Notes. 493 



The second quill is the longest ; the third sub-equal^ the fourth 

 equal to the second oi- nearly so. 



Mr. Gould's specimen, the only one I believe in existence in 

 Europe, was said to have been obtained in Afghanistan, but 

 there is no certainty as to this point. The following is Mr. 

 Gould's description which I quote, as it correctly enough repre- 

 sents my specimens, and as mine are so indifferently preserved, 

 that I cannot make out exactly the markings of the lores, cheeks, 

 and ear coverts which he describes at length, nor can I clearly 

 make out the dark patches on either side of the neck. 



" Head, neck, all the upper surface and wings, dark brown, 

 each feather conspicuously boi-dered with lighter brown ; pri- 

 maries, dark brown, the outer one margined externally to near 

 the tip with white, the remainder with brownish white ; the 

 outer tail feather on each side white, except on the basal portion 

 of the inner web, where it is light brown, the remaining tail 

 feathers dark brown (except the two central which are lio-ht 

 brown), margined externally and tipped with white, the extent of- 

 which decreases as the feathers aj^proach the centre; stripe over 

 the eye, dull white, continued in a browner tint behind the ear 

 coverts to the sides of the neck, where it unites with the dull 

 fawn -color of the flanks ; line from the nostrils to the eye and 

 the ear coverts brown, the feathers of the latter with darker 

 centres ; from the angle of the mouth within the brown a small 

 moustache-like streak of greyish white ; on each side of the 

 neck, in front of the shoulder, a few dark brown feathers, bordered 

 with sandy buff, show somewhat conspicuously, but not so much 

 so as in Melanocoryplia calandra ; throat and under surface very 

 pale brown or creamy white; bill, bluish flesh colour, passino- 

 into pale buff on the basal portion of the lower mandible ; legs 

 and feet, light brown, very stout and strong ; nails black, that of 

 the hinder toe unusually stout, and straight." 



Mr. Hodgson has, I find, figured and described Pellornenm, 

 Mandellii as Hemipieron nvpalensis. This latter name was discarded 

 by Mr. Gray, under the idea that the bird was identical with the 

 Southern Indian P. ruficeps. The distinctness of the two species 

 is undoubted and the Himalayan bird must stand as P. nipalensisy 

 Hodgson, with P. Mandellii, Blandford, as a synonyme. 



By careful comparison with Mr. Hodgson's drawings, I have 

 ascertained that Mr. Brooks is correct, and that in pi. 20, Lahore 

 to Yarkand; I have transposed the names of Abrornis alhosuiKr* 



