1872.] _ W. T. Blanford— Zoology of Sihkvm. 51 



I am quite of the same opinion as my friends Dr. Jerdon and Dr. 

 Stoliczka (J. A. S. B. 1868, p. 43,) as to the difference between this species 

 and other Ruticillcs, but I rather doubt whether it should be placed in Chi- 

 marrhornk, as proposed by Mr. Hodgson and Dr. Stoliczka. The bill undoubt- 

 edly shews some similarity in form, a modification probably connected with 

 aquatic habits of both birds, and the tail is rounded as noticed by Jerdon, 

 but the wings are Ruticilline, and the general characters of the plumage of 

 both sexes — structural character which, viewed in the light of evolution by 

 descent from common forms, I should be inclined to think of more impor- 

 tance than the slight modifications of the bill and tail, — dissociate R. fuligi- 

 nosa altogether forms Chimarrhomis. It appears to me, as it did to Dr. 

 Jerdon, to- form the type of a distinct subgenus which might be called 

 Rhi/acoriiis ;* and which appears to me to have as good claims to separation 

 as Adelura and Chimarrhomis. The characters are : 



Bhyacornis, subg. nov. Ruticillse : 'Rostrum hrevius et latins quam Ruti- 

 cillee, cauda magis rotundata. Fc&mina a mari valde diversa, et rectricibus 

 exterioribus basin versus albis. 



499 R. (Adelura) erythrogastra (Griild.) — Bill and plumage similar 

 to Chimarrhomis, but the wings and tail are those of Ruticilla, and so are 

 the habits to a great extent. I have seen this bird on the banks of streams 

 and of lakes, but more frequently on rocky hill sides, and at times on the edges 

 of glaciers. It was only met with at great elevations, never below 14000 feet, 

 but in the highest parts of the Lachen and Lachung valleys it was far from 

 rare, and Captain Elwes shot it at Cholamu Lake. I saw no females, at least 

 I only saw birds in the plumage of the male, and all the specimens shot by 

 me were males. 



The following measurements were taken on fresh specimens before 

 skinning. 





Length. 



Wing. 



Tail. 



Tarsus. 



Bill from forehead. 



1 



7 



4-4 



3-2 



11 



045 



2 



7-3 



4-2 



3- 



11 



0*5 



Iris brown, bill and legs black. 



R. Vigorsii, Moore, quoted by Jerdon as the female of this species, is 

 considered distinct by Gf. R. Gray (Hand-list, I, p. 221). It is certainly very 

 different from the bird figured as the female or young male by Gould in the 

 Birds of Asia, and as it differs from R. erytlirogaster in having the central 

 rectrices dark coloured, and in the absence of a wing spot, (both rather impro- 

 bable sexual differences), it is probably a distinct species. 



506 R. (Chimarrhomis) leucqcephala (Vigors). — Common on streams 

 and around the edges of lakes, at elevations above 12,000 feet on theChola range 



* From pva£ & stream ami opvis. 



