36 Otocoris Elwesi. 



pertaining^ to either the Asamese and Bhotan species, Chinquis, 

 Tern (apud Blyth, Gonldj Sclater) or the Malayan Bicalcara- 

 Ucm, Linn. In the former species the freckling spots are greyish 

 white on a greyish brown ground, in the latter they are hair- 

 brown on a buff ground, and much larger than in the former. 

 In the tail feathers before me they are about the same size as in 

 Chinquis, but less closely set, and are pale buff on a hair-brown 

 ground. The bird appears to have been smaller than either 

 species. The e;i/es of the central tail feathers are elongated 

 ovals (considerably narrower than in Chinquis) the major axis 

 being parallel to the shaft. They are emerald green. In one 

 of the lateral feathers, they are green, but with a purple reflection 

 in certain lights. 



Chinquis apud Blyth, &c., I believe also occurs in the coun- 

 try traversed by the Expedition, at any rate I have been shown 

 a specimen said to have been procured in it, but these feathers 

 will not at all agree with those of any of my specimens, from 

 the Bhotan Dooars. 



If really new, I would call the bird " intermedins" which it 

 appears to be both as regards locality and to a certain extent 

 in character of plumage between the two common species now 

 known as Bicalcaratum and Chi^iquis ; hnt vay own conviction 

 is that the bird to which these feathers belonged was the real 

 Chinquis of Temminck, with whose plate in the pi. col. (539) 

 they correspond exactly, and that the bird now commonly 

 known as Chinquis must stand either as Tliihetanus, of Briss. 

 Linn, et Gmel., or, if the application of this name be too doubt- 

 ful, as Albo-Ocellattm Cuv. 



A. O. H. 



(\% ^tocsi. Blanford. 



In Mr. Blanford's Zoology of Sikhim, page 63 of the Asiatic 

 Society^s Journal for 1872, a supposed new species Otocoris 

 Elwesi is described. I told Captain Elwes, soon after his return 

 from Sikhim, that this supposed species was merely one of the 

 forms assumed by Otocoris Longirostris, and I subsequently men- 

 tioned the fact, in epist., to Mr. Blanford. I do not know 

 whether Mr. Blanford is yet convinced of the fact ; but I cannot 

 doubt that he would be so, were he able to compare his speci- 

 men with a large series of Longirostris from different portions of 

 the hills, and I think it may save trouble and confusion here- 

 after to put distinctly on record my conviction that 0. Elwesi, 



