160 W. T. Blanford— On Birds from Sihlcim. [No. 2, 



329. Pnoepyga squamata, (Gould). Tesia ruftventer, Hodgs. 



Of two specimens received one has the upper parts nearly uniform 

 olivaceous brown, the other has a small bright ferruginous spot at the apex 

 of nearly every feather. Both have the lower parts ferruginous, the feathers 

 with olive centres and narrow dusky margins. Prom the differences in the 

 upper plumage, it is evident that the colour of the lower parts does not 

 change with age, (vide antea, p. 55). 



338. Beachxpteryx cettealis, Blyth. 



A pair, male and female, are sent by Mr. Mandelli, and I have a young 

 bird, shot by myself, which I am inclined to refer to this species, although 

 the tarsi are longer than in the adult specimens, whilst the bill is much 

 shorter. It may belong to an undescribed form, so I give a description. 



Plumage generally olive brown, all the feathers of the upper parts, 

 throat and breast with rufous centres, upper tail coverts rufous, belly pale 

 brown. Wing 255, tail 1*7, tarsus l - 3, bill from forehead - 43 inch. 



336. Brachypteeyx otpalensis, Hodgs. 



A single specimen from Darjiling has the wings rufous brown, the 

 margins being more rufous than the rest of the feathers. The grey of the 

 breast is mixed with white, and there is a greyish tinge on the feathers of 

 the throat and abdomen in places. This may be a young male. Wing 

 2"4, tail 1*5, tarsus l - 08, bill from forehead,0 - 47. 



I fully agree with Mr. Hume (Ibis, 1870, p. 529) in considering 

 Hodysonms as closely alied to Larvivora, but I cannot see the possibility 

 of dissociating it, and Callene, from Brachypteryx, as is done by Mr. G. R. 

 Gray, in his recent " Hand-list of Birds," in which he places the last 

 named in the Leiothrichince* (a position unsuited for it in my opinion,) and 

 all the other genera named, with Ruticilla, in the Luscinimcd. Brachypteryx 

 nipalensis is very much like a Calliope, and although there is also a 

 similarity to Bnoepyga, it is I think not so marked, partly perhaps because 

 there is no resemblance in the general coloration. 



It is a pity we have no details of the nidification of Brachypteryx, as it 

 would aid in shewing its affinities. The nest of Callene frontalis is said to 

 be wren-like, Ibis, 1866, p. 373, but the allied C. albiventris, (P. Z. S. 1867, 

 p. 834), nidificates in a hole of a tree, and lays but two eggs. Unless the 

 length of a bird's tail be taken as the most important point in its structure, 

 I do not see how Callene and Brachypteryx can be classed apart, and I am 



* Prof Newton, in the Zoological Eecord places Brachypteryx amongst the 

 TimaliidcB. Some Malayan forms, formerly assigned to Brachypteryx belong to this 

 family, (Ibis, 1865, pp. 33, 47), but the Himalayan species differ greatly in structure 

 and habits from the Timaline birds. 



