134 NOTES. 



Phylloscopus Brooksi, Hume, described from Ttmasserim, 

 Stray Feathers, Vol. II., p. 505, has been kindly compared 

 for me in England by Mr. B Rooks with Phylloscopus Schwarzii 

 Radde, and proves, he says, as he recently suggested (S. F 

 IV., p. 277) to be identical with this species. 



P. Schwarzii was described (p. 261), and figured (PI. IX, F. 

 1. a, b, c), by Radde, in bis Reisen im Siidem von Ost-sibe- 

 rien, 1863. 



The plate however according to my notion conveys no 

 adequate idea of the bird, the coloring neither above nor below 

 agrees with any one of my now numerous specimens killed 

 from October to April and utterly ignores in both figures of 

 the bird, its most conspicuous feature, the long superciliary 

 stripe. It is as well to note that Mr. Brooks says after ex- 

 amining 4 specimens in Europe, that the length of the bill is 

 very variable in this species, as is also the colour of the under 

 surface, which varies almost as much as does that of Locus- 

 tell a Hendersoni. This is not very apparent in the specimens 

 killed in Burmah during the 6 cold season months. Radde 

 obtained his specimens in the autumn in Tarei-nor and in May 

 in the Bureja mountains, so that his specimens should not differ 

 so much from ours. 



He gives the length of his largest specimens at 5 English 

 inches, ours run to 5*75, but I suppose he merely measured 

 from the skin as his other dimensions, though not corresponding 

 exactly with those of any of our specimens agree better. 



On the whole, after carefully re-readiug the description, I 

 accept Mr. Brooks' verdict, but I cannot help wishing that he 

 could have examined the types, because two very similar birds 

 may visit Siberia, like Hippolais rama and caligata, and the 

 specimens sent to Europe as Schwarzii, might be Brooksi. 



I notice that Ioras killed about Deesa and sent me with 

 other birds by Captain Butler, all appear to pertain to Captain 

 Marshall's new species /. nigrolutea (S. F. IV., 410). 



I am asked by two correspondents whether I consider this 

 race really distinct. Ten years ago I pointed out to the late 

 Captain Mitchell of the Madras Museum how our Etawah birds 

 differed from those he sent me, and sent him specimens to 

 compare. He considered them distinct, but I was doubtful 

 and the matter dropped. 



I have often since thought of separating the bird, but seeing 

 how closely the central Indian birds approach it, I have always 

 been dubious as to its being a good species. 



The tail is the only point in which the species or races 

 always differ, but I think that in this they do differ constantly 



