1862.] Correspondence . 195 
“ I pointed out to you when in Calcutta the distinction between 
the three Kingfishers of salt-water and those of fresh-water streams 
and pools.* 
“ The Irawadi Porpoise abounds in many parts of the river. I 
saw them in great numbers above Ava in the gorge below Male, and 
from their extreme scarcity in Pegu during the rains, I think it by 
no means improbable that they migrate up the river at that season. 
I believe something similar has been observed in respect to the 
‘ Susu’ of the Ganges.t 
# # * # * 
“ Of the new birds in my collection, the Maina ( Temenuchus bur me - 
sianus, Jerdon,) is from Thayet Myo, and will doubtless prove an¬ 
other of the peculiar species of the dry region. The little black and 
white bird ( HJiodophila melanolenca, Jerdon,) is from the same place. 
Of Mulleripicus tCeddeni, I believe that 1 obtained one specimen at 
Thayet Myo, and subsequently I again shot it S. of Bassein. It is 
a very wary bird. The rare Bunting ( Emberiza rutila, Pallas,) I 
found in grass on a stream,, at the base of the Arakan hills near 
Gnathim-phyoung. The Rhod^opbila was shot in elephant-grass in 
the plains near Henzada. 
u That is all I can think of at the moment. Of course you may 
insert in any way you please. The land mollusks fully bear out the 
separation of the two provinces, Arakan and Lower Pegu from the 
Upper Irawadi valley. Scarcely a species is common to the two 
regions.”J 
* Halcyon amauropterus , H crtricapillm, and Alcedo mmingting , being the 
salt-water species noticed by Mr. Blanford, which are replaced higher up the 
rivers by H. leucocephalus , H. fuscus, and A. bengalensis. The little Ceyx, also, 
appears to be peculiarto brackish water ; but I observed H. atncapillus about 100 
miles up the river Salween.— Cur. As. Soc . 
f The ‘ Porpoise’ of the Irawadi has not yet been scientifically examined._ 
Cur. As Soc. 
£ Here I may remark, that the zoology of the more distant (and more recently 
acquired) dry region of the Upper Irawadi has hardly, as yet, been more than 
commenced upon. Though I collected pretty largely both at Moulmein and in 
Upper Martaban, I obtained no new species of bird whatever; and only one 
dubiously new mammal (a Rhizomys) in the latter region. The same number of 
species collected in Upper Pegu would, doubtless, have yielded at least several 
novelties ♦, and it was there that Dr. Jerdon arid Mr. Blanford discovered their 
various new birds, I was successful, however, in procuring capital specimens 
of sundry desiderata.— Cur. As. Soc. 
