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Full text of "The birds of India : being a natural history of all the birds known to inhabit continental India, with descriptions of the species, genera, families, tribes, and orders, and a brief notice of such families as are not found in India, making it a manual of ornithology specially adapted for India"

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FORTHE   PEOPLE 

FOK  EDVCATION 

FOR  SCIENCE 

LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  AMERICAN  MUSEUM 

OF 

NATURAL  HISTORY 

Bound  atl 
IA.M.N.H. 
1937 


BIRDS    OF    INDIA: 

BEING 

THE  BIRDS  KNOWN  TO  INHABIT  CONTINENTAL  INDIA;         ^ 

WITH 

Descriptions  of  the  Species,  Genera,  Families-,  Tribes,  and  Orders, 
and  a  Brief  Notice  of  such  Families  as  are  not  found  in  India, 

MAKING    IT    A 

SPECIALLY    ADAPTED    FOE,    INDIA, 

r.Y 

T.  C.  JERDON, 

SUEQEON  MAJOR,  MADRAS  AKMY, 
Author  of  "  Ilhistratlons  of  Indian    Ornithology." 


in  %hxtt  """' 


VOL.  III. 


GEORGE  WYMAN  AND   CO.,   PUBLISHERS, 
lA,  HARE  STREET,  CALCUTTA. 

1864. 


y>-W<Wi7-'D«^t*' 


NATIVE  LANGUAGES— ABBREVIATIONS. 


B.,  Beng.  Bengalee. 

Bhot.  Bhotia.                  (Sikim). 

Can.  Canarese. 

H.,  Hind.  Hindustani. 

Lepch.  Lepcha.                 (Sikim). 

Mahr.  Mahratta. 

Mai.  Malyalum. 

Sind.  Sindhi. 

Tarn.  Tamul. 

Tel.  Telugu  or  Telinga. 
Besides  these,  a  veiy  few  names  are  given  from  the  language  of  the 

Gonds  of  Central  India  ;  the  Mharis,  an  allied  race  ;  and  the  Yerklees, 
a  nomade  race  in  the  Deccan, 


PREFACE 


SECOND  PART  OF  SECOND  VOLUME. 


The  author  has  at  last  the  gratification  of  concluding 
his  '  Birds  of  India/  the  compilation  of  which  has  occu- 
pied him  incessantly   for  upwards  of  two  years.     The 
second  part  of  this  Volume   has  been  delayed  by  the 
illness  of  the  author,  as  well  as  by  other  causes  beyond 
his  control ;  and  he  is  rejoiced  to  find,  by  the  impatience 
of  many  of  his  correspond'ints  and  others,  that  the  study 
of  Ornithology  is  on  the  increase,  and  that  the  utility 
of  the  present  work  is  already  apparent.     The  number 
of  species  recorded  is  above  one  thousand,  about  double 
that  of  the  Avi-fauna  of  Europe.     The  author  mentions 
this  to  show  that  he  has  not  been  unnecessarily  long 
over  his  task,  about  two  years  and    one  month  ;  and 
that  those  who  expected  more  were  somewhat  unrea- 
sonable in   their  views.     Indeed,  had  he  not  been  work- 
ing  under    Government,  and  against  time  as  it  were, 
he  certainly  would  have  taken  more  time  over  the  work, 
and  the  imperfections   would  have  been   fewer.     None 
can   be   better  aware   than   the   author  himself  of  the 
numerous  imperfections  and  blemishes  throughout  the 
work,  some  of  which  have  been  kindly   brought  to  his 
notice,  and  all  of  which  he  hopes  to  correct   if  a  second 
edition  be  called  for  ;  and  with  this  view,  the  author 
most  earnestly  begs  for  information  from  all  interested 


PREFACE. 


in  the  study  of  Ornithology,  both  with  regard  to  any  in- 
accuracies of  the  present  work,  and  especially  additional 
information  on  the  habits,  changes  of  plumage,  &c.,  &c., 
of  such  birds  as  are  least  known.  He  is  happy  to 
be  able  to  state  that  several  gentlemen  interested  in 
the  study  of  Indian  Birds,  some  of  them  previously 
unknown  personally  to  him,  have  commenced  a  corres- 
pondence, and  given  him  some  valuable  notes  on  various 
species.  They  are  too  numerous  to  enumerate  here,  'but 
he  cannot  refrain  from  mentioning  Dr.  D.  Scott,  now  at 
Umballa ;  Mr.  F.  Simson,  B.  C.  S.  ;  Mr.  Jos.  Shillingford 
of  Kolassee ;  and  Mr.  Brooks,  Railway  Engineer,  Mir- 
zapore.  He  much  regrets  that  the  length  to  which  the 
second  volume  has  extended,  has  prevented  his  adding  a 
description  of  the  Assamese  and  Burmese  birds  not  in- 
cluded in  the  Birds  of  India ;  and  the  same  reason  has 
rendered  it  unadvisable  to  give  that  extended  table  of 
the  geographical  distribution  of  all  the  species  which 
he  proposed  in  the  introduction  to  the  first  volume. 

It  is  with  no  ordinary  feelings  of  regret,  that  the 
author  has  to  record  here  the  death  of  the  nobleman 
to  whom  this  work  was  dedicated.  Thus,  two  Viceroys, 
under  whose  patronage  this  book  has  been  planned  and 
carried  out,  have,  in  the  short  space  of  two  years,  gone 
to  their  long  home.  Lord  Canning,  to  whom,  he  may 
say,  this  contribution  to  science  owes  its  existence,  ever 
took  a  lively  interest  in  its  progress,  and  brought  it 
prominently  before  Lord  Elgin,  who  warmly  seconded 
his  predecessor's  views ;  and  the  author  is  glad  to  see 
that  this  liberality  has  been  duly  appreciated  by  the 
scientific  world.  He  trusts  that  the  next  Viceroy  will 
see  fit  to  continue  the  patronage  of  Government,   to 


PREFACE. 


enable  the  author  to  go  on  with  the  rest  of  his  projected 
manuals.  The  volumes  on  Mammals  and  fishes  are  both 
nearly  ready  for  the  press,  and  if  the  author's  special 
duty  is  continued,  will  be  commenced  immediately,  and 
finished,  he  hopes,  by  the  end  of  1864. 

December  1863. 


LIST  OF   AUTHORS   QUOTED. 


Adams,  Dr.  A. — "  Proc.  Zool.  Society." 

Bechstein,  J.  M. — "  The  Birds  of  Germany,"  <fec. 

Belanger,  C. — "  Voyage  aux  Incles  orientales." 

Blasius,.J.  H. — "German  periodicals." 

Bltth,  E. — "Jour.  As.  Soc,"  etc.,  &c. 

BoDDAERT,  P.^— "  Tableau  des  oiseaux,  Planches  enlumin^es,"  &c.    ' 

Boie,  T. — "  German  periodicals." 

Bonaparte,  C.  L.,  Prince  of  Canino — "Conspectus  geuerum  Avium, 

Comptes  Rendus,"  &c.,  &c. 
Bonelli,  R — "  Italian  periodicals." 
Brandt,  J. — "St.  Petersburg  Memoirs." 
Brehon,  a.  E. — "  German  periodicals." 
Brisson, — "  Systema  Ornithologise." 
Brown, — "  Illustrations  of  Zoology." 
Burgess, — "  Proc.  Zool.  Society." 
Burton,  E. — "Proc.  Zool.  Society." 
Cabanis,  J.  L. — "  Museum  Hyneanum,"  &c.,  (Sic. 
Cassin,  J. — "Philadelphia  Proc." 
Cuvier,  G.  Baron, — "  Le  regno  Animal,"  &c. 
Daudin,  F.  M. — "Annal.  du  Museum,"  &c. 
Delessert,  a. — "  Voyage  aux  Indes." 
Deshayes,  G.  p. — "  French  periodicals." 
Drapiez,  a. — "  Diet,  des  Sc.  Naturelles." 
Edwards,  G. — "  Illustrations  of  Birds." 
Eversmann,  E. — "  Mem.  Nt.  Hist.  Soc,  Moscow." 
Eyton,  T.  C.— "  Monog.  of  Anatidse,"  &c. 
Fleming,  J. — "  British  Birds." 
Franklin,  J.,  Major — "  Proc  Zool.  Society." 
FoRSKAL,  P. — "  Travels  in  Arabia." 
FoRSTER,  I.  R. — "  Zool.  Ind." 

Geoffroy,  Is.  St.  Hil. — "  Ann.  Museum. — Mag.  de  Zoologie." 
Gloger,  C.  W. — "  German  periodicals." 
Gmelin,  J.  F. — Editor  of  Linne's  Systema  Naturae. 
Gmelin,  S.  T.— "  Travels  in  Asia." 


LIST    OF    AUTHORS    QUOTED. 

Gould,  J. — Many  magnificent  illustrated  works  on  Birds. 

Gray,  J.  E. — "  Cat.  Brit.  Museum,"  etc.,  &c. 

Gray,   G.   R. — "  Illustrated  Genera  of  Birds" — I  have  neglected  to 
distinguish  these  two  authors  by  their  initials. 

GuLDENSTADT,  A.  J. — "  St.  Petersburg  Memoirs." 

Gurney,  J.  H. — "  Proc.  Zool.  Soc.     Ibis,"  &c. 

Hardwicke,  T.,  Major  General. — "  Illustrations  of  Indian  Zoology." 

Hartlaub,  G. — "  Various  periodicals,  English  and  Foreign." 

Hay.  lord,  A. — "  Madras  Journal." 

Heuglin,  T.  — "  Trans.    Vienna  Academy.     Ibis." 

Hodgson,  B.  H. — "  Indian  periodicals.     Proc.  Zool.  Soc." 

HoEVEN,  J.  Vander. — "  Hand-book  of  Zoology." 

HoMEYER,  E.  F.  Von. — "  German  periodicals." 

HoRSFiELD,  T. — "Zool.  Res.  Java.     Cat.  Birds  E.  I.  Museum,"  &c. 

HuTTON,  Captain  T. — "  Journal  Asiat.  -Soc." 

Illiger,  J.  C. — "  Berlin  Transact."  &c. 

Irby,  Captain  J. — "  The  Ibis." 

Jameson,  W. — "  Calc.  Jour.  Nat.  Hist.     Jour,  As.  Soc."  &c. 

Jardine,    Sir    W. — "  Illustr.    of    Ornithology.      Contributions   to 

Ornith.,"  &c. 
Jerdon,  T.  C. — "  Madras  Journal. — lUustrat.  Ind.  Ornithology." 
Kaup,  J.  J. — "  Various  periodicals," 
Keyserling,  A.  G.  Von. — "  German  periodicals." 
Klein,  L  T.— "  Hist.  Avium." 
KuHL,  H. — "  German  periodicals." 
Lacepede,  B.  G. — "  Mem.  and  Ann.  Mus." 
Lafresnaye — "  French  periodicals." 
Lapeyrouse,  P. — Do.         Do. 
Latham,  J. — "  General  Historj  of  Birds,"  &c. 
Layard,  E. — "  Ann.  Nat.  History." 
Leach,  W.  E. — "  Linnsean  Trans."  &c. 
Leisler,  J.  P. — "  Birds  of  Germany,"  &c. 
Lepechin,  J. — "  St.  Petersburg  Mem." 
Lesson,  R.  P. — "  Traite  d'Ornithologie,"  &c. 
Levaillant, — "  Oiseaux  d'Afrique." 
Levaillant,  Jr. — "  Birds  of  Algeria." 
Lichtenstein,  H. — "  German  periodicals." 
Linn.eus,  C. — "  Systema  Naturae,"  &c. 
McClelland,  J. — "  Proc.  Zool.  Soc,"  &o. 


LIST    OF    AUTHORS    QUOTED.  |U 

Malherbb,  a. — "  Monograph  of  Woodpeckers,"  6iq. 

Marmora,  A. — "  Italiau  periodicals."  • 

Meyer,  B. — "  German  periodicals." 

MiDDENDORF, — "  Travels  in  N.  Asia." 

MoEHRiNG,  P.  H. — "  Avium  Genera,"  «tc. 

Montagu,  G. — "  Liunaan  Transactions. ' 

Moore,  F. — "  Proc.  Zool.  Soc." 

MoTSCHOWLSKi, — "  Moscow  Mcmoirs."- 

MiJLLER,  S. — "  Javanese  Works." 

Nattbrer,  J. — "  Vienna  Transact." 

Naumann,  J.  A. — "  Birds  of  Germany,"  <kc. 

NiLLSON,  S. — "  Analecta  Ornithologica,"  ic. 

OsBECK,  P. — "  Voyage  to  China." 

Pallas,  P.  S. — "  Zoography  of  Russian  Asia,"  Ac,  ifec. 

Paykull,  G. — "  Swedish  Academ.  Trans." 

Pealb,  T. — "  Ornith.  of  American  Expl.  Exped." 

Pearson,  J.  T. — "  Jounial  Asiatic  Society." 

Pennant,  T. — "  Indian  Zoology." 

Raffles,  Sir  T. — "  Linnsean  Trans." 

Rat,  J. — "  Synops.  method.  Avium." 

Reichenback,  H.  G. — "  Hand-book  of  Special  Ornithology,"  <kc. 

RoYLE,  F. — "  Botany,  &c.,  of  Himalayas." 

Ruppell,  W.  p. — "Fauna  of  Abyssinia." 

Savigny,  J.  C.— "  Birds  of  Egypt." 

ScHLEGEL,  H. — "  Birds  of  Japan,"  &c. 

ScLATER,  p.  L. — "  Proc,  Zool.  Society,  Ibis,"  Sic. 

ScopoLi,  I.  A.—"  Int.  ad,  Hist.  Nat." 

Selby,  p.  J. — "  Illustr.  British  Ornithology." 

Shaw,  G. — "  Nat.  Hist.  Birds,"  &c. 

Smith,  Dr.  A. — "  Zoology  of  South  Africa." 

SoNNERAT, — "  Voy.  aux  Indes  orientalcs." 

SoRET,  F.  A. — "  Revue  Zoologique." 

Sparrman,  a. — "  Mas.  Carlsonianum.,"   &c. 

Stephens, — "  Continuation  of  Shaw's  Zoology." 

Stobr,  T.  C. — "  Leipzic  periodicals." 

Strickland,  H.  E. — "  Ann,  Mag.  Nat.  Nat." 

Sundevall,  C.  J. —         Do.         Do. 

SwAiNSON,  W. — "  Zool.  Illustrations,  Lardner's  Cyclopaedia,"  ke. 

SwiNHOE, — "Journal  As.  Society,  Ibis,"  &c. 


iv  LIST    OF    AUTHORS    QUOTKO. 

Stkes,  W.  H.,  Lt.  Colonel. — "  Proc.  Zool.  Society." 

Temminck,   C.    J. — "  Planches   Coloriee'3    dea    oiseaux.     Birds   of 

Japan,"  «fec. 
Theobald, — "  W. — Journ.  As.  Soc." 

TicKELL,  R.  J.,  Lt.  Colonel. — "  Journal  Asiatic  Society,"  itc. 
TytLER,  R.,  Lt.  Colonel. — "  Ann.  Mag.  Nat.  History." 
Vahl,  M. — "  Foreign  Periodicals." 

Valenciennes,  A. — "Memoires  du  Museum.     Diet,  des  Sc.  Nat." 
Verreaux,  J. — "  Magazin  de  Zoologie." 
ViEiLLOT,  L.  P. — "  Encyclopedic  Methodique — Oiseaux." 
Vigors,  N.  A. — "  Proc.  Zool.  Soc.     Zoological  Journal." 
Wagler,  J.  G. — "  Svstema  Avium,"  <kc. 


LIST  OF  CONTENTS  OF  VOL.  II,  PART  II. 


Oed.  gemitores,     

Fam,  TRERONIDiE, 

Treroninse, 
Carpophaginae, 

Fam.  CoLUMBiD^,     ... 

Palumbinse, ... 
Columbinae, 
Macropyginse, 
TurturinsD, 

Fam.  GouRiD^,     

Phapinse,  ... 
Obd.  RASORES,       

Fam.  Pterooliu^,    .1. 

Fam.   PHASIANIDJi, 

Pavoninse, 
Phasianinae, ... 
Gallinae,    ... 

Fam.  Tetkaonid^e, 
Perdicinse, 
Coturnicinse, 

Fam.  TiNAMiD.a:, 

Tumiciuae, 

Ord.  GRALLATORES,   

Tribe  Pressirostres, 

Fam.  OTiDiDiE, 

Fam.  CuRSORiD^, ...     . 

Fam.  Glareolid.(E,  ... 

Fam.  CHARADRiD.a!;, 

Charadrinse, 
Vanellinse, 
Esacin^,  ... 


Page. 

441 
444 
ih. 
454 
460 
461 
467 
472 
475 
483 
484 
488 
494 
505 
506 
509 
535 
546 
548 
585 
593 
594 
602 
605 
606 
626 
629 
633 
634 
643 
652 


CONTENTS. 

Pctx)e. 

Fam.  H^MATOPODiD^, 655 

Strepsilinse,      Ih. 

Dromadinee, 057 

HsBmatopodiuEe, 659 

Fam.  Gruid^,       661 

Tribe  Longirostres, 668 

Fam.  ScoLOPACiDiE,      ... ...  669 

Scolopacinae,     ih. 

Limosinse,     679 

Niimenimu,      683 

Tringinas,     686 

Phalaropinee,    694 

Totaninse,     696 

Fam.  HimantopidjE,         ."*    703 

Tribe  Latitores,     706 

Fam.  PARRiDiE, 707 

Parrina;,        ih. 

Fam.  KallijD^, 712 

Gallinuliuae, 713 

Eallina3,    721 

Tribe  Cultirostres,       728 

Fam.  CicoNiDiE,        729 

Fam.  ARDEiDiE,     738 

Fam.  Tantalid^,     760 

Tantalinee, 761 

Plataleinse,       763 

Anastomatiiige,     764 

Ibisinse,    767 

Ord.  NATATORES, 772 

Tribe  Lamellirostres,       773 

Fam.  Pn^NicoPTERiDiE,       774 

Fam.  Anserid^, 778 

Anseringe,     ' ih. 

Plectropterinse,        784 

JSTettapodin^,       786 

Tadorninas,       788 

Fam.  Anatid^,     795 

Anatinse, 796 


CONTENTS. 


Fuligulinee, 
Fam.  Mbrgidje, 

Tribe  Mergitores, 

Fam.  PoDiciPiD^,    ... 

Tribe  Vagatores, 

Fam.  Procellarid^, 
Fam.  Larid^, 

LariiiaB, 
Sterninse, 

Tribe  Piscatores,       

Fam.  Phaetonid^, 

Fam.  SuLiD^, 

Fam.  Attagenid^, 
Fam.  Pelecanid^,  .. 
Fam.  GRAcuLiDiE, 


Page. 

810 
816 
819 
820 
823 
824 
828 
829 
833 
848 
849 
850 
852 
853 
860 


THE  BIRDS  OF  INDIA, 

VOL.  II.  PAET  II. 


Ord.  GEMITORES,  Pigeons. 

Syn.   Columbce,  Latham. 

Bill  moderate  or  short,  straight,  compressed ;  the  basal  portion 
weak,  and  covered  with  a  soft  fleshy  skin  or  membrane,  in  which 
the  nostrils  are  situated  ;  the  apical  portion  arched  or  vaulted,  and 
more  or  less  curved  down  at  the  tip ;  wiugs  generally  long, 
pointed ;  tail  variable,  usually  of  twelve  or  fourteen  feathers ; 
tarsi  short  and  stout;  legs  feathered  to  the  joint ;  toes  moderately 
long ;  hind  toe  on  the  same  plane  as  the  anterior  ones. 

There  is  no  order  of  birds,  perhaps,  better  marked  than  that  of 
the  Pigeons  and  Doves,  and  such  is  the  marked  physiognomy  of 
these  birds,  that  it  does  not  require  an  Ornithologist  to  refer  a  bird 
of  this  order  to  its  proper  place ;  not  more  than  one  species  at 
present  existing,  which  could  excite  more  than  a  momentary  doubt 
in  the  mind  of  any  one  as  to  its  real  affinities. 

The  soft  and  often  tumid  and  bulged  base  of  the  bill  is  smooth 
in  some,  scurfy  in  others,  and  the  nostrils  are  usually  pierced  well 
in  front ;  the  apical  portion  of  the  bill  varies  much,  -slender  and 
slightly  curved  in  some,  thick  and  much  curved  in  others.  The 
gape  is  tolerably  wide,  very  wide  in  one  family,  and  the  face  and 
lores  are  usually  well  plumed.  The  eyes  are  set  rather  far  back, 
and  give  a  peculiar  physiognomy  to  the  birds  of  this  order.  The 
wings  are  generally  long,  and  more  or  less  pointed ;  in  some  of  the 
ground  Pigeons,  only,  shorter  and  more  rounded ;  and,  in  many,  the 
first  primaiy  quills  are  notched  on  their  inner  webs,  as  in  the  Fal- 
conidcB.  The  tail  varies  both  in  length  and  form,  but  is  usually 
nearly  even,  or  very  slightly  rounded,  wedge-shaped  in  a  few.  It 
consists  of  twelve  or  fourteen  feathers  in  most ;  of  sixteen  in  a  few  ; 
and  it  has  been  stated  tiiat  there  are  only  ten  in  one  or  two.     The 

PART    II.  3    K 


442  BIRDS    OF   INDIA. 

tarsus  is  short  and  stout,  but  varies  in  the  different  families,  and 
is  more  or  less  feathered  in  a  few  ;  the  bare  portion  is  covered 
with  scutellse  in  front.  The  feet  are  more  or  less  elongated,  the 
membrane  of  the  toes  sometimes  bordering  the  scutella?,  and  the 
soles  are  broad  and  flattened  in  one  family.  In  a  few  of  the 
arboreal  Pigeons,  the  outer  toe  is  slightly  joined  at  the  base  to 
the  middle  one ;  but,  in  general,  the  toes  are  divided  to  the  base. 

In  their  internal  anatomy,  too,  the  Pigeons  are  well  marked. 
The  bony  gternum  is  narrow,  and  has  two  notches  on  each  side  ; 
the  outermost,  one  deep,  whilst  the  inner  one  is  often  reduced  to  a 
foramen ;  the  lidge  is  deep,  and  rounded  off  anteriorly,  somewhat 
as  in  Parrots ;  and  the  furcula  is  flat,  and  destitute  of  any  append- 
ao-e.  The  crop  is  very  large  and  double,  and,  in  the  breeding 
season,  becomes  glandular  in  both  sexes,  and  secretes  a  milky 
fluid,  which  moistens  the  grains  which  they  afterwards  convey  to 
their  young.  The  gizzard  is  very  muscular,  the  intestines  long 
and  slender,  with  minute  cocca,  and  there  is  no  gall  bladder.  The 
lower  larynx  is  furnished  with  two  pairs  of  muscles.  Their 
feathers  want  the  supplementary  plume  present  in  most  Rasores  ; 
and,  in  many,  the  feathers  on  the  back  and  rump  have  the  shaft 
wide  and  flattened,  especially  at  its  basal  portion,  giving  a  sort  of 
spinous  character  to  the  touch. 

All  Pio-eons  are  mono2:amous  in  their  habits,  and  both  sexes 
assist  in  making  the  nest,  incubating  the  eggs,  and  feeding  the 
young.  They  make  loosely-constructed  nests  of  twigs,  not  inter- 
woven, either  on  trees,  or  in  holes  of  rocks  or  buildings,  and  never 
lay  more  than  two  eggs ;  in  some  genera  only  one,  and  their  colour 
is  always  pure  white.  The  young  are  born  naked  and  blind ; 
they  take  considerable  time  to  reach  maturity,  and,  long  after  they 
fly  are  fed  by  their  parents,  which  disgorge  the  grain,  &c.  from 
their  own  craws.  Pigeons  feed  on  fruit  and  grain,  never  touching 
insect  food,  though  a  few  eat  small  snails  ;  and  they  alone,  of  all 
birds,  drink  by  a  continued  draught.  Their  note  is  usually  soft 
and  expressive,  being,  in  most,  a  sort  of  Coo,  or  low  plaintive  moan, 
in  one  group  a  rolling  whistle. 

Pigeons  are  found  over  all  the  world,  but  are  most   numerous  in 
Australia  and  the  Oceanic  region.     There  are  many  in  America, 


GEMITORES.  443 

but  not  of  very  varied  forms ;  few  in  Europe  and  temperate  Asia  ; 
and  moderately  abundant  in  India,  increasing  in  the  Malayan 
region  both  in  types  and  numbers.  Above  300  species  are  now 
known,  all  of  very  pleasing  coloration,  some  of  them  very  beautiful, 
and  many  adorned  Avith  bright  metallic  hues,  and  a  rich  change- 
able gloss.  Most  of  them  are  highly  fitted  as  food  for  man,  and 
many  are  excellent  eating. 

Pigeons  may  be  said  to  be  intermediate  to  Rasores  and  Insessores, 
and  Cuvier  considered  that  they  form  the  passage  from  one  tribe 
to  the  other.  Some  Ornithologists  place  them  as  an  aberrant 
family  of  the  Rasores ;  others  as  the  last  of  the  Insessores.  They 
approximate  the  Rasores  by  their  vaulted  beak,  their  large  nasal 
fossjB,  covered  by  a  soft  membrane,  their  crop  dilatable  externally, 
the  form  of  their  tarsus  and  foot,  and  their  blunt  nails,  tlieir 
massive  form,  and  general  physiognomy,  and  by  their  affording 
excellent  food ;  whilst  they  hold  to  the  Insessores  by  their  mono- 
gamous habits,  the  young  being  hatched  blind  and  helpless, 
the  hind  toe  being  on  a  level  with  the  other  three;  and  the  short 
tarsus  never  being  spurred.  In  their  internal  anatomy,  too,  they 
equally  partake  of  both,  having  the  thick  gizzard  of  the  Rasores 
and  the  small  coeca  and  simple  gastric  glands  of  the  Insessores. 
On  the  whole,  I  consider,  with  Wallace  and  others,  that  they 
approach  the  Rasores  more  nearly  than  they  do  the  Insessores. 

As  stated  in  my  Introduction,  theoretically,  I  am  inclined  to 
regard  them  as  an  aberrant  division  of  the  Rasores.  They  are 
certainly  hardly  co-equal  in  value  with  the  other  five  orders  of 
birds,  and  one  argument  might  be  drawn  in  favor  of  their  being 
rather  a  family  than  a  tribe,  from  the  fact  of  their  presenting 
so  great  an  uniformity  of  structure  throughout,  the  other  orders 
exhibiting  a  constant  variation  of  type  ;  but,  for  convenience  of 
definition  and  practical  purposes,  I  think  it  advisable  to  keep 
them  distinct  as  Gray,  Bonaparte,  and  Blyth  have  done. 

The  family  of  the  Insessores  to  which,  perhaps,  they  make 
the  nearest  approach,  is  that  of  the  Cuckoos,  and  the  most 
nearly  related  among  the  Rasores  are  the  Cracidce,  which  agree 
with  them  in  the  structure  of  their  feet,  and  the  Tinamidce,  both 
American  groups. 


444  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

I  have  selected  MacGillivray's  name  for  the  order  ;  its  termina- 
tion being  conformable  with  that  of  the  other  orders. 

Pigeons  may  be  divided  into  the  following  families: — 
1.  TreronidcB,  fruit  eating  or  Tree  Pigeons  ;  2.  Cohtmhidce, 
ordinary  Pigeons  and  Doves,  feeding  partly  on  the  ground  and 
partly  on  trees ;  3.  GouridcB,  or  ground  Pigeons  ;  and  4. 
JJidunculidce,  consisting  of  a  single  form,  to  which  perhaps  ought  to 
be  added  the  Dididce,  founded  for  the  extinct  Dodo.  Gray  divides 
them,  as  I  have  done  here,  but,  making  the  whole  order  of  one 
family  only,  Columbidce,  our  families  are  by  him  arranged  as 
sub-families. 

Bonaparte  adds  another,  Calamida,  separated  from  Gourida, 
and  founded  on  the  Nicobar  Ground-pigeon ;  and  latterly,  he 
restricted  Gouridce  to  the  o-ij^antic  Crowned  Piffeons  of  New 
Guinea. 

Fam.    TllERONIDyE. 

Bill  varied,  short  and  thick  in  some,  slender  in  others,  the  tip 
strong  and  vaulted  ;  wings  long,  firm  ;  the  tail  short  or  moderate 
in  most,  always  of  fourteen  feathers ;  tarsus  short,  more  or  less 
feathered,  the  bare  portion  reticulated ;  inner  toe  a  little  shorter 
than  the  outer,  which  is  slightly  united  at  the  base  to  the  middle 
toe ;  claws  short,  well  curved. 

The  Fruit-pigeons  vary  greatly  in  size,  some  of  them  being  very 
large,  others  minute  ;  and  they  also  differ  much  in  the  strength  of 
the  bill.  The  wings  of  all  are  strong  and  firm,  and  their  flight 
vigorous  and  rapid.  The  tail  is  broad,  and,  in  almost  all,  consisting 
of  fourteen  feathers.  They  are  exclusively  frugivorous,  and  are 
found  chiefly  in  India,  including  Malayana  and  Australia  (with 
Oceanica),  a  very  few  occurring  in  Africa.  They  may  be  sub- 
divided into  the  following  sub-families  : — 

1st. —  Treronime,  Green  Pigeons. 

2nd. — Carpophagmce,  Imperial  Pigeons. 

Old. — FtilopodmcB,  Green  Doves. 

Sub-fam.  TRERONiNyE,  Green  Pigeons. 

Bill  stronger  and  thicker  than  in  the  two  other  sub-families ;  tail 
typically  short ;  taisi  and  feet  stout,  spft,  with  very  broad  soles. 


TRERONIN^.  445 

The  Green  Pigeons  are  a  well  marked  division,  all  having  a 
marked  physiognomy  by  which  they  can  be  recognised  at  a  glance. 
They  are  of  tolerably  stout  and  massive  form,  and  of  a  dull  leaf- 
greeu  colour,  more  or  less  varied  with  ashy  and  maronne  above, 
with  yellow  on  the  wings,  and  with  orange  or  buff  beneath.  The 
eyes  of  most  are  very  beautiful,  being  blue  with  a  red  outer  circle. 

They  are  more  or  less  gregarious  according  to  the  species. 
When  hunting  for  fruit,  they  are  continually  gliding  about  the 
branches,  like  squirrels ;  and,  from  tlieir  strong  feet,  they  can 
hang  over  to  seize  a  fruit,  and  recover  their  position  at  once  by 
the  strong  muscles  of  their  legs.  When  perfectly  quiet,  they  are 
very  difficult  to  observe,  from  the  similarity  of  their  tints  to  that 
of  leaves.  They  nidificate  on  trees,  making  a  loose  nest  of  twigs, 
and  laying  two  white  eggs.  A  few  are  found  in  Africa  and 
Madagascar,  but  the  majority  are  denizens  of  India  and  Malay  ana, 
not  extending  as  far  as  Australia,  but  one  species,  at  least,  occurring 
as  high  north  as  Japan,  although  they  appear  to  be  rare  in  China. 
They  all  afford  excellent  eating,  but  the  skin  is  very  tough  and 
thick,  and  ought  to  be  removed. 

Several  divisions  have  been  of  late  formed  among  the  Green 
Pigeons,  which  were  all  formerly  included  under  VinagOf  Cuvier, 
Tveron  of  Yicillot. 

Gen.   Treron,   Vieillot  (as  now  restricted.) 

Syn.  Toria,  Hodgson — postea  Nomeris. 

Char. — Bill  very  strong  and  deep ;  eyes  surrounded  by  a 
nude  space. 

This  genus,  as  at  present  limited,  of  which  we  have  only  one 
species  in  India,  and  that  a  doubtful  member,  is  distinguished 
from  all  the  others  by  its  very  strong  bill,  the  horny  portion 
of  which  is  continued  back  to  beyond  the  feathers  of  the 
forehead. 

771.    Treron  NipalensiS;  Hodgson. 

Toria,  apud  Hodgson,  As.  Pes.  XIX.  164— Plyth,  Cat.  1381 
(in  part) — Thoria  (i.  e.,  quasi  rostrata),  of  the  Nipalese. 


446  BIRDS    OF   INDIA. 

The  Thick-billed  Green  Pigeon. 
Descr.—Msile,  crown  ashy,  paler  on  the  forehead ;  rest  of  the 
phxmage  bright  green,  with  the  mantle  and  upper  part  of  the 
wings  of  a  deep  and  bright  maronne  ;  wing  primaries  and  their 
larger  coverts  black;  the  other  coverts  margined  with  bright 
yellow,  forming  two  and  a  half  bands,  the  last  bordering  the 
green  tertiarics  ;  middle  tail  feathers  green,  the  rest  with  a  blackish 
medial  band,  and  broad  grey  tips  ;  beneath  yellowish  green,  with 
a  faint  tinge  of  fulvous  on  the  breast ;  under  tail-coverts  cinnamon 
colored. 

The  female  differs  in  wanting  the  ashy  head  and  maronne 
mantle  of  the  male,  in  the  lower  tail-coverts  being  subdued  white, 
barred  with  green,  and  the  upper  tail-coverts  are  tinged  yellowish. 
Bill  glaucous  green,  with  the  soft  portion  at  the  sides  of  the 
upper  mandible  vermillion,  forming  a  large  and  conspicuous  spot. 
Leos  brioht  vermillion :  irides  deep  red-brown,  with  a  blue  inner 
circle  ;  naked  orbital  skin  livid  blue.  Length  10^  inches  ;  extent 
17  ;  wing  5| ;  tail  4. 

This  species  of  Green  Pigeon  differs  from  all  the  other  Indian 
ones  by  its  extremely  strong  bill.  If  the  other  species  of  Treroii 
do  not,  as  stated,  possess  the  third  primary  deeply  sinuated  on 
its  inner  web,  it  ought  perhaps  to  be  separated  under  Hodgson's 
generic  name  Toria;  or  it  might  be  joined  to  Osmotreron,  as  an 
aberrant  species,  or  placed  under  Butreron. 

It  has  been  found  in  the  Himalayas,  though  apparently  not  very 
common,  and  extends  rarely  into  Lower  Bengal,  and  to  some  of 
the  countries  to  the  eastward. 

