14* MR. LEGGE ON PRIONOCHILUS VINCENS'. 



pervaded with dark grey; sides of neck and chest ashy*- 

 the white of throat being less clearly defined ; the yellow 

 6f under surface less bright and less in extent, the brown 1 

 d^tfie flanks encroaching more on it. 



History of Species.-—! had the good fortune to discover 

 #his curious little bird in the Southern Province, on the 

 f3'tti of March last. The genus to which it belongs was 

 totally new to me arid as it did not occur in India, I was, 

 from want ; of books of reference on malayan Avifauna, 

 Unable, when describing it, to give it a name, and I there- 

 fore transmitted specimens together with my notes, to 1 

 the Zoological Society' of London, at a meeting of which 

 in the 18th of June last, the species was submitted, and 

 named by the Secretary, Dr. P. L. Selater, Prionochilus' 

 Vincens. The existence in Ceylon of this genus of the 

 Dicoeihoe is most remarkable ; it is a malayan type un- 

 known as yet in India, and has for its nearest ally a bird of 

 the same genus, discovered by Wallace in the Molluccas- 

 islands. How then are we to account for the occurrence" 

 of a species so far from the haunts of the rest of its'- 

 family ? It would seem to indicate, at some very remote : 

 period, the existence of a connection between our island* 

 and the Malay archipelago, in support of which theory? 1 

 from an ornithological point of view, I may mention the 

 recent discovery in the hills at N.- EJliya of a whistling 

 inrush %Miophonus) belonging, to a malayan section of its- 

 family. 



The distribution of our little bird will doubtless be 

 found to be very local, and 1 question whether further re- 



• Arrenga Blighi, Holdsworth, named alter its discoverer, Mr. 

 Bligh of Kandy. 



