286 Notices and Descriptions of various New [No. 172. 



Certhilauda, p. 41, ante. My suggestion that Mr. Jerdon had sent 

 me a distinct species as his Alauda deva, turns out to be well founded : 

 the A. deva of his catalogue is a Certhilauda which I have not seen yet ; 

 and he has recently again obtained the true Alauda with pointed crest, 

 referred by me to A. malabarica in XIII, 962. 



In XIII, 567, it is remarked, that I had not actually compared Ma- 

 layan with Bengal specimens of Pycnonotus jocosus, but had an impres- 

 sion that the crimson sub-ocular tuft is considerably less developed in 

 the former. Dr. Cantor's rich collection from the Malayan peninsula 

 comprises several specimens of the bird in question, which is common 

 at Penang ; and it is remarkable that the crimson sub-ocular tuft does 

 not attain to a third of the length which it does in Indian specimens. In 

 fine examples of the latter, the longest of the hair-like plumes compos- 

 ing this ornamental tuft, measure above five-eighths of an inch, passing 

 considerably beyond the extremities of the white ear-coverts, and im- 

 pending their upper half ; while in equally fine specimens of the Ma- 

 layan bird, they appear as if truncated, and impend only the basal third 

 of the white ear-coverts : in other respects the two birds exactly resem- 

 ble ; as does likewise the P. monticolus, (McClelland and Horsfield,) 

 from the mountains of Assam, which is described to have " a scarlet ring 

 about the eye, but no tuft beneath this organ." This, and the Amadina 

 malacca group, are accordingly further exemplifications of that repetition 

 in different districts of the Fauna Indica, of the same specific types with 

 merely a variation of size, or some trivial but constant difference of 

 colouring, or (as in the Pycnonotus jocosus group) a variation in the 

 form or degree of development of an ornamental tuft : the specific value 



being somewhat paler, and what white remains on the rump appears to be a little 

 striated; but they are in very bad condition. A. striata? (v. leuconota?) of India 

 accords with Latham's description, except that the white on the rump is not men- 

 tioned. Its upper-parts, and those of A. motucca (?) of the Malayan peninsula, are 

 nearly similar; but the lower are very different: the Indian (and Arracan) bird 

 having the throat to breast inclusive, uniform blackish, and the belly, vent, and flanks, 

 white ; whereas the Malacca bird has the chin and throat only blackish, the breast 

 dark brown, with whitish shafts and borders to the feathers, and the belly dull white, 

 with dusky pencillings. 



6. A. leucogastra, nobis, n. s. (?). Size and proportions of A. punctularia, having 

 the upper-parts throughout dark brown, with whitish shafts to the feathers more or less 

 developed ; throat, breast, and flanks, brown-black ; the lower tail-coverts quite black ; 

 and belly white, narrowing to a point in front: margins of tail-feathers yellow-fulvous : 

 bill and feet blackish in the dry specimens. Individuals vary in the intensity of their 

 colouring. 



