1849.] in the Asiatic Society's Museum. 805 



No. 305. P. validirostris, nobis. Described and erroneously- 

 referred to P. nanus, Vigors, in J. A. S. XIV, 197 ; P. nanus being a 

 synonyme of P. variegatus, Wagler (No. 303). It is probably from 

 the Philippines or China. 



No. 302. P. canicapilltjs, nobis. When I described this species 

 in J. A. S. XIV, 197, I had not seen the true P. moluccensis which is 

 common throughout the Malay countries, but followed Hardwicke and 

 Gray in regarding the Indian P. variegatus as P. moluccensis. From 

 the true moluccensis, canicapillus only differs in having the entire crown 

 light brownish-grey, with only a little black margining the occiput ; the 

 ear-coverts are also pale brown instead of brownish-black, and the beak 

 is chiefly or wholly whitish. These are slight distinctions, which can 

 hardly be regarded as specific ; and yet they appear to be constantly 

 characteristic of the race from Arakan and Tenasserim, while the Mala- 

 yan peninsula race is undistinguishable from that of Java. 



No. 347. Cuculus tenuirostris. In Lower Bengal, the majority 

 of adults of this species have the lower-parts bright ferruginous : on 

 the eastern side of the Bay of Bengal, all appear to be of this colour, 

 and we have reason to infer that they grade insensibly into the smaller 

 Malayan race (C. fiavus) as we proceed southward, and the adults of 

 that race we have never seen otherwise coloured. On the other hand, 

 throughout the peninsula of India and in Ceylon, also in the Deyra 

 Doon, the rufous-bellied specimens appear never to occur, and many are 

 wholly dark ashy in Lower Bengal, while others from this vicinity 

 exhibit every grade of intermediateness, having reference neither to age 

 nor sex. 



No. 386. Centroptjs chlororhynchos, nobis. Distinguished 

 from C rufipennis, Illiger (vel pkilippensis, Cuvier, No. 385), by 

 its much shorter wings, and larger bill of an uniform greenish-yellow 

 colour ; by the darker shade bordering on marronne of the back and 

 wings ; and by the peculiar hue of the dark head, neck, and under- 

 pays, which have a somewhat ruddy tinge, and are glossed with ame- 

 thystine-purple, a redder shine of which is seen likewise to gloss the 

 upper-parts : tail purple-black. Length about 18 in., of which the 

 tail measures half, its outermost feathers 9\ in. less : wing 6| in. ; bill 

 to gape If in.; and its vertical depth fully f in. : tarse 2 in. ; and long 

 hind-claw about 1 in. 