The  other  recorded  species  of  Treron  are  T.  psittacea,  Temm.  ;  T. 
curvirostra,  Gmelin  ;  and  T.  aromatica,  Gmel.,  all  from  Malayana  ; 
and  T.  axillaris,  Gray,  whose  exact  locality  is  unknown. 
T.  capellii,  Temm.,  has  been  separated  by  Bonaparte  as  Butreron. 
Its  bill  is  almost  vulturine  in  aspect,  and  the  tail  is  rounded ; 
but  in  its  nude  orbits  and  thick  corneous  bill,  the  preceding 
species  accords  sufficiently  with  it. 

Gen.  Crocopus,  Bonap. 
Char. — Bill  tolerably  short   and     stout,    with   the    soft    basal 
portion   occupying     about    half    the    length    of    the    bill  ;    the 


TRERONIN^..  447 

inner    web    of     the    third    primary    distinctly    sinuated  ;     feet 
yellow. 

This  group  differs  from  the  other  Indian  ones  by  its  larger  size, 
more  massive  form,  yellow  feet,  and  the  sexes  very  closely  re- 
semble each  other.  There  arc  two  nearly  allied  races  in  India, 
and  a  third  in  Burmah. 

772.    Crocopus  Phcenicopterus,  Latham. 

Columba,  apud  Latham — C.  militaris,  Temminck — C.  Hard- 
wickii,  Gray — Gould,  Cent.  Him.  Birds,  pi.  58 — Blyth,  Cat. 
1384 — Hurriai,  H. — Hurril  of  some. 

The  Bengal  Green  Pigeon. 

Descr. — Top  of  the  head,  and  the  sides  of  the  base  of  the 
neck,  (forming  a  demi-collar)  ash-grey,  contrasting  with  the 
yellow  green  of  the  back  of  the  neck  ;  a  green  tinge  on  the  fore- 
head ;  the  rest  of  the  plumage  green ;  shoulders  of  the  wino- 
lilac  in  the  male,  and  with  a  trace  of  the  same  in  the  female ;  the 
greater  coverts  margined  with  pale  yellow,  forming  an  oblique 
bar  across  the  wing ;  the  terminal  two-fifths  of  the  tail  ash- 
grey  above,  deeply  tinged  with  green,  albescent  beneath,  with 
the  medial  portion  blackish ;  beneath,  the  neck  and  breast  are 
bright  yellow-green,  with  a  shade  of  fulvous,  and  the  abdominal 
region  ash-grey ;  the  lower  belly  generally  more  or  less  mixed 
with  green,  but  bright  yellow  in  the  middle,  as  are  the  tibial 
feathers ;  vent  mingled  white  and  green ;  under  tail-coverts 
dull  vinous  maroune,  with  white  tips,  inclining  to  greenish  in  the 
female. 

Bill  whitish ;  feet  deep  yellow ;  irides  carmine,  with  an  outer 
circle  of  smalt  blue.  Length  I2i  inches;  extent  22  ;  wing  7^; 
tail  5  ;  bill  at  front  ||. 

This  Green  Pigeon  is  found  over  all  Bengal  and  Upper  India, 
as  far  as  the  Dehra  Doon,  and  extending  eastward  into  Assam, 
Sylhet,  and  Tippera.  It  extends  south  as  far  as  the  Nerbudda, 
and  I  have  killed  it  at  Saugor,  but  there  the  next  species  is 
perhaps   equally  common.     Tickell   found   it  all  through   Chota 


448  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

Nagpore.  He  states  that  it  breeds  in  the  thick  clamp  forests  to 
the  southward,  towards  Sumbulpore,  during  the  rains.  Many  breed 
in  various  parts  of  Lower  Bengal ;  and,  as  Blyth  remarks,  in  the 
hot  weather,  not  during  the  rains.  No  exact  localities  have  been 
pointed  out  as  its  breeding  places  there,  but  it  probably  leaves  the 
more  cultivated  ground  at  this  time,  and  betakes  itself  to  the 
wilder  and  less  frequented  jungles,  very  probably  nestling  in  the 
Sunderbuns.  Blyth  states  that  '  the  young  are  brought  to  Calcutta 
for  sale,  as  well  as  adults  caught  with  bird-lime,  and  that  they 
soon  become  reconciled  to  captivity,  and  will  utter  tlieir  musical 
notes  freely  in  the  cage  ;  but  are  gluttonous  and  uninteresting- 
birds  in  confinement,  especially  when  fed  on  plantains,  which 
they  take  to  most  readily,  besmearing  the  feathers  of  the  head  and 
neck,  to  the  great  injury  of  their  beautyj  it  is  therefore  desirable 
to  get  them,  by  degrees,  to  feed  on  soaked  gram.' 

773.    Crocopus  Chlorigaster,  Blyth. 

Treron,  apud  Blyth,  J.  A.  S.  XII.  167— Blyth,  Cat.  1385— 
T.  Jerdoni,  Strickland — V.  militaris,  apud  Jerdon,  Cat.  286 — 
Hurried,  H. — Pacha,  guwa,  Tel. — Pacha  pora  Tam. 

The  Southern  Green  Pigeon. 

])escr. — This  species  differs  from  the  last  in  having  the  whole 
top  of  the  head  ashy,  devoid,  in  adults,  of  the  slightest  tinge  of 
green  on  the  forehead,  and  the  whole  under  parts  are  green  ;  the 
neck  and  breast,  too,  are  less  tinged  with  yellow,  and  shade  gradu- 
ally into  the  green  of  the  abdomen ;  there  is  no  trace  of  green 
upon  the  tail,  except  at  its  extreme  base,  which  is  uniformly  ashy 
above. 

Size  of  the  last.— Wing  barely  7  inches  ;   tail  4f . 

This  species  replaces  the  last  throughout  the  greater  part  of 
the  Peninsula  of  India,  and  Ceylon,  but  is  rare  north  of  the 
Nerbudda,  though  occasionally  killed  even  in  Lower  Bengal.  Its 
habits  are  of  course  very  similar.  It  is  very  abundant  in  many 
parts  of  Southern  India,  especially  along  the  fine  avenues  of 
trees  met  with  in  parts  of  Mysore  and  the  Carnatic.  I  found  it 
breeding  in   April  and  May  in  the  jungly  country  south-east  of 


TRERONIN^.  449 

Chanda.  It  comes  in  large  parties,  generally  about  9  A.  M.,  to 
certain  spots  on  river  banks  to  drink,  and  after  taking  a  draught 
of"  water,  occasionally  walks  a  few  steps  on  the  damp  sand, 
appearing  to  pick  up  small  pebbles,  pieces  of  gravel  or  sand. 
Their  call  is  very  similar  to  that  of  the  Bengal  Green  Pigeon. 

C.  viridifrons  Bl.,  of  Pegu  and  Tenasserim,  is  another  nearly 
affined  race  of  Crocopus,  chiefly  differing  from  C.  phcvnicopterus, 
which  it  very  closely  resembles,  by  its  conspicuous  green  forehead, 
and  the  basal  half  of  the  tail  being  bright  greenish-yellow.  1 
procured  it  near  Thyetmyo,  and  also  recently  in  Upper  Cachar. 
Blyth  remarks  that  it  is  not  improbably  the  s])ecies  of  Crocopus 
Avhich  is  stated  to  inhabit  China. 

Gen.   OsMOTRERON,  Bonap. 

Bill  as  in  Crocopus,  but  more  slender ;  legs  always  red ;  sexes 
differ  conspicuously  in  plumage ;  of  small  size. 

This  division,  adopted  by  Mr.  Blyth,  differs  technically  but  little 
from  the  preceding  one,  but  forms  a  very  natural  group,  contain- 
ing several  very  nearly  related  species  from  India  and  ]\Ialayana  ; 
and  which,  as  Mr.  Blyth  remarks,  hold  the  same  relationship 
to  the  large  Hurrials,  as  r>oves  do  to  Pigeons  in  ordinary 
parlance. 

There  are  two  types  of  coloration,  the  one  without  any 
maronne  colour  on  the  back,  the  other  colored  much  as  in  Treron. 

774.    Osmotreron  bicincta,  Jerdon. 

Yinago,  apud  Jerdon,  Cat.  289—111.  Ind.  Orn.  pi.  31 — V. 
unicolor,  Jerdon,  Cat.  289  bis  (the  female)— Blyth,  Cat. 
1386 — V.  vernans,  var.  Lesson — Chota  hurnal,  H.  and  Beng. — 
sometimes  Kohlah — CIdtta  putsa  guica,  Tel. 

The  Orange-breasted  Green  Pigeon. 

Descr. — ]\Iale,  above  green,  brighter  and  more  yellow  on  the 
forehead,  with  the  usual  yellow  wing-band ;  occipital  region  and 
nape  ash  grey  ;  tail  grey,  with  a  blackish  medial  band  on  all  but 
its  middle  feathers  ;  beneath  green,  yellowish  on  the  throat,  and 
with   a  large  buff-orange  patch  on   the  breast,    surmounted   by  a 

PART.    II.  ^   ^ 


450  BIRDS   OP   INDIA. 

narrow  lilac  band  somewhat  broader  on  the  sides ;  vent  pale 
yello^v ;  under  tail-coverts  cinnamon  colored,  and  the  lower  sur- 
face of  the  tail  blackish,  tipped  with  greyish  white. 

The  female  differs  in  wanting  the  blue  and  orange  breast,  in 
the  whole  lower  surface  being  brighter  green,  and  in  the  lower 
tail-coverts   being  mingled  reddish  ashy  and  bufFy  white. 

Bill  greenish  glaucous  ;  legs  pinkish  red ;  irides  red,  surrounded 
by  a  blue  circle.  Length  about  11  inches;  extent  19^;  wing  6, 
or  rather    more  ;  tail  3| ;  bill  at  front  nearly  |. 

This  very  beautiful  Green  Pigeon  is  spread  throughout  the 
greater  part  of  India  and  Ceylon,  extending  into  Assam,  and 
Burmah,  as  low  as  I'enasserim,  but  not  recorded  from  the  N.  W. 
Provinces.  I  have  seen  it  most  abundant  not  far  from  the  coast, 
both  on  the  East  and  West  of  India,  but  it  is  not  rare  in  Lower 
Bengal,  though  more  common  in  Assam,  Cachar,  and  the  countries 
to  the  Eastward.  It  is  generally  in  very  numerous  flocks, 
fifty  and  sixty  or  more,  and  flies  with  great  rapidity.  Layard  found 
it  breeding  in  Ceylon  iii  May.  The  voice  of  the  male  is  something 
like  that  of  Crocopus  phoenicopterus,  but  softer  and  more  hurried. 
Blyth  states  that  the  young  are  often  brought  to  the  Calcutta 
market  about  June  ;  that  it  has  a  less  musical  and  less  prolonged 
note  than  the  Hurrial,  but  equally  melodious. 

The  nearly  allied  species  0.  vernans,  is  found  in  the  Malayan 
peninsula  and  islands,  extending  to  New  Guinea.  It  differs  in 
being  smaller,  in  the  lilac  band  being  of  much  greater  extent, 
and  in  other  points. 

The  next  three  species  are  very  closely  allied. 

775.    Osmotreron  malabarica,  Jeedon. 

in.  Ind.  Ornith.,  letter  press  to  pi.  31 — Vinago  aromatica, 
Jerdon,  Cat.  287  (in  part),  and  V.  affinis,  Cat:.  288  (the  female) 
— Blyth,  Cat.  1389  (in  part) — Poda  putsa  gmoa,  Tel. 

The  Grey-fronted  Green  Pigeon. 
Descr. — Male,  forehead  pale  ashy,  or  whitish-grey ;  mantle  and 
wing-coverts  maronne ;  the  rest  of  the  upper  parts,  with  the  lores, 


TRERONIN^.  451 

eye-brow,  face,  and  ear-coverts,  green ;  wing-coverts  broadly  edged 
with  bright  yellow,  and  wing-feathers  more  or  less  edged  with  the 
same ;  tail  green  at  the  base,  broadly  tipped  with  ashy-white,  and 
with  a  medial  dark  band,  and  the  outermost  feathers  more  or  less 
marked  with  deep  ashy  on  the  inner  webs  ;  beneath  green, 
yellowish  on  the  throat  and  neck,  and  mixed  with  pale  yellow  on 
the  vent  and  thigh-coverts ;  under  tail-coverts  cinnamon. 

The  female  differs  in  wanting  the  maronne  colour,  and  in  the 
under  tail-coverts  being  mingled  greenish,  ashy,  and  white. 

Bill  glaucous  green ;  legs  pinky-red ;  irides  red,  with  an  outer 
circle  of  blue.  Length  about  10^  inches;  extent  18;  wing  5f ; 
tail  4. 

This  species  very  closely  resembles  Treron  nipalensis  in  colora- 
tion, but  is  at  once  distinguished  by  the  very  different  and  more 
slender  bill,  and  it  has  no  nude  space  round  the  eyes.  It  is  found 
in  most  of  the  lofty  forests  of  India,  most  abundant  in  Malabar, 
but  I  have  killed  it  in  Central  India,  and  in  the  Eastern  Ghats. 
It  has  the  usual  habits  of  the  family,  but  does  not,  in  general, 
associate  in  such  large  flocks  as  the  last. 

776.    Osmo treron  Phayrei,  Blyth. 

J.  A.  S.  XXXL,  p.  344 — Treron  malabaricus,  apud  Blyth, 
Cat.  1389  (in  part) — V.  aromatica,  apud  Selby,  Jard.  Nat.  Libr. 
Pigeons,  p.  97. 

The  Ashy-headed  Green  Pigeon. 

Descr. — Very  similar  to  the  preceding,  0.  malabarica,  but 
distinguished  by  having  the  entire  cap  ash-colored  in  both  sexes, 
and  by  the  male  having  a  large  ochreous  patch  on  the  breast. 

This  species,  formerly  confounded  with  0.  malabaricus,  appears 
to  represent  it  in  Lower  Bengal,  where,  however,  rare,  but  it  is 
abundant  in  Assam,  Sylhet,  and  Burmah. 

The  next  species  differs  from  the  two  preceding  ones  in  both 
sexes  having  the  under  tail-coverts  colored  as  in  the  females  only 
of  the  others,  and,  in  this  respect,  resembles  0.  chloroptera,  Blyth, 
of  the  Andaman s  and  Nicobars. 


452  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

777.    Osmotreron  ilavo-gularis,  Blyth. 

J.  A.  S.  XXVI.,  225. — T.  malabarica,  var,  pompadoura,  apud 
Layard — V.  aromatica,  var,.  Jerdon,  Cat.  287   (in  part). 

The  Yellow-fronted  Green  Pigeon. 

Descr. — Very  similar  to  0.  malaharica,  but  appears  to  have 
constantly  a  yellowish  forehead,  a  pure  yellow  throat,  no  buif 
patch  on  the  breast,  and  the  under  tail-coverts  are  green  in  both 
sexes,  with  broad  whitish  tips.     Dimensions  of  malabarica. 

This  nearly  allied  species  was  discriminated  by  Blyth  from 
Ceylon  specimens,  whence  sent  by  Layard,  who  procured  it  in 
the  Mountain  zone  at  the  top  of  the  Balcadna  Pass,  and  at 
Ratnapura.  I  had  long  previously  noticed  it  from  the  South 
of  India  as  a  variety  of  Malaharica,  i\>\\t  am  not  aware  what 
particular  localities  it  afiects. 

O.  pompadoura,  Gmelin,  from  Ceylon,  figured  in  BroAvn's 
Zoology,  is  another  small  species  allied  to  the  preceding ;  and 
0.  o/aa?,Temra.,  still  smaller,  appears  to  represent  them  in  Malayana; 
whilst  0.  fulvicollis,  Wagler,  also  from  Malayana,  Borneo,  &c., 
diiFers  from  all  by  having  the  head  and  neck  chesnut. 

The  next  form  differs  from  the  others  by  the  medial  tail  feathers 
beinsf  lengthened. 

Gen.  Sphenocercus,  Gray. 

Syn.    Sphenurus,  Swains. 

Char. — Bill  moderately  slender  and  lengthened,  the  basal  two- 
thirds  or  more,  soft  and  tumid,  and  the  corneous  extremity 
feeble  ;  a  small  nude  space  round  the  eyes  ;  wings  with  the  third 
primary  not  sinuated,  as  in  the  previous  forms ;  tail  wedge-shaped, 
with  the  central  feathers  much  elongated  and  narrow  in  some 
species ;  soles  of  tlie  feet  slender,  not  broad  and  Hat  as  in  the 
others. 

This  genus,  by  the  narrow  toes,  evidently  leads  from  the  true 
Green  Pigeons  towards  the  Piilopodince.  It  is  entirely  a  mountain 
form. 


TUERONlISriE.  458 

778.    Ephenocercus  spiienurus,  Vigors. 

Vinago,  apucl  YiGORS — GoULD.,  Cent.  Him.  Birds,  pi.  57 — Y. 
cantillans,  Blyth,  Cat.  1391 — Kokla  or  Kohila,  H. — Phoo-pho,  or 
Koohoo-pho,  Lepch. —  Coorbem,  Bliot. 

The  Kokla  Green  Pigeon. 

Descr. — Male,  general  plumage  green,  with  a  ruddy  tinge  on 
the  head  and  breast ;  shoulder  of  wings  and  mantle  maronne, 
which  also  tinges  the  scapulars  ;  a  narrow  yellow  edging  to  the 
wing-coverts ;  quills  dusky  black ;  tail  green  above ;  the  outer 
feathers  slaty,  with  a  dark  sub-terminal  band;  beneath  green  ;  the 
breast  brightly  tinged  with  orange  buff,  extending  more  or  less  on 
the  throat ;  vent  and  under  tail-coverts  pale  cinnamon  colour. 

The  female  differs  in  wanting  the  ruddy  tinge  on  the  breast, 
and  in  the  lower  tail-coverts  being  mixed  white  and  green. 

Bill  pale  glaucous  blue,  almost  white  at  the  tip  ;  irides  blue 
and  red  ;  legs  coral  red  ;  nude  skin  round  eyes  pale  blue.  Length 
13  inches  ;  extent  21  ;  wing  7  ;  tail  5^  ;  bill  at  front  |. 

The  Kokla  Green  Pigeon  is  spread  throughout  the  Himalayas, 
extending  into  the  hilly  regions  of  Assam  and  Sylhet.  It  frequents 
the  zone  from  4,000  to  8,000  feet,  in  winter  perhaps  descending 
lower,  for  Hutton  remarks  that  they  leave  Mussooree  in  October, 
returning  in  April  to  breed.  It  is  common  at  Darjeeling,  but,  as 
Tickell  remarks,  not  so  extensively  gregarious  as  the  common 
green  pigeons  of  the  plains.  They  frequent  high  trees,  and  feed 
of  course  exclusively  on  fruit.  Hutton  found  them  breeding  in 
May  and  June,  making  the  usual  nest  of  dried  twigs,  and  with 
two  white  ego's. 

The  male  has  a  most  agreeable  note,  more  prolonged  and 
musical  than  that  of  Crocopus.  Bljtli  says  of  it : — "  The  notes 
bear  some  resemblance  to  the  human  voice  in  singing,  and  aie 
highly  musical  in  tone,  being  considerably  prolonged  and  modu- 
lated, but  always  terminating  abruptly,  and  every  time  the  stave 
is  repeated  exactly  as  before,  so  that  it  soon  becomes  wearisome 
to  an  European  ear."  After  moulting  in  confinement,  the  green 
colour,  in  some  specimens,  becomes  replaced  by  a  delicate  pearl 
grey,  and  the  russet  tinge  of  the  head  and  breast  becomes  pale 


454  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

maronne.     Mr.  Blyth,  described  a  caged  specimen  with  these  tints 
as  V.  cantillans. 

The  Kokhila  is  greatly  prized  as  a  cage-bird  by  the  natives, 
and  is  occasionally  brought  for  sale  to  Calcutta,  and  sells  at  a  high 
price. 

779.     Sphenocercus  apicaudus,   Hodgson. 

Treron,  apud  Hodgson — Blyth,  Cat.  1392 — Sampoon-pho^ 
Lpch. 

The  Pin-tailed  Green  Pigeon. 

Descr. — Green,  tinged  with  yellowish  on  the  upper  tail-coverts 
and  on  the  lower  parts,  and  the  male,  with  the  crown  of  the  head 
and  breast  tinged  "with  russet,  as  in  the  last  species  ;  primaries 
slaty  black,  two  narrow  yellow  bars  X)n  the  wing  ;  tail,  with  the 
medial  pair  of  feathers,  yellow  green  at  their  base ;  grey  at  their 
tips,  the  others  grey,  with  a  medial  blackish  band ;  the  central 
feathers  much  lengthened  beyond  the  rest,  and  the  elongated 
portion  extremely  narrow. 

Bill  glaucous  blue,  cere  blue ;  legs  coral-red ;  Irides  dark  yellow. 
Length  about  16  inches ;  extent  21  ;  wing  6^;  tail  centre  pair  8, 
next  5. 

This  elegant  Green  Pigeon  has  hitherto  only  been  found 
in  the  South-east  Himalayas,  in  Nepal  and  Sikim,  extending, 
however,  to  the  hill  ranges  of  Assam.  It  is  not  so  common  near 
Darjeeling  as  the  last  species,  and  frequents  a  lower  zone,  being 
found  in  the  warmer  valleys.  Its  note  is  very  similar  to  that  of 
the  last  species,  but  less  loud,  musical,  and  prolonged. 

A  nearly  allied  species  occurs  in  Malayana,  5.  oxyurus  ;  and  S. 
Korthahi,  Miill.,  from  the  Malayan  Archipelago,  is  very  like  the 
Himalayan  bird.     One  species,  S.  Sieboldi,  inhabits  Japan. 

Sub-fam.  CARPOPHAGiNiE,  Fruit  Pigeons. 

Bill  lengthened  and  slender,  tolerably  depressed  at  the  base, 
with  the  terminal  third  or  less  of  the  upper  mandible  corneous ; 
wings  long ;  tall  even,  or  slightly  rounded,  longer  than  in  the 
TreroniiKB ;  feet  strong,  with  broad  soles  ;  tarsus  well  feathered.  * 


CARPOPHAGIN^.  455 

These  Pigeons  are  of  very  large  size,  and  adorned,  in  many 
cases,  with  rich  and  metallic  colors,  with  the  lower  parts  usually 
pale  and  glossless.  The  tarsus  is  very  short,  and  the  feet  broad, 
enabling  them  to  grasp  the  branches  well.  The  forehead  is  low  in  its 
profile,  and  the  feathers  advance  on  the  soft  portion  of  the  bill. 
Their  gape  is  wide,  and  they  are  enabled  to  swallow  very  large 
fruit ;  and  the  feathered  portion  of  the  chin  advances  far  towards 
the  tip  of  the  lower  mandible,  thus  increasing  the  width  of  the 
gape.     All  those  whose  nidification  is  known,  lay  but  one  egg. 

Gen.  Carpophaga,  Selby. 

Syn.  Muscadivores,  Lesson,  apud  Gray — Ducula,  Hodgson 
(partly). 

Cha7\ — Those  of  the  sub-family  :  plumage  glossy  metallic 
green,  or  coppery  brown  above  ;  of  large  size. 

I  have  joined  Hodgson's  genus  Ducula  to  Carpopliaga,  as  I 
have  been  unable  to  find  any  characters  to  separate  them,  except 
partly  of  color.  There  are,  however,  several  types  which  might 
be  distinguished  as  sectional.  Some  appear  only  to  differ  from 
the  rest  by  having  a  knob  developed  at  the  base  of  the  bill,  and 
to  these  Bonaparte's  name  Glohicera  is  applied. 

780.    Carpophaga  sylvatica,  Tickell. 

C.  cenea,  apud  Jerdon,  Cat.  284 — Blyth,  Cat.  1401 — Figured 
Beng.  Sport.  Keview,  1845,  pi.  3. — C.  pusilla,  Blyth,  Cat.  1402 — 
Dunkul  or  Doomkul,  H.  also  Sona  kabutra,  H. — Burra  harrial,  H. 
of  some — Pogonnah,  Mai. — Kakarani  guwa^Toi. — Imperial  Fig  eon 
of  Europeans  in  the  South  of  India. 

The  Green  Imperial  Pigeon. 

Descr. — Head,  neck,  and  whole  under  parts,  pearl-grey,  purer 
on  the  crown  and  breast,  and  tinged  elsewhere,  and  sometimes  on 
the  crown,  with  ruddy  vinaceous ;  back,  rump,  wings,  and  tail, 
shining  coppery  green,  brightest  on  the  tail,  and  the  quills  slaty- 
grey  without,  dark  blackish  grey  v/ithin ;  under  tail-coverts  deep 
chesnut,  with  which  some  of  the  feathers  of  the  vent  and  flanks 
are  also  sprinkled  ;  chin,  orbital  feathers,  and  round  the  base  of 
the  bill,  white ;  axillaries  buff. 


456  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

Bill  slaty,  red  at  the  base  above,  and  bluish  white  at  the  tip  ; 
irides  and  the  nude  orbits  crimson ;  legs  lake  red,  pale  on  the 
soles.     Length  18  to  19  inches ;  extent  30  ;  wing  8  to  9  ;  tail  6. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  synonyms  I  have  adopted  that  I  do 
not  consider  Blyth's  small  race  C.  pusilla,  from  the  South  of  India, 
distinct  from  the  bird  of  Central  India.  Some  specimens  from 
the  South  are  perhaps  smaller  than  others  from  Northern  and 
North-eastern  India ;  and  examples  from  the  East  Coast  are 
somewhat  smaller  than  those  from  the  West  Coast;  but  the  supposed 
new  species  was  founded  on  a  peculiarly  small  specimen.  Should 
I  be  correct,  this  fine  Pigeon  inhabits  the  whole  of  India,  from 
Ceylon  to  Assam  and  Sylhet,  not  however,  apparently,  occurring 
in  the  Himalayas,  nor  in  the  North-western  Provinces.  It  also 
is  found  in  Burmali,  and  even  extends  through  the  Malayan 
Peninsula  to  Java  and  Sumatra,  according  to  Blyth.  It  is  only 
found  in  forest  countries,  and  is  very  abundant  in  the  Malabar 
forests,  in  Central  India,  Midnapore,  and  the  wooded  countries 
to  the  North-east  generally. 

According  to  my  observations,  it  is  not  at  all  a  mountain  species, 
keeping  to  forests  at  low  elevations,  and  I  cannot  recall  ever 
havino-  seen  it  as  high  even  as  2,000  feet ;  certainly  it  is  more 
abundant  at  elevations  from  the  level  of  the  sea  to  1 ,000  feet ; 
and  Mr.  Blyth  was  mistaken  when  he  stated  that  the  specimen 
sent  him  by  myself,  from  which  he  made  his  imsilla,  was  from  the 
Neilgherries  ;  indeed  I  have  not  even  seen  this  Pigeon  in  the 
Wynaad.  Layard,  on  the  contrary,  describes  it  as  "  extending  into 
the  low  country  in  Ceylon,  but  their  great  haunt  is  certainly  the 
mountain  zone,  though,  from  Dr.  Kelaart's  observations,  it  does  not 
appear  to  have  been  seen  in  very  high  lands."  It  associates 
usually  in  small  parties,  now  and  then  imiting  into  flocks  of  twenty 
or  more.  It  wanders  about  from  place  to  place,  looking  for  trees 
in  fruit ;  and,  in  the  hot  weather,  visits  the  salt  swamps  on  the 
Malabar  Coast,  in  numbers,  along  with  the  next  species,  to  feed 
on  the  buds  of  Aricmnia,  and  other  trees  of  similar  habit.  1  found 
it  breedino-  in  the  forests  of  Central  India  in  April  and  May,  but 
was  unable  to  get  at  any  of  the  nests  which  I  saw ;  however,  1 
was  assured  by  a  Shikaree  that  he  found  two  eggs  in  one  nest   he 


CAKPOPUAGIN/E.  ^57 

examined.  Like  the  Green  Pigeons,  it  betakes  itself  to  river 
banks  to  drink,  about  8  or  9  a.  m.,  and  again,  I  believe,  in  the 
afternoon.  Its  call  is  a  low,  deep,  plaintive  moan,  called,  however, 
by  one  writer,  a  '  harsh  and  croaking  note,  not  unlike  the  croaking 
of  a  bull  frog.'  Tickell  describes  its  call  as  deep  and  ventrilo- 
quous.  The  flesh  is  excellent  eating.  A  writer  in  the  Ben(jal 
Sporting  Review  stSites  that,  "a  wounded  bird  will  erect  the  feathers 
of  its  head  and  neck,  and  buffet  with  its  wings  the  hand  which 
captures  it." 

Blyth  describes  another  species,  C.  insularis,  from  the  Nicobars, 
with  the  upper  parts  darker,  inclining  to  steel-blue,  and  the  tail 
blue  black.  C.  eenea,  from  the  Moluccas,  and  C.  chali/bura,  Bonap., 
from  the  Philippines,  appear  closely  allied  to  our  bird,  and  there 
are  others  described  from  the  more  distant  islands. 

The  species  of  Glohicera  are  distinguished  by  a  fleshy  knob 
at  the  base  of  the  bill,  which  is  said  to  be  more  highly  developed 
in  the  male  at  the  breeding  season,  but,  otherwise,  barely  differs 
from  Carpopliaga.  Nine  species  are  recorded  by  Bonaparte,  chiefly 
from  the  Oceanic  region. 

The  next  species,  with  some  others,  has  been  separated  under 
Hodgson's  generic  name  Ditcula,  but  it  scarcely  difi'ers,  except  in 
its  less  metallic  colors.  Bonaparte  states  that  the  tail  is  somewhat 
more  lengthened,  and  the  tips  of  the  primaries  less  rounded. 

781.    Carpophaga  insignis,  Hodgson. 

Ducula,  apud  Hodgson — Blyth,  Cat.  1404 — C.  cuprea, 
Jeudon,  Cat.  285 — C.  badia,  Plaffles  ? — DuLul,  H.  in  Nepal. — 
Phomok-pho,  Lepch.—  Tagyusam^  Bhot. 

The  Bronze-backed  Imperial  Pigeon. 

Descr. — The  whole  head,  neck,  and  under  parts,  pale  lilac-grey, 
iu  some  parts  tinged  with  ruddy ;  back  and  wings  vinaceous 
brown,  with  a  faint  coppery  gloss;  rump  and  upper  tail-coverts 
dusky  cinereous  ;  tail  dusky,  with  its  terminal  fourth  dull  ashy 
above  ;  chin  white ;  under  tail-coverts  bufFy  white  ;  tips  of  the 
tail  beneath  whitish  grey. 

PART    II.  3   M 


458  EIKD8    OF    INDIA. 

Bill  dull  lake-red  at  the  base,  slaty  at  the  tip ;  orbits 
lake  red ;  irides  red-brown  in  examples  from  the  South  of 
India,  hoary-grey  in  Himalayan  specimens ;  legs  dull  lake-red. 
Length  18  to  20  inches  ;  extent  26  to  30  ;  wing  9^;  tail  Gf  to  7  ; 
Aveight  1|  fb. 

The  female  is  a  little  smaller  than  the  male,  and  the  color  of 
the  upper  parts  less  bronzed.  One  measured  by  Tickell,  was  17 
inches  long,  with  the  wing  9. 

'I'his  line  Pigeon  is  found  in  the  South-east  Himalayas,  and  in 
the  mountain  regions  of  Malabar,  in  Coorg,  the  Wynaad,  the 
Westei-n  slopes  of  the  ]N"eilgherries,  and  probably  all  along  the 
higher  ranges  of  the  Ghats,  although  not  recorded  by  Col.  Sykes. 
It  is  also  found  in  the  Khasia  Hills,  and  in  the  mountains  of 
Arracan,  and  possibly  in  other  hill  regions  of  Burmah.  It  is 
placed  as  distinct  from  C.  badia  of  Java  by  Bonaparte  and  Gray, 
but  appears  to  approach  that  species  very  closely.  I  at  one  time 
was  inclined  to  consider  the  Southern  species  distinct  from  the 
Himalayan  one,  and  the  fact  of  the  irides  being  colored  differently 
would  favor  this  supposition,  but  without  further  examples  of 
both  than  are  available  in  the  Museum  Asiatic  Society,  I  cannot 
separate  them.  In  general,  it  is  an  exclusive  inhabitant  of  the 
mountain  zones,  from  2,000  feet  to  nearly  6,000  feet.  I  have  killed 
it  in  Wynaad,  in  Coorg,  on  the  Khoondah  Ghat  of  the  Neilgherries, 
and  in  Sikim,  above  Kursiong,  where  Major  Tickell  also  procured 
it'.  It  associates,  in  general,  in  small  parties,  or  in  pairs,  frequenting 
the  loftiest  trees,  and  feeding  on  various  fruits.  Its  note  is  some- 
thing similar  to  that  of  the  last,  but  still  deeper,  louder,  and  more 
groaning.  Tickell  calls  it  a  deep,  short  and  repeated  groan, 
UToo  woo  icoo. 

During  the  hot  weather,  from  the  middle  of  April  to  the  first 
week  in  June,  when  the  rains  almost  invariably  commence  on 
the  Malabar  Coast,  large  numbers  of  this  Pigeon  descend  from 
the  neiixhbourino;  mountainous  reo'ions  of  Coorir  and  Yv'^ynaad,  to 
a  large  salt  swamp  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Cannanore,  and  there 
not  only  eat  the  buds  of  Aiicennia,  and  other  shrubs  and  plants  that 
affect  salt  and  brackish  swamps,  but  also  (as  I  '.vus  credibly  in- 
formed by  several  native  Shikarees,  to  whom  I   was  first  indebted 


CARPOPHAGIN^.  459 

for  the  intormation  oi  these  Pigeons  resorting  there,)  pick  up  the 
salt  earth  on  the  edg-e  of  the  swamp,  and  of  tlie  various  creeks  and 
back  waters  that  intersect  the  ground.  I  visited  this  place  to- 
wards the  end  of  May  » 849,  when  many  of  the  Pigeons  had  gone, 
as  I  was  informed  ;  but  even  then  saw  considerable  numbers  flying 
about  and  feeding  on  the  buds  of  Aricennia,  and  then  retiring  a 
short  distance  to.  some  lofty  trees  to  rest.  Although  the  day  was 
unfavorable  and  rainy,  I  killed  above  a  dozen  of  these  fine 
Pigeons,  and  several  Natives  who  were  there  with  guns  for 
the  purpose  of  shooting  them,  assured  me  that  they  often  killed 
from  one  to  two  dozens  daily,  simply  remaining  in  one  spot. 
Had  I  not  secured  the  birds  myself  in  this  locality,  I  confess  I 
would  barely  have  credited  the  account  I  received  of  these 
mountain  residents  descending  to  the  plains  during  the  hottest 
season  of  the  year.  I  presume  that  these  Pigeons  breed  after 
their  return  to  the  hills,  but  I  have  no  information  on  this 
head.  It  would  be  interesting  to  know  if  the  Himalayan  birds 
likewise  visited  the  neighourhood  of  the  sea,  and  I  am  inclined  to 
think  it  probable  that  they  may  do  so  ;  for,  towards  the  end  of  May, 
I  visited  a  forest  near  Kursiong,  where  these  Pigeons  atbound  in 
June  and  July,  and  neither  saw  nor  heard  one. 

