OF NORTH-EASTERN CACHAR. 31 



402.— Pomatorhinus schisticeps, Hodgs. 



" This bird is rather rare, I have seen it all the year round. — 

 J. I." 



The specimen sent has the large deep bill 'of schisticeps. 



405 bis.— ? Pomatorhinus hypoleucus, Blyth. ? P. 

 Iuglisi. Sp. Nov. 



"This Scimitar Babbler was very common here in the cold 

 weather of 1873-74 ; 1 secured only one specimen of it ; since 

 that date I have only seen it at rare intervals ; it frequents dense 

 jungle with an openish bottom, and is generally found in flocks. 

 —J. I." 



I have already given (Vol. III., p. 411) a description of this 

 species by Dr. Jerdon, which does not, however, correspond very 

 closely with either of Mr. Blyth's descriptions. Mr. Blyth says, 

 J. A. S. B., 1844, p. 371:— 



" General color fulvescent, olive brown above, lower parts 

 white with traces of dusky terminal spots on the breast ; streak 

 backwards from behind the eye and sides of the neck, posterior 

 to the ear-coverts bright fulvous, sides of the breast ashy 

 with white centres to the feathers. The bill dusky, a little whitish 

 at the tip and beneath the lower mandible ; legs pale ; the 

 feathers of the crown a little squamose. Inhabits Arracan." 



In J. A. S. B., 1845, p. 597, Mr. Blyth tells us that the speci- 

 men above described was a young one, and he thus describes 

 adults received from Tipperah and Arracan : — 



" Color above olive brown, a little cinerascent on the head, 

 and a rufous streak commences behind the eye, and expands 

 into a patch on the sides ot the neck beyond the ear-coverts. 

 Lower parts, white, margined with ashy on the sides of the 

 breast; the flanks wholly ashy, with a tinge of brown; wings 

 and tail a little rufescent ; the lower tail-coverts more deeply so. 

 Length, 10 to 11 inches; wing, 4*25 ; tail, 4; bill to gape 

 1-75 ; tarsi, 1-5." 



It will be observed that Dr. Jerdon in his description (loc. cit. 

 sup.) entirely omits all reference to the rufous streak from behind 

 the eye, and the patch of this color on the sides of the neck. He 

 also tells us that this species likewise occurs in Assam, and has 

 been sent by Hodgson probably from Sikhim. If sent by 

 Hodgson, it was probably sent from the Terai or the Bootan 

 Doars. 



The omission by Dr. Jerdon of all reference to the rufous 

 on the sides of the neck, coupled with the fact that his des- 

 cription is clearly an original one, taken, it is to be gathered, 

 from a Sikhim example, is remarkable in so far that this 



