DETAILED LIST OF BIRDS. 
221 
fine and compact. The eggs are moderately broad ovals, 
much pointed towards the small end, and vary from 0*6 to 
0 65 in length, and from 0 48 to 0'52 in breadth. 
I believe that I correctly identified this species, but am not 
absolutely certain. It is either this, or Abrornis albosuper- 
ciUariSy Blyth (PI. XX., fig. 2), but the descriptions available 
are not sufficiently detailed to place the matter absolutely 
beyond doubt, and we figure both species. Mr. Brooks would 
transpose the names, but I hold that the upper surface of A. 
xanthoschistus is ash grey, while that of A. albosvperciliaris 
is leaden ash, a darker and bluer shade, and have assigned 
the names accordingly. Both species occur in the same 
localities, but the latter is much the rarest. The eggs of the 
two species are undistinguishable, and in the birds I cannot 
find any constant differences in size ; A. albosuperciliariSj 
perhaps averages larger, but Dr. Henderson records the 
following dimensions of a male A. oeanthoschistus — equal to 
those of any A. albosuperciliaris that I have yet seen. Length, 
4*13, tail from vent 1*5, expanse, 6'5, wings when closed 
reach to within 0*75 of end of tail. He notes that the legs 
and feet are light brown, and the bill brown above and 
yellow beneath. \_A. O. H.] 
583. Sylvia curruca (Gm.). 
This species was only met with in Yarkand, chiefly at or 
near the foot of the hills, where it is very abundant, 
especially in the Tamarisk [Myricaria sp.) jungles. [G. i/.] 
As is always the case in this group the males are 
considerably larger and have even proportionately larger 
bills than the females ; the specimens obtained are nearest 
to the larger Indian race which has been separated as S. 
affiniSj but they are not larger than the European specimens 
of the Lesser Whitethroat. The wings of the males measure 
2-6 — 2*65, whilst the wings of some of the so-called S. 
affiniSy measure sometimes as much as 2*8, and those of 
the lesser Indian race, identified by Dr. Jerdon with the 
Lesser White-throat of Europe, measure even in the males 
sometimes as little as 2*35. I am scarcely disposed to 
consider that ^. affirds merits specific separation from S. 
