1848.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society . 255 



neck of a drab-brown colour ; the lower part of the neck encircled by a ferru- 

 ginous collar (in place of the black one of the male C. rutila when in full 

 plumage) ; the neck below the collar, and the whole breast, are pale isabelline, 

 abruptly contrasting with the ferruginous of the back and under-parts, which on 

 the back is of a much deeper hue than in C. rutila ; the abdominal patch is 

 deep ferruginous — approaching to maronne — in both species, but the under tail- 

 coverts are paler in C. cana, and the black on either side of them at base of C. 

 rutila, is in C. cana replaced by -dusky minutely freckled with whitish; this 

 freckling is also seen on the inner scapularies and inter-scapularies of C. cana, 

 and the tertiaries have their outer webs of a deep maronne colour — the wings 

 being otherwise alike in the two species. Size and proportions also the same. The 

 specimen of C. cana described was referred to C. rutila in VTI, 581 ; and Mr. 

 G. R. Gray, in his ' Illustrated Genera of Birds,' suggests the name as a syno- 

 nyme of his Bernicla inornata, (King), — a very doubtful Bernicla, by the way, 

 and which seems rather to pertain to the Chenalopex, Casarca, and Tadorna 

 group ; while Mr. Gould's B.jubata, (Lath.), is as evidently allied to Nettapus, 

 The present description will, I trust, establish Casarca cana as an undoubted 

 species. 



E. Blyth. 