Bonaparte  gives  as  appertaining  to  Duciila^  besides  hadia, 
already  alluded  to,  C.  lacermdata,  C.  hasilis,  C.  paulina,  C.  cine- 
racea,  and  C.  rosacea,  of  Teraminck  ;  the  first  from  Java,  the  others 
from  the  more  distant  islands,  Celebes,  Timor,  &c.  He  separates 
the  large  white  and  black  species,  C.  bicolor,  C.  hictiiosa,  and 
C.  grisea,  under  the  name  Myristicivora  of  Reichenbach.  The 
former  of  these  is  found  in  the  Nicobar  Islands,  and  the  Southern 
part  of  the  Malayan  Peninsula,  as  well  as  in  many  of  the  islands. 
They  have  a  comparatively  short  tail.  Yarions  other  beautiful 
species  from  the  Philippines,  New  Guinea,  Australia,  and  Oceanica, 
are  separated  by  Bonaparte  under  the  generic  names  of  Ptilocolpa, 
ZoncBnas,  Hemipliaga,  Uegaloprepia  and  Sylphitreron.  A  very 
large  species,  with  a  strong  hclmeted  bill,  from  the  Marquesas, 
has  been  described  and  figured  by  Bonaparte  under  the  name  of 
Serresiiis  ijaleatus.  Blyth  indicates  a  short-winged  type,  which  he 
calls  Dendvopliaps, 


460  BIRDS    OF    INDIA 

The  sub-famil}^  Piilopodince,  or  Green  Doves,  arc  very  closel}'- 
allied  structurally  to  the  Carpophagina,  the  bill  being  much  as  in 
that  group,  slender  and  somewhat  lengthened,  and  the  chin 
advancing  far  forwards  beneath  the  lower  mandible  ;  but  they  have 
the  toes  lengthened,  somewhat  more  slender,  with  the  soles  not 
quite  so  broad  ;  and  they  are  much  smaller,  many  of  them  indeed 
quite  diminutive.  The  wings  and  tail  too  are  a  trifle  shorter.  In 
some,  the  first  primary  is  abruptly  narrowed  {Ptilojjodece,  Bon.),  in 
others  {Chrysomets,  Bon.)  not  so.  They  have  very  brilliant  but  not 
metallic  coloring,  emerald  green  being  the  prevalent  color, 
variously  adorned  with  carmine,  lake,  bright  yellow,  &c.  The 
tail  consists  usually  of  fourteen  feathers,  but  in  some  only  of 
twelve  ;  in  one  genus,  otherwise  very  closely  allied,  Ihoiiarsitreron, 
Bonap.,  of  sixteen ;  and  Blyth  states  that  one  is  said  to  have 
only  ten  rectrices.  They  chiefly  inhabit  the  tropical  Oceanic 
region,  diminishing  in  number  in  the  Malayan  Isles,  and  only 
one  species  occurring  in  the  Southernmost  [)ortion  of  the  Malayan 
Peninsula,  viz.,  Ramphiculus  jamhu.  In  the  wild  state  they 
live,  it  is  believed,  entirely  on  fruit,  but  in  confinement  some 
will  eat  U'nhusked,  and  even  boiled  rice. 

The  ^Vi\i-i2iVLn\j  Alectroenadince,  Bonaparte,  are  from  Madagascar, 
the  Mauritius,  and  the  Seycheile  islands.  They  are  somewhat 
larger,  of  black  and  red  plumage,  and,  says  Bonaparte,  exhibit 
an  analogy  with  Dasyptili  and  Caloptorhyncld  among  the  Parrots. 
Blyth  says  that  they  appear  to  be  Ground-pigeons  of  the 
frugivorous  type. 

Fam.  CoLUMBiDiE,  Bonaparte. 

Bill  horny  at  the  apex  only ;  tail,  in  almost  all,  of  twelve 
feathers  ;  gape  not  so  wide  as  in  the  last  family  ;  tarsus  lengthened  ; 
feet  more  fitted  for  walking  on  the  ground. 

This  family  comprises  the  Pigeons  and  Doves,  ordinarily  so 
called,  which  feed  chiefly  on  grains,  often  on  the  shoots  and  buds 
of  certain  plants,  and  a  few  partially  on  fruit.  They  differ 
from  the  preceding  family  by  their  more  terrestrial  habits,  for 
which  their  more  lengthened  tarsus  and  narrow  toes  fit  them.  They 
are  of  more  dull  anH  sombre  colours,  various  shades  of  dark-blue. 


PALUMBINiE.  4()1 

red-browMi,  and  gi'cy  predominating,  often  adorned  with  a  beautiful 
iridescence  or  play  of  colours  on  tlie  neck,  and,  in  many,  with 
a  marked  neck  spot.  They  are  found  over  both  Continents,  more 
sparingly,  perhaps,  and  with  fewer  types,  in  America. 

The  Cohnnhidfe  may  be  divided  according  to  tlieir  general 
tone  of  coloring  and  habits  into  Lopliolcemince,  Crested-pigeons  ; 
Pa?«mii?z«,  "\Vood-pii.^eons ;  Columbines,  Rock-pigeons;  Macropy- 
gina;,  long-tailed  Doves ;  and  lastly  Turturma,  true  Doves,  with 
perhaps  one  or  more  divisions  of  less  extent. 

The  LoPHOL^MiN^,  or  Crested-pigeons,  are  composed  of  a 
.single  genus  and  species,  Lopholcemus  antarcticus,  a  remarkable 
Australian  form,  with  a  double  crest,  which  is  very  frugivorous, 
and  which  was  by  some  formerly  arranged  with  the  last  family. 

Sub-fani.  Palumbin/E,  Wood-pigeons. 

Palumhe(E — Bonap.  and  Blyth. 

Feet  fitted  for  perching,  the  tarsus  being  somewhat  shorter,  and 
the  feet  more  arboreal  than  in  the  succeeding  groups  ;  tail  some- 
what longer  and  more  rounded. 

The  Wood-pigeons  or  Cushats  are  more  frugivorous  and  bud- 
eaters  than  the  ordinar}^  Pigeons  and  Doves,  and,  were  it  not  for 
having  only  twelve  tail-feathers,  and  a  different  style  of  plumage, 
they  might  be  ranked  in  the  last  family.  They  are  peculiar  to 
the  Old  World,  are  denizens  of  woods  and  forests,  and  feed  partly 
on  trees  and  partly  o!i  the  ground. 

The  first  two  species  differ  very 'slightly  from  the  true  Cushats, 
and  in  a  less  degree  from  each  other,  and  have  been  arranged  in 
two  genera ;  but  as  it  is  impossible  to  define  them  apart  from  eacli 
other,  I  shall  retain  them,  as  Blyth  does  in  his  Catalogue,  under 
one  generic  form.  That  naturalist  remarks  elsewhere, — "The  dis- 
tinctions  upon  which  this  and  other  na:ned  divisions  are  based 
arc  so  exceedingly  recondite,  that  definition  becomes  impossible, 
and  they  are  intelligible  only  when  examples  of  the  different 
species  are  compared  and  grouped  together." 

Cen.   AlsoCOMUS,  Tickell. 
Syn.   Dnidrafrrrnn,  in  part,  Hodgson. 


4(i2  BIRDS   OF    INDIA. 

Bill  small,  much  compressed ;  wings  long  and  ample,  2nd  quill 
equal  to  the  4th,  3rd  longest,  sinuated  on  its  outer  web  beyond 
the  middle  ;  tail  about  even  ;  lateral  toes  slightly  unequal ;  claws 
stronger  than  in  Palumhus,  and  somewhat  more  curved. 

This  form  barely  differs  from  Palumhus  ;  the  first  species, 
however,  with  Avhich  Blyth  associates  C.  norfolciensis  of  Australia, 
having  a  more  tropical  distribution,  and  being,  perhaps,  more 
strictly  arboreal  than  the  Cushats. 

782.    Alsocomus  puniceus,  Tickell. 

J.  A.  S.  XL  462— Blyth,  Cat.  1411. 

The  Purple  Wood-pigeon. 

Descr. — General  colour  fine  vinaceous  ruddy,  somewhat  paler 
below ;  the  feathers,  especially  of  the  upper  parts,  margined  conspi- 
cuously with  glossy  changeable  green  and  amethystine  purple,  the 
former  colour  prevailing  on  the  neck  and  the  sides  of  the  breast,, 
and  the  latter  elsewhere  ;  tlie  whole  top  of  the  head,  including 
the  occiput,  greyish  white ;  wings  and  tail  blackish ;  the  primaries 
tinged  externally  with  grey;  rump  and  upper  tail-coverts  dusky, 
edged  with  glossy  green ;  lower  tail-coverts  nigrescent. 

Bill  livid  at  the  base,  with  a  yellow  tip;  irides  amber-colored, 
with  an  orange  red  outer  circle;  legs  and  feet  dull  lake.  Length 
16  inches;   extent  24;  wing  8  to  8^;  tail  7. 

The  female  only  differs  from  the  male  in  being  a  trifle  smaller, 
and  somewhat  duller  in  its  tints. 

This  handsome  Wood-pigeon  is  found,  in  India,  only  in  the 
Eastern  portion  of  Central  India,  extending  to  near  the  Sea  coast 
in  Midnapore,  and  probably  southwards  towards  Cuttack.  I 
never  procured  it  on  the  Malabar  Coast,  nor  in  any  part  of  South- 
ern India,  though  it  is  occasionally  met  with  in  Ceylon.  It 
appears  to  be  more  common  to  the  East  of  the  Bay  of  Benga.1, 
in  Assam,  Arrakan  (particularly  tlie  island  of  Kamree),  and 
Tenasserim. 

Tickell  records  that  it  occurs  (in  Singboom  where  he  first 
observed  it)  in  small  parties  of  four  or  five,  always  along  the  banks 
of   rivers  which   are   shaded   by    large  forest  trees.     They    feed 


PALUMBIN^.  463 

chiefly  on  the  fruit  of  the  Jainoon  {EngeJila  jumbolana)  morning 
and  evening,  and  roost  during  the  heat  of  the  day  on  the  upper- 
most branches  of  lofty  trees.  They  are  wary,  and  difficult  of 
approach.  In  Ceylon  they  appear  to  be  migratory,  and,  according 
to  Layard,  feed  on  the  fruit  of  the  Cinnamon  tree. 

The  next  bird  diflers  somewhat  in  its  type  and  coloration,  and 
is  separated  by  systematists  as  Dendrotrerun,  Hodgson. 

783.    Alsocomus  Hodgsonii,  Vigors. 

Columba,  apud  Vigors,  P.  Z.  S.  1832 — C.  nipalensis,  Hodgson 
— Blyth,  Cat.  1410. 

The  Speckled  Wood-pigeon. 

Descr. — Above,  dark  vinaceous-ruddy,  with  white  specks  on 
the  medial  wing-coverts  ;  head,  and  the  upper  part  of  the  front 
of  the  neck,  cinereous,  Avith  more  or  less  of  a  ruddy  tinge ;  nape 
vinous-grey,  with  pointed  clear  grey  tips  ;  rump  and  upper  tail- 
coverts  dusky  ash  ;  outer  wing-coverts  greyish  ;  quills  brownish 
dusky,  the  first  three  primaries  having  a  slight  whitish  outer 
margin  (in  some  specimens)  ;  tail  ashy  black ;  sides  of  the  neck, 
and  lower  parts  vinous  grey,  with  a  ruddy  mesial  streak  to  each 
feather  most  developed  on  the  breast,  less  so  on  the  neck,  and  the 
lower  abdomen  becoming  dark  vinous  ;  flanks  speckled  with  white  ; 
under  tail-coverts  dusky-ash. 

Bill  pu.rplish  black  ;  irides  hoary  ;  orbital  space  livid  ;  legs  and 
feet  blackish  green  in  front,  yellow  behind  ;  claws  pale  yellow. 
Length  15  inches  ;  extent  26  ;  wing  9  to  9^  ;  tail  6. 

The  female  is  rather  smaller,  with  the  blue  grey  of  the  head 
less  pale  and  clear,  and  the  ruddy  parts  duller. 

This  fine  Pigeon  inhabits  the  forests  of  the  middle  region  of 
the  Himalayas,  ranging  in  Nepal,  from  4,000  to  10,000  feet  of 
elevation.  In  Sikim  it  keeps  chiefly  to  the  higher  ranges,  from 
7,000  feet  to  10,000  feet  and  upwards.  It  is  not  found  on  the 
outer  range  of  hills  in  the  North-west  Himalaya?,  but  is  far 
from  rare  on  the  Fyne  range  and  other  mountains,  somewhat  in 
the  interior,  where  Ely th  was  informed  that  it  is  tolerably  numerous, 
frec^uenting   the  Pine-forests.     They    are  generally  seen  in  flocks 


464  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

of  six  or   seven,  are  very  shy   and  dilHcult  of  approach,   and  live 
chiefly  on  berries. 

An  African  Pigeon,  C.  arquatrix,  is  very  closely  allied  to  this, 
both  in    form  and  coloration. 

Gen.  Palumbus,  Kaup. 

Char. — Much  as  in  the  last  genus,  but  the  tarsus  a  triile  longer ; 
tail  shorter ;  sides  of  the  neck  adorned  with  a  patch  of  light 
coloured  fe'athers. 

This  is  a  very  natural  group  of  Pigeons,  comprising  the  Cushat 
of  England  and  a  nearly  allied  race  from  the  Himalayas 
and  Chinese  Tartary  ;  together  with  a  group  of  three  somewhat 
smaller  and  darker  colored  species  found  respectively  in  the 
Himalayas,  Southern  India,  and  Ceylon,  which,  by  their  lesser 
size  and  tone  of  coloration,  grade  into''  the  last  group. 

784.    Palumbus  casiotis,  Bonaparte. 

P.  torquatus,  var.  Blyth,  Cat,  1413. 

The  Himalayan  Cushat. 

Descr. — Above  brownish  grey;  the  head,  cheeks,  rump,  and 
upper  tail-coverts,  pure  ashy  ;  nape,  sides  of  neck,  and  shoul- 
ders glossed  with  changeable  green  and  purple  ;  on  each  side  of 
the  neck  a  large  patch  of  fulvous  or  clayey  cream  color ;  edge  of 
the  wing,  and  a  white  longitudinal  bar,  formed  by  the  outer  edges 
of  the  primaries,  white ;  winglet  and  primary-coverts  blackish ; 
tail  grey  at  the  base,  blackish  at  the  tip  ;  beneath,  the  throat  is 
pure  ashy,  the  foreneck  and  breast  vinaceous  ruddy,  paling  on  the 
belly,  and  albescent  towards  the  vent ;  lower  tail-coverts  ashy  ; 
tail  with  a  broad  pale  band. 

Bill  orange  at  the  tip,  whitish  at  the  base  ;  feet  red.  Length 
17  inches;  extent  30  ;  wing  10^  ;   tail  7  ;  bill  at  front  |. 

The  Himalayan  Cushat  differs  from  the  European  bird  by  the 
neck  patch  being  clayey-bufF  instead  of  white,  and  much  contracted 
in  size ;  also  in  the  less  extent  of  the  white  border  to  the  primaries. 
Mr.  Blyth  also  notices  that,  whilst  in  European  birds  the  green 
gloss  prevails  above  the  neck-patch  and  amethystine  below,  tlie 
reverse  is  the  case  in  tlie  Asiatic  race. 


PALUMBINiE.  465 

This  Wood-pigeon  has  only  been  found  In  the  N.  W.  Himalayas, 
near  Simla,  and  in  the  Alpine  Punjab,  and  it  visits  the  Salt  range 
and  the  plains  of  the  Punjab  during  winter.  Its  habits  are  said 
to  be  quite  those  of  the  European  bird. 

The  European  Cushat  inhabits  all  Europe,  Western  Asia,  and 
North  Africa;  lives  in  woods,  and  feeds  on  grain,  peas,  young 
shoots' and  leaves,  acorns,  beech-nuts,  &c. 

Next  come  the  purely  Indian  group  alluded  to  above. 

785.    Palumbus  pulchricollis,  Hodgson. 

Columba,  apud  Hodgsox,  J.  A.  S.  XIV.  866 — Blyth,  Cat. 
1414 — Gould,  Birds  of  Asia,  pt.  VI.,  pi.  13 — C.  Elphinstonei, 
Gray,  Cat.  Birds  of  Nepal — Nampoong-pho,  Lepch. 

The  Darjeeling  Wood-pigeon. 

Descr. — Above,  general  colour  dusky  grey ;  the  head,  cheeks,  and 
ear-coverts  pure  light  ashy  ;  the  sides  of  the  neck  glossed  with 
green  and  purple,  and  a  large  neck-patch  of  rigid,  glistening 
feathers,  black  at  the  base,  with  broad  isabelline  tips,  and  Avhitish 
at  the  extreme  tip ;  tail  blackish ;  beneath,  pale  vinous  dove-grey, 
more  or  less  whitish  towards  the  vent,  and  subdued  white  on  the 
lower  tail-coverts;  throat  whitish;  breast  brightly  glossed  with 
green  and  purple. 

Bill  livid  at  the  base,  yellow  at  the  tip ;  irides  yellow ;  legs 
dull  red ;  claws  yellow.  Length  13-^  to  14  inches  ;  wing  8|-  to  9  ; 
tail  4|  to  5. 

This  Wood-pigeon,  though  belonging  to  the  same  group,  differs 
conspicuously  from  the  Neilgherry  P.  Elphinstonei,  with  which  it 
was  formerly  confounded  by  Gray,  by  the  color  of  the  neck-2')atch, 
the  less  purple  tint  above,  and  the  more  vinous  tint  below.  It 
has  only  been  found,  hitherto,  in  the  South-eastern  Himalayas, 
in  Nepal  and  Sikim ;  and  it  frequents  the  higher  elevations  only, 
from  7,000  feet  upwards.     It  is  not  very  common  about  Darjeeling. 

786.    Palumbus  Elphinstonei,  Sykes. 

Ptilinopus,  apud  Sykes,  Caj;.  138 — Jerdon,  Cat.  283 — Jeedon, 
111.  Ind.  Orn.,  pi.  48 — Blyth,  Cat.  1415 — Gould,  Birds  of  Asia, 
pt.  VI.,  pi.  12. 

PART   II.  3  N 


466  birds  of  india. 

The  Neilgherry  Wood-pigeon. 

Descr. — Above,  the  head  and  neck  ashy ;  nuchal  patch  black, 
with  small  white  tips ;  back  of  neck  beyond  this,  and  interscapulars 
cupreous  ruddy,  with  some  green  reflections ;  rest  of  the  upper 
plumage  ruddy-brown,  becoming  dark-ashy  on  the  rump  and 
upper  tail-coverts ;  the  wings  dusky,  the  lesser  coverts  mostly 
ruddy-cupreous,  and  the  other  coverts  and  quills,  which  are 
dusky  black,  more  or  less  edged  with  the  same,  and  the  outer 
primaries  conspicuously  pale  edged  ;  tail  dull  black  ;  beneath  ashy, 
albescent  on  the  throat,  the  neck  and  breast  glossed  with  green, 
and  the  lower  abdomen  and  vent  albescent. 

Bill  and  orbits  deep  red,  the  former  with  a  yellow  tip ;  irides 
ochre-yellow;  legs  and  feet  dull  red.  Length  15  to  16  inches; 
extent  25;  wing  8  to  8:^  ;  tall  5|  to  6.    ^Weight  about  12  to  13  oz. 

The  Neilgherry  Wood-pigeon  or  Imperial-pigeon,  as  it  is  some- 
times called  by  residents  on  those  hills,  is  found  on  the  higher 
elevations  of  the  Western  Ghats,  probably  on  the  Maliableshwar 
hills,  as  well  as  on  the  Neilgherries,  in  which  locality  alone  I 
have  observed  it,  at  a  height  ranging  from  G,000  to  8,000  feet  and 
upwards.  It  ought  to  be  found  in  Coorg;  but  has  not,  I  believe, 
been  recorded  from  elsewhere.  On  the  Neilgherries,  it  frequents 
the  sholas  or  dense  Avoods,  singly,  or  in  small  parties  of  five  or 
six,  feeding  on  various  fruit  and  buds,  and  occasionally  on  small 
snails,  to  procure  which  it  descends  to  the  mossy  banks,  and  I 
have,  now  and  then,  seen  it  on  the  ground  outside  a  wood.  I 
frequently  found  some  small  Bulimi  in  the  crops  of  those  I 
examined.  Colonel  Sykes  states  it  to  be  a  rare  bird  in  the  Deccan, 
and  only  found  in  the  dense  woods  of  the  Ghats. 

A  very  closely  allied  race  or  species  occurs  in  Ceylon,  and  has 
been  named  Palumbus  Torringtonii  by  Kelaart.  It  differs  from 
the  Neilgherry  bird  in  having  the  back  and  wings  plain  dark 
slaty,  without  a  trace  of  the  ruddy  margining  to  the  feathers  ; 
tlie  head  and  neck  are  strongly  tinged  Avith  vinaceous,  with  a 
whiter  throat ;  and  in  some  other  points. 

The  genus  Jtrnf/icenas,  Eeichenbach,  is  appropriated  by  Bonaparte, 
for  certain  richly  metallic  Pigeons  from  the  Oceanic  region,  which 
are    placed    among    the    Carpophagce    by    Gray  ;    and    Trocaza 


COLUMBINE.  467 

and  Turturcp.na^  Bonaparte,  from  Madeira,  Mauritius,  and  Africa, 
comprise  certain  Pigeons  placed  by  that  ornithologist  among  the 
Wood-pigeons. 

Sub-fam.  Columbine. — Rock-Pigeons,    Columhecs,  Bonap, 
Feet  fitted  for  walking ;  tarsus  longer  and  less  feathered.     Find 

their  food  mostly  on  the  ground. 

This  family  comprises  the  blue  Eock-pigeons  and  the  so-called 

Stock-pigeons  and   their   allies,    from   some   species  of  which  our 

domestic  Pigeons  have  sprung. 

The  first  genus  noticed  is  intermediate  to  the  Cushats  and  the 

true  Pigeons,  as  expressed  by  the  name. 

Gen.  Palumbcena,  Bonap. 

Feet  fitted  as  much  for  perching  as  for  walking  on  the  ground. 
In  form,  coloring,  habits,  and  nidification  intermediate  to  Palumbus 
and  Columha. 

The  well-known  C.  oenas  of  Europe  is  the  type  of  this  genus, 
which  is  essentially  arboreal,  and  migratory. 

787.    Palumbcena  Eversmanni,  Bonaparte. 

P.  oenicapilla,  Blyth — Kummer-hdla,  H. 

The  Indian  STOCK-riGEON. 

Descr. — Dark  ashy,  with  a  whitish  grey  rump ;  crown  and 
breast  tinged  with  vinaceous ;  two  or  three  black  spots  on  the 
wings,  forming  the  rudiments  of  bands,  and  the  end  of  the  tail 
black,  its  outermost  feather  white  for  the  basal  two-thirds  of  its 
exterior  web,  and  showing  a  black,  and  then  a  narrow  grey  band 
towards  its  tip  ;  beneath,  the  wings  whitishj  where  dark  ashy  in 
the  European  bird. 

Bill  yellowish  translucent;  legs  with  a  yellowish  tinge;  skin 
roimd  the  eye  yellow;  irides  buff.  Length  11-g  inches;  extent 
24  ;  wing  8  ;  tail  4.     Weight  7^  oz. 

This  Pigeon  is  a  smaller  bird  than  P.  cenas^  with  a  proportionally 
shorter  tail,  barely  reaching  beyond  the  tips  of  the  wings.  It 
differs,  too,    from  the   European   bird  in  the  rump  being  greyish 


468  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

instead  of  white,  in  the  crown  being  tinged  with  vinaceous,  in  the 
winglet  having  less  black,  and  in  the  grey  band  of  the  tall,  conspi- 
cuous in  the  European  bird,  being  barely  discernible  in  the  Indian. 
The  Indian  Stock-pigeon  was  discriminated,  some  years  back,  by 
Mr.  Blyth,  who  has  since  considered  it  identical  with  Bonaparte's 
bird  described  from  Western  and  Central  Asia.  It  has  been 
noticed  in  India,  in  Sindh,  where  found  by  Major  Boys,  and  it 
doubtless  occurs  throughout  various  other  districts  of  Northern 
India.  It  flies  in  pretty  large  flocks,  and  affects  trees.  A  corre- 
spondent of  the  Bengal  Sporting  Review  states  that  he  saw  them 
in  hundreds  at  Hansi  in  March,  '  but  they  soon  disappeared. 
They  feed  in  the  fields,  morning  and  evening,  and  roost  in  the  day 
(and  I  suppose  the  night  also)  in  trees,  generally  in  the  common 
Babul  trees.  To  Europeans  here  (at  IlanslJ  they  are  known  as  the 
Hill-pigeons.'  They  are  probably  migratory  in  India,  breeding 
in  Central  Asia.  Buchanan  Hamilton,  however,  states  that  a  wild 
Blue-pigeon  breeds  in  Gorukpore  in  old  plantations,  and  is  a  great 
consumer  of  grain.  He,  however,  considered  it  the  same  as  '  one 
that  breeds  on  rocks  on  the  banks  of  the  Jumna  and  other  places,' 
i.  e.  the  common  Blue-pigeon.  They  have  most  likely  been  fre- 
quently overlooked  by  sportsmen  and  others  considering  them 
simply  to  be  the  same  as  the  common  wild  Blue-pigeon,  Col.  inter- 
media, and  I  have  observed  at  various  stations  certain  flocks  of 
Pigeons  always  settling  during  the  day  on  trees.  It  is  a  much  smaller 
bird,  however,  than  the  common  Blue-pigeon  of  this  country,  whilst 
its  analogue  in  Europe,  P.  cenas,  is  larger  than  the  wild  Kock-pigeon, 
C.  livia. 

The  European  bird,  P.  cenas,  says  Blyth,  is  called  the  Stock- 
pigeon,  because  it  commonly  builds  in  wood-land  districts,  in  a 
cavity  of  some  old,  and  often  ivy-clad,  pollard-stock,  thus  forming 
neither  a  platform  nest  hke  the  Cushat,  nor  resorting  to  rocks  like 
C.  livia ;  but  in  more  open  country  it  resorts  much  to  the  deserted 
holes  in  Ptabbit  burrows,  or  it  nestles  under  thick  furze  bushes.  It 
is  a  winter  bird  of  passage  in  England,  supporting  itself  chiefly  by 
beech-mast,  and  delighting  to  roost  in  tlie  tallest  beeches.  The 
habits  of  our  Indian  species  appear  to  be  somewhat  similar. 


COLUMBINiE,  469 

Gen.  COLUMBA,  Lin.  (a?  restricted.) 
Char. — Feet  fitted  for  walking  on  the  ground,  the  tarsus  being 

somewhat  lengthened  ;  nestle  in  holes  of  rocks,  buildings,  or  wells; 

capable  of  domestication. 

This  genus  comprises  the  Eock  and  House-pigeons,  and  various 

affined   races  of  the  Old  World.     They  rarely  perch  on  trees,  and 

some  never,  roosting   and  nestling  in   caverns,  hollows  of  rocks, 

sea-clifFsj  recesses  of  buildings,  &c. 

788.    Columba  intermedia,  Strickland. 

Col.  livia,  var,  Blyth,  Cat.  1417 — C.  ronas,  apud  Sykes, 
Cat.  144— Jerdon,  Cat.  290 — Figured  in  Beng.  Sport.  Rev.  1845, 
pi.  IV. — C.  livia,  apud  Adams,  Birds  of  India,  208 — Kabutar, 
H. — Gudi  poura%  Tel.,  i.  e.  Pagoda-pigeon — Kovilpora,  Tam. 
Parwi,  Mahr. 

The  Blue  Kock-pigeon. 

Descr. — Colour  slaty-grey,  darker  on  the  head,  throat,  and 
breast,  also  on  the  upper  and  lower  tail-coverts  and  tail,  which  last, 
has  a  blackish  terminal  band ;  nuchal  feathers  divergent  at  their 
tip,  and  brightly  glossed  with  changeable  green  and  amethystine ; 
two  black  bars  on  the  wing,  formed  by  the  greater  coverts  and 
the  secondaries  being  tipped  with  black,  on  the  outer  web  only ; 
and  the  outermost  tail-feather,  with  its  external  web,  gradually 
more  albescent  to  the  base. 

Bill  blackish,  with  a  white  mealiness  at  the  base  above  ;  irides 
dull  orange;  legs  dull  reddish-pink.  Length  12  to  13  inches; 
extent  23  ;  wing  8|  to  9  ;  tail  5  ;  bill  |,  shorter  than  in  P.  (sni- 
capilla. 

This  common  Blue  Pigeon  differs  from  C.  livia  of  Europe  only 
in  having  an  ash-colored,  instead  of  a  pure  white  rump.  This, 
however,  appears  to  be  constant,  and  as  Blyth  remarks,  is  also 
always  observable  in  domesticated  varieties  in  this  country,  when 
these  assume  the  normal  coloring. 

The  Blue  Pigeon  of  India  is  one  of  the  most  common  and  abun- 
dant birds  throughout  the  country,  congregating  in  large  flocks, 
and  breeding   wherever  they   can  find  suitable  spots.     TJiey  are 


470  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

most  partial  to  large  buildings,  such  as  Churches,  Pagodas,  Mosques, 
Tombs,  and  the  like;  frequently  entering  verandahs  of  inhabited 
houses,  and  building  in  the  cornices.  Holes  in  walls  of  cities  or 
towns,  too,  are  favorite  places,  and,  in  some  parts  of  the  country,  they 
prefer  holes  in  wells,  especiallj^,  I  think,  in  the  West  of  India, 
the  Deccan,  &c.  In  default  of  such  spots,  they  will  breed  in 
crevices  and  cavities  of  rocks,  caverns,  and  sea-side  cliffs  ;  and  I  have 
often  noticed  that  they  are  particularly  partial  to  rocky  cliffs  by 
waterfalls.  The  celebrated  falls  of  Gaissoppa  are  tenanted  by 
thousands  of  Blue  Pigeons,  which  here  associate  with  the  large 
Alpine  Swift.  It  is  more  rare  in  forest  countries  generally  than 
in  the  open  country.  It  extends'/rom  Ceylon  throughout  India  to 
the  Himalayas,  and  also  to  Assam,  Sylhet,  and  Burmah.  It  is 
doubtful  if  it  occurs  in  Aifghanistan,  or  in  other  parts  of  Central 
Asia.  These  Pigeons  are  held  in  fator  by  most  natives,  and 
almost  venerated  by  some ;  and  if  they  build  in  the  house  of  a 
native,  he  considers  it  a  most  fortunate  omen.  They  are,  however, 
very  destructive  to  grain,  assembling  in  vast  flocks  in  the  cold 
weather,  and,  in  general,  the  natives  do  not  object  to  their  being 
shot.  They  are  undoubtedly  the  origin  of  most  of  the  domestic 
Pigeons  of  India. 

789.     Columba  rupestris,  Pallas. 

Zoog.  Ross.  As.,  pi.  25— C.  livia,  pied  variety,  Adams,  Birds  of 
India,  208. 

The  Blue  HiLL-riGEON. 

Descr. —Liko  intermedia,  but  much  lighter  in  its  plumage.  Top  of 
head,  and  side  of  face,  ashy-grey;  back  of  neck  glossed  with  green  ; 
wing-coverts  and  upper  part  of  back  light  grey  ;  the  middle  of 
the  back  white;  upper  tail-coverts  dark  ashy-grey;  quills  grey, 
with  black  shafts,  and  darker  at  the  tips  and  on  the  outer  webs  ; 
some  of  the  larger  wing-coverts,  the  winglet,  and  last  secondaries, 
with  a  patch  of  greyish  black,  forming  two  indistinct  curved 
bands  ;  tail  dark  grey  at  the  base,  broadly  tipped  with  black,  and 
with  a  broad  stripe  of  white  between  these  two  colors ;  the  outer 
tail-feathers   pure  white  from  their  bases   on   the  external  web, 


COLUMBINiE.  471 

tipped  with  black  ;  beneath,  the  chin  is  ashy-grey ;  the  neck  purple 
glossed,  and  the  upper  part  of  the  breast  glossy  green,  blending 
into  ashy  light  grey  on  the  belly,  flanks,  and  vent;  lower  wing- 
coverts  white,  blending  with  grey  towards  the  anterior  margin  of 
the  wing. 

Bill  black ;  cere  grey ;  irides  red ;  legs  pink.  Leno-th  12| 
inches  ;  extent  25  ;  tail  5.     Weight  7^  oz. 

The  above  description  is  taken  from  Major  Boys,  who  procured 
this  Pigeon  in  Kumaon,  where  it  is  known  as  the  pale  blue  Rock- 
pigeon.  It  is  also,  perhaps,  as  suggested  by  Blyth,  the  Hill-pigeon 
of  Mussooree,  which  is  said  in  summer  to  fly  in  small  flocks  to 
the  Deyra  Doon  in  the  morning,  returning  to  the  hills  in  the 
evening ;  and  it  is  certainly  the  pied  variety  of  the  Blue  Pigeon 
observed  by  Adams  in  Ladak,  &c.  Pallas'  bird  is  said  to  be  found 
in  Central  Asia,  in  Daouria,  in  hilly  and  rocky  places.  Speci- 
mens of  this  race  of  Pigeon  appear  to  be  unknown  in  most  of  our 
Museums,  and  would  be  highly  acceptable. 

