1847.] Report of Curator, Zoological Department. 1179 



on the spots, but which latter have hardly that appearance. For several 

 specimens of this animal, those of the Wolf, and of various other Tibetan 

 mammalia, the Society is indebted to the repeated contributions of G. T. 

 Lushington, Esq., of Almorah. 



2. Mr. E. Lindstedt. A selection of bird-skins procured in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Malacca. Among them is a fine specimen of Cuculus sparve- 

 rioides, which I had never before seen from that part, — also beautiful speci- 

 mens of Hemicercus javensis, Campephilus validus, Tiga Raffiesii, Gecinus 

 malaccensis, G. (?) rubiginosus, Sasia abnormis, Tchitrea affinis, Eupetes 

 macrocercus, Lanius tigrinus, L. super ciliosus, Enicurus frontalis, Orthotomus 

 edela, &c. ; with a newly hatched specimen, in spirit, of Python reticulatus, 

 (Schneider). The Gecinus (?) rubiginosus (Eyton, v. Picus melanog aster, A. 

 Hay), is, I may remark, allied in structure and colouring to G. (?) pyrrhotis, 

 (Hodgson,) and with it might form a distinct named subdivision. The Malayan 

 specimens which I have hitherto referred to Lanius phcenicurus (v. melanotis, 

 &c), I now believe to be females or imperfectly mature males of L. super- 

 ciliosus j and though quite undistinguishable from L. phcenicurus of India, 

 the latter nevertheless does not ever assume the broad white forehead conti- 

 nuous with the eye-streak, nor the uniform rufous of the upper-parts, 

 characteristic of the adult male L. superciliosus. Lastly, respecting Tchitrea 

 affinis, A. Hay, XV, 292, I may notice that subsequent observation of numer- 

 ous specimens has fully confirmed the'propriety of separating this bird from 

 Teh. paradisi : I have traced it from Sikim to Arracan, the Tenasserim 

 provinces, and Malayan peninsula ; but without the local variation which I 

 formerly indicated (p. 473 ante), as Malayan specimens have sometimes all 

 the tail-feathers conspicuously black-edged throughout their length, while 

 others have scarcely more of this black edge than in Teh. paradisi. The 

 inferior size, and the much shorter and different-looking crest, afford invari- 

 able distinctions, however, by which Teh. affinis may be recognized apart 

 from Teh. paradisi. One of Mr. Lindstedt's specimens of the former species, 

 in the white plumage, differs from all others I have seen of either species, 

 in having the next pair of tail-feathers to the middle pair considerably 

 lengthened, measuring 7 inches, while the middle pair are 14| inches. 



A Malacca collection lately received by Mr. Frith comprises the following 

 species of birds, which I take the present opportunity of noticing. Spizaetus 

 nipalensis, (Hodgson,) of Bengal, in the wholly black plumage ; distinguished 

 by its superior size and merely rudimentary top-knot from the nearly allied, 

 but distinct, Sp. caligatus, (Raffles,) of Malacca; — and Bulaca indrani, (Sykes,) 

 of India : neither of which species I had previously seen from the Malayan 



