TEPHRODORNIS PONDICERIANUS. 373 



Obs. Concerning few species of Indian birds have opinions differed so much as with reference to the present. The 

 Ceylonese race was separated by Blyth (Joe. cit.) on account of " its being greyer, and wanting the conspicuous 

 white supercilium." Layard followed Blyth; and then Mr. Holds worth, in his admirable ' Catalogue of Ceylon 

 Birds,' after the examination of a large series of Indian and insular examples, reunited it with the Indian form. 

 Mr. Hume, in a review of some of the Ceylonese species mentioned in Mr. Holdsworth's paper, expressed his 

 doubts as to the possibility of keeping the Ceylon race distinct, on account of the extremely variable character of 

 the bird throughout its entire range from Burmah across to Sindh, and thence to the south of India and Ceylon. 

 Finally, Mr. Sharpe, in his ' Catalogue of Birds,' vol. iii., adheres to Blyth's determination, and remarks that he 

 considers it not only distinct, but more nearly allied to the Malaccan T. gularis than to the Indian bird. I entered 

 upon the battle-field, I must say, somewhat biassed in favour of Mi-. Sharpe's weighty verdict ; but after a most 

 careful examination of all the Ceylonese and Indian examples I could lay my hands on, I find that it is a species 

 which is most unreliable in all those characteristics which are alleged as sufficient to divide it into the two races 

 in question ; and I consider that if the Ceylonese bird is separated from the South-Indian on account of its more 

 slaty tints, so must the N.W. -Himalayan bird be held to be distinct from the Nepal and Pegu race on account of 

 the cinereous hue of the former, as distinguished from the sandy colour of the latter. The colour of the upper 

 surface varies throughout the whole range of the bird ; and though the supercilia in the Indian birds are longer 

 and generally broader, and the white rump-band less in extent than in the insular form, yet these characters are 

 not always alike in either one race or the other. The distribution of the facial markings is absolutely the same 

 in the Indian and the Ceylon birds, and the coloration of the outer tail-feathers precisely alike in both. Climate 

 has no doubt much to do with the brownish and the slaty tints in this bird throughout its Indian range : it has 

 in Ceylon ; for the northern birds are, as a rule, the brownest, and those from the damp parts the bluest. 

 Mr. Hume shows the same to be the case in the south of India, as he finds the birds from the hot arid island of 

 Bamisserum earthy brown, and those from the wet district of Anjango as ashy almost as those from Ceylon. 

 With regard to size the Indian birds are slightly larger ; but this is the rule with most species found in both 

 localities. The following are some of the wing-measurements I have taken from a large series examined : — 

 Pegu, w. 3'4 inches ; N.W. Himalayas, w. 3 - 55 ; Behar, w. 3'45 ; N.W. Himalayas, w. 3 - 5 ; ditto, w. 3'5 ; 

 Kamptee, w. 3-55. Birds from Pegu and N.E. Bengal appear to have the largest supercilia. 



Distribution. — The Bush-Shrike is found throughout all the low country and the hill-regions to about 

 5000 feet. Large tracts of country may, however, he traversed without seeing it, showing that it confines 

 itself to particular localities. It is generally distributed over the northern and eastern portions of the island, 

 and is resident there during both monsoons. It is likewise numerous in the south-west, and slightly less so 

 on the west coast ; but in the latter part it retires from exposed places on the sea-board to some distance 

 inland during the wet weather of the south-west monsoon. I have, however, found it between Kotte and 

 Colombo in June and July, so that its migration is only partial. Mr. Holdsworth, I believe, observed that 

 it left the Aripu district in May; and this movement would be occasioned by the force of the S.W. monsoon. 

 I did not observe the same inland march in the south-western part of the island, probably on account of 

 the sheltered nature of the country, which is hilly close to the sea-coast. Layard, who speaks of it as being 

 common about Jaffna, Colombo, and Kandy, thought it to be migratory. It appears to be a straggler to the 

 upper hills, as there is a specimen in the national collection from " near Nuwara Elliya/' collected by Mr. Boate. 

 I have never heard of any one else having obtained it there ; and it is possible that the locality may be 

 wrong in this instance, as near Nuwara Elliya might well mean Wilson's bungalow or other locality down 

 the pass towards the Uva side, where it is no doubt met with. Mr. Bligh has obtained it in Haputale 

 at about 5000 feet elevation. 



On the continent it is found in the north of India from Tenasserim and Burmah, through Bengal and 

 the sub- Himalayan districts to the N.W. Himalayas and Sindh, and thence through the peninsula to the 

 extreme south and Adam's Bridge. At Thayetmyo Mr. Oates says it is often seen, and it was obtained as far 

 south as Tonghoo by Lieut. Ramsay. There are specimens from Nepal, N.W. Himalayas, and Behar in the national 

 collection. About the Sambhur Lake Mr. Adam did not find it common ; but in Sindh it is the reverse in 

 cultivated regions, though never seen in barren districts. At Mount Aboo Captain Butler remarks that it is 

 somewhat common, though less often seen in the plains. In Chota Nagpur it is resident, says Mr. Ball ; and 

 at Maunbhum Captain Beavan noticed that it bred chiefly. Mr. Fairbank procured it at Ahmednagar, and 

 remarks that it is more common along the Sahyadri hills; he likewise met with it in the Palanis. It is not 