Among  the  races  allied  to  the  two  foregoing,  are  C.  livia  of  the 
whole  of  Europe,  Northern  Asia  to  Japan,  and  Northern  Africa, 
which  breeds  in  extensive  societies  in  rocky  cliffs  and  caverns, 
especially  on  the  seashore.  It  is  said  to  feed  much  on  the  tops 
of  plants,  and  also  on  Helices.  It  is  the  origin  of  most  of  the  varie- 
ties of  domestic  Pigeons  of  Europe.  Bonaparte  separates  from  it 
C.  turricola,  of  the  South  of  Europe,  Persia,  &c.,  whicli  wants  tlie 
white  rump  of  livia,  and  should,  therefore,  very  closely  approach 
the  Indian  intermedia.  C.  Schimperi,  Bonaparte,  found  in  very 
numerous  flocks  in  the  fields  in  Abyssinia,  and  perhaps  C.  gymnoph- 
thalmos,  Gray,  from  Senegal,  also  appertain  to  this  division. 

The  next  bird  differs  considerably  from  all  the  others. 

790.     Golumba  leuconota,  Vigors. 

P.  Z.  S.  1831— Gould,  Cent.  Him.  Birds,  pi.  59— Blyth, 
Cat.  1418 — '  The  Snow-pigeon'  of  some  sportsmen  on  the  Himalayas, 
or  Imperial  Rock-pigeon  of  others. 

The  White-bellied  Pigeon. 
Descr. — The  top  of  the  head  and    ear-coverts  ashy-black  ;  back 
of  neck  white  ;  interscapulars  light  brownish  grey ;  rump  white ; 


472  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

wings  light  brownish  grey,,  pale  ashy  on  the  medial  coverts  ;  the 
primaries  dull  blackish  towards  their  tips ;  the  secondaries  broadly 
tipped  with  dusky,  and  the  tertiaries  and  their  coverts  having  a 
sub-terminal  dusky  band  and  broad  greyish  tips,  producing  a  series 
of  three  short  bars,  and  a  trace  of  a  fourth  ;  tail  (with  its  upper 
coverts)  ashy-black,  with  a  broad  greyish  white  bar  occupying 
the  third  quarter  from  the  base  of  its  middle  feather,  and  narrow- 
ing and  curving  forward  to  reach  the  tip  of  its  outermost  feathers, 
which  are  also  white  at  their  base  on  the  outer  webs. 

Bill  black  ;  irides  yellow ;  legs  lobster-red.  Length  nearly 
14  inches  ;  wing  9^  ;  tail  5. 

This  remarkably  colored  Pigeon  is  found  on  the  Himalayas, 
chiefly  towards  the  North-west,  and  is  stated  to  frequent  rocky 
heights  and  sequestered  valleys,  from  10,000  feet  to  the  snow 
level,  in  large  parties. 

It  feeds  in  the  fields,  returning  to  the  rocks  to  roost ;  and  is 
said  to  be  shy  and  wary. 

Other  true  Columhince  of  the  Old  World,  are  C.  guiiiea,  L. 
(C.  trigonigera,  Wagler),  referred  to  Stictconas,  Reichenbach,  stated 
by  some  to  be  the  common  domestic  Pigeon  of  Abyssinia ;  and 
C.  albitorques,  Riippell,  referred  to  Tcenicenas,  Reichenbach,  said 
to  have  the  bill  remarkably  short. 

There  are  a  good  many  American  Pigeons  placed  in  this  division 
by  Bonaparte  under  his  section  Americance  (Picaziirus,  of  0.  des 
Murs),  distributed  by  him  in  four  different  genera. 

Sub-fam.  MACROPYGiNiE,  Bonap.,  Cuckoo-doves. 

Head  small ;  feet  short ;  tail  very  long,  graduated  or  wedge- 
shaped  ;  wings  rather  short. 

This  division  comprises  a  small  group  of  Pigeons  peculiar  to 
the  Indian  region,  more  especially  to  the  Malayan  islands,  and  one 
species  extending  to  Australia.  They  are  distinguished  by  their 
long  and  broad  tails  ;  are  more  or  less  frugivorous  in  their  habits, 
occasionally  feeding  on  the  ground,  and,  in  their  physiognomy, 
and  partly  in  their  coloration,  they  resemble  Doves  rather  than 
Pigeons.  Ruddy  brown  is  the  prevalent  colour ;  in  many  disposed 
in  narrow  cross  rays,   us  in  the  rufous  phase  of  certain  Cuckoos, 


MACROPYGIN^.  473 

and  many  have  the  play  of  colours  on  the  neck  as  in  the  CoJumhce. 
They  are  mostly  mountaineers,  and  confined  to  forests.  Some 
are  said  to  feed  much  on  pepper  and  other  aromatic  fruits,  and 
their  flesh  is  highly  esteemed.  One  species  only  inhabits  our 
province.  Mr.  Blyth  considers  them  to  be  nearly  related  to  the 
division  of  Palumhince  in  which  Alsocomus  occurs,  and  I  acree 
with  him  that  they  have  afiinities  for  that  group  ;  but  to  have 
placed  them  next  the  Wood-pigeons,  would  have  broken  the  chain 
of  affinities  between  the  Palumhince  and  ColumbincE ;  and,  taking 
their  Turturine  physiognomy  into  consideration,  I  think  they  may 
properly  be  placed  between  the  Pigeons  and  Doves.  They  appear, 
however,  also  to  have  certain  affinities  for  the  Treronidce. 

Gen.  Macuopygia. 

Bill  long  and  slender ;  wings  short ;  tail  long,  broad,  much 
graduated ;  legs  and  feet  fitted  for  perching ;  lateral  toes  some- 
what unequal ;  soles  flat;  rump  more  or  less  spinous. 

This  genus  comprises  several  birds  from  the  East-India  islands  ; 
and  the  following  species,  (with  a  closely  allied  bkd  from  Java) 
has  been  separated  as  Coccyzura,  Hodgson,  chiefly  distinguished 
by  the  tail  being  strongly  barred. 

791.    Macropygia  tusalia,  Hodgson. 

Coccyzura,  apud  Hodgson,  J.  A.  S.  XIII.  936 — Blyth,  Cat. 
1424_C.  leptogrammica,  Temminck,  PI.  col.  248 — Tusal,  Nipal 
— Phoochong-pho,  Lepch. — Pumoh,  Bhot. 

The  Bar-tailed  Tree-dove. 

Descr. — Male,  upper  plumage  dusky  black,  with  numerous 
narrow,  deep  rufous  bars  on  the  mantle,  wings,  rump,  and  upper 
tail-coverts  ;  forehead  tinged  with  lake-color  ;  occiput  and  nape  dull 
ashy-viuaceous,  glossed  with  changeable  green  and  amethystine  ; 
primaries  dusky  black  ;  tail  obscurely  barred,  with  the  inner  webs 
more  or  less  rufous  near  their  base,  outer  feathers  ashy,  with  a 
broad  sub-terminal  band,  and  the  outer  web  of  the  outermost 
feathers  whitish  ;  chin  and  throat  whitish,  tinged  with  lake ; 
breast  dull  vinous-ashy,  with  purple  and  green  reflections,  and  the 
rest  of  the  lower  parts  yellowish-white ;  lower  tail-coverts  buff. 

PART  II.  3  O 


474  BIRDS  OP  INDIA. 

Bill  black,  tinged  with  lake  near  the  base ;  orbits  red  ;  orbitar 
skin  pale  livid;  irides  brown,  with  an  outer  narrow  circle  pink;  legs 
dull-lake  red.     Length  16^  inches  ;  extent  22  ;  wing  8  ;  tail  8^. 

The  female  differs  in  having  the  forehead  and  cheeks  pale  vinous 
yellow,  the  nape  less  brightly  glossed,  the  barring  more  developed 
than  in  the  male,  and  especially  on  the  tail ;  in  the  chin  being  pale 
buffy,  and  in  the  breast  and  lower  parts  being  finely  rayed  across 
with  dusky  on  a  fulvous  ground  ;  the  crown  is  likewise  barred. 
The  young  have  the  crown  distinotly  barred,  and  the  whole  plumage 
more  or  less  so,  but  with  fewer   bars   than   in   the  adult  female. 

This  bird  appears  to  be  very  closely  allied  to  C.  leptogrammica 
of  Java,  with  which  Gray  and  Blyth  formerly  united  it,  but  it  is 
placed  as  distinct  by  Bonaparte,  who  states  that  in  the  Java  bird, 
the  throat  is  crnnamomeous,  the  lateral  tail-feathers  blackish,  with 
a  grey  tip,  and  the  lower  parts  whitish";  with  some  other  points  of 
difference. 

This  fine  Tree-dove  is  found  in  the  S.  E.  Himalayas,  from  Nepal 
to  Bootan,  e:^ending  to  the  Khasia  Hills.  In  Sikim  it  frequents 
the  zone,  from  3,000  to  nearly  7,000  feet  ;  is  found  singly,  occa- 
sionally in  small  parties  ;  feeds  on  various  fruits,  which  it  chiefly 
takes  from  the  trees,  now  and  then  descending  to  the  ground. 
Its  voice  is  a  deep,  repeated,  coo.  I  found  its  nest  on  the  Khasia 
Hills  at  about  4,500  feet,  on  trees,  at  a  moderate  elevation. 

Other  species  of  this  genus  are  M.  ru/ipenms,  Blyth,  from  the 
•Nicobars ;  J£  ruficeps,  Teram.,  from  Java,  which  also  occurs  in 
Tenasserim ;  several  others  from  the  more  distant  islands ;  and  M, 
phasianella,  Temm.,  from  AustraHa  and  New  Guinea.  Bonaparte 
has  also  M.  macrura,  Graelin,  from  Ceylon,  which  does  not 
appear  to  have  been  noticed  by  late  observers  in  that  island. 
Blyth  gives  an  interesting  account  of  the  habits  of  M.  phasianella 
in  confinement,  which  would  fight  with  Uurrials  for  the  plantains 
given  as  food,  which  it  appeared  very  fond  of ;  but  it  would  eat 
maize  and  grain.  It  was  chiefly  active,  morning  and  evening,  and 
scarcely  moved  from  its  perch  during  the  day,  in  this  approxima- 
ting the   Green-pigeons. 

Some  species  from  the  Oceanic  region  are  placed  in  Ttiraccena^ 
and    Eeimvardtce7ia,    Bonaparte  ;    and  the   celebrated    Passenger- 


TUETURIN^.  475 

pigeon  of  North  America,  Ectopistes  migratoria,  is  placed  in  this 
group  by  Bonaparte,  with  which  it  agrees  in  its  arboreal  habits  and 
lengthened  tail.  Blyth  considers  it  a  long-tailed  Cushat.  It  has 
been  occasionally  killed  in  Britain. 

Sub-fam.  Torturing,  Bonap. 
Feet  fitted  for  walking  on  the  ground ;  tail  somewhat  length- 
ened Ctypically),  rounded  or  graduated,  and  with  pale  tips  to  the 
outer  feathers ;  of  delicate  make,  with  small  heads ;  neck  usually 
without  the  iridescent  play  of  the  Columbina,  but  frequently 
adorned  with  neck-spots  as  in  the  Paliimbinoe,  or  with  rings. 

The  Doves  are  a  well  marked  group,  albeit  devoid  of  any  strongly 
marked  technical  distinctions,   the    chief  of  which  appears  to  be 
the  form  of  the  tail.    They  have,  however,  a  marked  physiognomy, 
and  form  a  very  natural  group.     Their   colours  are  usually  pale, 
as  compared  with  Pigeons.     They  mostly  feed   on  the  ground  on' 
grain,  pulse,  and  other  small  seeds,  and  are  not,  in  general,  gre- 
garious,   though   large   numbers   may   be   seen  feeding  together. 
They   chiefly     frequent     open    and    cultivated     country,   a  few 
preferring  highly  wooded  or   forest  districts ;  and  many  are  very 
familiar  birds,  feeding  close   to  houses  and  stables.     They  breed 
on  low  trees,  or  shrubs,  constructing  the  usual  slight  platform  nest, 
and  they  breed   at  all   seasons  of  the  year.     They  are  confined 
to  the  Old  "World.     The  Asiatic  species,  distributed  in  one  genus, 
are  divided  into  two  by  Bonaparte. 

Gen.    TuRTUR,  Selby.     Panduk  H.  in  Behar, 
Fachta  H.  in  the  south. 
Char. — Bill  slender,  the  tip  very  slightly  arched ;  the  two  first 
quills  graduated,  2nd  and  3rd  longest ;  tail  somewhat  long,  usually 
rounded ;  toes  long  and  slender  ;  the  claws  slightly  curved. 

The  Turtle-doves  are  divided  by  Bonaparte  into  the  sections, 
Auriti,  MaciiUcolles,  and  Tigrini,  to  which  I  will  add  a  fourth, 
Strepiopelece,  raised  by  Bonaparte  to  distinct  generic  rank. 

1st,  Auriti. 
The  British  Turtle-dove  is  the  type  of  this  section,  and  the 
species  belonging  to  it  are  distinguished  by  a  peculiar   coloration, 
more  or  less  ruddy,  with  broad  rufous  edgings  to  the  wing-feathers, 


476  BIRDS  OP  INDIA.  * 

and  the  neck  patch  black,  tipped  greyish-white ;  they  are  of 
laro-er  size  than  the  birds  of  the  other  two  sections,  and  moreover 
are  more  gregarious  in  winter. 

792.    Turtur  rupicolus,  Pallas. 

Columba,  apud  Pallas — C.  gelastes,  Temm.,  PI.  col.  pi.  550  ? 
— T.  vitticollis,  apud  Hodgson — T.  orientalis,  Giiay  (in  part) — 
T.  meena,  Blyth  (in  part),  Cat.  1436— Adams,  No.  212. 
The  Ashy  Turtle-dove. 

Descr. — Head  bluish-ashy,  with  the  occiput  and  nape  rufescent ; 
back  and  rump  ashy  brown,  more  ashy  on  the  latter ;  wings 
dusky  ;  the  coverts  widely  margined  with  dark  rufous  ;  tail  blaish- 
black,  with  a  broad  white  tip  ;  beneath  brown,  becoming  whitish 
towards  the  vent ;  lower  tail-coverts  white,  with  a  faint  tinge  of 
ashy ;  neck-spot  black. 

Bill  blackish ;  legs  dull  purple-lake.  Length  about  12  to  13 
inches  ;  wing  7  to  8  ;  tail  5^. 

This  Dove  most  closely  resembles  the  Turtle-dove  of  Britain, 
but  is  somewhat  larger,  has  the  occiput  and  nape  more  rufescent, 
and  the  rump  more  ashy,  whilst  the  lower  tail-coverts  are  not  so 
pure  white  .in  the  Indian  bird.  A  drawing  of  Buchanan 
Hamilton  in  the  Library  of  the  Asiatic  Society,  Calcutta,  appears  to 
represent  the  European  bird  rather  than  onipicolus,  but  may  be 
intended  for  the  latter.  This  last  inhabits  Siberia  and  Japan,  and 
probably  most  of  Central  Asia,  and  has  even  been  killed  in 
Northern  Europe.  Mr.  Blyth  states  it  to  be  common  in  collections 
from  Simla  and  Mussooree,  and  that  it  was  also  obtained  by 
Plodgson  in  Nipal.  I  should,  however,  imagine  it  to  be  a  winter 
visitant  to  the  hills  only ;  and  that  the  bird  mentioned  by  Hutton 
as  '  a  mere  summer  visitor  at  Mussooree,'  must  refer  to  the  next 
species,  7\  meena. 

793.    Turtur  meena,  Sykes. 

Columba,  apud  Sykes,  Cat.  139 — C.  agricola,  Tickell — T. 
pulchrala,  HoDGSON— Jerdon,  Cat.  296 — Blyth,  Cat.  1436 
(in  part) — K^dla  faclita,  II. — Basho  fachta,  H.  in  the  North — Yedru 
poda  guiccif  Tel. — Smn  gimglm,  Beng. — H^ndgah,  Mahr. 


turturin^.  477 

The  rufous  Turtle-dove. 

Descr. — General  colour  vinaceous  brown,  ashy  on  the  forehead 
and  crown,  and  whitish  towards  the  base  of  the  bill,  and  more 
or  less  mixed  with  ashy  and  dusky  above  ;  rump  and  upper  tail- 
coverts  deep  grey  ;  wing-coverts  and  scapulars  dusky,  broadly 
margined  with  rufous  ;  secondary  coverts  usually  ashy  ;  winoflet 
and  primaries,  with  their  coverts,  dusky,  the  latter  edged  with 
whitish;  tail  dusky  ash,  the  outer  feathers  successively  more  broadly 
tipped  with  deep  grey,  paling  on  the  outermost  feather  ;  beneath, 
the  chin  and  throat  whitish  ;  the  rest  of  the  plumage  pale  vina- 
ceous brown,  deepest  on  the  breast,  aud  becoming  albescent  on  the 
lower  abdomen ;  vent  and  lower  tail-coverts  light  grey ;  the 
neck-patch  black,  with  grey  tips,  narrower  than  in  the  preceding 
species. 

Bill  blackish,  with  a  tinge  of  lake-red ;  irides  orange ;  legs  dull 
purple.     Length  11^  to  12^  inches  ;   wing  7  ;  tail  4J. 

This  species  differs  from  the  last  by  its  smaller  size,  and  the 
general  rufous  tone  of  coloring,  also  by  the  grey  tip  to  the  tail. 
It  is  found  throughout  a  considerable  part  of  India,  in  the  cold 
weather  only,  being  a  regular  winter  visitant,  retiring  to  the  hills 
to  breed.  It  is  more  rare  in  the  South  of  India  than  in  Central  and 
Northern  India,  and  I  did  not  observe  it  in  the  forests  of  IMalabar, 
though  observed  by  Elliot  in  Dliarwar,  and  by  Sykes  in  the 
Northern  part  of  the  Ghats ;  but  I  have  procured  it  in  bamboo 
jungles  on  the  Eastern  Ghats,  in  Goomsoor,  in  Central  India,  and 
also  in  Eastern  Bengal,  the  Khasia  Hills,  and  Cachar.  Mr.  Blyth 
states  that  numbers  of  newly  caught  birds  may  frequently  be  seen 
in  the  bird-shops  of  Calcutta,  and  it  occurs,  though  rarely,  in 
Ceylon.  It  appears  more  social  than  most  of  the  other  Turtle- 
doves, and,  indeed,  is  frequently  seen  in  large  flocks.  As  it  does 
not  breed  in  the  plains,  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  the  species 
noticed  by  Hutton  as  breeding  at  INIussooree,  must  be  this  bird 
rather  than  the  Northern  one,  T.  rupicolus^  which,  according 
to  all  analogy,  ought  to  breed  far  North.  Whichever  it  be, 
Hutton  states  that  it  is  "  a  mere  summer  visitor  at  Mussooree, 
where  it  arrives  early  in  April,  when  every  wood  resounds  with 
its  deep-toned    cooing,  being  not  found  lower   that    G,000   feet, 


478  BIRDS   OF  INDIA. 

and  it  departs  in  October.  It  breeds  in  May,  making  a  plat- 
form nest  on  tall  forest  trees."  If  this  be,  as  Blyth  conjectures, 
rupicolus,  where  does  it  go  to  in  October  ?  It  does  not,  that  we 
know,  visit  the  plains  of  India,  and  it  can  barely  be  expected 
to  go  north  at  that  season,  Blyth  states  that  he  has  often  had 
T.  meena  in  confinement  in  an  aviary,  and  remarked  them  to 
be  very  taciturn,  scarcely  ever  uttering  a  sound. 

Other  allied  species,  besides  T.  auntus  of  Europe,  are  T.  lugens 
and  T.  uahellinus  of  North  Africa ;  and  T.  erythrocephalus  of 
Southern  Africa.  2\  cinereus  is  recorded  from  China  and  the 
Philippines. 

T.  picturatus,  Teram.,  from  Madagascar,  T.  rostratus,  from  the 
Seychelles,  and  T.  precortianus,  Bonap.,  from  the  Marrianne  Islands, 
are  placed  by  Bonaparte  in  this  section ;  but  Mr.  Blyth  remarks 
that  these  should  stand  in  a  separate  section,  per  se ;  for  they 
do  not  exhibit  the  coloration  of  this  group. 

2nd,  Maculicolhs — Bonap. 

This  section,  which  Blyth  called  neck-laced  Turtle-doves,  com- 
prises some  small  species  of  a  vinaceous  hue  with  grey  wings, 
and  a  broad  gorget,  more  or  less  complete  in  front,  of  black 
feathers,  with  rufous  tips.  Two  or  three  races  have  been  discrimi- 
nated, very  closely  allied  to  each  other. 

794.  Turtur  cambayensis,  Gmelin. 

Columba,  apud  Gmelin — T.  senegalensis,  apud  Sykes,  Cat. 
143 — Jerdon,  Cat.  293 — Blyth,  Cat.  1438— T.  maculicoUis, 
Wagler  (in  part) — Tortru  fachta,  H. — Chitti  hella  guiva  and 
Sowata  (/inva,  Tel. —  Touta-porali,  Tam. 

The  Little  Brown-dove. 

Descr. — Above  brown,  the  head  and  upper  part  of  the  neck 
pinkish  vinaceous ;  wing-coverts,  except  towards  the  scapulars,  pure 
light  grey  ;  winglet,  primaries,  and  their  coverts,  dusky ;  the 
secondaries  tinged  with  grey  ;  tail  with  the  middle  feathers  brown  ; 
the  others  black  at  the  base,  white  for  nearly  their  terminal  half; 
beneath,  the  neck  and  breast  pinkish  vinaceous,  paling  below,  and 
passing  to  white  on  the  belly  and  lower  tail-coverts ;  the  sides  of 


TURTURINJS.  479 

the  neck  with  a  patch  on  each  side,  nearly  meeting,  black  at  the 
base,  rufous  tipped,  the  black  hardly  apparent  except  when  the 
neck  is  stretched. 

Bill  blackish ;  irides  dark  broAvn^  with  a  whitish  inner  circle ; 
legs  lake-red.  Length  10  to  10^  inches  ;  extent  14  ;  wing  5  ;  tail  4^. 
The  tail  is  graduated  to  upwards  of  an  inch,  and  the  feathers 
slightly  narrowed  towards  their  tips. 

This  little  Dove  is  found  throughout  the  greater  part  of  India, 
not  occurring  in  Ceylon,  Malabar,  or  Lower  Bengal,  nor  in  the 
countries  to  the  eastward  ;  but  very  abundant  in  Central,  and 
especially  in  Western  India,  also  in  Sindh  and  the  Punjab.  It  is  a 
very  familiar  bird,  entering  gardens  and  feeding  on  public  roads,  and 
close  to  houses  and  stables,  without  any  alarm ;  but  it  is  also  very 
abundant  in  all  low  bushy  jungles.  It  breeds  in  Southern  India 
at  various  times,  and  Huttou  records  that  it  visits  Mussooree  in 
April,  remaining  to  breed,  and  departing  again  in  autumn.  Its  coo, 
says  Blyth,  is  '  low,  subdued,  and  musical,  a  dissyllabic  sound, 
repeated  four  or  five  times  successively,'  and  of  which  its  Hindu- 
stani and  Tamil  names  are  a  sort  of  imitation. 

Its  near  ally,  T.  seyiegalensls  or  ^Egt/ptiacus  is  very  common 
in  Northern  Africa  and  Western  Asia,  is  called  the  Palm-dove  by 
some,  and  swarms  in  all  the  oases  of  the  desert.  It  was  formerly 
considered  identical  with  the  Indian  species,  but  differs  in  being 
somewhat  larger,  brighter  in  colors,  and  with  the  rump  distinctly 
ashy.  It  occurs  occasionally  in  the  South  of  Europe,  in  Spain, 
and  about  Constantinople.  Another  race,  from  Bokhara,  T.  Ermanni, 
is  indicated  by  Bonaparte. 

37'd,   Tigrini — Bonap. 

These  Doves  have  a  broad  half-collar  on  the  nape,  consisting 
of  black  feathers,  divergent  at  the  tips,  each  tip  ending  in  a  small 
round  white  spot ;  the  orbits  are  nude,  and  the  plumage  of  the 
wings  and  upper  parts  is  more  or  less  spotted. 

795.  Turtur  suratensis,  Gmelin. 

Columba,  apud  Gmelin — Blyth,  Cat.  1435 — T.  tigrina, 
Temm.,  apud   Auct.—SYKES,   Cat.  140— -Jerdon,   Cat.  292— C. 


480  BIRDS   OF  INDIA. 

t 

turtur,  var.  Griffiths,  An.  Kingd.,  with  figure — T.  ceylonensis, 
B.mciiEiiB.  —  Chitroka  fachta,  H. —  Chiila,  H,  in  the  Noith-wes- 
tern  Provinces. — Chaval  gliugltu,  or  Telia  gliiujliu,  Bang. — Kangs- 
kiri,  H.,  at  Bhagulpore — Poda  hella  f/uiva,  Tel. — Puli-pora,  Tarn. 
i.  e.  Spotted  or  Tiger-pigeon — Bode^  of  Gonds — Ku-er-plio,  Lepch.— 
Fiap-chu,  Bhot. 

The  Spotted  Dove. 

Descr. — Head  pale  vinaceous,  greyish  on  the  forehead;  upper 
parts  generally  dusky,  each  feather  with  two  pale  rufous  isabelline 
terminal  spots,  enlarging  and  spreading  up  each  side  of  the  feather 
upon  the  wing-coverts,  the  blackish  contracting  to  a  central  streak, 
having  broad  pale  vinaceous  lateral  borders;  edge  of  the  wing,  with 
some  of  the  nearest  coverts,  light  grey ;  tail  with  the  central 
feathers  brown  ;  the  outermost  ones  black  at  the  base,  white  for 
the  terminal  half,  and  the  others  intermediate  in  their  coloring ; 
lower  parts  pale  vinaceous,  more  or  less  albescent  on  the  throat, 
and  passing  to  white  on  the  vent  and  lower  tail-coverts. 

Bill  dull  leaden-black;  irides  dark  hazel,  surrounded  by  a 
reddish  sclerotic ;  legs  dark  purplish  red.  Length  about  12  inches  ; 
extent  16^  ;  wing  5f ;  tail  5^.  The  female  is  a  trifle  less.  The 
tail  is  graduated  for  ]  ^  inch,  and  the  feathers  slightly  attenuated 
towards  the  tip. 

This  species  has  been  generally  confounded  with  T.  tigrina  of 
the  Burmese  countries,  but  differs  in  some  slight  points,  as  was 
first  recognized  by  Bonaparte  and  Blyth.  It  is  of  somewhat 
smaller  dimensions,  duller  in  its  tints,  and  the  white  spots  forming 
the  nuchal  patch,  are  rounded,  and  not  angular  or  square  as  in  the 
Malayan  race;    nor  are  the  wing-coverts  so  white. 

The  speckled  Dove  of  India  is  diffused  throughout  all  India, 
from  Ceylon  to  the  Himalayas,  to  a  height  of  nearly  7,000  feet ; 
and  equally  so  in  the  North-eastern  Provinces  of  Assam  and 
Sylhet.  As  a  rule,  it  is  most  abundant  in  forest  districts,  or  well- 
wooded  countries,  and  is  consequently  rare  in  the  bare  Carnatic 
table-land,  the  Deccan,  and  the  North-western  Provinces  generally; 
and  most  abundant  on  the  Malabar  Coast  up  to  Surat,  Lower 
Bengal  and  the  foot  of  the  Himalayas,  with  the  lower  ranges  ;  and 


TURTURTN^.  481 

in  fact,  thoiigli  with  exceptions,  this  Dove  and  the  last  species,  T. 
cambaiensis,  in  many  parts  of  the  country,  replace  each  other.* 

It  breeds  throughout  the  country,  and  at  various  seasons,  and 
Hutton  records  it  as  migratory  to  the  hills  near  Mussooree,  where 
it  breeds  at  about  5,000  feet.  In  the  districts  where  it  abounds^ 
it  is  nearly  as  familiar  as  the  last  Dove,  entering  gardens,  feeding 
on  roads,  near  houses,  &c.  '  The  coo-  of  this  Dove,'  says  Blyth, 
'  is  plaintive  and  agreeable,  something  like  oot-raoic-oo — oot- 
7'aota-oo  ;  but  far  from  easy  to  express  in  writing.'  The  same 
Katuralist  remarks  that  the  Crows  destroy  a  large  proportion  of 
the  eggs  and  young  about  Calcutta  and  its  environs. 

The  other  race,  T.  chinensis,  Scop,  {tigrina,  Temm.)  is  spread 
tln'ough  most  of  the  Burmese  and  i\Ialayan  countries  to  China  and 
the  Philippines. 

Aith.     StreptopeliecB — Ring-doves. 
These  are  distinguished  by  plain,   light   colored  plumage,  and 
a  black  collar  round  the  neck.     The  domestic  Eing-dove  is  the 
type  of  the   group,   but  it  is   not  satisfactorily    ascertained    from 
which  species  or  race  it  has  sprung. 

796.    Turtur  risoria,  Linnaeus. 

Columba,  apud  Linn^us — Sykes,  Cat.  142 — Jerdon,  Cat. 
294— Blyth,  Cat.  1430— DAor  fachia,  11.  in  the  ^owih— Kallial', 
or  Kahalald,  and  Pauk-f/hughu,  Beng. — Pedda  hella-guwa,  Tel. 

The  Co3n[ON  Ring-dove. 

Descr, — Head  delicate  pale  vinous-grey,  more  or  less  whitish  on 
the  forehead;  nape  pale  viuaccous  ;  a  narrow  black  collar  on  the 
nape  set  off  with  whitish  above,  and  slightly  so  below ;  upper 
plumage  uniform  light  grey-brown  ;  edge  of  the  wing  pure  asliy  ; 
primaries  dusky,  with  sliglit  whitish  margins  bordering  their  tips ; 
middle  tail  feathers  uniform  with  the  back  above ;  the  lateral 
feathers  marked  with  black  about  the  middle,  passing  to  greyish 
on  the  basal  half,  and  to  white  on  the  terminal,  and  these  successively 


*  That  two  such  common  Doves  as  T.  cambaiensis  and  T.  siiralensis,  should 
have  received  their  specific  names  from  these  localities,  shows  the  early  nature  of 
our  commerce  with  the  West  of  India. 

PART   II.  3   p 


482  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

more  pronounced  externally ;  beneath  very  pale  vinaceous,  whitish 
on  the  throat,  passing  to  light  greyish  towards  the  vent,  and  the 
lower  tail-coverfs  pure  ashy  ;  wings  underneath  greyish-white. 

Bill  black  ;  irides  crimson ;  orbitar  skin  whitish  ;  feet  dark  pink- 
red.     Length  12^  to  13  inches  ;  extent  20  ;  wing  6^  ;  tail  5. 

The  Eing-dove  is  generally  diffused  throughout  India,  frequenting 
hedges  and  trees  in  the  neighbourhood  of  cultivation,  and  also  low 
bush  or  reed  jungle.  It  is  found  in  Ceylon,  but  is  rare  ini\Ialabar, 
and  generally  in  forest  country,  and  it  appears  not  to  occur  in 
Arrakan,  nor  in  the  countries  to  the  East  of  the  Bay  of  Bengal. 
Layard  notices  its  partiality  for  Euphorbia  bushes,  in  which,  he  says, 
it  generally  builds  its  nest.  Blyth  states  that  it  '  inclines  to  be 
more  gregarious  than  our  other  Doves ;'  but  less  so,  I  think,  than 
T.  meena.  Like  the  other  Doves,  it  breeds  in  the  plains  at  all 
seasons,  but  also,  it  appears,  ascends^  the  Hills  near  IMussoorce, 
to  breed  there  in  spring.  "  The  coo,"  says  Blyth,  "  is  quite  different 
from  that  of  the  domestic  Turtle-dove,  and  may  be  expressed  by 
hookoo-koo,  koohoo-hooy 

Several  other  species  allied  to  risoria  are  found  in  Africa  ;  and 
one  or  two  in  the  Malayan  province,  viz.,  C.  bitorquata,  Temm. 
and  C.  dussumierii,  Temra.,  both  from  Java  and  the  neighbour- 
ing isles.     They  are  all  very  closely  allied  races. 

The  next  species  differs  somewhat  in  type  by  its  shorter  tail,  and 
the  sexes  differing  in  plumage. 

797.    Turtur  humilis,  Temminck. 

Columba,  apud  Temminck,  Pi,  col  258  and  259— Sykes,  Cat. 
141— Jerdon,  Cat.  295 — Blyth,  Cat.  1432— T.  risoria,  var. 
apud  Franklin — Seroti  fachta,  H. — Golahi  ghughu,  Tuma  khuri, 
and  Itkidi/a  ghughU)  Beng.,  i.  e.  rose-colored,  or  copper-colored, 
or  brick-colored  Dove — liah-giuca,  Tel.,  i.  e.  Tile-colored  Dove — 
sometimes  Feri-arijnt  guiva,  Tel. 

The  Eed  Turtle-dove. 

Descr. — Male,  head  ash-grey,  paler  towards  the  forehead ;  a 
black  half  collar,  Avell  set  off  by  Avhitish  above ;  general  color 
above  fine  vinous  or  brick  red  ;  the  rump  and  upper   tail-coverts 


TURTUKINiE.  483 

dusky-asli;  winglet,  primaries  and  their  coverts,  and  tlie  secondaries, 
blackisli ;  tail,  with  the  middle  feathers  ash-brown ;  the  rest  blackish 
at  the  base,  and  broadly  tipped  with  white,  successively  more 
broadly  from  the  centre,  and  spreading  up  the  whole  exterior 
web  of  the  outermost  feather ;  beneath,  the  chin  whitish,  rest  of 
the  lower  parts  pale  vinous  red ;  vent  and  lower  tail-coverts 
white,  tinged  Avith  ashy  ;  wing  beneath  light  ashy. 

Bill  black  ;  irides  dark  brown  ;  legs  purplish  red.  Length  9^ 
inches  ;  wing  5^  ;  tail  S^. 

The  female  is  a  trifle  smaller,  and  of  a  dull  earthy  brown,  paler 
below. 

