately I find that a Formosan specimen has the same 

 wing formula as ours, so this point goes for nothing. But 

 the Formosan bird has a broader, coarser bill than ours, and 

 its upper surface is a redder, more russet and less olive brown 

 than any of our specimens. 



I have fully described an adult female of this species, S. F., 

 VI, 254 ; it will be seen that this description does not tally with 

 Mr. Seebohm's remarks, since the entire breast, sides and flanks 

 and abdomen (except the middle lower abdomen) are a 

 delicate French grey (not slate grey), only some of the feathers 

 on one side of the breast are washed with the colour of the 

 upper surface. A male which I should have thought to be 

 quite adult, but that one or two of the secondary greater 

 coverts show minute bufiy tips, is as like the old female as 

 possible, except that it wants the patchy wash of the colour 

 of the back on the one side of the breast, the whole of which 

 is a pale French grey like the sides and flanks. 



Two younger females have the breasts, sides and flanks brown, 

 but this is a light somewhat olivaceous brown, very different 

 from that of the Formosan bird, and all our birds have the 

 middle of the abdomen, vent and lower tail-coverts pure white. 



