1900.] H. J. Walton — Occurrence of Rhodospiza obsoleta. 101 



duction into the hydrogen-evolving bottle, the glow was seen as usual. 

 Next 5 c.c. of alcohol were introduced into the bottle, the glow continued 

 at the jet, and was also observed at the middle tube, though it was a 

 little less bright. As regards either it is as prejudicial to the glow as 

 oil of turpentine : but there is this difference that the glow appears 

 after a time on introduction of a fresh piece of Phosphorus. 



It may be stated here that after the experiment is over, the bottle 

 or flask used for the experiment should be filled with water before 

 opening it in air. 



It will be seeu from what has been stated above that the present 

 method will greatly facilitate the detection of Phosphorus in food and 

 in cases of poisoning. The apparatus described is simple ; and Zinc and 

 Sulphuric acid can be procured in any town. The glow is seen on a 

 magnified scale ; and there is no possibility of its being mistaken, espe- 

 cially as no lamp is required. Moreover, many substances that hinder 

 the glow of Phosphorus in the older methods do not affect the glow as 

 observed by the present method. 



I have lastly to state that my assistant, Haridas Saha, M.A., has 

 helped me considerably in carrying out these experiments. 



V. — Note on the occurrence of Rhodospiza obsoleta (Licht.) in the Tochi 

 Valleij.—By Capt. H. J. Walton, I.M.S. 



[Received 18th May ; Read 6th Jane, 1900.] 



Lieut. S. R. Douglas, I.M.S. , has very kindly been collecting birds 

 for me in the Tochi Valley for some months. Amongst some that I 

 recently received from him, from Datta Khel, are two specimens of 

 Rhodospiza obsoleta (Licht.). 



Mr. Oates, in vol. ii, "Fauna of British India, Birds," p. 223, 

 mentions this Desert Rose-Finch as a species likely to be found in India, 

 but I can find no previous record of it having been procured within the 

 limits of the empire. 



There is no doubt about the identification ; I have compared the 

 birds with those in the Indian Museum, collected by Stoliczka in 

 Turkestan, and Mr. Finn also agrees that they are B. obsoleta. As my 

 two specimens are carbolised, I am not sure of the sexes: the one that 

 I take to be the male is a larger bird than the other, and has the lores 

 aud a very narrow frontal line black, the upper tail-coverts contrast 

 with the sandy-brown back in being rather bright rufous, the inner 

 secondaries are rather broadly edged with pale buff. 



