1878.] Hill Bangcs of the N. E. Frontier, 23 



316. NliiTAVA OEANDIS. 



I have a specimen o£ this species in its young plumage which is worth 

 description. 



Above, brown with a rufous shade, the feathers of the head shafted 

 ferruginous, those of the wing coverts, lower back and rump broadly tipped 

 with the same colour and edged black. Tail dark chestnut brown, wings 

 umber-brown. Beneath, breast ferruginous brown with some dusky edgings, 

 giving a slightly barred appearance, paling to whitish on abdomen. 



330. PNOEPxaA prsiLLA, var. 



A specimen in Mr. Chennell's collection is in a very interesting stage 

 of plumage. It is uniform brown, the feathers not so scale-like as usual, 

 only a very few of the feathers on the lower back having terminal spots to 

 them ; in size and form of bill it is the same as the type. I was at first 

 inclined to consider it distinct, but it is better to wait until we see more 

 similar specimens before naming it, for it appears immature. The wings 

 are rusty umber-brown, chin pale, breast and belly ashy umber with no bars 

 or markings. 



W. 1-8, T. very short, t. 07, Bf. 943. 



From the N. Khasi Hills. 



346. Pitta cfcullata, Hartlaub. 

 I have seen a specimen in Mr. Chennell's collection which he obtained 

 in the N. Khasi Hills, and he only saw one other. I have already alluded 

 to the apparent rarity of the species in these Hills. 



386». Ptctoehis altirostris, Jerdon. 

 = griseigularis, Hume. 

 I observe that Mr. Hume is still of opinion that his Bhutan Duar 

 bird is distinct from altirostris, and in Stray Feathers, Vol. V, No. 2, 

 p. 116, he has named it griseigularis (relying on Dr. Jerdon's description 

 being correct). Had Mr. Hume looked up the " Fifth List of Birds from 

 the N. E. Frontier," J. A. S. B.,Vol. XLV, Pt. II, p. 197, he would have seen 

 that after the intimation of the re-discovery of the species (Ann. Mag. Nat. 

 Hist., Jany. 1876) the type of altirostris turned up in the British Museum, 

 and that my specimens had been compared with it, leaving no doubt in my 

 mind that they are identical, both in plumage and bill. Mr. Hume's speci- 

 mens and my own, moreover, come from the same line of country, the 

 great plain north of the Brahmaputra. Dr. Jerdon's description is short, 

 but applies very fairly in every way, save in respect to the bill, which is 

 deeper than in Sinensis. Jerdon says " making an approach to Parn- 

 doxornis^'' by this he may have intended to convey only a very slight ap- 

 proach. The following appear to be the principal differences in the de- 

 scription of the plumage. 



