17 . [Vol. xlii. 



variable bird in the vicinity of Mengtsz. I have one bird, 

 shot at Milati, the next station (5000 £t.) below Mengtsz, 

 which has the same bill as the birds from lower down the 

 line P. r. reconditus, but which is much duller on the breast 

 and which has the apical half of the tail blackish. Without 

 more specimens from this locality, I am unwilling to distin- 

 guish it, and I leave the specimen unnnmed. 



I may mention here that all my Hupali specimens are 

 without doubt P. styani Seebohm. 



It would thus seem that my experience with Chinese 

 specimens of P. ruficollis type is at variance with that of 

 Lord Rothschild. The bird is most difficult to deal with, as 

 climate and latitude, hut not altitude, seem to have a powerful 

 effect on the colouring; of this Scimitar-Bill. There is indi- 

 vidual variation, but I should say that the variation is far 

 more local and climatic than individual. I cannot but 

 recognize the following Chinese races of P omatorJiinus 

 Tujicollis : — 



Pom. r. stridulus Swinhoe. S.E. China. Typ. loc. 



Fohkien. 

 „ „ reconditus Phil. & Baup, S.E. Yunnan, /x' 



Namti Valley. 

 „ „ styani Seebohm. Central China, Yangtse 



Valley. • 

 ,, „ laurentei, suhsji.noY. S.E. Yunnan, Mts. just 



south of Yunnan-fu. 



There are doubtless other forms which have yet to be 

 determined. 



Pellornexim nipalense vividum, subsp. nov. 



Nearest to P. n. intermedium Sharpe, but much smaller, 

 the upper parts darker everywhere wath deeper and brighter 

 chestnut crown, dark chestnut nape, and no white on the 

 hind neck ; the wing-coverts narrowly edged with whitish 

 buff, the primaries from the 2nd to the 6th edged with 

 huffish white, the stripes on the underparts very dark and 

 clearly defined. Wing, ^ &'d mm., ? 65 mm. 



Types. $ ?, Hokow, S.E. Yunnan (alt. 300 ft.). 31st 

 March, 1921, 



