Vol. XXXV.] 98 



Mr, C. B. RicKETT announced that he had received from 

 Mr. La Touche news of the discovery of a new species of 

 Jay in Northern China. Owing to the disturbed conditions, 

 it had been deemed unsafe to commit the type-specimen 

 to the post. 



Mr. La Touche had forwarded the following description 



of the new Jay which he proposed to name : — 



Garrulus diaphorus *, sp. n. 



Head and hind-neck rufous, washed with vinous. The 

 feathers of the forehead and crown with broad black shaft- 

 streaks, but less heavily marked than in G. brandti. Back and 

 scapulars grey with a strong wash of vinous. Secondaries 

 barred blue and black at their base, with a varying amount 

 of pure white on the outer webs of the speculum thus formed. 

 Pi'imaries partly edged with whitish- grey, the edging on 

 the second primary beginning about 65 to 7'5 mm. from its 

 base, and from 17 to 25 mm. from the base of the third 

 primary, the edging of the other primaries being much as 

 in G. sinensis. The 10th primary is spotted with blue, as 

 also the base of the 8th and 9th, and both in the type 

 and in a second specimen there are blue marks on the 

 inner edge of the innermost white primary edging. In one 

 example, the speculum on the secondaries has a little white 

 only towards the apical part. The innermost secondary 

 is chestnut on the inner web and on part of the outer web. 

 The underparts are much as in G. sinensis, but the throat 

 is whitish as in G. brandti. Bill smaller than in either of 

 the allied G. brandti and G. sinensis. Wing 176, 177, and 

 180 mm. 



This bird is intermediate between Garrulus brandti and 

 G. sinensis. The upper parts and head are like those of 

 the northern bird, but with a strong tinge of vinous colour, 

 while the wing bears a strong resemblance to that of the 

 southern species. 



* [It is probable that when an opportunity occurs of comparing the 

 bird more closely, it will prove to be merely a subspecies. — Ed.] 



