1862.] Correspondence. 195 



" I pointed out to you when in Calcutta the distinction between 

 the three Kingfishers of salt-water and those of fresh-water streams 

 and pools.* 



" The Irawadi Porpoise abounds in many parts of the river. I 

 saw them, in great numbers above Ava in the gorge below Male, and 

 from their extreme scarcity in Pegu during the rains, I think it by 

 no means improbable that they migrate up the river at that season, 

 I believe something similar has been observed in respect to the 

 ' Susu' of the Ganges. t 



"Of the new birds in my collection, the Maina (Temenuchus hurme- 

 sianus, Jerdon,) is from Thayet Myo, and will doubtless prove an- 

 other of the peculiar species of the dry region. The little black and 

 white bird (JRhodophila melanoleuca, Jerdon,) is from the same place. 

 Of Mulleripicus Seddeni, I believe that I obtained one specimen at 

 Thayet Myo, and subsequently I again shot it S. of Bassein. It is 

 a very wary bird. The rare Bunting (JEmberiza rutila, Pallas,) I 

 found in grass on a stream, at the base of the Arakan hills near 

 Gnathim-phyoung. The Rlwdopliila was shot in elephant-grass in 

 the plains near Henzada. 



" That is all I can think of at the moment. Of course you may 

 insert in any way you please. The land mollusks fully bear out the 

 separation of the two provinces, Arakan and Lower Pegu from the 

 Upper Irawadi valley. Scarcely a species is common to the two 



* Halcyon amauropterus, S atricapillus, and Alcedo meningting, being the 

 salt-water species noticed by Mr. Blanford, which are replaced higher up the 

 rivers by H. leucocephalus, H. fuscus, and A. bengalensis. The little Ceyx, also, 

 appears to be peculiar to brackish water ; but I observed H. atricapillus about 100 

 miles up the river Sal ween. — Cur. As. Soc. 



t The ' Porpoise' of the Irawadi has not yet been scientifically examined. — 

 Cur. As. Soc. 



X Here I may remark, that the zoology of the more distant (and more recently 

 acquired) dry region of the Upper Irawadi has hardly, as yet, been more than 

 commenced upon. Though I collected pretty largely both at Moulmein and in 

 Upper Martaban, I obtained no new species of bird whatever ; and only one 

 dubiously new mammal (a IlMzomys) in the hitter region. The same number of 

 species collected in Upper Pegu would, doubtless, have yielded at least several 

 novelties ; and it was there that Dr. Jerdon and Mr. Blanford discovered then- 

 various new birds. I was successful, however, in procuring capital specimens 

 of sundry desiderata. — Cur. As. Soc. 



