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Show 660 MR. H. J. ELWES ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL [June 17, have just noticed as being so abundant in the upper and middle regiou of Sikim. The Mishmi hills in particular will well reward exploration. Through the agency of its savage inhabitants, one of the most curious animals in the world, Budorcas taxicolor, as well as two splendid Pheasants, Lophophorus sclateri and Ceriornis blythii, have already been brought to light; and the numerous discoveries of the Abbe David to the north-east show how much remains to be done in this direction. Of the Khasia and Cachar hills we have a fair knowledge, Major Godwin-Austen having published, in the J. A. S. B. for 1870, two excellent papers on their ornithology. They show but little difference from the hills of corresponding elevation in Sikim, though a few genera, such as Turdinus, Rhyticeros, and Anthreptes, which are not found in the Himalaya, occur here. The number of Asamese species not found in Sikim is only 16, of which half are Burmese birds. BURMAH. Passing by the Lushai hills, which, though traversed by a large force of troops in 1871, are still quite unknown to naturalists, we come to Burmah, Aracan, and Tennasserim. Of the countries lying east of the Bay of Bengal I should have been able to say but little had it not been for the kindness of Mr. Blyth, whose knowledge of their natural history is unequalled. He has, however, allowed me to make use of a list of birds which was prepared for Sir A. Phayre's promised work on British Burmah, and which consolidates and reviews all the scattered notices which have appeared at different times in the pages of the J. A. S. B. and other publications. This list extends to above 500 species ; and as the country to which it refers is too large to be taken as a whole, I have divided it into two parts, with the view of ascertaining what relation they bear respectively to India and the Malay peninsula. The northern division, which includes Aracan, Pegu, and valley of the Irrawaddy, has been fairly explored-Tickell, Blyth, Blanford and Jerdon being the names best known in connexion with its ornithology. Much remains to be done in the hills of the interior, where many additional Himalayan species may probably be found, though a great number of them have already been obtained in various parts of the country. On the whole, the fauna of Burmah is remarkably similar to that of Eastern Bengal, nearly all the genera being the same, and many of the species which have been described under different names being extremely close to their Indian representatives. In the valley of the Irrawaddy above Pegu the country becomes much dryer and less wooded; and here, as was pointed out by Mr. Blanford (Ibis, 1870, p. 463), are found several peculiar species and others which do not occur in Lower Burmah. Among them maybe mentioned Chatarrhaea gularis, Pericrocotus albifrons, Leucocerca albofrontata, Pica media, Monticola saxatilis, Pratincola |