Short-tailed Turdinus. Turdinus brevicaudatus, Blyth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beno Von xoax. p 269. : striatus, Wald. in Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., 1871, 4th ser. part il. p. 324. sp. 4776%, + Vol. xxiv. p. 272.—God.-Aust. Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng., vol. vii. p. 241.—Gray, Hand-list of Birds, Puere is no group of birds with which we are less acquainted than that of which the present one is a member ; almost all we know respecting them is that several of the species are constantly found in the collections of birds sent to this country from Singapore. The species here represented appears to range from the Tenasserim provinces to the Khasia Hills; a fine example from which latter locality was kindly lent to me by Mr. Jerdon. All the information on record respecting the Tidinus brevicaudatus is comprised in the following notes by Mr. Blyth, extracted from the twenty-fourth volume of the ‘ Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal.’ It belongs to a form that is very well known, and quite worthy of the attention of ornithologists ; and, as no one could furnish a better monograph of these little brown birds, and no one has a richer store of materials for the purpose than Lord Walden, I trust he will take up the subject, and by so domg confer a great boon upon his brother naturalists. As a proof that this species at least has not escaped his attention, I may mention that, unaware of its having been previously characterized, his Lordship has given a description of it in the ‘Annals and Magazine of Natural History’ for 1871, under the name of Turdinus striatus, from the markings of the throat, which name must of course sink into a synonym. Mr. Blyth, when characterizing this bird, says :—‘‘ A third and more aberrant species, remarkable for its short tail, in which respect the Malayan 7. macrodactylus is itermediate to this and the preceding species (7. crispifrons). “These birds belong to a group which is preeminently difficult of classification, viz. the great Zimatia As a genus or subgenus it is series, which obtains its maximum development in the Malayan peninsula. able from Zrichostoma, nobis, and this again from Malacopteron, Alcippe, nobis (exemplified by barely separ Oe : s affined to it). Zurdinus is distinguished by its Brachypteryx sepiaria, Horsfield, and numerous other specie robust form, and especially by its peculiarly mottled plumage, the feathers being mostly pale-shafted and black-edged. “Colour of the upper parts much as in 7. crispy pa softer and less elongated ; of a rich olive-brown, black bordered and paler towards the shaft ; at the forebead inclining to ashy, and scarcely stiffened ; plumage ove ump ee = oe ea _ copious ; throat mingled dusky and whitish, the dark part occupying the tip 0 al ae a | ee : series of striae; remainder of the under surface ferruginous, deepest a the midc : of belly, and under s on the great range of wing-coverts, and others tipping the ath; legs pale, with whitish claws. of which the tail is 13 in., its outermost feather ons, but somewhat more rufescent, and the feathers still r tie F tail-coverts ; a series of whitish terminal speck secondaries and tertiaries ; bill dusky above, pale bene . ° eal + ® >» 2 ‘Size comparatively small. Length about 93 inches 5 a : ; lad ir Vy re rounded th 2 in. shorter than the medial ; closed wing 2' in., mo a ee ° ° e Carl aoe cis C ‘ai ° sixth to the tenth primaries subequal and the longest ; bill to gape +s 15 Cr ae oS , - ton of the bird under the name of 4. sirvaius : The following is Lord Walden’s description 0 Lay 1 back cinereous brown, narrowly edged with a rich ruddy brown, ‘Feathers of the head, nape, and ba 3 - ae Wings and tail pale brown, tinged with rufous. 1 g é ay 5 coverts bright rust-colour. Chin, throat, and Abdominal region and flanks an in the two other species, having the changing to dark brown on the margins. upper tail-coverts brown, tipped with ferru , : : i - upper breast-feathers white at the base and on the edges, i eks, and ear-coverts 7 ) pale brown, tinged with rufous. Lores, che - brown. Bill from forehead ¢ of an inch, wing 28, tail 2 Legs yellowish brown. * ginous 5 under tail- with brown centres. pale brown. Upper mandible horn-colour ; lower paler, inclining to yellow. inches, tarsus 2.” The figures are of the natural size.