130 NOTES. 



tail uniform asli brown. Inhabits the sub-Himalayan ranges and 

 submontane tracts, (occasionally in the cold season straying 

 some distance into the plains) from the borders of Afghanis- 

 tan to Suddya in Assam, occurring in common with the preced- 

 ing in the Nepal, and Sikim Terais, Cachar, and Western por- 

 tions of Assam. 



P. humilis, Mull and Schl. smallest. Length, 19 to 22 inches ; 

 expanse, 48 to 54 ; wing, 14 to 16; upper surface of tail, pale 

 brown with dark antepenultimate band and white tipping. 

 Inhabits Sumatra, Malay Peninsular, and Eastern shores of Bay 

 of Bengal as far north at any rate as Cape Negrais. 



Mr. Sharpe says this species is known to occur in Assam. Of 

 course it may ; but I have never seen a specimen from Arracan, 

 Chittagong, Tippera, Sylhet, Cachar or Assam, and I should 

 like to know the evidence on which the occurrence of this 

 species in Assam rests. I have had supposed humilis sent me 

 from Assam, but in both cases the specimens proved to be 

 plumbeus. 



Mr. Sharpe, (Cat. I., 452) declares the genus Ichthyceius 

 Lafr. (Rev Zool. 1839, 196) inadmissible, " as there is not 

 the slightest indication of a type." 



But Blyth (J. A. S. B., XII., 304, 1843) denned Lafresnay's 

 genus, as restricted to the sea eagles with smooth talons, 

 like an ospreys, and classed under it Horsfieldi, Vigors 

 (F. ichtht/atuS) Horsf.) and nanus, Blyth [humilis, Mull, and Schl.) 

 and I should have thought that this was sufficient to give 

 the genus Ichthyaetus, Lafr., a locus standi. Moreover I 

 must note that though there may be no express mention of a type 

 in Lafresnay's paper, still by adopting Horsfield's specific 

 as a generic name, he clearly implied (in accordance with 

 the practice of writers since Linuseus' time) that Horsfield's 

 species was the type of his genus. 



I submit that Ichthy^tus ought to stand. 



In connection with this subject, I notice that authors gener- 

 ally (e. g., Moore and Horsf. Cat. B. H. E. I. C. Mus., 52 ; Sharpe, 

 Cat. I., 452 ; Salvad. U. de. B. 6, &c.) cite the specific name 

 Horsfieldi, as Hodgson's, Blyth J. A. S., XII., 304 ; but Blyth 

 does not cite the name as Hodgson's, and Hodgson on his own 

 plate cites it as Vigors, with a note of interrogation as to 

 whether that name is equivalent to his plumbeus. 



Some years ago (Ibis, 1870, 497) Mr. Tristram described 

 a new Stonechat under the name of P. robusta. 