The  Ked  Turtle-dove  is  found  throughout  all  India,  from  Ceylon 
up  to  the  foot  of  the  Himalayas,  and  the  Punjab,  avoiding  the 
Malabar  forests,  and,  generally,  the  jungly  and  hilly  countries,  and 
not  very  common,  as  Blytli  tells  us,  in  Lower  Bengal,  but  extending 
into  Assam,  Arrakan,  and  Northern  Burmah,  where  I  obtained  it 
near  Thayetmyo.  It  also  extends  to  the  Philippine  Islands.  It 
affects  large  groves  of  trees  near  cultivation,  often  feeding  under  the 
shade  of  trees,  but  also  betaking  itself  to  fields,  grass  downs,  and 
bare  spots  near  rivers  or  tanks.  Its  coo  is  short,  deep,  and  grunt- 
like. Blyth  states  that  he  has  bred  them  in  confinement  in  an 
aviary,  and  that  cages  full  of  newly  caught  birds  are  often  to  be 
seen  in  the  Calcutta  bird-shops. 

Several  Doves  of  slightly  differing  type  occur  in  Africa,  which 
are  distributed  in  four  genera,  one  of  them,  Q^na  Capensis,  having  a 
long  and  graduated  tail.  Gray  includes  among  the  Turtles,  Geopelia, 
placed  by  Bonaparte  and  Blyth  in  PJuipiiice,  but  the  latter  Naturalist 
states  that  they  are  barely  separable  from  the  lurturince* 

Fam.  GouRiDiE,  Ground-doves. 

Wings  moderate ;  tarsus  somewhat  lengthened,  as  are  all  the  toes. 

In  this  family,  the  Avings  are  occasionally  shorter  and  less  pointed 
than  in  any  of  the  previous  groups,  and  the  feet  are  lengthened, 
and  better  suited  for  their  ground  habits.  They  comprise  several 
distinct  groups.  1st.  Phapinw,  or  Ground-doves  of  Australia  and 
Malayana ;  2nd.  Zenaidince,  American  Ground-doves ;  ord. 
Calcenince,  or  Nicobar  Ground-pigeons ;  4th.   Gourince,  or  Crowned- 


484  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

pigeons  of  New  Guinea.  These  two  last  groups  are  elevated  to 
distinct  family  rank  by  Bonaparte.  India  possesses  only  one 
representative  of  this  family,  belonging  to  the  first  sub-family. 

Sub-fam.  PnAriNiE,  Ground-doves. 

Tarsus  much  lengthened,  not  feathered;  tail  consisting  of 
twelve,  fourteen,  or  sixteen  feathers. 

The  Ground-doves  comprise  a  series  of  very  beautiful  small 
Doves,  many  of  them  adorned  with  metallic  hues,  and  of  swift 
flight.  They  are  divided  by  Bonaparte  into  the  Fliape^, 
Chalcophapeoi  and  Geopelieoi. 

Chalcophapece,  with  twelve  tail-feathers. 

The  species  belonging  to  this  group  have  longer  wings  than  the 
others,  and  only  twelve  rcctrices,  thej.two  other  divisions  having 
fourteen  or  sixteen  ;  and  the  birds  composing  it  are  more  arboreal 
in  their  habits.     It  consists  only  of  a  single  genus. 

Gen.  CiiALCOPHArs,  Gould. 

Char.  — Bill  slender ;  wings  moderately  long,  2nd  and  3rd 
quills  nearly  equal  and  longest ;  tail  rather  short,  rounded ;  tarsus 
moderately  long,  not  feathered  ;  toes  long,  hind  toe  lengthened ; 
claws  moderately  curved. 

These  birds  have  rich  glossy  metallic  green  plumage,  and  a  very 
swift  llight ;  feed  on  the  ground,  but  betake  themselves  to  trees 
for  shelter. 

708.    Chalcophaps  indicus,  Linnjeus. 

Columba,  apud  LiNNiiiUS — C.  javanica,  Gmelin. — C.  super- 
ciHaris,  Wagleu — Jehdon,  Cat.  291 — Blytii,  Cat.  liiO-— Ram 
fjhughn,  and  Raj-gJmghu,  Beug. — And  I  hella  guwa,  Tel.  —Imperial 
DovG  of  Sportsmen. 

The  Bronze-avinged  Dove. 

Descr. — Male,  forehead  white,  continued  as  a  supercilium  over 
the  eye ;  crown  of  the  head  and  the  middle  of  the  neck  ash-grey ; 
back  and  wings  shining  dark  emerald  green,  slightly  glossed  with 
golden  ;  the  feathers  of  tlie  back  distinct  and  scale-like  ;  two  broad 


niAriNiE.  485 

dusky  bars  alternating  with  two  greyish  white  ones  on  the  lower 
back  and  rump,  the  feathers,  with  the  basal  and  middle  portion 
of  the  shaft,  very  broad  and  flattened ;  tail  dusky,  the  two  outer 
feathers  on  each  side  whitish-grey,  with  a  black  sub-terminal  band  ; 
primaries  dusky,  and  a  wliite  bar  at  the  shoulder  of  the  wing ; 
beneath,  the  whole  neck,  breast,  and  lower  parts,  vinaceous 
red-brown,  paler  on  the  lower  abdomen  ;  the  lower  tail-coverts 
ashy,  the  longest  being  blackish  ;  wing  beneath  dark  reddish  brown. 
Bill  bright  coral  red,  dusky  at  the  base ;  orbits  livid  fleshy  ; 
iridcs  dark  brown  ;  feet  dull  purple  red.  Length  lOi  inches  ; 
extent  17^ ;  wing  5^;  tail  of. 

Tlic  female  has  the  forehead  greyish  white,  and  the  superci- 
lium  narrower,  the  licad  rufescent,  the  lower  parts  browner,  and 
the  undo  I'  tail-coverts  more  or  less  ferruginous ;  she  also  wants 
the  white  shoulder-spot.  The  young  are  more  dusky  above,  with 
little  green,  and  barred  below,  recalling,  says  Blyth,  the  coloring 
of  Macropygia. 

This  beautiful  Ground-dove  is  found  throughout  India,  in  forest 
countries,  occasionally  in  well- wooded  districts,  as  in  Lower 
Bengal,  extending  to  Assam  and  all  the  countries  on  the  East  of 
the  Bay  of  Bengal,  as  far  as,  at  all  events,  Tenasserira.  It  is 
very  partial  to  bamboo  jungle,  and  occurs  from  the  level  of  the  sea  up 
to  3,000  feet,  or  perhaps  higher.  It  feeds  mostly  on  the  ground, 
often  on  roads  in  forests,  and  bare  spots  under  trees,  walking 
along  with  a  rapid  motion,  and  allowing  a  moderately  near  ap- 
proach. Its  flight  is  very  rapid.  It  is  generally  seen  alone.  Its 
voice  is  alow  plaintive  moan,  or  '  lowing  coo,'  as  Layard  calls  it.  Its 
eggs  are  said  by  Layard  to  be  pale  yellowish  drab  color,  but  Blyth 
says  that  they  are  merely  of  a  less  pure  white  than  those  of 
ordinary  Pigeons  or  Doves.  It  soon  becomes  reconciled  to  confine- 
ment, and  caged  birds  are  usually  for  sale  in  Calcutta. 

The  Javanese  species,  C.  javanicus,  Gmelin,  is  stated  to 
differ  slightly,  and  extends  over  the  greater  part  of  the  Malayan 
Archipelago  as  far  as  the  Philippines.  Blyth,  however,  considers 
it  doubtfully  distinct  from  the  Indian  bird.  Bonaparte  has 
C.  aitgusta,  from  the  Nicobars,  also  doubtfully  distinct.  Other 
species  are  C  chrt/sochlora,  and  C.  longirostris,  from  Australia;  and 


486  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

there   is   a  very  beautiful  species,  C.  stephani,  from  Celebes  and 
New  Guinea. 

The  typical  Fhapeoe  are  peculiar  to  Australia  and  Oceanica. 
Many  of  these  live  much  on  the  ground,  in  rocky,  barren,  and 
sandy  places,  where  they  live  like  Partridges,  often  seeking  safety, 
not  by  flight,  but  by  running  with  exceeding  rapidity  in  opposite 
directions,  and  then  crouching  down.  The  wings  of  some  are 
shorter  and  more  rounded  than  is  usual  among  Pigeons  ;  they 
make  a  loud  whirring  sound  with  them  when  flying,  and  their 
flight  is  said  to  be  like  that  of  a  Partridge.  Many  nidificate 
on  the  bare  ground,  or  on  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  but  none  lay  more 
than  two  eggs.  Many  of  them  are  very  beautifully  colored,  and 
some  are  highly  crested.  They  thus  make  a  distinct  approach  to 
the  true  Gallinaceous  birds. 

The  Geojyeliece,  already  alluded  to,  vary  somewhat  among 
themselves,  and  some  of  them,  I  think  (those  with  only  twelve 
tail-feathers),  might  be  referred  to  the  true  Turiurince ;  whilst 
Ocyphaps  and  others  should  be  placed  with  the  true  Phapece. 

Geopelia  extends  from  Australia  to  the  Malayan  Peninsula, 
one  species,  G.  striata,  L.,  being  found  in  Java  and  Malacca, 
and  it  is  often  brought  for  sale  to  Calcutta. 

The  Zenaidince,  Bonaparte,  are  entirely  an  American  group 
of  Ground-doves,  which  have  somewhat  short  wings,  strong, 
lengthened,  and  well  separated  toes,  and  also  show  some  analogies 
with  the  Gallinaceoo.  Many  of  them  run  well,  live  in  coveys,  and 
fly,  it  is  stated,  like  Partridges,  with  a  whistling  sound  of  their 
wings.  They  breed  either  on  the  ground,  or  on  Ioav  trees.  A 
few  are  crested  as  in  the  Phapince. 

The  sub-fam.  Cal^nin^,  placed  as  a  separate  family  by 
Bonaparte,  are  founded  on  Caloenas  nicobariciis,  the  Hackled 
Ground-pigeon,  a  very  beautiful  bird,  with  long  hackled  metallic 
green  plumage,  and  a  short  white  tail,  from  the  Andaman, 
Nicobars,  Mergui  Archipelago,  and  Malayana  generally.  It 
has  a  stout  gallinaceous  body,  strong  bill,  with  a  tubercle  at  the 
base,  and  stout  legs  and  feet  ;  but  is  said  to  breed  on  trees, 
though  it  feeds  habitually  on  the  ground  on  fallen  fruits  and 
berries. 


GOURINiE,  487 

The  sub-family  Gourin.e,  in  like  manner  made  a  distinct  family 
by  Bonaparte,  is  founded  on  the  Crowned-pigeons  of  New  Guinea 
and  adjacent  islands,  two  species  being-  known,  Gonra  coronata, 
and  G.  Victorice.  They  are  birds  of  very  large  size,  and  of  a  pale 
blue  colour,  with  a  beautiful  Peacock-like  crest.  They  have 
bred  together  in  the  Zoological  Gardens  in  London. 

Blyth's  Psammcenas  Burnesii,  founded  on  a  drawing  among 
Sir  A.  Burnes'  Collections,  I  consider  to  be  nothing  more  than  a 
badly-drawn  Dove,  T.  risorius,  or  allied  domesticated  race. 

The  family  Didunculid.e  is  represented  by  a  single  bird,  the 
remarkable  and  rare  Didunculus  strigirostris,  Jardine,  from  the 
Samoens  Archipelago,  and  figured  by  Gould  in  his  Birds  of  Aus- 
tralia. It  has  short  but  pointed  wings,  with  the  winglet  highly 
developed ;  very  large  feet,  and  long  curved  claws.  The  bill 
is  strong,  deep,  and  toothed  ;  the  lower  part  of  the  tibia  is 
naked.  Bonaparte,  who  separates  it  from  the  true  Pigeons, 
as  the  sole  member  of  the  tribe  Pleiodi,  states  that  it  has  consider- 
able affinity  with  several  of  the  Orti/rjincE,  or  American  Partridges. 
Its  chief  interest,  however,  is  in  its  somewhat  distant  but  intel- 
ligible approach  to  the  extinct  Dodo,  from  the  islands  of  Mauritius 
and  Rodrigues,  forming  the  family  DiDiDiE. 

This  remarkable  bird,  of  which  fragments  exist  in  some  of 
our  Museums,  was  called  Didus  inepius  by  Linnaeus.  It  was  a 
very  large  bird,  weighing  50  lbs.,  and  of  a  bulky  and  heavy  form. 
Its  strong,  large,  and  hooked  bill  caused  it  to  be  considered 
as  related  to  the  Vultures  by  some  Naturalists,  whilst  others,  from 
its  short  wings,  classed  it  with  the  Ostrich.  Strickland  in  a 
learned  and  able  essay,  however,  pointed  out  its  real  affinities  to 
be  with  the  Pigeons  ;^  and  this  has  been  assented  to  by  all 
systematists.  Several  good  pictures,  evidently  from  life,  are 
fortunately  still  extant.  The  cere  was  large,  the  face  naked,  the 
general  colour  blackish  gray,  the  wings  and  tail  lighter.  Some  other 
allied  forms  are  indicated  by  various  travellers,  one  especially 
called  "Ze  solitaire"  by  Leguat,  who  particularly  alluded  to  the 
double  crop  of  this  bird.  Notices  of  these  will  be  found  in 
Strickland  and  Melville's  Natural  History  of  the  Dodo,  and  Schle- 
gel's  Monograph  on  the  same  subject. 


BIRDS  OF   INDIA. 


Ord.   RASOEES. 


Syn.  Gallincs,  Linn. — Gallinacei,  YieiWot—Pulveratnces  of  some 
— Gallinaceous  birds — Game  birds. 

Bill  short,  vaulted,  more  or  less  bent  down  at  the  tip  ;  nostrils 
pierced  in  a  membrane  covering  the  base  of  the  bill,  and  pro- 
tected by  a  cartilaginous  scale  ;  wings  usually  short  and  rounded, 
but  ample ;  tail  very  variable,  both  in  length  and  form,  of  from 
twelve  to  eighteen  feathers;  legs  and  feet  strong,  feathered  to 
the  tarsus,  which  is  frequently  spurred  in  the  male  ;  three  toes 
before  and  one  behind,  the  posterior  one  typically  short,  and 
articulated  above  the  plane  of  the  anterior  toes,  wanting  in  a 
few ;  nails  strong,  blunt,  and  but  slightly  curved. 

The  Gallinaceous  birds,  of  which  the  domestic  fowl  may  be 
taken  as  the  type,  comprise  the  most  important  and  useful  mem- 
bers of  the  whole  class.  The  name  of  the  order  which  I  have 
adopted,  as  being  in  conformity  with  those  of  the  other  orders, 
and,  moreover,  in  general  use  by  English  Ornithologists,  is  taken 
from  their  habit  of  scraping  in  the  ground  to  procure  their  food. 
Unlike  the  last  order,  it  contains  a  considerable  variety  of  distinct 
types. 

Taking  them  generally,  they  may  be  said  to  be  birds  of 
moderate  or  rather  large  size,  heavy  form,  with  a  strong,  short, 
and  arched  bill ;  very  stout  legs  and  feet,  w^ith  the  hind  toe 
usually  small  and  raised,  and  the  shank  furnished,  in  many,  with 
a  spur.  In  two  of  the  families,  however,  the  hind  toe  is  on  the 
same  plane  as  the  anterior  ones,  and  in  one  family  often  absent 
entirely.  The  front  toes  are  usually  joined  at  their  base  by  a 
short  connecting  web.  In  all  cases,  they  seek  their  food  on  the 
ground ;  and  this  consists  of  grain,  seeds,  roots,  buds,  and  insects. 
Many  are  polygamous,  and  in  these,  the  male  bird  is  larger,  and 
adorned  with  much  richer  plumage  than  the  female ;  and  many  are 
furnished  with  crests  of  various  forms.  The  hen  is  usually  more 
prolific  than  in  any  previous  tribe.  They  are  often  social,  in 
some  groups  even  gregarious ;  they  do  not  wash,  but  roll 
themselves  in  the  dust,  and  almost  all  nestle  on  the  ground.    The 


EASOIIKS.  489 

young  of  all  arc  born  covered  with  down,  and  run  as  soon  as 
hatched.  They  are  more  or  less  capable  of  domestication,  and 
all  afford  an  excellent  and  wholesome  food  for  man. 

The  head  is  smaller  than  in  the  birds  of  the  preceding  orders, 
and  the  neck  longer  ;  the  wings  are  generally  rounded  and  feeble, 
the  sternum  from  its  large  notches  affording  but  little  space  for 
tlie  attachment  of  the  pectoral  muscles  which,  however,  are  well 
developed,  giving  the  bird  a  plump  appearance ;  and  the  flight, 
though  not  capable  of  being  continued,  is  yet  tolerably  rapid  and 
powerful,  though  labored,  for  a  short  distance.  The  bill  in  most  is 
thick,  short,  and  convex,  slender  in  two  of  the  families.  The  tail 
is  short  and  even  in  some,  rounded  in  others,  forked  in  several, 
and  leng-thened  and  graduated  in  a  few. 

The  skull  of  most  Hasores  is  narrow,  but  slightly  raised,  and 
without  ridges,  and  the  bony  orbit  is  incomplete.  The  cervical 
vertebrae  are  of  greater  number  than  in  any  of  the  preceding 
orders,  varying  from  13  to  15.  The  sternum  has  a  double  bifur- 
cation on  each  side,  and  the  fissures  are  so  wide  and  deep  as  to 
give  to  the  lateral  parts  of  the  bone  the  appearance  of  a  bifur- 
cated process.  The  median  fissure  is  the  deepest ;  the  keel  is  short, 
shallow,  and  nearly  straight ;  the  furcula  is  anchylosed,  and,  as  in 
most  of  the  previous  groups,  is  joined  to  the  sternum  below  by 
ligaments.  The  tarsal  spur,  present  in  many  Gallinaceous  birds, 
and  represented  by  a  knob  in  others,  is  considered  to  be  the 
representative  of  the  thumb,  and  is  present  in  no  other  order  but 
in  this. 

The  dilatation  of  the  oesophagus,  called  the  crop,  is  large  but 
single  ;  the  gastric  glands  are  complex,  and  form  a  complete  circle  ; 
the  gizzard  is  extremely  strong,  the  internal  coat  being  thick  and 
hard  ;  and  as  the  birds  of  this  order  swallow  small  stones,  gravel, 
&c.,  to  assist  in  the  trituration  of  the  food,  two  callous  buttons 
are  formed  in  the  gizzard  by  the  constant  pressure  and  friction. 
The  coeca  are,  in  general,  highly  developed  in  Gallinaceous  birds ; 
small  comparatively  in  the  more  aberrant  families,  enormous  in 
some,  especially  in  the  Grouse  tribe.  The  gall  bladder  is 
believed   to  be  always  present.     The  trachea  is  of  pretty    uniform 

PART   II.  o   Q 


490  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

diameter  in  most,  and  the  muscles  are  exceedingly  simple,  so 
that  the  Rasores  cannot  modulate  their  voice.  In  most  of  the 
groups,  the  accessory  plume  to  the  clothing  feathers  is  present, 
and  is  large  indeed  in  many. 

This  order  is  remarkable  for  comprising  so  many  species  capable 
of  domestication,  and  the  common  fowl,  which  undoubtedly  takes 
its  origin  from  the  Red  Jungle-fowl,  has  been  domesticated  from 
the  earliest  period. 

Gallinaceous  birds  evince  many  interesting  analogies  with 
Ruminating  animals  among  Mammals.  The  crop  may  be  said  to 
represent  the  paunch,  both  being  simply  dilatations  of  the  oesopha- 
gus to  receive  the  food,  and  thoroughly  moisten  it ;  and  the  coeca 
of'  both  are  large.  They  have  both  a  low  degree  of  intelligence, 
are  easily  domesticated,  and  are  more  prone  to  variation  than 
most  other  tribes.  The  head,  too,  Is  in  many  of  both  orders, 
adorned  with  appendages,  horns,  and  crests  ;  and  they  afford  more 
wholesome  food  to  man  than  any  other  orders. 

The  liasores  are  found  over  the  greater  part  of  the  world ;  but 
the  finest  and  the  most  typical  groups,  containing,  too,  the  greatest 
variety  of  form,  are  from  Asia.  Africa  possesses  one  group 
peculiar  to  that  region,  and  several  others  nearly  related  to  Asiatic 
forms.  In  America  there  are  but  few  of  the  more  typical  groups, 
but  two  of  the  most  aberrant  divisions  occur  there  only.  In 
Australia  they  are  sparingly  represented  by  one  very  aberrant 
group,  and  by  a  very  few  members  of  the  typical  division.  Europe 
and  the  more  Northern  portions  of  both  Continents  contain  one 
fine  group. 

The  nearest  approach  among  Insessorial  birds  to  the  liasores 
occurs  perhaps  in  some  of  the  American  Cuckoos ;  and  that 
remarkable  bird,  the  Hoazin,  Opisthocomus  cristatus,  was 
placed  by  some  naturalists  among  those  birds,  but  is  better 
associated  with  Penelope,  a  genus  of  the  aberrant  Cracidee. 
If  that  truly  wonderful  bird,  the  Lyre-bird  of  Australia,  be 
really  an  Insessorial  type,  however,  it  must  be  considered  to 
be  a  still  closer  link  to  the  aberrant  Megapodidce.  See  further 
on  page  494.     On  the  other  side,  the  Rasores  may  be  said  to  join 


EASORES.  '  491 

the  Grallatores  through  the  Bustards  ;   and  the  Megapodidce  also 
appear  to  have  some  affinities  for  the  Rails.* 

1  shall  divide  the  Hasores  into  the  following  families  : — 

A.  Hind  toe  on  the  same  plane  as  the  anterior  ones. 

1.  Cracidce,  Curassows  and  Guans,  peculiar  to  America. 

2.  MegapodidcB,     Mound-birds,     peculiar    to     Australia     and 
Malayana. 

B.  Hind    toe    raised    above    the    level    of    the    others,    or 
wanting. 

3.  Pteroclid(B,  Sand-grouse,  chiefly  from   Africa  and  Asia,  not 
extending  into  Malayana. 

4.  PhasianidcB,  chiefly  from  Central  and  Southern  Asia. 

5.  Tetraonidee,  Grouse  and  Partridges,  found  over  all  the  world, 
but  rare  in  Australia  and  South  America. 

6.  Tinamidce,  mostly   American,  but  sparingly  represented  in 
the  tropical  regions  of  the  Old  World,  and  Australia. 

Blyth  does  not  admit  the  separation  of  the  Phasianida  and 
Tetraonidee,  and  certainly  these  are  more  nearly  related  to  each 
other  than  either  of  them  are  to  any  of  the  other  families ;  but 
this  appears  to  be  always  the  case  with  the  more  typical  groups 
of  any  order ;  and,  moreover,  the  Geographical  distribution  of 
each  family  differs  considerably  ;  for,  whilst  the  PhasianidcB  are, 
with  one  limited  exception  in  America,  and  that  a  doubtful 
member,  confined  to  Asia,  and  more  especially  to  India  and 
Central  Asia,  the  TetraonidcB  are  found  over  all  the  world,  rare, 
indeed,  but  not  unrepresented  in  Australia  and  South  America. 
The  fact  of  certain  species  of  the  two  families  occasionally 
breeding  together,  as  the  Pheasant  and  Black-grouse  (insisted 
on  by  some  as  a  proof  of  the  close  alliance  of  these  two  genera), 
I  consider  to  be  not  more  anomalous  in  this  order  than  it  could 
be  of  two  allied  orenera  of  another  order  interbreedinsr ;  and  I 
would  regard  it  simply  as  an  occasional  peculiarity  in  the  birds 


*  The  subject  of  the  external  relations  and  affinities  of  various  groups  of 
animals,  though  long  insisted  on  by  some  naturalists,  was,  till  recently,  scouted  by 
many  ;  but  the  researches  and  views  of  Darwin  as  to  the  successive  development  of 
all  created  beings,  has  given  a  fresh  impetus  to  this  interesting  subject  of  enquiry. 


492  BIRDS    OF   INDIA'. 

of  this  group  ;  for  those  who  rely  on  it  as  a  proof  of  the  close 
affinity  between  such  birds,  wouki  surely  not  assert  that  the  affinity 
between  the  Grouse  and  the  Pheasant  was  greater  than  that 
between  certain  species  of  Partridges  for  example,  which,  though 
living  in  the  same  localities,  have  not  been  known  to  breed 
together. 

The  family  CRACiDiE,  comprising  the  Curassows  and  Guans,  are 
exclusively  American.  They  are  birds  of  large  or  moderate  size, 
with  the  tarsus  moderately  long,  stout,  and  destitute  of  spurs ;  tlie 
toes  elongated  and  slender,  and  the  hind  toe  lonjj,  and  on  a  level 
with  the  others.  The  tail  is  moderately  long,  broad,  of  fourteen 
stiff  feathers,  rounded  in  some,  graduated  in  others.  The  head 
of  a  few  is  adorned  with  a  crest  of  recurved  feathers ;  the 
membrane  at  the  base  of  the  bill  is  highly  colored  in  some  ;  there 
is  a  solid  knob  at  the  base  of  the-**  bill  in  others ;  and,  in  one 
division,  the  skin  of  the  throat  is  naked  and  dilatable.  The 
sternum  has  the  crest  very  deep,  and  the  inner  notch  reduced  to 
about  one-third  of  the  outer.  Several  have  a  remarkable  con- 
formation of  the  trachea,  which  descends  along  the  skin  behind 
the  sternum,  and  then,  making  a  curve,  re-enters  the  thorax.  The 
supplementary  plume  is  reduced  to  a  mere  downy  tuft. 

These  birds  dwell  in  forests,  and  live  on  fruit,  seeds,  and  insects, 
mostly  feeding  on  the  ground.  Some  live  in  pairs,  others  in 
societies.  They  chiefly  nestle  upon  trees,  laying  few  eggs,  in 
■  some  cases  only  two;  and  the  young  perch  as  soon  as  excluded 
from  the  egg.  They  are  easily  tamed  and  reared,  but  have  not 
been  domesticated.  Their  flesh  is  said  to  be  Avhite,  tender,  and 
excellent.  By  their  habits  and  structure,  the  Cracidce  appear  to 
be  the  link  that  joins  the  Pigeons  to  the  Rasores,  approximating 
the  former  in  the  structure  of  the  feet  and  sternum,  as  well 
as  in  their  habit  of  nestling  on  trees,  and  laying  but  few  eggs. 

Gray  divides  them  into  CracincB  and  Penelopims.  The  former, 
the  Curassows  and  Pauxis,  are  chiefly  black,  or  black  and  white  ; 
the  Guans  are  of  various  shades  of  brown.  Near  these  birds, 
according  to  some,  should  be  placed  the  Cariama,  Microdactylus 
cristatus,  of  Geoffroy  {Dicholophus  of  Illiger),  located  by  Cuvier 
at  the  end  of  the  Plovers.      It  is  a  lars:e  bird,  as   big  as   a  Heron, 


MEGAPODID.(E.  493 

with  long  legs,  a  short  hind  toe  raised  above  tlie  ground,  a 
moderately  long,  cnrved  beak,  Avith  a  wide  gape ;  is  of  a  brownish 
colour,  and  crested.  In  its  anatomy  it  is  stated  to  resemble 
Gallinaceous  birds,  differing  in  having  the  sternal  emarginations 
less  deep,  and  in  a  few  other  points.  "  It  is,"  says  Blyth,  "  essen- 
tially a  Poultry-bird,  with  long  legs." 

The  family  Megapodid.e,  or  Mound-birds,  belong  to  Australia 
and  the  Papuan  province  of  the  JMalayan  Archipelago,  extendino- 
among  the  islands  as  far  as  the  Nicobars.  Tliey  have  all  very 
large  and  strong  feet,  with  large  claws,  and  the  hind  toe  placed  on 
the  same  plane  as  the  others.  The  tail  is  not  always  developed, 
but,  when  present,  consists  of  eighteen  feathers.  Some  have 
wattles,  but  most  are  devoid  of  those  Gallinaceous  appendao-es. 
The  sternum  resembles  in  form,  that  of  the  Cracida,  and  tlie 
accessory  phirae  to  the  body  feathers  is  tolerably  developed. 

The  birds  of  this  family  lay  eggs  of  most  enormous  size,  and  of 
a  somewhat  elongated  shape,  with  a  thin  shell ;  and  they  have  the 
peculiar  habit  of  either  hatching  their  eggs  by  the  heat  of  the  sun, 
or  by  depositing  them  in  huge  masses  of  decaying  leaves  and 
other  vegetable  matter.  Several  pairs  of  birds  appear  to  assist 
and  lay  their  eggs  in  the  same  mound,  and  the  male  bird  works 
equally  with  the  female.  The  eggs  are  deposited  at  a  regular 
depth,  and  at  some  distance  from  each  other  ;  and  the  young, 
when  hatched,  run  at  once.  The  eggs  ai*e  said  to  be  delicious 
eating. 

Gray  divides  them  into  Megapodince,  and  Talef/alUna.  The 
genus  Megapodius  contains  a  large  number  of  species  from 
various  islands,  chiefly  from  the  more  Eastern  portions  of  the 
Archipelago.  They  are  birds  of  plain  dull  greenish  brown  plu- 
mage, somewhat  smaller  than  a  fowd,  and  yet  the  eggs  of  Megapo- 
dius nicobariensis  ara  as  large,  Mr.  Blyth  tells  us,  as  those  of  a 
Peafowl.  The  Leipoa  ocellata  is  the  most  beautiful  bird  of  the 
group,  and  is  called  the  Native  Pheasant  by  Australian  colonists. 
Gray  places  in  this  division  a  very  remarkable  bird,  Mesites  varia- 
gata  of  Is.  Geoffroy,  placed  by  others  among  the  Rails. 

Talegalla  Lathami,  tlie  type  of  the  other  sub-family,  is  as  large 
as  a  Turkey,    and   is    called   tlie    Brush-turkey    in   Australia,  from 


494  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

the  naked  head  and  neck  which  are  only  clad  with  a  few  hair-like 
feathers ;  and  it  is,  moreover,  furnished  with  a  large  yellow  wattle. 
It  has  bred  in  the  Zoological  Gardens  of  London.  A  second 
species,  T.  Cuvierii,  occurs  in  New  Guinea  ;  and  Megocephalon 
maleo,  Temminck,  is  another  bird  of  the  same  division  found  in 
Celebes. 

The  celebrated  Lyre-bird  of  Australia,  Menura  superba,  has  so 
much  the  aspect  of  a  Megapodine  bird,  that  I  cannot  help  consider- 
ing it  as  not  far  removed  from  this  family.  Its  extraordinary 
and  unique  tail  consists  of  sixteen  feathers,  a  number  unknown 
among  the  Insessores,  not  one  of  which  has  more  than  twelve  ; 
its  great  size  compared  with  that  of  the  minute  birds  among 
which  it  is  usually  placed  by  systematists,  viz.,  the  Wrens 
and  Warblers ;  its  strong  Gallinaceous  legs  and  feet ;  its  habit 
of  running  with  facility,  which  it  always  employs  in  prefer- 
ence to  flight  ; — all  these  combine  to  remove  this  bird  from  the 
Insessores ;  and  its  geographic  relations  with  the  Megapodii  must 
also  be  taken  into  account.  It  is  said,  however,  to  build  a  neat 
nest  on  a  ledge  of  rock,  to  have  the  power  of  modulating  its 
voice,  and  that  the  young  are  helpless  at  birth.  If  these  habits 
are  fully  confirmed,  I  would  still  prefer  placing  it  as  a  separate 
group  next  the  Mef/apodidce,  with  which  it  undoubtedly  possesses 
considerable  affinities ;  and,  in  the  Darwinian  theory  of  transmuta- 
tion of  species,  it  must  have  sprung  directly  from  an  ambitious 
Megapode  which  had  desired  to  raise  itself  in  the  scale  of 
Birds. 

Fam.     Pteroclid^,  Sand-grouse  or  Rock-grouse. 

Syn.     Syrrhaptidce,  Blyth. 

Bill  somewhat  slender  and  compressed  ;  wings  lengthened  and 
pointed  ;  tarsus  short,  more  or  less  plumed  ;  feet  short ;  hind  toe 
rudimentary,  or  wanting ;  tail  of  sixteen  feathers. 

This  is  a  very  distinct  natural  family,  both  in  structure  and 
habits,  although  placed  by  Gray  and  others  as  a  sub-family  of 
the  TetraonidcB,  with  which  the  species  only  agree  in  having  a 
feathered  tarsus.  The  bill  is  slender  and  nearly  straight  in  some, 
thicker  and   more  curved  in  others;   the  orbits  are  more  or  less 


PTEROCLID^.  495 

nude  ;  the  wings  long  and  pointed,  with  the  first  primary  longest, 
or  the  first  and  second  nearly  equal.  The  tail  varies,  beinf 
short  and  slightly  rounded  in  some,  longer  and  graduated  in 
others,  with  the  medial  feathers  greatly  lengthened  in  several, 
and  much  attenuated  at  the  tips.  The  tarsus  is  short,  rather 
slender  in  most,  always  feathered  in  front;  the  toes  are  short, 
either  joined  at  the  base  by  a  small  web,  or  soldered  too;ether. 
The  feathers  of  the  lower  back  and  rump  are  not  lengthened, 
and  the  clothing  feathers  are  devoid,  or  nearly  so,  of  the  sup- 
plementary tuft. 

The  keel  of  the  sternum  is  enormously  developed,  and  the  inner 
emargination  wanting,  or  represented  by  a  small  oval  foramen, 
as  in  Pigeons  ;  the  sternum  itself  is  very  narrow,  and  contracted 
in  front :  the  furcula  is  short  and  wide,  and  does  not  possess  the 
medial  appendage.  In  their  internal  anatomy,  they  closely  re- 
semble other  Gallinaceous  birds. 

The  Sand-grouse  or  Rock-grouse,  commonly  called  Rock- 
pigeons  in  India,  are  birds  of  remarkably  rapid  and  powerful 
flight.  They  feed  almost  entirely  on  hard  seeds,  breed  on  the 
ground,  laying  usually  three  or  four  dull  greenish  spotted  eggs  ; 
and  the  young  run  as  soon  as  hatched.  They  are  peculiar  to  the 
warmer  regions  of  the  Old  World,  being  particularly  abundant  in 
Africa,  and  in  the  desert  regions  of  Asia.  Some  assemble  in 
vast  flocks,  and  fly  to  great  distances  ;  others  take  more  moderate 
flights.  The  plumage  of  all  is  pale  isabelline  yellow,  of  various 
shades,  and  more  or  less  variegated  with  deep  brown.  Two 
genera  only  are  known,  one  common  to  Africa  and  Asia, 
and  the  other  peculiar  to  the  highlands  of  Central  Asia. 

