34 G Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 



indeed hardly, if at all, distinguishable ; but I am unaware that the latter is 

 subject to the same variation of colouring, at least in Europe ; and it does 

 not appear that this variation depends, in any degree, upon the age or sex of 

 the specimens. 



Rhynclicea bengalensis. Three newly hatched chicks of this species have 

 been obtained and added to the collection : I have before taken a fully deve- 

 loped egg from the oviduct of a ' Painted Snipe ;' and have several times met 

 with the half-grown young, which resemble the adult male, not the larger and 

 more finely coloured adult female. 



Mystus cliitala, Buch. Ham. A specimen of this common fish, remarkable 

 for having several large black spots scattered over the whole sides of the 

 body, though only below the lateral line. In all other respects, perfectly 

 identical in its characters with ordinary examples of M. chitala, which 

 species I have never previously observed to vary in this way, though the 

 number of tail-spots is very irregular. 



Strix dellcatula (?), Gould. A specimen received long ago from Europe 

 as the common Str. flammea, was most probably from Australia in the first 

 instance, but is even smaller than are the dimensions assigned to delicatula 

 by Mr. Gould, and its beak is proportionally the same as in Str. flammea. 

 Wing 9\ in. ; tail 4 in. ; tarse 2 in. ; bill to gape If in. Plumage exactly 

 as in Mr. Gould's figure of Str. dellcatula. 



Having had occasion to look again over Capt. Hutton's specimens (noticed 

 in XIV, 340, XV, 135, and XVI, 775), I find that the Afghanistan species of 

 Cat referred to F.chaus (XIV, 342), is of the allied species figured and describ- 

 ed in Jacquemont's Voyage by the name F. Jacquemontii, Is. Geoff. Capt. 

 Hutton's specimen has no blackish markings on the limbs, and is remarkable 

 for a broad ridge of longer hair continued over the whole spine. At the end 

 of the tail are two or three somewhat faint blackish rings.* The species of 

 Cat, No. G of Capt. Hutton's list, was treated of in my last Report, and there 

 compared with a specimen of F. catus from Scotland. 



The Cyanecula from Afghanistan (XVI, 780,) is probably of the species 

 lately distinguished by M. Eversmann, by the name Sylvia cyane. That 

 common in India, according to Mr. Strickland (in epistold), appears to be 

 the true Motacilla suecica of Linnaeus, of which M. ccerulecula, Pallas, should 

 therefore be a synonyme ; and the bird of southern Europe, currently re- 

 ferred to suecica (vera), must stand as C. Wolf, Brehm. It docs not yet 

 appear that there are any differences by which the females of these three 

 races may be discriminated, 



E. Blyth. 

 * We have a head of F. Jacqxiemoniii, from the Burner collection. 



