182 Contributions to the Ornithology of India, ^e. 



a bright pale gamboge to a saffron yellow. 



470 &*s.— Oriolus galbiila, L. 



A very considerable nnmber of western forms snch as tbe 

 Egyptian bee-eater, and the European roller, visit Sindh, but 

 only during the inundation. The golden Oriole is one of these. 

 We of course never saw it, but Mr. James, c. s., has recently 

 forwarded to me a specimen procured early in September in a 

 mango grove close to Kurrachee. There is no mistake about- 

 the species, the much larger size, the longer wing (all but 6,) 

 the comparatively smaller bill and the entire absence of black 

 behind the eye, separate the bird as clearly as possible. Mr. 

 James never remembei's to have seen another, but I do not doubt 

 that if search be made next August and September, plenty of 

 others will turn up. 



480. — Thamnobia cambaiensis, Latham. 



Although I have identified the Sindh birds with this species, 

 it must be understood that the Sindh specimens are exactly 

 intermediate between typical fulicata and camhaiensis. The 

 backs of the males are much too dark for the one and not dark 

 enough for the other ; and here I may notice that these birds are 

 precisely similar to some I obtained in Guzerat, in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Ahmedabad,. and again at Aboo and Jodhpoor. If 

 the name had any real significance, these ought to be the true 

 eamhaiensis, and the southern and northern birds should be 

 treated as merely darker and lighter races of this one species ; 

 fulicata, however, has the priority, and must stand, but never- 

 theless I myself question the necessity of acknowledging 

 any second species. In the South we have one race, in the 

 North another ; typical specimens of each race contrast together 

 strongly, but when we come to look into the question, we find 

 that between these two types every possible intermediate link is 

 to be found ; under such circumstances I personally would in- 

 clude both types as local races of one species. 



481.— Pratincola caprata, L. 



The Sindh Mack robin runs perhaps a trifle larger than the 

 common Upper-Indian bird. A Sindh male measured length, 5*7; 

 expanse, 8"5 ; tail from vent, 2'9 ; wing, 2'8 ; specimens of caprata 

 of Upper India (males) vary in length, from4'88 to 5 '3; expanse, 

 7-88 to 8-5; wing, 2-4 to 2-75; tail, 17 to 2. Birds from Sanger 

 and Hoshungabad seem slightly larger ; Neilgherry birds average, 

 length, 5 '5 to 5*7; expanse, 9*8; wing, 3; tail from vent, 

 3 to 2 "2; Upper-Indian and Sindh birds do not exceed 



