1S72.] F. Stoliczka — Mammals and Birds inhabiting Kaclih. 243 



- 25 ; from gape 0*48. Although this specimen slightly differs in size from 

 others, as usually recorded, and although its upper plumage has a decided 

 greenish tinge, it agrees in every other respect with the Indian tristis, and 

 not with the European rufus ; but the difference can scarcely he made out 

 without well preserved examples of the latter species, such as I had occasion 

 to see in Mr. Brooks' collection. Slightly faded specimens of rufus are 

 scarcely distinguishable from tristis, but I doubt that many specimens of the 

 latter occur without a trace of green tinge in the upper plumage, as represent- 

 ed in Gould's figure in ' Birds of Asia.' 



581. Sylvia (Adophaneus) okphea. Bather rare. 

 The measurements of two $ specimens perfectly accord with those 

 given hj Jerdon. Top of head black in both. The outer tail feathers are 

 nearly all white on the outer webs, and also on about the terminal (not 

 basal) half of the inner web. 



Gray (Hand-list, I, 214) retains for the Indian species Blyth's name 

 S. Jerdoni, as distinct from true orphea of Europe, Africa and Balestine. 

 But what are the definable distinctions between these two ? 

 583. Sylvia (Stebpapola) ceeeeca. Very common. 

 Average measurements of four specimens : wing 2 - 5 to 2 - 65 ; tail 

 2-25 ; tarsus 0'75 to 0-8 ; middle toe with claw 0-6 to 07 ; bill 036 inch. 

 Comparing these measurements with those of Jerdon, the bill and tarsus 

 are exactly as in curruca, but the wing and tail are very nearly as large as 

 in the South Indian S. affinis* and as Blyth says (Ibis, 1867, p. 28) 

 that the latter only differs from the former by a somewhat larger size, and 

 not hi plumage, it is, I think, after all not improbable that they represent 

 only one species with slight variations in the size. The amount of white 

 and its purity on the outer tail feathers varies : the latter are nearly all 

 white, or with the basal half of the inner web dusky, and again in others 

 the inner web is nearly to the tip dusky, but the shaft is always black. 

 The white is pure in some birds, but certainly less so in others. The 

 second last tail feathers are generally tipped white, but not invariably. 

 Tristram gives as a. ' constant distinction' between the Indian and the 

 European birds, ' the outer tail feathers are nearly all pure white, and the 

 others tipped with pure white' in the former, but these are most decidedly 

 very variable characters, as far as the purity of the white is concerned. Gray- 

 (Hand-list, I, 213) does not allow curruca in India, but only affinis ; and 

 Brooks (J. A. S. B., XLI, Pt. II, 1872, p. 81) seems to have no doubt on that 

 point. Before accepting this decision, I should like to see the differences 

 pointed out which exist between ajjinis of all India and curruca of Em-ope 



* One of the two original types in the old Asiatic Society's collection has the 

 wing 2'7, and the other 2-75, the bill is slightly larger than in any cui-ruca I saw 

 from Northern or Central India. 

 32 



