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Show 314 MR. R. B. SHARPE ON BIRDS FROM MADAGASCAR. [APR. 18, 2. TYLAS EDUARDI. Tylas eduardi, Hartl.; Sharpe, Cat. Afr. B. p. 385. Several specimens of this bird are in the collection just received. They differ somewhat in coloration, some examples having white marks on the throat and the bill of a yellowish horn-colour, the upper 'plumage being more tinged with brown. I believe these to be younger birds, as one of m y specimens, evidently quite adult, has the throat jet-black like the rest of the head. 7. CEBLEPYRIS MAJOR. Ceblepyris major, Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 389. Campephaya major, Sharpe, Cat. Afr. B. p. 53. Additional specimens of this Shrike confirm the distinctness of the species from C. eana. 15. MvST ACORN IS CROSSLEYI. Mystacornis crossleyi, Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 392, pl. xxix., et Cat. Afr. B. p. 20. Mr. Crossley, on seeing the plate of this species, was not a little astonished to find the birds placed on reeds, a locality never affected by the species at all. He told me that they ran along the ground in the thick forest, and were shot for him by the natives with blow-pipes ; so in m y recently published Catalogue I relegated the genus Mystacornis to the family Timaliidee, of which family there are certainly some forms present in the .Ethiopian region. The reason that I originally referred the genus Mystacornis to the family Sylviidee was the fact of M . Grandidier having originally placed the typical species iu the genus Bernieria, which I was always inclined to consider, along with Tatare, a Sylviine form closely allied to Calamoherpe. I had not at that time carefully noticed the remarks published by Mr. Edward Newtou (Ibis, 1863, p. 343) to the effect that the first specimen of Bernieria which he obtained was seen " hopping about in a thicket," while the second example was " also among some thick bushes." It seems therefore that Bernieria and Mystacornis are not reed-birds at all; and I suppose that Tatare will prove to be a forest form also. Mr. George Robert Gray, in the 'Hand-list' (vol. i. p. 194), places Tatare in a subfamily, Tatarinee, G. R. Gr., at the end of the family Troglodytidee, while Bernieria he places in his comprehensive genus Criniger, near to C. syndactylus (Xeno-cichla syndadyla). I believe that this is probably the correct position of Bernieria, viz. close to Xenocichla, but that Tatare and Mystacornis must certainly follow. It will be noticed that Mr. Edward Newton (/. ci) says that the native name for Bernieria madagascariensis and B. minor were the same, "Tra-trak," and adds, " M y people could not detect the difference, and called them both by the same name." During his recent visit to England, M . Jules Verreaux mentioned to me in the course of conversation that M . Grandidier had taken great pains to investigate the subject, and had assured himself that these two sup- |