280 Scientific Intelligence. [No. 4, 



sitionof the Ornis of the Indian special province of the Indian region. 

 This I divide into 24 districts, and give one to four asterisks to each 

 square, according to the amount of commonness of the species, and a 

 cross where I regard it only as a casual straggler. So that consider- 

 able information is conveyed at a glance. I next take up the Indo- 

 Chinese or Ultra-Indian province, for which I have a fair amount of 

 material. You will have received from Col. Phayre a short note from 

 me respecting the middle-sized Indian Cormorant and one of the 

 King-plovers. I now tell you about them more in detail. No. 1006 

 of Jerdon will stand as G. fuscicollis, Stephens : Syn. sidcirostris, 

 Brandt (figured in Gould's B. Austr.), sulcirostris et stictoceplialus, 

 Bonap., leucogaster, Meyer (apud Jerdon), leucotis, Blyth, albiventer, 

 Tickell and purpuragula, Peale, — Sinensis (apud Jerdon), G. K. Gray, 

 cat. of Nip>alese birds, Jerdon, — a somewhat formidable array of 

 synonyms. Also, one common small Cormorant is the true pygmceus of 

 Pallas. Next, about the Ring-plovers. No. 849. This is, as I mentioned, 

 2E. curonicus, (Beseke), minor, Meyer, and Indicus, Latham : distinct 

 from 2E. philippensis, (Scop.), which is a species intermediate to 

 JE. curoniciis and 2E. cantianus, obtained by Wallace in Borneo, 2E. 

 2jliilippiemis in nuptial dress, has the usual white forehead surmounted 

 by a black band, also a black loral streak and auriculars in part ; 

 crown rufescent-brown with a more rufous periphery ; some black 

 behind the nuchal collar above ; the black pectoral streak narrow or 

 interrupted in front ; and the tail unhanded, "with the outermost three 

 feathers white ; legs pale in the dry specimens : length of wing 4 inch ; 

 of tarse 1|- inch. It should be looked for in S. India. Of No. 850, 

 there are two specimens in the India museum, one of which is the 

 plrilipypjensis of Sykes's list. After learning of the distinctness of phi- 

 lippensis from curonicus, I re-examined Horsfield's type specimen of 

 his pusillns ; and though in bad condition, especially about the nape, 

 I now recognise it as distinct. It is in winter dress, and has not the 

 white collar seen at all seasons in others of the present group. As 

 compared with curonicus, the tail is more cuneated, with the dark 

 band considerably less developed, shewing only as a narrow cross 

 stripe on the outermost feathers. Perhaps it is Ch. Peronii, Sany., the 

 description of which I have not yet seen. It should also be looked 

 for in S. India. Jerdon omits to include the Ch. nigrifrons, (Cuv.), v. 



