Novelties. — Locustella siihsignata. * 409 



one of andamanensis procured at Mount Harriet, Port Mouat, 

 Aberdeen, Macplaerson^s Straits, and other localities in the south- 

 ern half of the Andaman group. None of these fifty speci- 

 mens shew the slightest indication of bridging over the differ- 

 ence in size between the two species. The nineteen big birds, 

 and the thirty-one smaller ones, stand distinct and apart. I 

 have given above a resume of the dimensions of the present 

 species taken in the flesh. I subjoin for comparison the same 

 dimensions similarly recorded of the Andaman bird. 



Length, 11*25-13; wing, 5-5*35 ; bill, from gape, 1 "2-1 "35 ; 

 tarsus, 0-8-0-9. 



Except the quills, and a few white spots, at the tips of some 

 of the axillaries, and under wing coverts, the whole bird is a 

 dull black everywhere, rather faintly glossed with a greenish blue 

 metallic reflection, most faintly so on the lower surface, and the 

 gloss, most decidedly green on the wing coverts, the outer webs 

 of the secondaries, tertiaries, and tail feathers; the primaries 

 are entirely hair brown ; the secondaries, similar, but darker ou 

 the outer webs, where they are glossed greenish ; the tertiaries, 

 and sometimes some of the later secondaries, dull black, or 

 blackish brown, more or less glossed on both webs. 



I may add the following dimensions of the present species 

 to those given in the diagnosis : expanse, 16'5-17"82 ; tail, 7-8*25 ; 

 weight, 2*25-2"5 ozs. The hill, legs, and feet are black; the 

 irides, dark brown, 



■/ 



A f'U 



Locustella subsignata, Sf. Nov, _-^ 



Entire under parts^ except centre of abdomen and vent, with linear 

 ovate, deep brown, subterminal, shaft spots. 



This interesting new species has as yet only been procured 

 in the immediate neighbourhood of Aberdeen, Port Blair ; I did 

 not myself procure it. Mr, Pavison who shot it q,fter I left 

 the Andaman s, says : 



" I found this little lomstelle frequenting the same places as 

 Cyaneeula cmruleeula, Pal., viz,, the dense scrubby weed growing 

 about the dried up paddy fields ; I also, on two occasions, saw 

 it in a garden in a patch of beans, and once I flushed it from a 

 patch of sugar-cane. It is an awful little skulk, and will let 

 itself be almost trodden upon before it will rise. It makes its 

 way rapidly through the tangled weeds, and runs along the 

 ground in a. truly surprising manner ; in walking through the 



