NEW SPECIES NIPALENSIS NOBIS. 
327 
6th Species. Muscipetoidcs nobis. Re- 
markable for the feebleness of its bill and 
feet, and seeming absolutely to unite the 
laniidae and rausci capidee. It might be 
classed, indifferently, with either. The bill 
and feet are quite those of muscipeta ; but 
there is in both that additional degree of 
strength which, added to the blue-glossed 
black plumage with lanceolate hackles, and to 
the ten-feathered forked tail, affines our bird 
to the Edolian shrikes. Cuvier, I am aware, 
classed the Edolianse with the fly-catchers: 
but they have have since, with reason, been 
associated with the Laniidae or shrikes. 
Structure and size, 9| inches by 14§ : 1 oz* 
or less in weight. Bill ; tail 5 Tarsus 
Central toe hind TS- , Bill rather longer 
than the head, feeble, depressed with sharp 
ridges and plane spreading sides, scarcely 
compressed at the mere tip of the bill, 
straight with the culmen very slightly inclin- 
ed from the naves ; upper mandible distinctly 
longer and subhooked. Tooth, notch, and 
recurve, all palpable but feeble. Culmen,^ 
keeled and so far hid by incumbent and pro- 
cumbent setaceous plumes ending in hairs over 
the nostrils. Nostrils elliptic, large, longi- 
tudinal, forward but nearer the gape than the 
tip, lateral, shaded above by a largish process 
of the fossal membrane and closely hid by 
incumbent setse. Rictus to eye and very 
strongly bristled above and below. Tongue 
short, flat, cartilaginous, subbifid, and sub- 
jagged, not feathered. Wings long and acu- 
minate, reaching to middle of long tail, and 
2A inches less its tip : 1st quill very small ; 
2nd long; 4th clearly longest, and inch 
plus tertials. Tail longer than the body, 
and forked more than one inch, that is, ra- 
ther deeply. Tarsi rather feeble, as compared 
with any of the precedent, but the acrotarsia 
strongly scaled, as usual. Toes short, de- 
pressed, slender ; the fores much connected ; 
the outer § way beyond the joint, and the in- 
ner § way to it. Outer and central sub- 
equal ; inner, much shorter ; hind, least, some- 
times equal to inner fore. Claws, strong and 
very acute. Plumage of the head and neck 
distinguished by the intense gloss and lan- 
ceolate form, already noticed in regard to the 
three first described species ; and lining of 
the wings, similarly spotted with pure white. 
Colour, black, with an intense blue gloss, 
strongest on the head, necK, and wings. Alar 
and caudal plumes, jetty and shining ontheir 
inferior surface ; lower belly and flanks, fre- 
quently unglossed and scarcely full black, 
especially in the females and young ; bill and 
legs, jet black ; iris, dusky brown. Sexes 
alike. Shy, adhering to the forests ; feeds 
chiefly on the softer flying insects which it 
takes on the wing exclusively, but not by 
continued questing ; has an autumnal moult 
between August and October, and I think 
but one per annum. Intestines 8 to 10 inches 
long, thicker above, and provided with tiny 
caeca. Stomach, musctilar and red ; its lining, 
toughishand nearly smooth. 
Ceblepyrin^e. 
Genus Grauculus Cuvier. 
7th Species, new. Nipalensis nobis. 
Form and size, 13f inches long by 22 in 
expanse of wings : bill 1§; tail 6. Tarsus I 
central toe hind jg, A closed wing 7 inches 
whereof the Istbuill is 4|, the 2nd 6|, the 3rd 
and 5th 6|, and the 4th and longest 7. Weight 
5 oz. 
Bill, a fifth or sixth longer than the head, 
strong, spreading, and much broader than 
high at the base ; but -still not strictly depress- 
ed, subarcuate throughout : upper mandible, 
bent with an acute elevate ridge and sloping 
sides nearly void of convexity; lower man- 
dible, obtusely round, except near the tip ; 
curve and recurve, tooth and notch, all palpa- 
ble. but moderate. Frontal feathers, far pro- 
duced over the bill, and soft, with a narrow 
margin of subsetaceous plumes, the foremost 
of which are laid over the nares, where they 
end in adpressed hairs ; not more than a 
fourth of the culmen keeled. Tomise very 
trenchant, deeply locked, and remote from 
the scooped and ridged palate. Rictus pro- 
longed beneath the eye and distinctly though 
very feebly bristled. Nares much advanced 
and nearer to the tip than to the gape, small, 
round, sunk, lateral, shaded above by a small 
process of the fossal membrane, and closely 
hid by adpressed setse and hairs. Wings 
medial, strong, and acuminate, reaching to 
middle of tail and more; rimes plus tertials, 
l| inches.' Tail as long as the body, consist- 
ing of 12 firm, straight feathers .; w-hereof 
the 4 laterals are slightly gradated from be- 
low, but scarcely § an inch in the extremes. 
Legs and feet rather shoi-t and feeble in re- 
lation to the size of the bird ; tarsi consider- 
ably higher than any toe, and heavily scaled 
to the front and sides ; smooth and sharp be- 
hind, like all the foregone. Toes shortish, 
unequal, subdepressed ; the fores distinctly 
connected on the superior surface, but nearly 
cleft below. Thumb short, but broad and 
strong. Claws strong, curved, and rather 
acute. Plumage, in general, soft and dis- 
composed, but that of the rump, spinous. 
Tongue short, flat, cartilaginous, with acute 
subbifi tip. Intestines 14 to 15 inches long, 
thicker above, and furnished with two tiny 
cseca close to the anal end. Stomach muscu- 
lar and red. Outer coat of considerable un- 
equal thickness ; inner, leathery andgrooved. 
Food, grilli, mantides scarabaei, berries,, 
vetches, and seeds. Solitary for the most 
part, and adhering to the forests; but some- 
times approaching gardens and orchards. 
Feeds on the ground as well as on the wing, 
and has a shrill voice, exactly like that of the 
halcyons. To an extremely corvine aspect 
this bird adds something of the manners and 
habits of the corvidae, entitling it, at least, 
to generic separation L’om ceblepyris, though 
its true place be, no doubt, amongst the 
ceblepyrinae. 
Colour', full slaty grey-blue, with black 
wings and tail, and pure white belly, vent, 
and under tail coverts. Lores, narrow fron- 
tal band, mere base of bill, and the chin, con- 
