7b6 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XtV. 



and apparently consisting of agglatinated hairs. Other members of 

 the genus are found in Africa. 



In the case of Birds, it is not, I think, necessary to go at great 

 length into the very numerous genera and species that are peculiar 

 to the region, for it will be sufficient, for the purposes of this paper, 

 to indicate the more remarkable and characteristic groups. 



To start with, the Crow family is very fully represented, the genus 

 Cissa, with its birds of beautiful plumage, being perhaps the most 

 conspicuously characteristic, while the Tree- pies {Dendrocitta and 

 allied genera) include many interesting species peculiar to the region. 

 The Crow- tits (^Paradoxornis, Suthora, &c.) form an isolated and 

 peculiar group, being restricted to the mountains of Northern and 

 Eastern India and some of the mountain ranges of China. The 

 heterogeneous collection of passerine birds included by Mr. Gates in 

 his family of Crateropodidce is very rich in the number of its forms, 

 amountinof to over 250 recognised species in British India alone. 

 Amonost the most noteworthy genera in this group may be mentioned 

 the Laughing-Thrushes {Garrulax, &c.), the Tit-Babblers, or as they 

 were formerly designated Ilill-tits, the Shrike-tits (Pteruthms), and the 

 oreon Bulbuls (Chloropsis), and it ia within our region that the true 

 Bulbuls (Brachypodince) attain their greatest development. 



Of other passerine birds, I will only mention the quite peculiar 

 oroup of Warblers known as Tailor-birds, the beautiful Minivets 

 (Pericrocotus) and the bright- coloured Pittas, which reach their 

 maximum of beauty and variety in Borneo and Sumatra. The 

 family Fringillidce (Finches and Buntings) is poorly represented, 

 though many varieties are to be found just across the border in the 

 Palsearctic region. 



We must next note a quite peculiar order comprising the Broad- 

 bills of which the genus Eurylcemus is the type, that are entirely 

 confined to the Oriental region ; and following them we find a wonder- 

 ful variety of Woodpeckers, which group does not extend to the 

 Australian region at all. The Barbets and Kingfishers are strongly 

 represented, though it is in Australia that the latter attain their 

 hio-hest development of peculiar forms. The Hornbills, however, 

 thouo^h extending to both the Ethiopian and Australian regions, are 

 richest in variety within our area, and one genus only is common to 

 any two of the said regions. The (Cuckoos provide a number of 



