HODGSON ON LANIANiE. 
447 
more exclusively suited to perching. In all 
respects, there is a strong tendency towards 
our Edolian Bhuchangas, especially Albi- 
rictus, which has a bill almost exactly like 
that of our T^nthaca. Without museum or 
library, I can, however, but faintly indicate 
the probable novelty of this form or its true 
position ; and I shall therefore proceed to 
such and so careful an account of the struc- 
ture and proportions of the two species I 
possess, as will enable men of science in 
Europe to decide on the propriety and on 
the location of the proposed genus. 
1st Species and type, new. Pelvica 
nobis. 
Structure and size. Bill from § to f 
longer than the head, straight, porrect, co- 
nico-compressed with roundish ridges, and 
sub-convex sides ; at base nearly as high as 
broad and gradually attenuated forwards : 
a third of the culrnen carinated and hid ; 
the rest, very gradually inclined to the hook, 
which is decided and sudden,, but much 
feebler than in the foregone : tooth, notch, 
and recurve, moderate. Nares somewhat 
advanced, but nearer to the gape than the 
tip, oval, subtransverse, placed at the fore 
end of a distinct, broad, and membraned 
fosse, shaded posteally and superiorly by a 
process of the fossal membrane and closely 
shut by an adpressed setaceous tuft. Rictus 
somewhat elongated and firm, reaching be- 
yond the middle of the tail, or If inches less 
its end. The 5th quill usually longest ; the 
4th and 6th subequal to it ; the 1st more 
than half as long as the longest. Tertials, 
f inch less primes. Legs and feet, some- 
what feeble : tarsi, low, but longer than any 
toe : acrotarsia, strongly scaled. Toes rather 
short, depressed, unequal : fores, basally 
connected ; the outer, beyond the joint ; the 
inner, half way to it. Thumb stout, equal 
in length only to the inner fore. Claws 
very falcate, small, compressed, acute ; hind, 
strongest. Tongue, short, pointed, and bifid 
or jagged. Intestines, 11 to 12 inches long, 
with two tiny coeca near the end. Stomach 
muscular, of medial subequal thickness, and 
toughish only on the inside. Food, chiefly 
grilli, also mantides, crickets, carpenters, 
grubs (not worms), and caterpillars. Takes 
its prey either on the wing or amongst foli' 
age. Is shy, adhering to the forests, and 
has the unamiable voice of the typical Lanii. 
9f inches long by 14f wide and 1^ oz. 
Bill 1, 3-16ths ; tail, 4; tarsus, 15-16ths ; 
central toe, lU-16ths; hind, 7-16ths. A 
closed wing 4f to whereof the 1st quill 
is2|, the 2nd 4, the 3rd 4f , the 4th, one 
or two, and the 6th two or three, lines less 
the 5th and longest : the rest, after the 6th, 
rapidly decreasing till they are taken up by 
the tertials, which occurs at the 9th quill. 
Colour. Half the nareal tuft with the upper 
surface of the head and neck, soft grey blue : 
the other half of the nareal tuft with the 
lores, orbits, ears, and part of the neck, 
black : body above, with the wings and tail, 
rusty brown ; a band across the croup, and 
the whole inferior surface, white : alar and 
caudal plumes, with their larger coverts, 
zoned all round, just within the pale edge, 
by a blackish zigzag line : lower part of the 
black, more or less lineated trarrsversely 
withthe same. Bill, black : legs, dusky slaty : 
iris, light brown. The female is rather larg- 
er than her mate, and has the cap and man- 
tle of an uniform greyish brown. She has 
no black band on the sides of the head : her 
bill is fleshy brown ; and her legs slaty or 
plumbeous. 
2nd Species. Leucurus nobis. Size small : 
characters and habits of the precedent. 6f 
inches long,whereof the bill is 15-16ths, and 
the tail 2f . Above, sordid brownish grey, or 
stone grey : below, white, with a faint tint 
of fawn on the breast. Lores, orbits, and 
ears, black : nareal tufts, grey : longest 
superior tail coverts, black : the two central 
caudal plumes, concolorous with the body 
above, but darker ; the next, blackened, 
basally and internally, with gradual decrease 
and supercession by pure white : bill, dusky : 
legs, slaty : iris, dark brown. The female has 
a brownish instead of black facial band ; but 
is otherwise like her mate. 
Remarks. — Both the above species are 
much more common in the lower region of 
Nepal than in the central or northern. The 
resemblance of the bill to that of Bhuchanga 
Albirictus is (as already noted) striking. 
There is, also, a considerable likeness in 
this member to the rostrum of Phoenicornis 
princeps ; but it is longer in proportion, less 
plumed at base, less spreading laterally, 
more conical and slenderer, but, at the same 
time, stronger than in Phoenicornis. The 
feet, too, of our genus are very similar to 
those of both the above named species ; with, 
however, a much nearer approach in this 
instance to Phoenicornis. The wings have 
less power and acumination than those of 
Phoenicornis or of Bhuchanga, particularly 
the latter. But they have, and more palpably, 
a greater share of both qualities than the 
wings of the typical Lanii. 
I have no species of the restricted genus 
Lanius wherewith to compare our lYnthaca. 
But if (as is asserted) the bill and feet of 
Lanius be similar to those of Coliurio, there 
can be no que.stion that our genus differs 
most materially from Lanius in regard to 
those most influential members ; tho’ it ap- 
proximate thereto, in the structure of the 
wings and tail. 
Valley of Nepal, 1836. 
