1850.] Conspectus of Indian Ornithology. 229 



ing up of a list of all the birds of India, Burma, and the Malayan pen- 

 insula, with those of Sindh, Asam, Ceylon, the Nicobars, &c. (so far 

 as I am able), in which I propose to offer such observations on the 

 affinities of many of the species or races as may enable the student to 

 draw his own conclusions respecting their claims to be regarded as 

 species or as mere varieties. A bare list of names, especially if unac- 

 companied by synonymes, is oftentimes of little or no utility whatever 

 as a guide, or even worse so often as mistakes in the determination of 

 species occur, or those of the rarest and most casual occurrence are set 

 down without a word of remark together with the commonest and 

 most generally diffused. Where a constant variation, however trivial, 

 obtains, it should be duly noted, and the value that the particular 

 writer attaches to it is of small consequence : and it should likewise be 

 distinguished whether the author writes from his personal knowledge 

 or from the observations of others, if any authority is to attach to his 

 production, 



Conspectus of the Ornithology of India, Burma, and the Malayan 

 peninsula, inclusive of Sindh, Asdm, Ceylon, and the Nicobar islands.* 

 — By E. Blyth, Esq, 



Order I. SCANSORES. 



Fam. PSITTACIDiE. 



Subfam. ARINiE.f 



Genus Pal^eornis, Vigors. 



Totd, Sugd, Hind. : Tiyd, Beng. : Girawa, or Rana Girawa, Cingh. : 

 Kyet-ta-rwe, Arakan. 



* The Andamans, with the Maldives and Laccadives, would also have been 

 added, had more information been available respecting this branch of their fauna. 



f The Parrot family divides naturally into five sub-families, of which the 

 second and last are the most strongly characterized by peculiarities of structure. 



1. Cacatuin^e (or Cockatoo group). Comprising the genera Dasyptilus (?), 

 Microglossum, Calyptorhynchus, Cacatua, Nestor, and Strigops (with sub-divisions 

 of the third and fourth). The first and second of these are peculiar to the Papuan 

 islands. The third also occurs in N. Guinea, but is chiefly developed in Australia with 

 Tasmania. The fourth inhabits (in different species) Australia, Papua, the Philip- 



2 H 



