Imperfectly Described, Species of Birds. 163 



scapulars the same edged with white— secondaries tipped 

 with white — the upper mandible deep brown — the under 

 yellowish at the base— feet plumbeous, first quill spurious, 

 third and fourth nearly equal, third longest.* 



The bill is intermediate between that of a Muscicapa and 

 Saxicola — the rictal bristles are few and weak — the tarsus ia 

 lengthened, and longer than the hallux — the middle toe is 

 long — the inner toe slightly shorter than the outer, the 

 claws are much curved. From Malacca. 



Dimensions. 



Total length 4 T S 7 inches, j Tail ... . . If- inch. 



Bill from base. . . ^ ,, | Tarsus f- ,, 



Wing from shoulder. 2 T 7 „ ,, j 



Turdinus ? Supcrciliaris — New Species. 



This remarkable bird from Malacca seems to me to be re- 

 ferable to the genus Turdinus, though with doubt. Two 

 specimens are now before me — one evidently the mature 

 male, the other either the female, or young. The former 

 has a distinct white superciliary stripe — the rump, upper tail- 

 coverts, and tail are bright rufous, the latter tipped with a 

 broad deep brown band; head, nape, back, chin, throat, and 

 breast, dark smoky black, deepest above; wings deep brown ; 

 abdomen, flanks, and under tail-coverts white washed with 

 rufous; bill black; legs pale yellow. Length 8£ inches, of 

 wing 4-fi,, of tail 4, tarsus 1, bill from gape, 1 T V, at 

 base ||. 



The young bird differs in having its plumage above mixed 

 with rufous, in being smaller, and in wanting the superciliary 

 stripe. At first sight this curious bird gives one the idea of its 

 being a large phcenicura. It is, however, decidedly meruline 

 in form, and if separable from Turdinus, I would propose 



• Since writing the above, I have seen the male of this species, in the collection of 

 Dr. Cantor at Calcutta. It differs from the female in being much more brilliant in it» 

 hues— being bright yellow where the female is dirty light yellow, and deep black where 

 the female is merely dusky, 



