1834.] Catalogue of Birds of the Insessorial Order in the Dukhun. 543 



caudce tectricibus, rectricibus mediis, laferaliumque, externa excepto, pogoniis 

 externis metalhce viridibus ; alts, rectricibus later alibus, dorsi inferiori luteri- 

 bus,fascidque subpeciorali fuscis ; abdomine griseo ; dorso imo sulphureo. 

 Irides, intense brunneae. Longitudo corporis 5^ one, caudce 2-3. 

 Larva of flies, a spider, ants, and minute insects found in the stomach. Inhabits 

 only the lofty trees of the dense woods of the Ghauts. — " I will here beg leave to 

 speak in the first person. I have dedicated this magnificent bird to a gentleman 

 ■whose enlarged views of natural affinities in zoology have contributed essentially 

 to enhance the value of the science, and to facilitate the labours of every zoologist. 

 The dedication is also influenced by a desire to testify my sense of the many kind 

 attentions of Mr. Vigors."— W. H. S. 



135. CiNNYRrs minima. Cinn. capite nuchdque olivaceo-viridibus ; pectoris nofis, 



dorso, scapularibus, uropygioque intense sanguineis, hoc violaceo splendenti ; subtus 



pallide ftacd ; alis cauddquefusco-brunneis. 



Foem. olivascenti-brunnea, uropygio rufo. 



Irides, rufo-brunneae. Longitudo corporis 3.3 unc, caudce 1.2. Met with only in 

 the dense woods of the Ghauts. White ants and larvae of flies were found in the 

 stomach. One bird was seen sucking honey. Female of a uniform brown, with 

 a patch of brick-red on the rump and upper tail-coverts, and the yellow below 

 fainter than in the male. Colonel Sykes believes this to be the smallest of the 

 Sun -birds. 



136. Cinnyris Mahrattensis. Certhia Mahrattensis, Shaw. Cimiyris orientalis, Frankl. 

 Dr. Latham does not mention the crimson joined to the yellow spot under the wing. 



These birds suck flowers while hovering on the wing ; they eat minute insects also. 

 Female not met with. Length 4.9 inches, inclusive of tail oi 1.5 inch. 



137. Cinnyris concolor. Cinn. viridi-olivacea, alis cauddque saturatioribus, corpore 



subtus pallidiori. «, 



Irides, intense rufo-brunneae. Longitudo corporis 4 unc:, caudce 1. 

 Insects with long antennae were found in the stomach. As four specimens obtained 

 by Colonel Sykes were all females, and as they were met with in the same locality 

 as Cinn. Vigorsii, Cinn. concolor maybe the female of that splendid species ; but 

 the difference in the size, form, and aspect of the bird, independently of colour, is 

 opposed to this : they were never seen together. The bird has the outline of Cinn. 

 Mahrattensis. The specific appellation of concolor is given provisionally. 



Colonel Sykes, in concluding his notice of the birds of the two first Orders, observ- 

 ed, that in the majority of instances his knowledge was derived from an observation 

 of many specimens of the same species in the living state. For the most part also he 

 had obtained both sexes, and was very rai'ely confined to a single specimen. 



Tioo new species of Indian Mouse. 

 On June 26, 1832, Colonel Sykes presented two specimens of mus preserved in spi- 

 rits, of which the following is the description printed in the Zool. Journal. 



1. Mus oleraceus. The upper surface is thickly clothed with rather long smooth 

 silky hairs of a bright pale chestnut colour ; on the under surface and the inside of 

 the limbs the quality of the hairs is the same, but their colour is nearly white with 

 a yellowish tinge. This latter colour extends up the cheeks, round the mouth and 

 the under surface of the muzzle, and over the upper surface of the feet ; the hairs on 

 the latter, on the muzzle, and on the long scaly tail, being very short. The ears are ra- 

 ther large, rounded above, and very nearly naked. The muzzle is rather short and ob- 

 tuse, and the eyes are placed at an intermediate distance between its end and the 

 base of the ears. The moustaches are numerous and long, some of them being black, 

 and others, silvery or bright chestnut. 



The extreme length of the tail, as compared with that of the body, and the com- 

 parative length of the hinder tarsus, furnish characters sufficient to distinguish this 

 Indian field Mouse from all its congeners. 



2. Mus platythrix. The head is rather flat and the muzzle slightly elongated and 

 acute ; the tail regularly ringed with scales, from between which only a few scattered 

 hairs make their appearance. The fur of the upper surface is of a light grey at the 

 base ; but the longer hairs have a blackish shade, with an intermixture of testaceous 

 brown, which is more obvious posteriorly and towards the lower part of the sides. 

 The flattened spines, which are numerous, are white and transparent throughout the 

 greater part of their length, with a dark margin and blackish acuminate tip, beneath 

 which they exhibit, in certain lights, somewhat of a changeable gloss. The mous- 

 taches are few in number, black at the base and white at the tips, and reach beyond the 

 ears, which are naked, rounded with a slight point, extremely open, membranaceous, 

 and of a dusky black. The whole under surface, together with the insides of the 

 limbs, the upper surface of the feet, and the claws, are of a yellowish or dirty white. 

 The tail is of a uniform livid grey, but little darker above than beneath, and tapering 

 to a very fine point. 



