MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 689 
Tae Boack-capPeD BLACKBIRD (Merula nigripileus),—l visited Khandalla 
two or three times during the monsoon and found many nests of this bird. 
Tt appears to p efer the opener country to the east, which is studded with 
small trees and bushes to the dense jungle below the crest of the hills, The 
nest is a massive structure of decayed leaves, roots, etc,, in which a good deal 
of moss and mud are incorporated, while it is finished off very neatly inside, 
being lined with some black-looking roots, not unlike the stem of maiden- 
hair fern, The siteis usually ins: me small shrub or tree about 10 feet or 
so from the ground, a Cactus Bush beinga very favourite spot, Three or 
four eggs are the complement, The native boys are very fond of plun- 
dering this bird’s nest for the purpose of eating the egvs. The “artkaris 
eall this bird and the Malabar Whistling Thrush “ Gogi”’ indiscriminately. 
Tue Matapar WuistLing Taurus (Myiophoneus horsfieldi), better known 
as “ The Whistling School-boy,” and called by the local shikaris ‘‘ Black Boat,” 
is to be seen and heard at all times at Khandalla durmg the monsoon. He 
is a great lover f water. No water-course or pool is without its ‘‘ School-boy,’ 
This bird builds a very massive nest,and usually selects a wet site, but under 
cover. I found nests in the holes under the Reversing Station Bridge ; water 
was dripping from these, but the interior was dry. I also noticed nests, in 
course of construction, in the perpendicular cliffs and on projecting ledges 
in wells. Three or four eggs are the complement, 
Tue Watre-THRoateD GxounD THRUSH (Geocichla cyanonotus) is also 
fairly common at Khandalla, In contrast to the Black-capped Blackbird it 
appears to prefer the heavy jungle. It is a beautiful songster, one of the very 
best I know of, As its name suggests, it is a ground bird, and is to be seen 
hopping along, turning over leaves in search of worms, Its nestis a facsimile 
of the Black-capped Blackbird, and the site the same, viz., in the fork of 
a tree some 10 to 15 feet from the ground. The natives call it “ Sutar,” 
R, M. BETHAM, Capr.,, 
/ 8th Bombay haranioe. 
Poona, 24th October, 1900, 
No. III.—_ON A NEW SEROW FROM THE MALAY PENINSULA. 
By A. L, Butter, F.Z.8., CURATOR, SELANGOR State Museum. 
It has hitherto been supposed. that the Serow which occurs in the Malay 
Peninsula is identical with Nemorhedus sumatrensis (Shaw). No skin from 
this region, however, has ever been sent to Europe, and on examining two 
specimens recently obtained on the Larut Hills, Perak, I am convinced 
that they belong to a species as yet undescribed. 
From the following description it will be seen that the Malayan hes 
differs conspicuously from Nemorhedus sumatrensis in its jet-black legs, the 
limbs in that species being always tan or rufous. This uniformity of 
colouring on body and limbs alone gives the animal an only) ee 
appearance from the Burmese Serow. 
