1851.] A Collection of Mammalia, fyc.from CMrra Punji. 521 



was taken, was soon afterwards completely destroyed by insects, from 

 the skin not having been properly prepared with poison. Mr. Frith 

 has now obtained a fine skin, and also an entire specimen in spirit, 

 this bird proving to be common at Cherra Punji. Length 8 in., by 

 lOf in. expanse ; wing 3f in. 



We have seen a figure of a second and crestless species of this 

 strongly marked genus, from upper Asam. 



Sibia gracilis ; Hypsipetes gracilis, McClelland and Horsfield, 

 Proc. Zool. Soc. 1839, p. 159; /. A. S. XVI, 449. Resembles S. 

 capistrata (Cinclosoma capistratum, Vigors, v. S. nigriceps, Hodg- 

 son), except that there is no rufous about it, beyond a faint tinge of 

 this hue on the flanks and lower tail-coverts ; the feathers proceeding 

 from the lateral base of the lower mandible, also, are white, though 

 the lores and ear-coverts are uniform black with the crown. General 

 hue of the upper-parts dark ashy (nearly as in S. picoides), paler on 

 the rump and collar ; below white, sullied with grey on the sides of 

 the breast and flanks : wings and tail as in S. capistrata, except 

 that the glossy margins of the secondaries are much darker, and the 

 tertials are dark ashy margined externally with black. Bill black : feet 

 brown, with darker toes. 



Garrulax merulinus, nobis, n. s. General colour deep olive- 

 brown, the medial portion of the under-parts pale rufescent whitish- 

 brown, and spotted with black on the throat and upper-part of the 

 breast, much as in Turdus musicus ; a narrow white streak behind the 

 eye. Irides whitish-brown. Bill dusky-plumbeous. Legs brown, with 

 albescent toes. Length 9y in. ; expanse of wings 12 in. ; closed wing 

 3^ in. ; tail 3^ in. ; bill to gape 1£ in. ; tarse If in. Common 

 at Cherra Punji, from whence Mr. Frith has brought several living 

 examples both of this and of the next species. 



G. ruficapillus, nobis, n. s. Nearly affined to G. erythro- 

 cephaltjs, (Vigors), from which it is distinguished by having the 

 chin and broad supercilia ash-grey ; forehead greyish ; throat, front of 

 neck, and breast, rufous, with an admixture of golden-yellow on the 

 last : no black spots on the nape and breast, but darker lunate mark- 

 ings in place of them: rest as in G. erythrocephalus, to which 

 G. chrysopterus, (Gould), inhabiting an intermediate range of 

 territory, is also closely affined. Common at Cherra Punji. 



3 x 



