1858.] Proceedings oftlie Asiatic Society. 2G9 



Those of Siberia and Tartary (in the most extended sense of the latter 

 appellation) are probably identical with S. scropha of Europe ; perhaps 

 also those of Persia and Afghanistan :* but there would seem to be more 

 than one race in India, to judge from the skulls ; and while the ordinary 

 Indian wild Hog is also that of Ceylon, our museum contains a skull 

 from that island which considerably resembles the skull of S. barbatus, 

 (as figured by Dr. S. Miiller) ; this is the S. zeylonensis, nobis, J. A. S, 

 XX, 173. The ordinary wild Hog of India is designated S. indicus by 

 Gray (being also S. cristatus, Wagler) ; but the distinctions from S. 

 scropha mentioned by Dr. Gray are not very satisfactory ;f and he also 

 indicates a S. affinis from the Nilgiris.^ The countries eastward are 

 likely to yield some peculiar species, even to the south of China : but the 

 only peculiar Hog as yet properly determined from the whole mainland 

 of Asia is Mr. Hodgson's tiny Porcula salvania. 



Of birds, twelve species were obtained, one of which is a beautiful new 

 Sham a. 



Kittacincla albiventris, nobis, n. s. Differs from K. macroura, 

 (L.) in its colouring, and in form of tail, the four middle feathers of 

 which extend little beyond the next pair, and the medial pair but -3§in. 

 (instead of commonly 2 in., as in the other). Abdominal region, vent, 

 tibial plumes, and inside of the wing anteriorly, pure white, like the upper 

 tail-coverts in both species ; the hindmost portion of the flanks, and the 

 lower tail- coverts, only, being deep ferruginous : four pairs of outer tail- 

 feathers more deeply tipped with white than in K. macroura : in other 

 respects resembling that species ; being a true Shdma, as distinguished 

 from a Dhyal (Copsychus). Length of wing 3| in., and of tail 4£ in. A 

 third species of this genus, as distinguished from the nearly affined Afri- 

 can genus Cercotrichas, exists in the K. luzoniensis {Copsychus luzo- 

 niensis, Kittlitz), of the Philippines. 



The other species of birds from the Andamans are — 



Halcyon coromandelianus, (Scopoli). 



H. SMYENENSIS, (L.) 



Corvus culminatus, Sykes. 



Sturnia erythropygia, nobis. The only specimen has the upper and 

 lower tail-coverts, with the rump and tips of the tail-feathers dull white, 

 instead of deep ferruginous ; but there is a faintly perceptible shade of 



* Since writing the above, I have been assured of the existence of three most 

 distinct species of wild Hog on the plains of Mesopotamia, 

 t Vide Proa. Zool. Soc. 1852, p. 130. 

 X List of the Osteological specimens hi the Collection of the British Museum. 



