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Show 394 MR. R. B. SHARPE ON BIRDS FROM MADAGASCAR. [June 9, base of the upper mandible pale grey; ear-coverts black; cheeks white; throat white, somewhat tinged with grey on the upper part of the breast; middle of the belly white ; flanks olive-brown ; under tail-coverts white, broadly edged with olive-brown. Total length 6 inches ; of bill from front 0*8, from gape 1 ; wing 2*9 ; tail 2*7 ; tarsus 0*9. " a, b. Male and female. Nossi Vola, Oct. 28th, and Nov. 1 2th, 1869. Native name Surat ala. Eyes black. "c. Saralalan, Nov. 16th, 1869." 16. PRATINCOLA SIBYLLA. Pratincola sybilla (Linn.) ; Hartl. Faun. Madag. p. 38 ; Roch & E. Newt. Ibis, 1862, p. 272. Pratincola sibylla, E. Newt. Ibis, 1863, p. 345 ; Scl. P. Z. S. 1863, p. 163; A. Newt. P. Z. S. 1865, p. 836. Pratincola pastor, Grand. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1867, p. 359. Saxicola torquata, Schl. & Poll. Faun. Madag. Ois. p. 93. " Vodirat, 25 miles N.W. of the capital. Native name Fittat. Male and female." I must confess that it is with some little surprise that I have found the Stonechat of Madagascar united without a question to the Stone-chat of Europe, Asia, and Africa ; for Professor Schlegel unites under the heading of Saxicola torquata, the following birds, which most of us are accustomed to regard as distinct species :-Pratincola rubicola (Linn.), P. sibylla (Linn.), P. indica, Blyth, P. hemprichi (K. & B.), P. pastor (Voigt), P. albofasciata (Riipp.), P. borbonica (Bory). It seems to m e that, of these, there can he little question that P. hemprichi, of which I have seen several specimens, P. albofasciata, and P. borbonica are all certainly distinct: and I do not wish to go into the question in the present inquiry ; but having a goodly series of all the others, I think that a few remarks on them may be of some service to ornithologists. Now, as regards the distinctness of P. indica from our P. rubicola, I would state that I do not wish to separate these two species, although in the breeding males of the latter the red of the breast is mure deep and extends further on to the abdomen than in Indian birds. For the absolute settlement of this question it will be necessary to compare a series of males and females shot in Europe and in India at precisely the same period of the year ; and especial attention would have to be directed to the birds shot in the Punjab and North-western Provinces, where the Desert Region, which carries with it so many of our European forms to be included in the " Birds of India," ends, and the true Indian fauna commences. I would call the attention of Mr. Hume and tbe various other ornithologists who are now doing good work in that country to the probable existence of a small race of Pratincola indica inhabiting the hills near Simla. A pair in my collection from that locality are decidedly smaller than ordinary P. indica. Next, as regards Pratincola torcpiata (Pr. pastor, auct.), Professor Schlegel states that specimens from the Cape, Southern Siberia, |