1845.] or little known Species of Birds. 549 



Australia is distinct from the Indian Oyster-catcher, which has a much 

 longer bill, and I shall describe it by the name H. macrorhynchus. 

 Himantopus leucocephalus, Gould, of Australia and the Malay coun- 

 tries, occurs also in India, but is much rarer than H. candidus. 

 Nettapus eoromandelianus of Australia, as figured by Mr. Gould, agrees 

 exactly, both in size and markings, with the common Indian species. 

 In the genera Hylacola and Calamanthus (Praticola, Sw., 1837), a 

 very close approach is shewn to the Indian Pellornium (vide J. A. S. 

 XIII, note to p. 372); but the latter seems sufficiently distinct, being 

 also a larger bird, with a longer bill than in its Australian affines.* 

 Lastly, I shall only notice Sericornis, Gould, exemplified by his 5. 

 citreogularis, as a generic type to which a common Himalayan species 

 (sent by Mr. Hodgson with the name Tarsiger chrysceus,) would seem 

 to appertain. f The latter may be described as follows : 



Sericornis (?) ckryscea, (Hodgson.) Length about five inches and a 

 quarter, of wing two and three-quarters, and tail two and a quarter, its 

 outermost feathers a quarter of an inch less : bill to gape three-quar- 

 ters of an inch, and tarse an inch and one-eighth. Male having the 

 entire under-parts, shoulder of wing, more or less of the scapularies, 

 the rump, and basal three-fourths of all but the middle pair of tail- 

 feathers, brilliant yellow ; the last being also yellow at base, and there 

 is a narrow supercilium of the same : rest of the tail, and the lores 

 and ear-coverts, black : alars, and their larger coverts, blackish, nar- 

 rowly edged with dull yellowish ; and the head and back are dusky 

 olive, with dull yellowish-green margins to the feathers : bill da*rk 

 above, below pale ; and the legs pale. In younger specimens, there is 

 less yellow on the scapularies and wings : and the females have the 

 whole upper-parts uniform dark greenish-olive, with merely a more 

 yellowish shade over the rump ; the under-parts sullied yellow ; and 

 tail dusky-olive, marked as in the male, but with considerably duller 

 yellow. The young of the year differ from the female in being spotted 

 above like a young Robin. 



Mr. Hodgson informs us that this bird u inhabits the central hills 

 of the Himalaya; is shy, solitary, and bush-loving, constantly descend- 



* In the sequel (p. 600), I have added a new genus to this group, — Malacocincla, 

 nobis. 



f Other species of Sericornis, however, figured by Mr. Gould, render this generic 

 identification more doubtful. 