Gen.  Pterocles,  Temminck. 

Char. — Bill  small,  slightly  arched,  the  sides  compressed  ;  nostrils 
basal,  almost  concealed  by  the  frontal  plumes  ;  wings  long  and 
pointed,  the  first  and  second  quills  longest ;  tail  moderate,  wedge- 
shaped  or  rounded,  the  central  feathers  often  lengthened ;  tarsi 
feathered  in  front,  reticulated  posteriorly ;  the  anterior  toes  bare, 
united  at  their  base  by  membrane ;  hind  toe  minute,  raised  ;  the 
claws  short,  stout,  very  slightly  curved. 


496  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

In  this  genus  the  sexes  difFev  in  plumage,  the  males  being  more 
uniformly  colored,  and  the  females  more  or  less  spotted  or  barred. 
They  are  found  both  in  Asia  and  Africa,  one  or  two  species  being 
occasionally  killed  in  the  South  of  Europe.  These  are  the  birds 
termed  Rock-pigeons  by  sportsmen  in  India.  Blyth*  retains  for 
them  the  popular  name  of  '  Ganga,'  given  them  originally  by  Buifon, 
but  it  is  by  no  means  generally  known,  and  I  prefer  calling  them 
Eock  or  Sand-grouse,  albeit  not  very  closely  related  to  the  true 
Grouse. 

They  sub-divide  into  two  groups,  the  one  with  the  tail-feathers 
regularly  graduated,  restricted  Pterocles,  apud  Bonaparte;  the  other 
with  the  medial  rectrices  lengthened  and  attenuated,  Fteroclurus, 
Bonaparte. 

1.  With  the  tail-feathers  regularly  graduated,  not  elongated. 

799.    Pterocles  arenarius,  Pallas. 

Tetrao,  apud  Pallas — Temminck,  PI.  col.  354  and  360 — 
Blyth,  Cat.  1489 — Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  257— Perdix 
arragonica,  Latham. —  Buklit-titar,  Bur-titar,  Balht-tit,  Buklit, 
Bukht,  //.,  in  various  parts  of  the  country ;  also  Bcm-chur — Kurnior 
at  Peshawur  (from  its  cry. ) 

The  Large  Sand-giiouse. 

Descr. — Male,  crown  and  middle  of  the  nape  brownish-grey 
with  a  pinkish  tinge  ;  rest  of  the  upper  parts  mingled  ashy  and 
fulvous,  each  feather  being  bluish  ashy  in  the  middle,  edged  with 
fulvous,  giving  a  mottled  appearance  ;  greater  wing-coverts  plain 
ochreous  or  orange  buff,  and  the  median  coverts  also  broadly  edged 
with  the  same  ;  quills  and  primary  coverts  dark  slaty,  with  black 
shafts :  tail,  as  the  back,  fulvous,  with  black  and  ashy  bands ; 
all  the  lateral  tail-feathers  tipped  with  white ;  beneath,  the 
chin  is  deep  chesnut,  passing  as  a  band,  under  the  ear-coverts 
to  the  nape ;  and  below  this,  on  the  middle  of  the  throat,  is  a  small 
triangular  patch  of  black  ;  the  breast  and  sides  of  the  neck  dull 
ashy,  tinged  with  fulvous,  with  a  narrow  band  of  black  on  the 
breast;  abdomen  and  vent  deep  black,  under  tail-coverts  black, 
with  white  margins  to  the  feathers ;  tarsal  plumes  pale  yellowish. 


*  Bengal  Sporting  Review. 


pteroclid^t:.  497 

Bill  bluish  ;  feet  dull  yellow  ;  irides  dark  brown.  Length  12 1 
to  13|  inches  ;  wing  9| ;  tail  4  ;  tarsus  1|-.  The  wings  reach 
nearly  to  the  end  of  the  tail,  which  has  the  two  central  feathers 
very   slightly  lengthened  and  pointed.     Weight  17  to  18^  ounces. 

The  female  differs  in  having  the  whole  head  and  upper  parts, 
with  the  breast,  fulvous,  banded  with  brown ;  the  pectoral  band  is 
narrower  ;  and  between  that  and  the  black  of  the  abdomen  is 
unspotted  ;  the  chin  is  fulvous,  Avith  a  narrow  black  edging  and  a 
few  black  specks ;  the  under  tail-coverts  pale  fulvous.  She  is 
said  to  be  a  little  smaller,  but  one  writer  in  the  Bengal  Sjyorting 
Magazine  states  that  she  is  heavier  than  the  male. 

This  fine  Sand-grouse  is  found,  within  our  limits,  only  in  the 
N.  W.  Provinces  and  Sindh,  rarely  extending  so  low  as  Allaha- 
bad, tolerably  abundant  in  the  Punjab,  and  said  to  be  very 
numerous  towards  the  edges  of  the  great  desert.  It  is  recorded 
in  the  Bengal  Sporting  Magazine  as  common  in  the  Doab  between 
the  Ganges  and  Jumna,  near  Futteyghur,  in  Rohilcund,  but  more 
common  west  of  the  Jumna,  near  Ferozepore,  in  Hurriana,  and  in 
various  parts  of  the  Punjab.  I  have  heard  of  its  having  been 
killed  near  Nusseerabad,  and  also  in  Khandeish.  It  is  only  a 
winter  visitant  to  India,  arriving  towards  the  end  of  vSeptember, 
and  leaving  in  March.  It  frequents  extensive  open  sandy  plains, 
flies  in  vast  flocks,  being  said  to  be  more  abundant  than  P.  exnstus 
in  those  parts  where  it  does  occur.  Like  the  others  of  this  tribe,  it 
goes  regularly  to  certain  spots  on  the  banks  of  rivers  or  tanks  to 
drink,  which  it  does  twice  a  day,  and  it  is  fond  of  basking  in  the 
sun  and  rolling  on  the  sand.  One  writer  records  that  he  saw  them 
about  sunrise  leave  their  roosting  places  among  sand  hills,  and 
collect  in  thousands  on  a  hard  bare  plain,  close  to  where  they  usually 
drank,  but  that  they  were  neither  feeding  nor  drinking  at  that 
early  hour,  and  came  there,  he  suggests,  for  the  sake  of  basking  in 
the  early  sun's  rays.  It  feeds  on  grassy  plains,  and  also  on  stubble 
fields,  and  does  so  especially  immediately  after  drinking. 

The  flight  of  this  Sand-grouse  is  said  to  be  amazingly  strong  and 
rapid,  and,  when  roused,  it  flies  to  great  distances.  It  is  generally 
said  to  be  a  shy  and  wary  bird,  and  difficult  to  approach  closely, 
from  the   open   nature    of   the    country  it   affects.     It   is  highly 

PART    II.  3   R 


498  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

esteemed  as  a  game-bird,  and  much  sought  after  by  many  sports- 
men, as  well  for  the  difficulty  of  close  access,  as  for  its  qualities  on 
the  table.  It  is  stated  that  from  the  closeness  and  firmness  of  its 
plumage,  it  takes  a  good  gun  and  heavy  shot  to  bring  it  down. 
A  writer  records  the  great  preponderance  of  one  sex  in  every 
flock,  sometimes  killing  seven  or  eight  females  and  not  one  male, 
and  vice  versa.  The  flesh  is  mixed  brown  and  white  on  the  breast, 
and  though  somewhat  tough  when  fresh,  and  perhaps  requiring  to 
be  skinned,  it  is  reckoned  delicious  eating  ;  indeed,  one  writer  says 
that  it  is  the  finest  game  bird  for  the  table  in  India.  Shooting 
them  from  a  hole  dug  in  the  ground  near  their  drinking  spots  is 
said  to  be  a  very  deadly  way  of  making  a  good  bag,  and  this  I 
can  readily  believe.  It  is  caught  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Peshawur  and  other  places  in  horse-hair  nooses. 

This  Sand-2;rouse  is  common  in  Afoffianistan,  where  it  is  called 
Tuturuh  and  Eoora-Tiurra,  or  black  breast,  and  in  various  other  parts 
of  Central  and  Western  Asia,  particularly  in  Arabia,  where  it  is  seen 
in  flocks  of  millions,  according  to  Col.  Chesney  ;  also  in  Northern 
Africa,  and  the  South  of  Europe,  especially  in  Spain,  where  it  is 
said  to  be  tolerably  abundant  in  winter,  and  to  be  often  brought  to 
the  market  at  Madrid.  It  breeds  in  Central  Asia,  and  also  in  Africa 
according  to  Tristram,  and  even  in  Spain.  This  last  writer  states 
the  rather  strange  facts  that  it  chiefly  feeds  towards  sunset,  and 
that  it  is  almost  domesticated  in  the  Court-yards  of  the  Arabs. 
He  also  says  that  the  flesh  is  white  and  dry.  Can  he  be  writing 
of  the  same  bird  ? 

800.    Pterocles  fasciatus,  Scopoli. 

Tringa,  apud  Scopoli— Blyth,  Cat.  1490 — Gould,  Birds 
of  Asia,  pt.  II.  pi.  14— Jerdon,  111.  Ind.  Orn.  pi.  10  and  36— P. 
quadricinctus,  apud  Jeedon,  Cat.  271 — Handeri.  II.  in  the  South 
• — Boot-hur,  H.  in  the  N.  W. — Sunda  polnnka,  Tel. 

The  Painted  Sand-grouse. 
Descr. — Male,    general    ground    colour   bright   fulvous  yellow, 
the  sides  of  the  head,  neck  and  breast,  and  shoulder  of  the  wings 
plain  and  unspotted  ;  the  back,  scapuLars,  tertiaries,  and  tail,  banded 


PTEROCLID^.  499 

with  deep  brown  ;  a  narrow  white  band  on  the  forehead,  then  a 
broadish  black  band,  succeeded  by  another  narrow  white  one,  and 
then  a  narrow  black  band,  widening  behind  the  eye,  and  ending 
in  a  white  spot ;  the  occiput  and  nape  Avith  black  streaks  ;  quills 
brown-black,  with  narrow  pale  edgings ;  the  median  and  greater 
coverts  of  the  wings  and  some  of  the  secondaries  broadly  banded 
with  inky  black,  edged  with  white ;  a  triple  band  separates  the 
ftdvous  of  the  breast  from  the  abdomen,  the  first  maronne,  the 
second  creamy  white,  and  the  third  unspotted  chocolate  brown, 
which  is  the  ground  colour  of  the  abdominal  region,  vent,  and 
under  tail-coverts,  each  feather  being  tipped  with  white. 

Bill  red ;  orbitar  skin  lemon  yellow ;  irides  dark  brown ;  feet 
dull  yellow ;  claws  reddish.  Length  10  inches;  extent  21;  wing 
7 ;  tail  3  j ;  tarsus  1|- ;  weight  7  to  8  oz. 

The  female  differs  in  Avanting  the  black  and  white  bands  on 
the  head,  the  pectoral  bands,  and  the  inky-black  and  white  bars  on 
the  wings,  the  whole  upper  surface,  the  sides  of  the  neck,  breast, 
wings,  and  tail,  being  fulvous  mixed  with  rufous,  and  finely  barred 
with  black  ;  the  chin,  throat,  ear-coverts,  and  some  of  the  greater 
wing-coverts  are  unspotted  fulvous ;  the  lower  part  of  the  breast, 
and  the  whole  abdominal  region  very  finely  barred  with  chocolate 
black  and  creamy  white. 

This  very  beautiful  Sand-grouse  has  been  generally  confounded 
with  an  African  bird,  P.  quadrinctus  of  Temminck,  from  which 
it  differs  in  several  particulars,  the  chief  distinction  being,  accord- 
ing to  Strickland,  in  the  African  bird  having  the  feathers  of  the 
back,  scapulars,  tertiaries,  and  greater  coverts,  deep  glossy  black. 

It  is  found  over  the  greater  part  of  India,  except  in  Malabar 
and  Lower  Bengal,  but  it  is  by  no  means  abundant  any  where,  and 
is  apparently  not  found  out  of  India.  In  some  districts  it  is  stated 
to  occur  in  the  rains  only.  I  have  seen  it  in  the  Carnatic,  the 
Deccan,  and  Central  India,  and  it  is  not  unknown  in  the  N.  W. 
Provinces,  and  Adams  records  it  as  pretty  common  in  the  low 
jungles  around  the  base  of  the  ScAvalik  range,  Punjab.  It  affects 
chiefly  bushy  and  rocky  hills,  and,  unlike  any  others  of  its  genus, 
is  often  found  in  tolerably  thick  cover.  It  is  found  generally  in 
pairs,  occasionally  towards  the  end  of  the  rains  in  parties  of  eight  to 


500  BIRDS    or    INDIA. 

ten ;  when  flushed,  rises  with  a  low  chuckhng  call,  takes  a  short 
flight  at  no  great  elevation,  and  drops  into  cover  again.  I  have 
very  rarely  seen  it  among  rocks,  where  there  was  little  or  no 
jungle.  I  have  had  the  eggs  hrought  me,  very  cylindrical  in 
form,  of  a  dull  earthy  green  with  a  few  dusky  spots.  On  several 
occasions  I  have  observed  in  this  species  crepuscular,  if  not  noc- 
turnal habits.  On  one  of  these  several  flew  round  a  field  on 
which  I  was  encamped,  near  the  Nerbudda,  late  one  evening 
when  nearly  dark,  alighting  every  now  and  then,  and  again  re- 
suming their  flight,  which,  being  particularly  noiseless,  led  me 
to  take  it  for  some  kind  of  Caprimulgus  at  first ;  and  more  than 
once  I  again  noticed  similar  habits. 

P.  hichtensteini  is  not  unlike  P.  fasciatus,  but  differs  in  being 
larger,  with  the  nape,  front  and  sides  of  neck,  and  the  fore  part 
of  the  wing,  prettily  variegated.  It  fe  common  in  Arabia,  and 
may  occur  as  a  straggler  in  Sindh,   or  in  the  Western  Punjab. 

With  the  medial  tail-feathers  greatly  lengthened  {Pteroclurus, 

Bonap.) 

801.    Pterocles  alchata,  Linn^us. 

Tetrao,  apud  Linn^us — Blyth,  Gat.  1491 — Tet.  chata,  Pallas 
— Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pL  258 — '  Solitary  Rock-pigeon'  of 
some  sportsmen. 

-  The  large  Pin-tailed  Sand-grouse. 

Descr. — Forehead  and  supercilia  rusty  fulvous,  with  a  black 
stripe  behind  the  eye  ;  top  of  the  head  and  nape  fulvous  with 
black  bands  ;  the  general  hue  above,  including  the  scapulars  and 
shoulders  of  the  wings,  is  fulvous  olive  or  greyish  olive,  shaded 
with  fuscous;  the  scapulars  with  a  few  black  spots  ;  rump  and 
upper  tail-covcrts  bright  pale  fulvous  with  narrow  black  bars  ; 
lesser  and  median  wing-coverts  maronne,  white  tipped  ;  secondary 
coverts  fulvous  Avith  black  lunules  ;  greater  coverts  and  primaries 
slaty  blue  on  their  outer  webs,  brow^n  internally  ;  tail  banded  yellow 
and  black  ;  the  median  pair  blackish  on  their  attenuated  portion  ; 
the  outer  feathers  greyish,  white  ti[)ped  and  edged  ;  beneath,  the 
chin  and  throat  are  black,  edged  with  rusty;  lores  and  face  rufous 


PTEROCLID^].  501 

yellow,  with  a  blackish  space  round  the  eyes ;  breast  pale  fulvous, 
with  a  double  black  band,  each  of  them  narrow ;  abdomen,  vent, 
and  lower  tail-coverts  white,  the  latter  slightly  black  barred  ; 
tarsal  plumes  whitish. 

Bill  very  stout,  horny  brown  ;  irides  brown  ;  feet  plumbeous. 
Length  about  15-g  inches;  wing  8;  tail  G^  ;  tarsus  1^. 

The  female  differs  in  having  the  upper  plumage  barred  with 
black  and  fulvous,  with  some  dusky  ashy  spots  on  the  back  and 
scapulars;  the  lesser  and  median  wing -coverts  ashy,  with  oblique 
rufous  and  black  lunules ;  the  throat  white ;  a  broad  blackish 
demi-collar  on  the  neck,  followed  by  an  ashy  band  tinged  with 
rufous.  The  median  tail-feathers  are  stated  to  be  nearly  as  long 
as  in  the  male  bird. 

This  species  of  Sand-grouse  is  a  well  known  inhabitant  of 
Northern  Africa,  Western  Asia,  and  the  South  of  Europe,  especially 
in  Spain,  Sicily,  the  Levant,  &c. ;  and  it  extends  through  Central 
Asia  into  the  Punjab  and  Sindh.  It  is,  however,  a  rare  bird  com- 
paratively in  India,  only  a  few  finding  their  way  across  the  Sutlej. 
It  is  recorded  to  have  been  killed  at  Hansi.  I  presume  that  like 
P.  arenarius  it  is  migratory  to  this  country,  and  only  fovmd  in  the 
cold  season.  It  is  a  very  beautiful  bird,  and  the  bill  is  much 
thicker  and  stronger  than  that  of  any  other  of  the  genus. 

It  has  a  peculiar  call,  something  like  kaa-kia,  said  to  be  not  unlike 
the  call  of  the  Jackdaw  ;  it  flies  in  flocks  of  from  ten  to  seventy 
or  more,  and  is  said  to  be  very  shy  and  wary,  and  more  difficult  to 
approach  than  the  large  Sand-grouse.  Its  specific  appellation  is 
taken  from  its  Arabic  name  El-chata  or  El-katta,  which  however 
is  also  applied  to  P.  arenarius.  I  have  seen  no  notice  of  any 
native  name  in  this  country  for  this  species,  and  imagine  that  it  is 
called  by  the  same  names,  as  P.  arenarius  and  P.  exustus.  From 
this  last  it  may  be  at  once  distinguished  by  its  somewhat  larger 
size,  stronger  bill,  and  while  belly.  It  breeds  among  rocks  in 
Central  and  Western  Asia,  Northern  Africa  and  the  South  of 
Europe,  laying  four  or  five  eggs  of  a  reddish  grey  colour,  with 
brownish  spots. 

It  is  said  to  swarm  in  countless  numbers    in    Palestine,  and   Mr. 
Blvth  believes,  and  with  justice,  that    this   bird   rather  than   the 


502  BIRDS    OF   INDIA. 

Coturnix  communis  is  the  '  Quail'  of  the  Israelites.  Col.  Chesney, 
indeed,  writes  of  it  as  a  kind  of  Quail  about  the  size  of  a  Pigeon, 
which  at  times  literally  darkens  the  air  with  its  numbers. 

802.    Pterocles  exustus,  Temminck. 

PL  Col.  354,  360— Gould,  Birds  of  Asia,  pt.  II.  pi.  13— 
Blyth,  Cat.  1492— Jerdon,  Cat.  270— Sykes,  Cat.  161— 
Bar-titar,  BaJJU-titar,  Kumar-tit,  H. — Kultar,  H.  in  the  N.  W. 
P. — Jam  polanka,  Tel. — Kcd  koudari,  Tarn. — Rock-pigeon  of 
sportsmen  in  India. 

The  Common  Sand-grouse. 

Descr. — ]\Iale,  general  colour  fulvous  isabelline,  brighter  and 
more  yellow  about  the  lores,  face,  and  chin,  and  mixed  with  dusky 
greenish  on  the  back,  wdngs,  and  upper  tail-coverts ;  primaries 
black,  the  tips  of  all,  except  the  first  three,  white,  broader  on  the 
inner  web ;  a  longitudinal  median  line  on  the  wing,  formed  by 
some  of  the  coverts  and  secondaries  being  brighter  buff;  tail 
with  the  central  pair  of  feathers  elongated  and  highly  attenuated, 
isabelline  yellow;  the  lateral  feathers  deep  brown,  edged  and 
tipped  with  pale  fulvous;  a  narrow  black  band  in  the  breast; 
abdomen  deep  chocolate  brown  (burnt  or  singed  colour,  hence 
exmtus),  paling  on  the  vent,  and  the  under  tail-coverts  creamy 
white,  as  are  the  tarsal  plumes. 

Bill  leaden ;  orbits  lemon  yellow  ;  irides  dark  brown ;  feet 
plumbeous.  Length  13  inches ;  wing  7^  ;  tail  5^  to  6  ;  tarsus  1^. 
Weight  8  to  9  oz. 

The  female  has  the  whole  npper  plumage,  including  the  tail- 
feathers  (except  a  plain  bar  on  the  wing  formed  by  the  greater 
coverts)  fulvous,  closely  barred  with  deep  brown  ;  also  the  space 
between  the  pectoral  band  and  the  abdomen ;  neck  and  breast  un- 
spotted dingy  isabelline,  and  abdomen  as  in  the  male.  The  central 
rectrices  are  not  elongated. 

This  is  the  most  common  and  abundant  species  of  Sand-grouse 
throughout  India,  being  found  in  every  part  of  the  country,  except 
the  more  wooded  portions,  and  never  occurring  in  forest  districts. 
It  is,  therefore,  quite  unknown  in  Malabar,  in  the  wooded  districts 
of  Central  India,  and  in  Lower  Bengal ;   and  neither  thi,s,  nor  anv 


PTEROCLlDiE.  503 

of  the  previous  species,  as  far  as  is  known,  occur  to  the  eastwards, 
in  Assam,  S3Alhet,  or  Burmah.  Out  of  India,  it  is  common  through 
fTieat  part  of  Central  and  Western  Asia,  and  Northern  Africa,  and 
it  is  stated  to  have  occurred  rarely  in  Europe. 

This  Sand-grouse  frequents  the  bare  open  plains,  whether  rocky 
or  otherwise,  and  is  very  partial  to  ploughed  lands  and  bare  fallow 
fields.  It  feeds  chiefly  in  the  morning,  and  between  8  and  9  a.  m. 
goes  to  drink  at  some  river  or  tank,  at  which,  in  some  parts  of  the 
country,  thousands  assemble,  and  they  may  be  seen  winging  their 
way  in  larger  or  smaller  parties  from  all  quarters,  at  a  great  height, 
uttering  their  peculiar  loud  piercing  call,  which  announces  their 
vicinity  to  the  sportsman  long  before  he  has  seen  them.  They 
remain  a  few  minutes  at  the  water's  edge,  walking  about  and 
picking  up  fragments  of  sand  or  gravel,  and  then  fly  off  as  they 
came.  In  the  hot  weather,  at  all  events,  if  not  at  all  seasons, 
they  drink  again  about  4  p.  m.  When  they  are  seated  on  bare 
sandy  or  rocky  ground,  they  are  most  difficult  to  observe,  from  the 
similarity  of  their  color  to  the  ground  ;  sometimes  they  can  be 
aproached  with  ease  near  enough  to  get  a  good  shot,  at  other 
times,  especially  if  in  large  flocks,  they  are  shy  and  wary.  A 
small  flock  or  single  birds  can  often  be  approached  v"?ry  close  by 
walking  rapidly,  not  straight,  but  gradually  edging  towards  them  ; 
and,  in  this  w^ay,  I  have  often  walked  up  to  within  two  or  three 
yards  of  them.  They  feed  on  various  hard  seeds,  especially  on 
those  of  various  Alysicarpi^  Desmodimn,  &c.j  as  well  as  on  grass 
seeds  or  grain. 

These  Sand-grouse  breed  in  the  Deccan  and  Southern  India 
from  December  to  May,  and  in  Central  India  still  later.  In  some 
parts  of  the  country,  as  at  ]\Ihow  and  Saugor,  most  of  them  leave 
the  district  after  breeding  in  July,  and  do  not  return  till  the  end 
of  the  rains.  The  eggs  are  laid  on  the  bare  ground,  three  or  four 
in  number,  of  cylindrical  form,  nearly  equally  thick  at  both  ends, 
of  a  greenish  stone  colour,  thickly  spotted  with  grey  and  brown. 

This  bird,  if  kept  long  enough,  is  very  excellent  eating,  though 
the  flesh  is  somewhat  hard  and  tough,  but  with  a  high  game 
flavour ;  and  the  young  birds,  when  nearly  full  grown,  are  most 
excellent. 


504  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

A  somewhat  allied  species,  Pterocles  senecjnllus,  Lin.,  of 
which  P.  gnttatus,  Licht.,  is  the  female,  is  common  in  Eastern 
Africa  and  Arabia,  &c.,  and  has  been  fignred  by  Gould  in  his 
Birds  of  Asia,  pt.  III.  pi.  6.  Mr.  Blyth  was  assured  by  a  sportsman 
to  whom  he  showed  specimens,  that  this  s{)ecies  occurred  in  Sindh, 
and  was  even  more  common  there  than  P.  exustus ;  however,  as 
no  Indian  examples  have  been  examined,  I  cannot  at  present  in- 
clude it  amon^^  the  'Birds  of  India.'  The  male  resembles  P.  exustus, 
but  is  somewhat  larger ;  and  both  sexes  have  the  throat  and  sides 
of  the  neck  very  bright  pale  orange  buff;  above  and  behind  this 
colour  the  male  has  the  sides  of  the  head  and  nape  of  a  pure 
ash-grey  ;  there  is  no  black  bar  on  the  breast,  and  the  middle  of 
thQ  abdomen  only  is  sooty  black.  The  female  is  curiously  dotted 
over  with  dusky  grey  upon  a  light  buff,  almost  cream-coloured 
ground. 

Several  other  species  of  Pterocles  occur  in  Africa,  one  of 
which,  P.  coronatus,  has  been  found  in  Western  Asia,  and  is 
figured  by  Gould  in  his  Birds  of  Asia,  pt.  III.  pi.  7. 

The  genus  Syrrhaptes  differs  from  Pterocles  in  having  the  feet 
much  smaller,  joined  together  at  the  base,  feathered  to  the  claws, 
and  no  hind  toe  ;  the  first  two  wing  primaries,  too,  are  lengthened 
and  attenuated.  It  was  founded  on  Tetrao  paradoxus ,  of  Pallas, 
a  very  handsome  bird,  inhabiting  the  desert  regions  of  Central 
Asia,  which,  strange  to  say,  was  lately  killed  in  England,  a  notice 
of  which,  with  a  very  beautiful  figure,  appeared  in  the  Ibis 
for  1862. 

A  second  species  has  been  found  by  several  of  our  Indian 
sportsmen  just  across  the  Himalaj'as,  but  not  hitherto  on  the 
Indian  side,  Syrrhoptes  Tihetunus,  Gould.  It  has  been  observed 
chiefly  in  Ladak,  is  said  to  occur  in  small  parties  of  nine  or  ten  ; 
and  to  have  a  loud  cry  yak,  yak,  yak.  It  has  the  upper  parts  and 
breast  minutely  mottled  Avith  zig-zag  markings,  the  throat  and 
sides  of  the  neck  ochre  yellow ;  the  wings  sandy  yellow  with 
some  black  markings  on  the  scapulars  ;  and  the  lower  parts  white. 
Length  20  inches  ;  wing  11  ;  tail  7^. 

We  next  come  to  the  more  typical  GoUinacei,  with  the  supple- 
mentary plume  well  developed. 


PHASIANID.E.  505 

Fam.     Phasianid^. 

Bill  moderate,  strong,  vaulted,  the  tip  of  the  upper  mandible 
produced  over  that  of  the  lo^yer,  sides  more  or  less  compressed  ; 
nostrils  apart ;  wings  moderate  or  short,  rounded ;  tail  (typically) 
lengthened  and  broad,  of  from  twelve  to  eighteen  feathers  ;  tarsus 
moderate  or  long,  usually  spurred  in  the  males  ;  toes  long,  anterior 
ones  united  by  a  short  membrane  at  the  base  ;  the  hind 
toe  raised,  short,  sometimes  resting  on  the  ground  by  its 
point. 

This  family,  as  here"  restricted,  comprises  the  Pea-fowls, 
Pheasants,  Jungle-fowl,  and  Spur-fowl,  all  of  which  are  peculiar 
to  Asia,  and  more  especially  to  India,  including  Burmah  and 
JMalayana.  Some  include  in  this  family  the  Turkeys  of  America, 
but  I  prefer  placing  them  as  a  distinct,  it  may  be  a  subordinate 
group.  As  distinguished  from  the  nest  family,  Tetraonidce,  they 
are  characterized  by  a  generally  more  lengthened  bill,  the  nostrils 
always  apart,  the  face  more  nude,  the  head  often  furnished  with 
variously  formed  crests  of  feathers,  or  of  nude  skin,  or  with 
lappets  and  wattles,  in  some  cases  of  erectile  tissue,  the  tail 
typically  is  longer,  and  more  commonly  raised  ;  and  the  tarsus 
perhaps  more  generally  lengthened,  and  furnished  with  spurs. 
In  their  habits  they  more  habitually  frequent  forests,  jungles, 
and  thick  covert ;  whilst  the  TetraonidcB  more  affect  open  grass 
ground,  fields,  and  sometimes  low  jungle.  Most  of  the  Pheasants, 
too,  perch  freely  on  trees,  and  roost  habitually  thereon, 
this  habit  being  the  exception  among  the  Grouse  and 
Partridges.  On  these  grounds,  as  well  as  on  that  of  different 
geographical  distribution,  I  prefer  retaining  the  two  families 
distinct,  in  accordance  with  most  Ornithologists,  notwith- 
standing the  fact  of  certain  genera  of  each  family  interbreeding 
with  each  other. 

The  Indian  Phasianida  may  be  popularly  divided  into  Pea-fowl, 
Pheasants,  Jungle-fowl,  and  Spur-fowl  ;  and,  although  the  limits 
of  each  are  somewhat  vague,  I  shall  give  these  groups  the  rank 
of  sub-families  in  accordance  with  some  of  our  systematic  Works 
on  Ornithology. 

PART    II.  3    S 


506  BIRDS    OF   INDIA. 

Sub-fara.     Pavonine, — Pea-fowl. 

Syn.      Pavonidce,  Bonap. 

Plumage  more  or  less  ocellated.     Inhabit  India    and    Burmah 
with    Malayana,    not    extending    into   the  Himalayas. 
Gen.  Pavo,  Linnaeus. 

Char. — Bill  lengthened,  slender-,  the  nareal  portion  large  ;  nos- 
trils linear ;  head  ornamented  with  an  erect  crest  of  feathers  of  a 
peculiar  structure ;  orbitar  region  naked ;  tail  moderately  long, 
of  eighteen  feathers ;  feathers  of  the  back  and  upper  tail-covei-ts 
of  great  length,  long,  surpassing  the  tail,  and  beautifully  ocellated  ; 
tarsi  rather  long,  spurred  in  the  male. 

The  Peacock  is  too  well  known  to  require  any  remarks  on  his 
general  structure  and  appearance.  But  two  species  are  known, 
the  one  inhabiting  India  Proper,  the  other  Assam,  Burmah,  and 
parts  of  Malayana. 

803,    Pavo  cristatus,  LiNNiEus. 

PI.  enl.  433,  434— Blyth,  Cat.  1449— Jerdon,  Cat.  265— 
Sykes,  Cat.  146 — 3Ior,  Mhor,  H.  Beng.  and  Mahr.  also  Manjur,  H. 
— Nimili,  Tel. — Myl,  Tarn. — 31ab-ja,  Bhot. — Mong-yung,  Lepch. 

The  Common  Peacock. 

Descr. — Male,  head,  neck,  and  breast  rich  purple,  with  gold  and 
green  reflections  ;  back  green,  the  feathers  scale-like,  with  cop- 
pery edges ;  the  wings,  with  the  inner-coverts,  including  the  shoul- 
der, white,  striated  with  black  ;  the  middle  coverts  deep  blue  ;  the 
primaries  and  tail  chesnut ;  abdomen  and  vent  black,  t^p  train 
chiefly  green,  beautifully  ocellated  ;  the  thigh  coverts  yellowish 
grey ;  head  with  a  crest  of  about  24  feathers,  only  webbed  at  the 
tip,  and  green  with  blue  and  gold  reflections. 

Bill  horny  brown ;  naked  orbits  whitish  ;  irides  dark  brown ; 
legs  horny  brown.  Length  to  the  end  of  the  true  tail  3^  to  4 
feet ;  wing  18  inches  ;  tail  24  ;  the  long  train  sometimes  measures 
4^  feet  and  even  more.  *^ 

The  Peahen  is  chesnut  brown  about  the  head  and  nape,  the  neck 
greenish,  edged  with  pale  whity  brown ;  the  upper  plumage  light 
hair-brown,   with   faint   wavings,    increased   on   the    upper    tail- 


I'AVC^NINiE.  507 

coverts ;  quills  brown  ;  some  of  the  wing-coverts  mottled  dusky 
and  whitish  ;  tail  deep  broAvn  with  whitish  tips ;  chin  and  throat 
white  ;  breast  as  the  neck  ;  abdomen  white,  with  the  lower  parts 
and  under  tail-coverts  brown. 

Length  38  to  40  inches  ;  wing  16 ;  tail  14.  The  crest  is  shorter 
and  duller  in  its  tint  than  in  the  male. 

The  Pea-fowl  is  too  well  known  to  require  a  more  ample  des* 
cription.  It  inhabits  the  whole  of  India  Proper,  being  replaced  in 
Assam  and  the  countries  to  the  East  by  another  species.  It 
frequents  forests,  and  jungly  places,  more  especially  delighting 
in  hilly  and  mountainous  districts  ;  and,  in  the  more  open  and 
level  country,  wooded  ravines  and  river  banks  are  the  never 
failing  resort.  It  comes  forth  to  the  open  glades  and  fields  to 
feed  in  the  morning  and  evening,  retiring  to  the  jungles  for 
shelter  during  the  heat  of  the  day,  and  roosting  at  night  on 
high  trees.  It  ascends  the  Neilgherry  and  other  mountain  re- 
gions in  Southern  India  to  6,000  feet  or  so  of  elevation,  but  it  does 
not  ascend  the  Himalayas,  at  all  events  in  Sikim,  beyond  2,000 
feet.  In  many  parts  of  the  country  it  is  almost  domesticated, 
entering  villages  and  roosting  on  the  huts,  and  it  is  venerated  by 
the  natives  in  many  districts.  Many  Hindoo  temples  have  large 
flocks  of  them  ;  indeed,  shooting  it  is  forbidden  in  some 
Hindoo  States.  The  Pea-fowl  breeds,  according  to  the  locality 
from  April  till  October,  generally  in  Southern  India  towards  the 
close  of  the  rains,  laying  from  4  to  8  or  9  eggs  in  some  sequestered 
spot.  The  Peacock  during  the  courting  season  raises  his  tail 
vertically,  and  with  it  of  course  the  lengthened  train,  spreading  it 
out  and  strutting  about  to  captivate  the  hen  birds ;  and  he  has 
the  power  of  clattering   the  feathers  in   a  most  curious  manner. 

