7G 
W. E. Brooks — Cashmir Birds. 
[No. 1, 
I am very strongly of opinion that there are two species closely allied, 
both being found hi Nepal ; the larger one ranging from thence to the 
extreme West and North, even to Siberia, and the shorter winged one extend- 
ing eastwards. I am borne out in this conviction by both Dr. Jerdon and 
Mr. Hume. On Mr. Hume shewing Dr. Jerdon his specimens of H. 
fuliginosa, the latter said they were not fuliginosa, and that he did not 
know the bird ! In proof of this statement, Dr. Jerdon after a hunt among 
his box of skins produced at last a singularly broad billed little sooty fly- 
catcher, labelled H. fuliginosa in Mr. Blyth’s handwriting. This bird I 
saw. It is smaller ; agreeing with Hodgson’s measurements, and has an 
entirely different bill ; broader and more convex on the outline, as looked 
upon from above. The bill is so thoroughly diflerent in shape, that it could 
not be easily confused with the larger bird. I, therefore, conclude that our 
bird is not the original fuliginosa, as described by Mr. Hodgson. The 
dimensions on the back of the drawing of the nest above referred to, are 
in native character only ; not by Mr. Hodgson himself, and there is no evid- 
ence to show that he contused the two birds. If Mr. Gray is correct in his 
identifications, our North-West bird should probably stand as 11. Siberica, 
Gml., being distinct from II. fuliginosa, Hodgson. 
Captain Cock found a nest of our bird with three eggs at Sonamurg up 
the Scind river. It was placed against the side of a tree trunk, and the 
eggs were of a pale greenish ground colour minutely mottled with pale reddish 
brown, especially towards the larger end ; size of eggs '65 by '46 inch. 
Siphia leu c cm E LANTJ ha. — Not uncommon in Cashmir wherever there 
are pine woods. As in the case of Iantliia ruflata, many pairs of these 
birds which were breeding had the male in the plumage of the female ! Only 
two pairs which I shot had blue males. 
The nest is a neat little cup, placed in a hollow in the side of a tree 
trunk. The eggs 4 in number are of a pale buff color, clouded with dull 
pale rufous towards the larger end. Size, '62 by '48 inch. 
Ebythhostehna pabva.- — Breeds sparingly in Cashmir at from 6 to 
7,000 feet elevation. The males in breeding plumage have the red of the 
breast bordered on each side by a stripe of velvet black. This is not shewn 
in Dr. Bree’s illustration. In winter the black border disappears, nor is it 
regained before the birds leave the plains of India in March and April. The 
song is sweet, loud and Bobin-like, but short. I failed to find a nest. 
Pbatencola Indicia. — The small black Indian species is the stonechat 
of Cashmir. It is not an abundant bird anywhere, as it is in Kumaon. 
The first place in Cashmir where I met with it was at Thunna Mundi, south 
of the Itultun Pir mountain, at about 4,000 feet elevation. Up to this point 
Bratincola caprata is the very abundant stonechat ; extending through all 
the lower ranges, but not beyond Thunna Mundi, nor did I see it at all 
