78 W. E. Brooks — Cashmir Birds, [No. 1, 



whitish, finely mottled with light brown. Chin, throat and upper breast pure 

 white, finely spotted with dark brown on the breast. These spots are 

 confined to the breast, and in some specimens they are faint or entirely 

 wanting. Centre of belly and abdomen white ; sides of breast and flanks 

 shaded with olive brown ; under tail coverts pale brown, each feather being 

 broadly bordered with dull white. Whole upper surface dark dull olive 

 brown, the crown of the head being conspicuously the darkest. Primaries, 

 secondaries, and tertials, also wing coverts with the edges of the feathers, 

 rather rufescent. Lining of wing white, with a few small brown markings 

 towards ridge of wing, the tail feathers are obsoletely cross-rayed. 



The longer, straighter and stronger bill, and the differently formed wing, 

 with tolerably large 1st primary, separate this bird from true Locustella. 

 The upper surface is also devoid of streaks. I obtained several specimens. It 

 ranges from 6,000 feet upwards, even to 10,000 feet elevation, and frequents 

 exclusively places where the ground cover is abundant. It is seldom seen. 

 The song is strictly that of a Locustella ; similar to that of L. Rayi, but 

 slower and louder. By beating the cover where I heard the birds, I was 

 enabled to get an occasional snap shot, and thus secured my specimens. 

 They were all males. 



For the sake of comparison, I give Mr. Hodgson's dimensions of 4 

 specimens of Dumeticola affinis as recorded on the drawing of the bird. 



Tip of bill to tip of tail 5-§- 5|- 5 5 



Bill to gape, ft ft ft t 



Tail, 2 2i 2 2 



Closed wing, 2i 2 T V 2i 2J 



Tarsus to sole, -f- j| j| f 



Central toe and nail, * § \jr y|- -j-g- 



Hind do. do., ft ft ft tV 



The bill of the Cashmir bird is nearly one quarter of an inch longer. 

 The tail and total length are also much longer. 



Hobeites BEUNOTirPEONS, Hodgson.— Occurs sparingly on the south 

 side of the Pir Panjal pass. My specimens agree very well with Mr. 

 Hodgson's drawing. I heard the song of this bird which is very curious 

 and unmusical. Any description of the strange discordant song would be 

 impossible. It sings in a most energetic impassioned manner, and was so 

 engrossed with its own performance, that it did not mind my approach to 

 within four yards. 



HOBEITES PAXLIDUS, Sp. nOV. 



A larger bird than the last, but of very similar construction. It is 

 found in dense jungle at lower elevations. Its song is a strange prolonged 

 whistle with a sudden turn at the end, the second strain consists of 5 or 6 