It  is  a  beautiful  sight  to  come  suddenly  on  twenty  or  tliirty 
Peafowl,  the  males  displaying  their  gorgeous  trains,  and  strutting 
about  in  all  the  pomp  of  pride  before  the  gratified  females.  The 
train  of  course  increases  in  length  for  many  years  at  each  successive 
moult,  but  it  appears  to  be  shed  very  irregularly. 

Though  it  cannot  be  said  to  be  a  favorite  game  with  Sportsmen 
in  India,  yet  few  can  resist  a  shot  at  a  fine  Peacock  whirring  past 


508  BIRDS   OF    INDIA. 

when  hunting  for  small  game;  yet  Pea-chicks  are  well  worth 
a  morning's  shikar  for  the  table,  and  a  plump  young  Peahen  if 
kept  for  two  or  three  days,  is  really  excellent.  An  old  Peacock  is 
only  fit  to  make  soup  of.  A  bird  merely  winged  will  often  escape 
by  the  fleetness  of  its  running.  They  generally  roost  on  particular 
trees,  and  by  going  early  or  late  to  this  place,  they  can  readily  be 
shot.  Pea-fowl  are  easily  caught  in  snares,  common  hair-nooses, 
and  are  generally  brought  in  alive,  for  sale  in  numbers,  in  those 
districts  where  they  abound.  In  confinement  they  will  destroy 
snakes  and  other  reptiles,  and  in  their  wild  state  feed  much  on 
various  insects  and  grubs,  also  on  flower  buds  and  young  shoots, 
as  well  as  on  grain. 

The  Burmese  Pea-fowl,  Pavo  jnuticus,  Linno3us,  (P.  assamicus, 
McLelland,)  notwithstanding  the  Linna3an  name,  has  spurs ;  its  crest 
is  quite  different  -^n  structure  from  that  of  cristatus,  being  composed 
of  about  ten  or  more  slender  barbed  feathers.  Though  not  so  showy 
as  the  common  Peacock,  it  is,  perhaps,  a  still  more  beautiful  bird, 
having  more  green  and  gold  and  less  blue  in  its  plumage.  It  is 
found  in  all  the  countries  to  the  Eastwards,  from  Assam  southwards 
through  Burmah  to  Malacca,  and  many  of  the  Islands.  Hybrids 
between  the  two  species  are  not  rare  in  Aviaries. 

Near  the  Pea-fowl  should  be  placed  ihe  ^quus  Polypledron  or 
Pea-pheasants,  often  called  Argus  Pheasants.  The  males  are  very 
beautifully  adorned  with  green  or  pink  ocelli  over  the  body, 
Tivings,  and  tail,  which  consists  of  sixteen  feathers.  The  tarsi 
are  armed  with  two  or  even  three  spurs  in  the  male.  They 
are  peculiar  to  the  Indo-Chinese  countries,  and  Malay  ana,  one 
species  Polyplectron  tihetanum,  {cJiinguis,  Temminck,  PI.  col. 
539),  occurring  in  the  hilly  regions  of  upper  Assam,  SyUiet, 
Tipperahand  Chittagong,  extending  through  Burmah  to  Tenasserim. 
The  female  is  P.  Uneatum  figured  in  Hardwicke,  111.  Ind.  Zool. 
Another  species,  P.  bcalcaratum,  L.,  is  found  in  Malacca, 
Sumatra,  &c.  ;  and  a  very  beautiful  species,  P.  napoleonis,  Massena, 
{emphanum,  Temm.)  is  probably  from  Borneo.  A  fourth  species 
without  spots,  P.  chalcicrus  T.,  has  been  separated  by  Bonaparte  as 
Chalmrns.     It  appears  fo  me  tliat  Perdix  concentriea   of  Gray,  in 


PHASIANIN^:.  509 

Hardwicke's    111.    Ind.    Zool.,    is    a    bad  figure  of  some  female 
Polyplectron. 

With  Bonaparte  I  would  class  here,  rather  than  with  the 
Pheasants,  the  rea^  Argus  Pheasant,  Argusanus  giganteus, 
Temm.,  (^Pavo  argus,)  L.,  of  the  Malay  Peninsula  as  far  north  as 
Mergui,  Sumatra,  and  some  of  the  Islands.  The  race  from 
Borneo  is  stated  to  differ  somewhat.  In  this  magnificent  bird 
%e  secondary  quills  are  longer  than  the  primaries,  and  all  beauti- 
fully covered,  as  well  as  the  tail,  with  fine  ocelli.  The  tail  consists 
of  only  twelve  feathers.  It  does  not  occur  in  Sylhet  as  stated  by 
Hardwicke  in  his  MSS.  in  the  British  JMuseum. 

Sub-fara.  Phasianin^,  Pheasants, 
Tail  typically  long,  with  the  central  feathers  sometimes  of  great 
length ;    plumage    rarely    ocellated ;    tail    in   most   of    eighteen 
feathers  ;  head  more  or  less  crested. 

Among  the  Pheasants,  I  include  the  Monaul,  the  Horned 
Pheasants,  the  Pucras,  the  true  Pheasants,  the  Gold  and  Silver 
Pheasants,  the  Snow  Pheasants,  the  Blood  Pheasants,  and 
the  Kalij  Pheasants,  which  last  form  the  link  to  the  next 
group,  the  Jungle-fowl  and  Fire-backs.  These  are  all 
inhabitants  of  the  highlands  of  Central  Asia,  the  Himalayas 
and  China,  and  do  not  (with  the  exception  of  one  member 
of  the  Kalij  group)  extend  into  the  Burmese  province,  and  not 
at  all  into  Malayana. 

I  shall  commence  the  series  with  the  i\Ionaul,  which,  by  the 
form  of  its  crest  and  its  rich  metallic  colours,  approaches  nearest 
to  the  Peacocks. 

Gen.     LoPHOPHORUS,  Temminck. 

Syn.     3Ionaulus,  Vieillot — Impegamis,  Lesson. 

Char. — Head  with  a  Peacock-like  crest  of  several  feathers,  bare 
on  the  shaft,  feathered  and  lanceolate  at  the  tip  only ;  orbits 
bare  ;  bill  somewhat  lengthened,  the  tip  projecting  and  hooked  ; 
tarsus  of  the  male  with  one  rather  short  spur ;  tail  sliort,  nearly 
even,  or  slightly  rounded,  of  sixteen  feathers. 


510  BIRDS   OF    INDIA. 

Plumage  rich  metallic  green  and  gold,  with  a  rufous  tail. 

This  genus  consists  of  but  one  species,  the  most  gorgeous 
perhaps  of  the  family,  whose  colors  and  metallic  brilliancy  rival 
those  of  the  Humming-birds. 

804.    Lophophorus  Impeyanus,  Latham. 

Phasianus,  apud  Latham — Blyth,  Cat.  1477 — L.  refulgens, 
Temm. — Gould,  Cent.  Him.  Birds,  pi.  60  and  61 — Gould, 
Birds  of  Asia,  pt.  H.  pi.  7 — Monal,  Ghur  Monal,  Rutnnl — Rat- 
hap,  Battea-koioaji,  in  various  dialects  in  the  N.  W.  Himalayas. 
Lont  (the  male),  Ham  (the  female)  in  Cashmere — Murgh-i-zari  or 
the  Golden  Fowl  of  some — Phodong-pho,  Lepch. —  Chamdong,  Bhot. 

The  Monaul  Pheasant. 

Descr. — Male,  head  with  the  crest  and  throat  bright  metallic 
green  ;  hack  of  the  neck  brilliant  iridescent  purple,  passing  into 
bronzy  green,  and  all  with  a  golden  gloss  ;  upper  part  of  the 
back  and  wing-coverts,  rump,  and  upper  tail-coverts,  richly  glossed 
with  purple  and  green,  the  latter  colour  prevailing  on  the  wings  and 
furthest  tail-coverts,  and  the  purple  on  the  back  and  rump  ;  middle 
of  the  back  white  ;  quills  black  ;  tail  cinnamon  rufous  ;  the  whole 
lower  surface  black,  glossed  on  the  throat  with  green  and  purple, 
dull  and  unglossed  elsewhere. 

Bill  dark  horny  ;  naked  orbits  blue  ;  irides  brown  ;  legs  dull 
ashy  green.  Length  27  to  29  inches;  extent  36;  wing  11^  to 
12  ;  tail  8^ ;  tarsus  2| ;  middle  toe  and  claw  3.     Weight  4^  lbs. 

The  female  has  the  chin  and  throat  white  ;  tlie  whole  of  the 
rest  of  the  body  pale  bufFy  brown,  with  dark  brown  spots,  bars, 
and  undulations ;  the  primaries  blackish,  the  secondary  quills 
barred  black  and  rufous ;  tip  of  the  tail  and  outer  edges  of  the 
last  tail-coverts  whitish. 

Length  about  24  inches  ;  wing  11 ;  tail  7^' 

The  young  males  for  the  first  year  nearly  resemble  the  females, 
but  may  easily  be  distinguished  by  the  white  feathers  on  the  chin 
and  throat  being  spotted  with  black  ;  the  vent  feathers  are  also 
marked  with  the  same,  and  the  whole  plumage  is  darker.  When 
changing  their  plumage  to  the  adult,  they   appear  t^potted  all  over 


PHASIANINiE.  511 

with  glossy  metallic  green.  In  the  second  year,  they  are  stated  to 
assume  the  adult  plumage,  with  the  curious  exception,  according 
to  Mountaineer,  of  the  7th  primary  which  retains  the  brown  for 
another  year. 

This  splendid  Pheasant  is  found  throughout  the  whole  extent 
of  the  Himalayas,  from  the  hills  bordering  AfFghanistan  as  far  east 
as  Sikim,  and  probably  also  to  Bootan.  It  occurs  from  a  level  of 
6,000  or  7,000  feet  in  winter,  to  the  limits  of  the  wooded  regions, 
and  is  most  numerous  at  high  altitudes,  and  in  the  interior  of  the 
hills.  In  Sikim  it  is  not  found  at  a  lower  level  than  10,000 
feet,  and  has  not  been  found  in  British  territory,  but  in  the  in- 
terior, at  high  elevations,  it  is  not  very  rare,  though  apparently 
not  so  common  as  in  the  N.  W.  Himalayas.  For  an  admirable 
and  full  account  of  its  habits,  I  take  the  liberty  of  transcribino- 
a  great  portion  of  Mountaineer's  remarks  in  the  Bengal  Sporting 
Review,  New  Series,  vol. 

"  The  Monaul  is  found  on  almost  every  hill  of  any  elevation,  from 
the  first  great  ridge  above  the  plains  to  the  limits  of  the  wooded 
district,  and  in  the  interior  it  is  the  most  numerous  of  the  game  birds. 
When  the  hills  near  Mussooree  were  first  visited  by  Euro- 
peans, it  was  found  to  be  common  there,  and  a  few  may  still  be 
seen  on  the  same  ridge  eastwards  from  Landour.  In  summer, 
when  the  rank  vegetation  which  springs  up  in  the  forest  renders  it 
impossible  to  see  many  yards  around,  few  are  to  be  met  with, 
except  near  the  summits  of  the  great  ridges  jutting  from  the  snow, 
where  in  the  morning  and  evening,  when  they  come  out  to  feed, 
they  may  be  seen  in  ^the  open  glades  of  the  forest  and  on  the 
green  slopes  above.  At  that  time  no  one  would  imagine  they  were 
half  so  numerous  as  they  really  are  ;  but  as  the  cold  season  ap- 
proaches, and  the  rank  grass  and  herbage  decay,  they  begin 
to  collect  together,  the  wood  seems  full  of  them,  and  in  some 
places  hundreds  may  be  put  up  in  a  day's  work.  In  summer 
the  greater  number  of  the  males  and  some  of  the  females 
ascend  to  near  the  limits  of  the  forests  where  the  hills  attain  a 
great  elevation,  and  may  often  be  seen  on  the  grassy  slopes  a 
considerable  distance  above.  In  autumn  they  resort  to  those 
parts    of    the    forests    where    the    ground  is  thickly  covered  with 


512  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

decayed  leaves,  under  which  they  search  for  grubs ;  and  descend 
lower  and  lower  as  winter  sets  in,  and  the  ground  becomes  frozen 
or  covered  with  snow.  If  the  season  be  severe,  and  the  ground 
covered  to  a  great  depth,  they  collect  in  the  woods,  which  face  to 
the  south  or  east,  where  it  soon  melts  in  the  more  exposed  parts, 
orfdescend  much  lower  down  the  hill,  where  it  is  not  so  deep,  and 
thaws  sufficiently  to  allow  them  to  lay  bare  the  earth  under  the 
bushes  and  sheltered  places.  Many,  particularly  females  and 
young  birds,  resort  to  the  neighbourhood  of  the  villages  situated 
up  in  the  woods,  and  may  often  be  seen  in  numbers  in  the  fields. 
Still  in  the  severest  weather,  when  fall  after  fall  has  covered  the 
ground  to  a  great  depth  in  the  higher  forests,  many  remain  there 
the  whole  winter ;  these  are  almost  all  males  and  probably  old 
birds.  In  spring,  all  in  the  lower  parts,  gradually  ascend  as  the 
snow  disappears. 

"  In  the  autumnal  and  winter  months,  numbers  are  generally 
collected  together  in  the  same  quarter  of  the  forest,  though  often 
so  widely  scattered  that  each  bird  appears  to  be  alone.  Sometimes 
you  may  walk  for  a  mile  through  a  wood  without  seeing  one,  and 
suddenly  come  to  some  part,  where,  within  the  compass  of  a 
few  hundred  yards,  upwards  of  a  score  will  get  up  in  succession  ; 
at  another  time,  or  in  another  forest,  they  will  be  found  dispersed 
over  every  part,  one  getting  up  here,  another  there,  two  or  three 
further  on,  and  so  on  for  miles.  The  females  keep  more  together 
than  the  males  ;  they  also  descend  lower  down  the  hills,  and 
earlier  and  more  generally  leave  the  sheltered  woods  for  ex- 
posed parts  or  the  vicinity  of  the  villages  on  the  approach  of 
winter.  Both  sexes  are  often  found  separately  in  considerable 
numbers.  On  the  lower  part,  or  exposed  side  of  the  hill,  scores  of 
females  and  young  birds  may  be  met  with,  without  a  single  old 
male ;  while  higher  up,  or  on  the  sheltered  side,  none  but  males 
may  be  found.  In  summer  they  are  more  separated,  but  do  not  keep 
in  individual  pairs,  several  being  often  found  together.  It  may  be 
questioned  whether  they  do  pair  or  not  in  places  where  they  are  at 
all  numerous  ;  if  they  do,  it  would  appear  that  the  union  is  dissolved 
as  soon  as  the  female  begins  to  sit,  for  the  male  seems  to  pay 
no  attention  whatever  to  her  whilst  sitting,  or  to  the  young  brood 


PHASIANINiE.  513 

when  liatclicd,  and  is  seldom  found  Avlth  them.  Tlie  call  of  the 
]\Ionaid  is  a  loud  plaintive  whistle,  which  is  often  heard  in  the 
forest  at  daybreak  or  towards  evening,  and  occasionally  at  all 
hours  of  the  day.  In  severe  weather,  numbers  may  be  heard  call- 
ing in  different  quarters  of  the  wood  before  they  retire  to  roost. 
The  call  has  a  rather  melancholy  sound,  or  it  may  be,  tliat  as  the 
shades  of  a  drear}'  winter's  evening  begin  to  close  on  the  snow- 
covered  hills  around,  the  cold  and  cheerless  aspect  of  nature,  with 
which   it  seems  qiiite  in  unison,  makes  it  appear  so. 

"  From  April  to  the  commencement  of  the  cold  season,  the 
Monaul  is  rather  wild  and  shy,  but  this  soon  gives  way  to  the 
all-taming  influence  of  winter's  frosts  and  snows  ;  and  from  October 
it  gradually  becomes  less  so,  till  it  may  be  said  to  be  quite  the 
reverse ;  but  as  it  is  often  found  in  places  nearly  free  from  under- 
wood, and  never  attempts  to  escape  observation  by  concealing 
itself  in  the  grass  or  bushes,  it  is  perhaps  sooner  alarmed,  and 
at  a  greater  distance  than  other  Pheasants,  and  may  therefore 
appear  at  all  times  a  little  wild  and  timid.  In  spring,  it  often 
rises  a  long  way  in  front,  and  it  is  difficult  to  get  near  it  when 
it  again  alights,  if  it  does  not  at  once  fly  too  far  to  follow  ;  but  in 
winter,  it  may  often  be  approached  within  gunshot  on  the  ground, 
and  when  flushed  it  generally  alights  on  a  tree  at  no  great  distance, 
and  you  may  then  walk  quite  close  to  it  before  it  again  takes 
wing. 

"  In  the  forest,  when  alarmed,  it  generally  rises  at  once  Avithout 
calling  or  running  far  on  the  ground ;  but  on  the  open  glades  or 
grassy  slopes,  or  any  place  to  which  it  comes  only  to  feed,  it  will, 
if  not  hard  pressed,  run  or  walk  slowly  away  in  preference  to 
getting  up  ;  and  a  distant  bird,  when  alarmed  by  the  rising  of 
others,  will  occasionally  begin  and  continue  calling  for  some  time 
while  on  the  ground.  It  gets  up  Avith  a  loud  fluttering  and  a 
rapid  succession  of  shrill  screeching  Avhistles,  often  continued 
till  it  alights,  when  it  occasionally  commences  its  ordinary 
loud  and  plaintive  call,  and  continues  it  for  some  time. 
In  winter,  Avhen  one  or  two  birds  have  been  flushed,  all  Avithin 
hearing  soon  net  alarmed ;  if  tliey  are  collected  together,  they 
get  up  in  rapid  succession  ;  if  distantly  scattered,  bird  after  bird 

PART    II.  3  T 


514  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

slowly  gets  up  ;  the  slirill  call  of  each  as  it  rises  alarming  others 
still    further    off,  till   all  in  the  immediate   neighbourhood    have 
risen.     In  the  chesnut  forests    where  they   are  often  collected  in 
numerous  bodies,   where  there  is  Httle  underwood,  and  the  trees, 
thinly  dispersed  and  entirely  stripped  of  their  leaves,   allow    of 
an  extensive  view  through  the  wood,  I  have  often  stood  till  twenty 
or  thirty  have  got  up  and  alighted  on  the  surrounding  trees,  then 
walked  up  to   the  different  trees,  and  fired  at  those  I  wished  to 
procure,  without  alarming  them,  only  those   close  being  disturbed 
at  each  report.     In  spring  they  are  more  independent  of  each 
other's  movements,  and  though  much  wilder,  are  more  apt  to  wait 
till  individually  disturbed.     When  they  alight  in  the  trees,  and  are 
again  flushed,  the  second  flight  is  always  a  longer  one.     When  re- 
peatedly disturbed  by  the  sportsmen  or  shikaries,  they  often  take  a 
long  flight  in  the  first  instance.  The  seasons  also  have  great  influence 
over  them  in  this  respect,  as  well  as  in  their  degree  of  tameness  or 
wildness.     In  spring,   when  the  snow  has  melted  in  every  part  of 
the  forest,  and  they  have  little  difficulty  in    procuring    an    abun- 
dance of  food,  they   appear  careless  about  being  driven  from  any 
particular  spot,  and  often  fly  a  long  way  ;  but  in   winter,    when    a 
sufficiency  of  food  is  not  easily   obtained,  they  seem  more  intent 
on  satisfying  their  hunger,  and  do  not  so  much  heed   the   appear- 
ance of  man.     The  females   appear  at  all  times  much  tamer  than 
the  males.     The  latter  have  one  peculiarity,  not    common  in  birds 
''of  this  order :   if  intent    on  making   a  long  flight,    an   old    male 
after  flying    a   short    way,    will    often  cease    flapping   his  wings, 
and  soar  along  with  a  trembling  vibratory  motion  at  a  considerable 
height  in  the   air,   when,  particularly  if  the  sun  be  shining  on  his 
brilliant  plumage,  he  appears  to  great  advantage,  and  certainly 
looks  one  of  the  most  magnificent  of  the  Pheasant  tribe. 

"  In  autumn,  the  Jlonaul  feeds  chiefly  on  a  grub  or  maggot  which 
it  finds  under  the  decayed  leaves  ;  at  other  times  on  roots,  leaves, 
and  young  shoots  of  various  shrubs  and  grasses,  acorns  and  other 
seeds  and  berries.  In  winter,  it  often  feeds  in  the  wheat  and  barley 
fields,  but  does  not  touch  the  grain ;  roots  and  maggots  seem  to  be 
its  sole  inducement  for  digging  amongst  it.  At  all  times  and  in  all 
seasons,  it  is  very  assiduous  in  the  operation  of  digging,  and  con- 


PHASIANINiE.  515 

tinues  at  it  for  hours  together.  In  the  higher  forests,  large  open 
plots  occur  quite  free  from  trees  or  underwood,  and  early  in  the 
morning  or  towards  evening,  these  may  often  be  seen  dotted  over 
with  Monauls,  all  busily  engaged  at  their  favourite  occupation. 

"  The  j\Ionaul  roosts  in  the  larger  forest  trees,  but  in  summer 
when  near  or  above  their  limits,  will  often  roost  on  the  ground 
in  some  steep  rocky  spot.  The  female  makes  her  nest  under  a 
small  overhanging  bush  or  tuft  of  grass,  and  lays  five  eggs  of  a 
dull  white,  speckled  with  reddish  brown  ;  the  chicks  are  hatched 
about  the  end  of  May.  The  flesh  is  considered  by  some  as 
nearly  equal  to  Turkey,  and  by  others  as  scarcely  eatable.  In 
autumn  and  winter,  many,  particularly  females  and  young  birds 
are  excellent,  and  scarcely  to  be  surpassed  in  flavour  or  delicacy 
by  any  of  the  tribe  ;  while  from  the  end  of  winter  most  are  found  to 
be  the  reverse.  Tiiey  are  easily  kept  in  confinement,  and  I  would 
imagine,  might,  without  much  difficulty,  be  naturalized  in  Europe." 

The  IVIonaul  has  lately  bred  in  the  Zoological  Gardens  of  London, 
as  well  as,  some  years  previously,  in  those  of  the  Earl  of  Derby. 
The  latter,  in  a  communication  to  Mr.  Gould,  stated  that  one 
female  laid  thirteen  or  fourteen  eggs  on  one  occasion  ;  and  that  the 
eggs  were  very  pale  buff,  with  small  spots  of  reddish  brown,  very 
like  those  of  the  Capercailzie.  They  were  figured  in  Jardine's 
tributions  to  Ornithology  for  1850. 

Near  the  Monaul  perhaps  should  be  placed  the  Snow-pheasants, 
Crossoptilon^  with  two  species,  C.  auritum,  Pallas,  and  C.  tihetauum, 
Hodgson.  These  beautiful  birds  are  Avhite,  with  the  tail  glossy 
blue  green,  and  are  both  from  the  highlands  of  Central  Asia. 
Gray,  in  his  List  of  Genera,  places  them  between  Pucrasia  and 
Gallophasis,  but  Bonaparte  places  them  together  in  his  section 
LophophorecB  of  his  Lophophorinos. 

Next  come  the  Horned-pheasants  of  the  Himalayas  and  Central 
Asia. 

Gen.  Cerioenis,  Swainson. 

Syn.      Tragopan,  Cuvier — Sattjra^  Lesson — Ceratornis,  Cabanls. 

Char. — Bill  rather  short,   head  with  ■  two    small  erectile  fleshy 

processes  (horns)  terminating  the  naked  orbits  ;  crown  of  the  head 


516  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

crested ;  throat  with  a  naked  expansile  giilar  wattle  ;  tail  short, 
broad,  of  eighteen  feathers ;  tarsi  short,  robust.  Plumage  of  the 
male  more  or  less  red,  with  numerous  white  spots. 

These  are  birds  of  rather  large  size  and  heavy  form,  with  short 
tails,  found  only  in  the  higher  regions  of  the  Himalayas  and  Central 
Asia.  The  type  was  described  originally  by  Linno3us  as  a  Turkey, 
from  the  naked  wattles  on  the  head  and  throat ;  and  Gould  considers 
it  to  have  considerable  affinity  for  that  genus,  together  with 
some  characters  that  indicate  a  relationship  to  Namida,  and  even 
to  Francolinus  {Galloperdix  ?).  Gray  places  them  among  the  Jungle- 
fowl  ;  but  from  their  geographical  distribution,  I  prefer  keeping 
them  among  the  Pheasants.  Four  species  are  now  known,  two  of 
which  are  peculiar  to  the  Himalayas,  and  two  to  the  Tibetan  side 
of  that  range.  They  are  popularly  called  Argus  Pheasants  by 
Sportsmen. 

Ceriornis  satyra,  Linn^us. 

Meleagris,  apud  Linnaeus — Gould,  Cent.  Him.  Birds.,  pi.  62 — 
Blytii,  Cat.  1453 — Satyra  Lathami,  and  S.  Pennantii,  Gray, 
Hardwicke,  111.  Ind.  Zool.,  pi.  49  and  51 — S.  cornuta.  Gray — 
Tirriak-pko,  Lepch. — Bup,  Bhot. — Dujia,  Beug. — '  Monaul'  popu- 
larly by  Europeans  at  Darjeeling,  or  Argus  Pheasant. 
The  Sikim  Horned  Pheasant. 

Descr. — Forehead,  nape,  and  sides  bordering  the  nude  parts, 
black;  crest  formed  of  slender  hair-like  feathers,  black  in  front, 
red  behind ;  back,  rump,  wings,  and  upper  tail-coverts  brown, 
finely  barred  with  black,  with  a  white  ocellus,  which  on  the  wing- 
coverts  and  the  sides  of  the  rump  are  inserted  on  a  maronne  red 
spot  at  the  tip  of  each  feather ;  quills  dark  brown,  with  dark 
rufous  bands  and  bars ;  shoulders  of  wings  bright  fiery  red, 
unspotted ;  the  sides  of  the  upper  tail-coverts  olive  fulvous,  with 
black  tips ;  tail  black,  with  numerous  narrow  dark  rufous  bars, 
more  marked  at  the  base  and  on  the  sides  ;  sides  and  back  of 
neck,  breast,  and  all  the  lower  parts,  fine  rich  crimson  red,  with 
white  spots  mostly  edged  with  deep  black. 

Bill  brown ;  orbits,  erectile  horns,  and  neck  and  throat,  fine 
blue,  here  and  there  spotted  with  orange  ;  the  skin  of    the  throat 


PHASIANINiE.  517 

loose  at  the  sides,  dilatable,  wrinkled,  and  with  a  few  scattered 
hairs  ;  when  excited  of  a  deeper  blue  with  crimson  bars ;  irides 
deep  brown;  legs  yellowish  brown.  Length  about  27  inches; 
wing  11 ;  tail  11 ;  tarsus  3^  ;   weight  about  4-|  lbs. 

The  female  is  brown  throughout  with  dark  mottlings,  and  with 
some  faint  white  lines  on  the  upper  back,  and  wing-coverts,  being 
the  representative  of  the  white  ocelli  of  the  male  ;  quills  ches- 
iiut  banded  with  dusky  ;  chin  albescent ;  beneath,  the  white  lines 
increase  in  size  from  the  breast,  and  are  large  on  the  belly  and 
vent. 

Length  about  24  inches;  wing  10  ;  tail  10.  Young  males  re- 
semble females ;  and  when  in  a  state  of  change,  have  red  spots 
on  the  neck,  wings  and  lower  parts.  In  winter,  after  the  breeding- 
season  is  over,  the  naked  parts  about  the  head  and  neck  diminish 
in  size,  or  almost  disappear. 

This  species  of  Horned-pheasant  is  found  in  the  Nepal  and 
Sikim  Himalayas,  and  was  the  first  species  known  to  naturalists. 
It  appears  to  be  very  abundant  in  Nepal,  and  it  is  not  rare  in 
Sikim  at  considerable  elevations.  I  have  seen  it  at  about  9,000 
feet  in  spring,  and  in  winter  it  descends  to  between  7,000  and 
8,000  feet  in  the  vicinity  of  Darjeeling,  and  perhaps  lower  in 
the  interior.  It  is  frequently  snared  by  the  Bhoteeas  and  other 
Hill-men,  and  brought  alive  for  sale  to  Darjeeling.  Its  call,  which 
I  have  heard  in  spring,  is  a  low  deep  bellowing  cry,  sounding  like 
waa-ung,  icaa-un/j.  Its  general  habits  are  no  doubt  similar  to 
those  of  the  next  species  which  have  been  more  accurately 
observed. 

806.    G'eriornis  melanocephaia,  Gray. 

Satyra  apud  Gkay — Blyth,  Cat.  1452 — Tragopan  Ilastingii, 
Vigors — Gould,  Cent.  Him.  Birds,  pi.  63,64,65 — Phas.  nipalensis. 
Gray  (the  female)— Hard wicke.  111.  Ind.  Zool.  1.  pi.  46,47,48 
and  2  pi.  40 — Jewar,  or  Jowur,  Jowahir,  Jwyr,  as  variously  written, 
in  the  N.  W.  Himalayas,  Jaltgi  at  Simla — Lungi,  in  Kumaon 
■ — Sing  monal,  L  e.  the  Horned  Monaul, — ^  Argus  Pheasant^  of 
Europeans  at  Simla  and  elsewhere. 


518  birds  of  india. 

The  Simla  Horned  Pheasant. 

Descr, — Male,  head  black,  the  crest  tipped  with  red  ;  nape,  buck, 
and  sides  of  neck,  dark-red  ;  back  and  upper  parts  dark  brown, 
minutely  barred  irregularly  with  black,  each  feather  with  a  round 
white  spot  on  a  deep  black  ground  ;  shoulder  of  wing  dark  red ; 
quills  blackish,  with  brown  mottlings  and  bars,  and  some  dusky  olive 
spots  on  some  of  the  wing-coverts;  tertiaries  mottled  like  the  back, 
and  with  the  scapulars,  having  a  large  white  spot  ;  upper  tail- 
coverts  lengthened,  the  lateral  feathers  with  a  large  fulvous  tip  edged 
dull  black,  and  white  spotted  ;  tail  black,  unspotted  towards  the  tip, 
but  barred  wdth  whity  brown  for  the  greater  part  of  its  length ; 
beneath,  the  throat  and  neck  below  the  wattle  are  vivid  scarlet, 
passing  into  flame  colour  and  yellow  on  the  lower  part  of  the  neck, 
these  feathers  being  of  a  hard,  firm,  andj  somewhat  horny  texture  ; 
the  breast  and  lower  parts  black,  dashed  with  dull  red,  and  each 
feather  with  a  round  white  spot  ;  the  thigh-coverts  mottled  black 
and  brown,  paler  and  yellowish  near  the  joint. 

Bill  blackish  ;  irides  hazel  brown  ;  naked  orbits  bright  red,  two 
fleshy  horns  pale  blue  ;  the  gular  wattle  purple  in  the  middle, 
spotted  and  edged  with  pale  blue,  and  fleshy  on  the  sides  ;  legs  and 
feet  fleshy.  Length  27  to  29  inches  ;  extent  37  ;  wing  11;^  ;  tail 
10^  to  1 1  ;  tarsus  3  ;  weight  4|-  lbs. 

The  female  has  the  head  and  all  the  upper  parts  mottled  with 
dark  and  light  brown  and  blackish,  with  small  pointed  streaks  of 
pale  yellow  ;  quills  and  tail  dark  brown,  minutely  mottled  and 
barred  ;  the  lower  parts  light  ashy  brown,  very  minutely  pow- 
dered with  blackish,  and  marked  with  irregular  spots  of  white, 
very  strongly  so  on  the  breast,  less  so  on  the  abdomen,  and  be- 
coming more  ashy.  The  horns  and  fleshy  wattles  also  are  absent. 
Length  about  24  inches  ;  extent  32  ;  wing  10  ;  tail  9  ;  legs  and 
feet  greyish  ashy. 

The  young  male  is  at  first  colored  like  the  female  ;  in  the 
second  year  the  head  and  neck  become  red,  and  the  white  spots 
appear  ;  and  in  the  third  year,  he  gets  the  full  plumage.  In  Hard- 
wicke's  Illustrations  there  is  the  figure  of  a  young  male  in  the  second 
year  called  Fhas.  melanocephalus,  female ;  and  in  Gould's  Century, 


PHASIANIN-E.  519 

pi.  64  what  is  there  called  the  young  male  appears  rather  to  be  a 
cock  bird  in  winter  plumage,  with  the  wattles  not  developed,  and 
the  horns  shrivelled  up  ;  for  Mountaineer  tells  us  that '  the  flap  of 
skin  and  the  horns  are  either  cast  or  shrink  up  every  year  in 
moulting,  and  do  not  attain  any  size  again  till  the  ensuing  spring.' 
In  this  figure,  too,  the  red  tip  of  the  crest  is  very  apparent, 
whilst  in  the  figure  of  the  so  called  adult  male  it  is  totally 
absent. 

