802 Note to the Catalogue of the Birds [Aug. 



lish) was doubtfully referred to the Australian Str. delicatula, Gould, 

 in J. A. S. XVII, 346 ; but Mr. Strickland (in epistold) assures me 

 that it is not delicatula. Another, like it, but 1£ in. longer in the wing, 

 has since been received from Mr. Layard, who informs me that this 

 specimen came from Egypt : but the latter may either exhibit the ex- 

 treme of variation of colouring as compared with the former, or they 

 may be of two small races closely affined to each other and to Str. flam- 

 mea, in which case the name parva may be bestowed on the Egyptian 

 race, and pusilla on the other (the habitat of which is unknown). The 

 latter, or that formerly described, resembles the most ashy specimens of 

 Str. flammea. above, except that the white spots bordered with black 

 are less denned ; and below it is white, with the usual small blackish 

 dots : primaries and tail barred exactly as in several specimens of Str. 

 flammea with which we have compared it. The Egyptian specimen 

 resembles the more fulvous examples of Str. flammea above, having 

 much less of the ashy mottling than the other ; below it is white with 

 minute dusky specks ; and the outermost and penultimate tail-feathers 

 are wholly unbarred underneath, causing the lower surface of the tail 

 to appear quite white : the primaries are very faintly banded on their 

 outer webs, but the bars on their inner webs are unusually black ; and the 

 bands upon the tail as seen above are much more faint than usual. In 

 both, the tarsi measure but 2\ in. (instead of c l\ in. and upwards), and are 

 conspicuously less robust than in Str. flammea. Notwithstanding the 

 differences of the two specimens, we suspect that they pertain to the 

 same small race or species. 



No. 178. Buceros affinis, Hutton. This perfectly resembles B. 

 albirostris (No. 179), except that it is constantly of the considerably 

 larger size of B. pica (No. 177). Inhabits the Deyra Doon. The 

 large bill and casque noticed in XVI, 994, pertain decidedly to this race. 



There are accordingly now the following series of species or permanent 

 races liable to be confounded together under B. pica vel malabaricus, 

 auctorum. 



1. B.pica (No. 177). Distinguished by its comparatively large size, 

 highly compressed casque with great black patch not descending upon 

 the upper mandible, and four white tail-feathers on each side. Inhabits 

 all the peninsula from central India southward, and Ceylon ? At least 

 a head from the latter country is undistinguishable ; but the Cinghalese 