This  very  handsome  Horned-pheasant  is  found  from  the 
Western  borders  of  Nepal  to  the  extreme  North-West  Himalayas. 
It  is  stated  not  to  be  a  very  common  bird  about  Simla  and 
Mussooree,  but  more  abundant  near  Almora.  ''Its  usual  haunts"  says 
Mountaineer,  "  are  high  up,  not  far  from  the  snows,  in  dense  and 
gloomy  forests,  either  alone,  or  in  small  scattered  parties.  In  winter 
they  descend  the  hills,  and  then  their  favorite  haunts  are  in  the 
thickest  parts  of  the  forests  of  Oak,  Chesnut,  and  Morenda  Pine, 
where  the  box-tree  is  abundant,  and  where  under  the  forest  trees  a 
luxuriant  growth  of  'Eingall'  or  the  hill  Bamboo  forms  an  underwood 
in  some  places  almost  impenetrable.  They  keep  in  companies  of 
from  two  or  three  to  ten  or  a  dozen  or  more,  not  in  compact  flocks, 
but  scattered  widely  over  a  considerable  space  of  forest,  so  that 
many  at  times  get  quite  separated,  and  are  found  alone."  If  un- 
disturbed, however,  they  generally  remain  pretty  close  together, 
and  appear  to  return  year  after  year  to  the  same  spot,  even  though 
the  ground  be  covered  with  snow,  for  they  find  their  living  then 
on  the  trees.  If  driven  away  from  the  forest  by  an  unusually 
severe  storm,  or  any  other  cause,  they  may  be  found  at  this  season 
in  small  clumps  of  wood,  wooded  ravines,  patches  of  low  brush- 
wood, &c. 

"  At  this  season,  except  its  note  of  alarm,  when  disturbed,  the 
Jewar  is  altogether  mute,  and  is  never  heard  of  its  own  accord 
to  utter  a  note  or  call  of  any  kind  ;  unlike  the  rest  of  our  Phea- 
sants, all  of  which  occasionally  crow  or  call  at  all  seasons.  AVhen 
alarmed  it  utters  a  succession  of  wailing  cries,  not  unlike  those 
of  a  young  lamb  or  kid,  like  the  syllable  "  icaa,  tvaa,  waa,'^  each 
syllable  uttered  slowly  and  distinctly  at  first,  and  more  rapidly 
as  the   bird  is   hard  pressed   or    about  to  take  wing.      Where  not 


520  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

repeatedly  disturbed,  it  is  not  particularly  shy,  and  seldom  takes 
alarm  till  a  person  is  in  its  immediate  vicinity,  when  it  creeps 
slowly  through  the  underwood,  or  flies  up  into  a  tree  ;  in  the 
former  case  continuing  its  call  till  again  stationary,  and  in  the 
latter,  till  it  has  concealed  Itself  in  the  branches.  If  several  are 
together,  all  begin  to  call  at  once,  and  run  off  in  different  direc- 
tions, some  mounting  into  the  trees,  others  running  along  the 
ground.  When  first  put  up,  they  often  alight  in  one  of  the  nearest 
trees,  but  if  again  flushed,  the  second  flight  is  generally  to  some 
distance,  and  almost  always  down  hill.  Their  flight  is  rapid,  the 
whir  peculiar,  and  even  when  the  bird  is  not  seen,  may  be  dis- 
tinguished by  the  sound  from  that  of  any  other.  Where  their 
haunts  are  often  visited  either  by  the  sportsmen  or  the  villagers, 
they  are  more  wary,  and  if  such  visits  Are  of  regular  occurrence 
and  continued  for  any  length  of  time,  they  become  so  in  a  very 
high  degree — so  much  so,  that  it  is  impossible  to  conceive  a  forest 
bird  more  shy  or  cunning.  They  then  as  soon  as  aware  of  the 
presence  of  any  one  in  the  forest,  after  calling  once  or  twice,  or 
without  doing  so  at  all,  fly  up  into  tlie  trees,  which  near  their 
haunts  are  almost  all  evergreens  of  the  densest  foliage,  and  conceal 
themselves  so  artfully  in  the  tangled  leaves  and  branches  that 
unless  one  has  been  seen  to  fly  into  a  particular  tree,  and  it  has 
been  well  marked  down,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  find  them. 

"  In  spring,  as  tb.e  snow  begins  to  melt  on  the  liigher  parts  of  the 
hill,  they  leave  entirely  their  winter  resorts,  and  gradually  separate, 
and  spread  thcmselvs  through  the  more  remote  and  distant  woods 
up  to  the  region  of  birch  and  Avhite  rhododendron,  and  almost 
to  the  extreme  limits  of  forest.  Early  in  April,  they  begin  to 
pair,  and  the  males  are  tlien  more  generally  met  with  than  at  any 
other  period ;  they  seem  to  wander  about  a  great  deal,  are  almost 
always  found  alone,  and  often  call  at  intervals  all  day  long. 
When  thus  calling,  the  bird  is  generalh-  perched  on  the  thick 
branch  of  a  tree,  or  the  trunk  of  one  which  has  fallen  to  the 
ground,  or  on  a  large  stone.  The  call  is  similar  to  the  one  they 
utter  Avhen  disturbed,  but  is  much  louder,  and  only  one  single  note 
at  a  time,  aloud  energetic  "waa,"  not  unlike  tlie  bleating  of  a 
lost  goat,  and  can  be  heard  for  upwards  of  a  mile.     It  is  uttered  at 


PHASIANIN^.  521 

various  intervals,  sometimes  every  five  or  ten  minutes  for  hours  to- 
gether, and  sometimes  not  more  than  two  or  three  times  during  the 
day,  and  most  probably  to  invite  the  females  to  the  spot.  When  the 
business  of  incubation  is  over,  each  brood  with  the  parent  birds 
keep  collected  together  about  one  spot,  and  descend  towards  their 
winter  resorts  as  the  season  advances  ;  but  the  forests  are  so  dense- 
ly crowded  with  long  weeds  and  grass,  they  are  seldom  seen  till 
about  November,  when  it  has  partially  decayed,  and  admits  of  a 
view  through  the  wood. 

"It  feeds  chiefly  on  the  leaves  of  trees  and  shrubs  ;  of  the  former 
the  box  and  oak  are  the  principal  ones,  of  the  latter,  ringall  and 
a  shrub  something  like  privet.  It  also  eats  roots,  flowers,  grubs, 
and  insects,  acorns  and  seeds,  and  berries  of  various  kinds,  but  in 
a  small  proportion  compared  with  leaves.  In  confinement  it  will 
eat  almost  any  kind  of  grain.  Though  the  most  solitary  of  our 
Pheasants,  and  in  its  native  forests  perhaps  the  shyest,  it  is  the 
most  easily  reconciled  to  confinement;  even  when  caught  old 
they  soon  lose  their  timidity,  eating  readily  out  of  the  hand, 
and  little  difficulty  is  experienced  in  rearing  them. 

The  Jewar  roosts  in  trees,  and  in  winter,  perhaps  for 
warmth,  seems  to  prefer  the  low  evergreens  with  closely  interwoven 
leaves  and  branches  to  the  latter  and  larger  which  overshadow 
them." 

Other  species  of  Ceriornis  are  C.  TemmincJiii,  Gray,  from  China, 
figured  Hardwicke's  111.  Ind.  Zool. ;  and  C.  Caboti,  Gould,  also 
from  some  part  of  China,  figured  by  Gould,  Birds  of   Asia,  pt.  X, 

pi.,  1. 

Near  tliese  Pheasants  I  would  place  that  somewhat  anomalous 
form,  the  Blood-pheasant,  founded  on  a  single  known  species.  It 
has  more  the  habit,  perhaps,  of  a  Jungle-fowl  than  of  a  Pheasant, 
but  from  its  geographical  relations  with  the  Pheasants,  only  being 
found  at  high  elevations  on  the  Himalayas,  I  prefer  considering  it 
a  peculiar  form  of  Hill-pheasant,  and  it  certainly  has  some 
afiinities  for  the  Pucras-pheasants.  From  its  small  size  and 
numerous  spurs,  it  may  be  considered  as  holding  the  same  relation- 
ship to  the  Pheasants,  as  Fohjpectron  does  to  Pea-fowl,  or  as 
Spur-fowl  do  to  Jungle-fowl.      It  may  be    considered   a  sort  of 

PAST   II.  3   U 


522  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

link  between  the  Pheasants  and  Partridges,  but  I  cannot  agree  with 
Gray  in  placing  it  among  the  Partridges. 

Gen.    Itiiaginis,  Wagier. 

Char. — Bill  short,  stout ;  tall  rather  short,  of  fourteen  feathers ; 
tarsus  of  the  male  with  several  spurs  ;  feathers  of  the  neck  some- 
what elongated  ;  head  sub-crested.     Of  rather  small  size. 

The  pale  grass-grceu  color  of  the  lower  plumage  of  this  remark- 
able bird,  and  the  blood  red  stains  are  quite  unique. 

807.  Ithaginis  cruentus,  Hardwicke. 

Phasianus,  apud  Haedwicke,  Lin.  Trans.  XIII.  237— Blyth, 
Cat.  1455 — P.  Gardnerij  Hardwicke  (the  female) — Gould,  Birds 
of  Asia,  pt.  Ill,  pi.  S— Soomong-pJw,  Lepch.     Semo,  Bhot. 

The  Green  Blood-pheasant. 

Descr. — Male,  with  the  forehead,  lores,  and  cheeks,  black ;  crown 
of  the  head  buff;  crest  dull  grey,  with  a  streak  of  bulF  down  the 
centre  of  each  feather ;  back  of  the  neck  and  upper  surface 
generally  dark  grey,  with  a  narrow  stripe  of  buiFy  white  bounded 
on  either  side  Avith  a  stripe  of  black,  down  the  centre  of  each 
feather,  the  stripes  becoming  larger  and  more  conspicuous  as  they 
proceed  backwards,  and  with  a  tinge  of  green  on  those  occupying 
the  lower  part  of  the  back  and  the  centre  of  the  greater  wing- 
coverts  ;  tail  grey,  fading  into  greyish  white  at  the  tip,  the  shafts 
white,  and  the  basal  three-fourths  of  the  feathers  broadly  margined 
with  blood  red ;  beneath,  the  throat  is  blood  red  ;  the  ear-coverts 
black,  striated  with  bufFy  white,  the  lower  part  of  the  throat 
brownish  black,  with  a  stripe  of  greenish  buff  down  each  feather  ; 
sides  of  the  neck  buiF ;  breast,  sides  of  the  abdomen,  and  flanks 
very  pale  green,  with  light  shafts,  and  the  feathers  of  the  breast 
with  a  blotch  of  deep  blood-red  near  the  centre  of  either  margin, 
giving  the  part  the  appearance  of  being  stained  with  blood ;  middle 
of  the  abdomen,  thighs  and  vent,  dark  brownish  grey,  striped 
with  greenish  white  bounded  by  black;  under  tail-coverts  deep 
blood-red,  with  a  narrow  line  of  pale  yellow  ending  in  a 
spatulate  form  at  the  tip,  down  the  centre  of  each  feather. 


PHASIANIN^.  523 

Bill  brownish  black  at  the  tip,  red  at  the  base  ;  orbits  bright  red ; 
iridcs  brown;  legs  and  feet  coral  red.  Length  16  to  17  inches ; 
wing  8| ;  tail  6^ ;  tarsus  2|,  with  three,  four  or  five  short 
spurs. 

The  female  has  the  forehead,  cheeks  and  chin,  bright  rusty 
yellow;  the  upper  parts  ferruginous  brown,  mottled  very  finely 
with  blackish;  the  first  primaries  plain  dark  brown;  the  others 
and  the  tail  dark  brown^  freckled  like  the  back ;  lower  parts  some- 
what brighter  ferruginous  brown  than  above  ;  the  under  tail-coverts 
and  vent  mottled  with  brown. 

This  beautiful  bird  has  only  hitherto  been  found  in  the  South- 
cast  Himalayas,  in  Nepal  and  Sikim,  and  apparently  not  common 
in  the  former  country.  It  appears  more  abundant  in  Sikim,  in 
the  interior,  for  it  is  not  found  in  British  Sikim,  and  probably 
extends  into  the  Bootan  Himalayas.  The  following  remarks  are  by 
Dr.  Hooker,  who  had  the  opportunity  of  observing  it  in  Sikim. 

"  This,  the  boldest  of  the  Alpine  birds  of  its  kind,  frequents  the 
mountain  ranges  of  Eastern  Nepal  and  Sikim,  at  an  elevation 
varying  from  10,000  to  14,000  feet,  and  is  very  abundant  in  many 
of  the  valleys  among  the  forests  of  Pine,  {Abies  Wehbiana)  and 
Juniper.  It  seldom  or  ever  crows,  but  emits  a  weak  cackling 
noise.  When  put  up,  it  takes  a  very  short  flight  and  then  runs  to 
shelter.  During  winter  it  appears  to  burrow  under  or  in  holes 
amongst  the  snow,  for  I  have  snared  it  in  January  in  regions 
thickly  covered  with  snow  at  an  altitude  of  12,000  feet.  I  have 
seen  the  young  in  May.  The  principal  food  of  the  bird  consisting 
of  the  tops  of  the  Pine  and  Juniper  in  spring,  and  the  berries  of 
the  latter  in  autumn  and  winter,  its  flesh  has  always  a  very  strong 
flavour,  and  is  moreover  uncommonly  tough ;  it  was,  however, 
the  only  bird  I  obtained  at  those  great  elevations  in  tolerable 
abundance  for  food,  and  that  not  very  frequently.  The  Bhoteas 
say  that  it  acquires  an  additional  spur  every  year ;  certain  it  is 
that  they  are  more  numerous  than  in  any  other  bird,  and  that  they 
arc  not  alike  on  both  legs.  I  could  not  discover  the  cause  of 
this  diflerence,  neither  could  1  learn  if  they  were  produced  at 
different  times.  I  believe  that  five  on  one  leg,  and  four  on  the 
other,  is  the  greatest  number  I  have  observed." 


524  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

Near  the  Horned-pheasants  and  perhaps  linking  them  to  the 
true  Pheasants,  I  would  place  the  Pucras  or  Koklas  Pheasants, 
and  Bonaparte  includes  them  both  in  his  section  Sattjrece  of  his 
Lophophorincs. 

Gen.     PucRASiAj  Gray. 

Syn.     Eulophus,  Lesson — LopJiotetrax,  Cabanis. 

Char. — Bill  short ;  head  adorned  with  a  double  crest,  a  sincipital 
tuft  on  each  side,  and  a  central  drooping  crest  ;  tarsi  with  a 
moderately  large  spur ;  toes  and  claws  lengthened  and  slender ; 
tail  moderately  lengthened,  graduated,  of  sixteen  feathers.  Plu- 
mage throughout  somewhat  lanceolate  and  cock-like. 

This  form  may  be  said  to  be  a  sort  of  link  between  the  Horned- 
pheasants  and  the  true  Pheasants.  It  has  the  crest  of  Phasianus, 
the  hackled  plumage  of  the  Jungle^fowl,  and  in  some  points 
appears  related  to  the  last  genus  Ithaginis.  The  best  known 
species  has  been  described  under  Tragopan  by  Temminck ;  and 
one  writer  states  his  belief  that  it  leads  the  way  from  Pheasants  to 
the  LopJiophori.  It  is  confined  to  the  Himalayas  and  adjacent 
highlands.  Gould  in  his  Birds  of  Asia  describes  and  figures  three 
species. 

808.  Pucrasia  macrolopha,  Lesson. 

Satyra,  apud  Lesson — Blyth,  Cat.  1472 — Gould,  Cent.  Him. 
Birds,  pi.  69,70— Gould,  Birds  of  Asia,  pt.  VI.  pi.  4— P.  nipal- 
ensis,  Gould,  I  c.  pi.  6  ? — Hardwicke  111.  Ind.  Zool.  pi.  40 — 
P.  pucrasia.  Vigors — Tragopan  Duvaucelii,  Temminck — Plus — 
Pukras — Koklas  or  Kolda,  in  various  hill  dialects. 

The  Pukras  Pheasant. 
Descr. — Male,  with  the  head  glossy  dark  green,  the  crown  being 
ashy  brown ;  medial  crest,  with  the  upper  feathers,  ashy  brown  ; 
the  lateral  feathers  dark  green  fully  4  inches  ;  on  each  side  of  the 
neck  a  large  white  oblong  spot;  body  above  light  ashy,  each 
feather  with  a  long  pointed  streak  of  black,  and  the  wing-coverts 
with  some  blackish  blotches ;  upper  tail- coverts  long,  light  ashy  ; 
tail  brownish  chesnut,  black  at  the  tip,  and  faintly  edged  with 
wliitish ;  beneath,  the  breast  and  middle  of  the  belly  rich  deep 
chesnut,  ashy  on  the  flanks  ;  vent  chesnut,  the  feathers  white   tipt. 


PHASIANINiE.  525 

Bill  black ;  irldes  dark  brown  ;  legs  and  feet  ashy.  Length  24 
inches;  extent  30;  wing  10;  tail  12;  tarsus  2-|. 

The  female  has  the  upper  plumage  pale  yellow-brown,  variously 
variegated  and  banded  with  dark  brown,  chesnut,  and  pale 
yellowish ;  cliin  and  throat  yellowish-white ;  lower  plumage 
yellow-chesnut,  with  dark  brown  markings,  paler  down  the  middle 
of  the  abdomen,  and  darker  on  the  flanks. 

Length  20  inches ;  extent  28. 

This  very  handsome  Pheasant  has  only  been  found  in  the  N.  W. 
Himalayas,  from  the  west  of  Nepal  to  beyond  Simla.  It  does  not 
occur  in  Sikim,  nor  in  Eastern  Nepal.  Gould  has  figured  another 
supposed  new  species  as  P.  nipalensis,  stating  that  it  is  smaller 
and  more  beautifully  colored,  the  mantle,  sides  of  the  neck,  and 
feathers  of  the  flank  being  conspicuously  striated  with  black, 
chesnut  and  grey,  whilst  the  same  parts  are  sombre  in  the  other 
species.  The  figures  of  the  two  resemble  each  other  so  very 
closely  that  I  cannot  help  doubting  their  being  really  distinct.  It 
would  appear  that  nipalensis  extends  into  the  Bootan  Himalayas, 
but  it  has  certainly  not  hitherto  been  sent  from  the  intervenino- 
Sikim  hills. 

For  an  account  of  the  habits  of  the  Pukras,  I  again  quote  from 
Mountaineer. 

"This  is  another  forest  Pheasant  common  to  the  whole  of  the 
wooded  regions,  from  an  elevation  of  about  4,000  feet,  to  nearly 
the  extreme  limits  of  forest,  but  is  most  abundant  in  the  lower 
and  intermediate  ranges.  In  the  lower  regions  its  favorite  haunts 
are  in  wooded  ravines,  but  it  is  found  on  nearly  all  hill  sides 
which  are  covered  with  trees  or  bushes,  from  the  summit  of  the 
ridges  to  about  half  way  down.  Further,  in  the  interior,  it  is  found 
scattered  in  all  parts,  from  near  the  foot  of  the  hills,  to  the  top  or  as 
far  as  the  forest  reaches,  seeming  most  partial  to  the  deep  sloping 
forest  composed  of  Oak,  Chesnut,  and  Morenda  Pine,  with  Box,  Yew, 
and  other  trees  intermingled,  and  a  thick  underwood  of  Ringall. 

"  The  Cocklass  is  of  a  rather  retired  and  solitary  disposition. 
It  is  generally  found  singly  or  in  pairs ;  and  except  the  brood  of 
young  birds  which  keep  pretty  well  collected  till  near  the  end  of 
winter,  they  seldom  congrcgiate  much  together.   'W'here  numerous. 


526  BIRDS   OF  INDIA. 

several  are  often  put  up  at  no  great  distance  from  each  other,  as 
if  they  were  members  of  one  lot ;  but  when  more  thinly  scattered, 
it  is  seldom  more  than  two  old  birds  are  found  together  ;  and  at 
whatever  season,  when  one  is  found,  its  mate  may  almost  to  a 
certainty  be  found  somewhere  near.  This  would  lead  one  to 
imagine  that  many  pairs  do  not  separate  after  the  business  of 
incubation  is  over,  but  keep  paired  for  several  successive  years. 
In  forests  where  there  is  little  grass  or  underwood,  they  get  up 
as  soon  as  aware  of  the  approach  of  any  one  near,  or  run  quickly 
along  the  ground  to  some  distance ;  but  where  there  is  much  cover, 
they  lie  very  close,  and  will  not  get  up  till  forced  by  dogs  or 
beaters.  When  put  up  by  dogs,  they  often  fly  up  into  a  tree  close 
by,  which  they  rarely  do  when  flushed  by  beaters  or  the  sportsman 
himself,  then  flying  a  long  way  and  generally  alighting  on  the 
ground.  Their  flight  is  rapid  in  the  extreme,  and  after  a  few 
whirs,  they  sometimes  shoot  down  like  lightning.  They  sometimes 
utter  a  few  low  chuckles  before  getting  up,  and  rise  sometimes 
with  a  low  screeching  chatter  and  sometimes  silently.  The  males 
often  crow  at  daybreak,  and  occasionally  at  all  hours.  In  the 
remote  forest  of  the  interior,  on  the  report  of  a  gun,  all  which 
are  within  half  a  mile  or  so,  will  often  crow  after  each  report. 
They  also  often  crow  after  a  clap  of  thunder  or  any  loud  and 
sudden  noise  ;  this  peculiarity  seems  to  be  conflned  to  those  in 
dark  shady  woods  in  the  interior,  as  I  never  noticed  it  on  the 
lower  hills. 

"  The  Cocklass  feeds  principally  on  leaves  and  buds ;  it  also  eats 
roots,  grubs,  acorns,  seeds  and  berries,  and  moss  and  flowers.  It 
will  not  readily  eat  grain ;  and  is  more  difiicult  to  rear  in  confine- 
ment than  the  Jewar  or  Moonall.  It  roosts  in  trees  generally, 
but  at  times  on  low  bushes  or  on  the  ground.  The  female  lays 
seven  eggs  nearly  resembling  those  of  the  jMoonall  in  colour ; 
they  are  hatched  about  the  middle  or  end  of  May.  She  makes 
her  nest  under  the  shelter  of  an  overhanging  tuft  of  grass,  or 
in  a  corner  at  the  foot  of  a  tree,  and  sometimes  in  the  hollow  of 
a  decayed  trunk." 

PuCRASiA  CASTANEA,  Gould,  figured  Birds  of  Asia,  pt.  VL,  pi. 
5,   from   the   highlands   adjoining   th^  N.  W.    termination  of  the 


PHASlANINiE,  527 

Himalayas,  may  perhaps  occur  within  our  limits  in  Cashmere, 
and  the  Punjab  Himalayas,  but  has  not,  that  I  am  aware  of,  been 
actually  recorded  from  any  spot  in  our  province. 

The  true  Pheasants  follow  the  Pukras  group  very  closely. 

Gen.  Phasianus,  Linnceus  (as  restricted.) 

Char. — Tail  elongated,  cuneate,  of  eighteen  feathers ;  cheeks 
naked,  red ;  tarsi  spurred  in  the  males. 

The  true  long-tailed  Pheasants  are  found  over  all  Central  Asia, 
one  species  only  occurring  as  far  south  as  the  Himalayan  mountains, 
and  none  found  in  Burmah,  nor  in  Malay  ana. 

The  type  of  the  genus  is  the  well  known  Phasianus  colchicus, 
L.,  an  inhabitant  of  Western  Asia,  now  naturalized  throughout 
great  part  of  Europe. 

The  only  Indian  species  differs  somewhat  in  type  of  coloration 
from  the  more  typical  members,  and  has  been  separated  as  Catreus 
by  Cabanis,  but  I  shall  not  adopt  the  division. 

809.  Phasianus  Wallichii,  Haedwicke. 

Lophophorus,  apud  Haedwicke— Blyth,  Cat.  1473 — Gould, 
Cent.  H.  Birds,  pi.  68— P.  Stacei,  Vigors— Chir,  Cheor,  Ban- 
chil,  and  Ilerril,  in  various  parts  of  the  Himalayas — Kahir  in 
Nepal. 

The  Cheer  Pheasant. 

Descr. — ]\lale,  head  dark  ashy,  crested,  with  a  few  long  hair- 
like feathers  ;  neck  light  ashy,  gradually  becoming  slightly  barred 
with  dusky  black ;  shoulders  and  wing-coverts  yellowish  ash,  with 
curving  bars  of  black  ;  and,  in  some  birds,  small  shining  golden 
spots  are  mingled  with  the  black  curves  on  the  shoulder ;  primaries 
dusky,  partially  barred  with  pale  yellow ;  back  and  rump  light 
reddish  chesnut,' barred  with  ^bluish-black  ;  tail  much  graduated, 
the  two  long  middle  tail-feathers  broadly  barred  with  pale  speckled 
yellow  and  brownish  olive,  blotched  and  speckled  with  black  ;  the 
others  barred  with  pale  yellow  black  and  dark  chesnut ;  the  throat 
and  breast  yellowish-ashy,  with  a  few  curving  bars  of  black  ;  belly 
dusky;  thigh-coverts  and  vent  yellowish  chesnut,  marked  with 
dusky.  ' 


528  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

Bill  pale  horny  ;  nude  orbits  bright  red  ;  irides  yellowish  hazel ; ' 
legs  and  feet  brown.  Length  up  to  46  inches,  of  which  the  tail  is 
28,  but  rarely  so  long ;  wing  10  ;  extent  32.     Weight  3;^  lbs. 

The  female  has  the  head,  neck,  and  throat  with  large  dusky  oval 
spots  ;  the  back  is  more  minutely  mottled,  and  the  barring  on  the 
wings  more  prominent ;  the  tail,  which  is  much  shorter,  has  the 
brown  mottlings  bolder  and  more  distinct ;  the  chin  is  plain  ;  and 
the  belly  and  vent  are  plain  yellowish  ashy.  Length  32  inches  ; 
tail  16. 

Young  males  are  said  to  assume  their  own  plumage  at  once. 

This  fine,  though  plain  colored  Pheasant  is  only  found  in  the 
N.  W.  Himalayas,  extending  into  Nepal,  where  however  not  so 
common  as  further  West.  "  It  is/'  says  Mountaineer,  "  an  inhabitant 
of  the  lower  and  intermediate  ranges,  seldom  found  at  very  high 
elevations,  and  never  approaching  the  limits  of  forest.  Though 
far  from  being  rare,  fewer  perhaps  are  met  with  than  of  any  other 
kind,  unless  it  is  particularly  sought  for,  always  excepting  the 
Jewar.  The  reason  of  this  may  be  that  the  general  character  of  the 
ground  where  they  resort  is  not  so  inviting  in  appearance  to  the 
sportsman  as  other  places ;  besides,  they  are  everywhere  confined  to 
particular  localities,  and  are  not  like  the  rest  scattered  indiscriminate- 
ly over  almost  every  part  of  the  regions  they  inhabit.  Their  haunts 
are  on  grassy  hills,  with  a  scattered  forest  of  oak  and  small  patches 
of  underwood,  hills  covered  with  the  common  pine,  near  the 
sites  of  deserted  villages,  old  Cow  sheds,  and  the  long  grass  amongst 
precipices,  and  broken  ground.  They  are  seldom  found  on  hills 
entirely  destitute  of  trees  or  jungle,  or  in  the  opposite  extreme 
of  deep  shady  forest ;  in  the  lower  ranges  they  keep  near  the  tops 
of  the  hills  or  about  the  middle,  and  are  seldom  found  in  the 
vallies  or  deep  ravines.  Further  in  the  interior,  they  are  generally 
low  down,  often  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  villages  ;  except 
in  the  breeding  season,  when  each  pair  seek  a  spot  to  perform  the 
business  of  incubation,  they  congregate  in  flocks  of  from  five  or  six 
to  ten  or  fifteen,  and  seldom  more  than  two  or  three  lots  inhabit  the 
same  hill.  They  wander  about  a  good  deal  on  the  particular  hill 
they  are  located,  but  not  beyond  certain  boundaries,  remaining 
about  one   spot  for   several   days   or  weeks,  and  then  shifting  to 


PHASIANIN^.  529 

another,  but  never  entirely  abandon  the  place,  and  year  after  year 
may  to  a  certainty  be  found  in  some  quarter  of  it.  During  the 
day,  unless  dark  and  cloudy,  they  keep  concealed  in  the  grass  and 
bushes,  coming  out  morning  and  evening  to  feed ;  when  come 
upon  suddenly  while  out,  they  run  off  quickly  in  different  directions, 
and  conceal  themselves  in  the  nearest  cover,  and  seldom  more  than 
one  or  two  get  on  the  wing.  They  run  very  fast,  and  if  the  ground 
is  open  and  no  cover  near,  many  will  run  two  or  three  hundred 
yards  in  preference  to  getting  up.  After  concealing  themselves,  they 
lie  very  close  and  are  flushed  within  a  few  yards.  There  is  perhaps 
no  bird  of  its  size  which  is  so  difficult  to  find,  after  the  flock  have 
been  disturbed,  and  they  have  concealed  themselves  ;  when  the 
grass  is  very  long,  even  if  marked  doAvn,  without  a  good  dog  it  is 
often  impossible,  and  with  the  assistance  of  the  best  dogs  not  one- 
half  will  be  found  a  second  time.  A  person  may  walk  within  a 
yard  of  one  and  it  will  not  move.  I  have  knocked  them  over 
with  a  stick,  and  even  taken  them  with  the  hand.  In  autumn  the 
long  rank  grass  so  prevalent  about  many  of  the  places  they  resort 
.  to,  enables  them  to  hide  almost  anywhere ;  but  this  is  burnt 
by  the  villagers  at  the  end  of  winter,  and  they  then  seek  refuge 
in  low  jungle  and  brushwood,  and  with  a  dog  are  not  so  difficult 
to  find. 

"  Both  males  and  females  often  crow  at  daybreak  and  dusk,  and 
in  cloudy  weather  sometimes  during  the  day.  The  crow  is  loud 
and  singular,  and  when  there  is  nothing  to  interrupt  the  sound, 
may  be  heard  for  at  least  a  mile.  It  is  something  like  the  words, 
chir  a  fir,  cliir  a  pir,  chir  chir,  chirioa,  cJiinoa,  but  a  good  deal 
varied ;  it  is  often  begun  before  complete  daylight,  and  in  spring 
when  the  birds  are  numerous,  it  invariably  ushers  in  the  day. 
In  this  respect  it  may  rival  the  domestic  Cock.  When  pairing 
and  scattered  about,  the  crow  is  often  kept  up  for  near  half  an 
hour,  first  from  one  quarter,  then  another,  and  now  an/d  then  all 
seem  to  join  in  as  a  chorus.  At  other  times  it  seldom  lasts  more 
than  five  or  ten  minutes. 

"  The  Cheer-pheasant  feeds  chiefly  on  roots,  for  which  it  digs 
holes  in  the  ground  ;  grubs,  insects,  seeds  and  berries,  and,  if  near 
cultivated  fields,  several  kinds  of  grain  form  a  portion  ;  it  does 

PART   II.  3  X 


530  BIRDS  OP  INDIA. 

not  eat  grass  or  leaves  like  all  the  rest  of  our  Pheasants.  It  Is 
easy  to  rear  in  confinement,  and  might,  without  difficulty,  be  na- 
turalized in  England,  if  it  would  stand  the  long  frosts  and  snows 
of  severe  winters,  which  I  imaoine  is  rather  doubtful.  The 
female  makes  her  nest  in  the  grass  or  amongst  low  bushes, 
and  lays  from  nine  to  fourteen  eggs,  of  a  dull  white,  and 
rather  small  for  so  large  a  bird.  They  are  hatched  about 
the  end  of  May  or  beginning  of  June.  Both  male  and  female 
keep  with  the  young  brood,  and  seem  very  solicitous  for  their 
safety. 

"This  bird  flies  rather  heavily  and  seldom  very  far.  Like  most 
others,  it  generally  utters  a  few  loud  screeches  on  getting  up,  and 
spreads  out  the  beautifully  barred  feathers  of  its  long  tail,  both 
when  flying  and  running.  It  does  not  perch  much  on  trees,  but 
will  occasionally  fly  up  into  one  close  b^,  when  put  up  by  dogs. 
It  roosts  on  the  ground  generally,  and  when  congregated  together, 
the  whole  flock  huddle  up  in  one  spot.  They  will  however  at 
times  roost  in  trees  or  bushes." 

Other  true  Pheasants  besides  P.  colcldcus  are  P.  torgitatus,  or 
the  ring-necked  Pheasant  of  China,  which  differs  from  the  common 
one  by  having  a  white  ring  round  the  neck,  and  the  back  being 
green.  It  is  figured  by  Gould,  Birds  of  Asia,  pt.  VIII.  pi.  1 ;  and 
another  species,  P.  mo7igoUcus,  has  been  lately  described  by  Gould. 
P.  versicolor,  Vieillot,  (Diardi,  Temm.)  figured  by  Gould,  Birds 
of  Asia,  pt.  IX.  pi.  1,  from  Japan,  has  frequently  interbred 
with  the  common  and  ringed  Pheasants  in  England.  The 
gorgeous  P.  Eeevesii,  Gray  {veneratus,  Temm.)  from  China,  and 
badly  figured  in  Hard-wicke's  111.  Ind.  ZooL,  is  placed  under 
Syrmaticus,  of  Wagler.  P.  Soemmeringii,  Temm.,  from  Japan,  a 
fine  species  with  coppery  red  plumage,  is  placed  by  Reichenbach 
as  GrapUopliasianus. 

The  Golden  Pheasants  form  a  pretty  distinct  group,  Thaumalea, 
Wagler,  (  Chnjsolophus,  Gray).  They  have  the  head  crested,  and 
a  sort  of  ruff  or  tippet  round  the  back  of  the  neck,  and  a  very 
long  tail.  There  are  tAvo  species,  one  the  well-known  Golden 
Pheasant,  Thaumalea  p'lcta,  from  China,  said  to  extend  west  in 
Central  Asia,   as  far  as  Orenbourg ;  and  deemed  by  Cuvier  to  be 


PHASIANIN^.  531 

the  type  of  the  Phoenix  of  the  ancients.  The  other  species  is  a 
most  lovely  bird,  Thaumalea  Amherstioe,  Leadbeater,  probably  an 
inhabitant  of  the  northern  provinces  of  China,  or  Mantchouria. 
It  is  beautifully  figured  in  Gray's  Genera  of  Birds. 

The  Silver  Pheasant,  Gemiaus  vyctliemerus,  figured  by  Gould, 
Birds  of  Asia,  pt.  XI.,  pi.  1,  is  the  type  of  another  form  ;  and 
this  is  intimately  connected  with  a  group  which  leads  from  the 
Pheasants  to  the  Firebacks  and  Jungle-fowl,  and  may  be  placed 
with  either.  It  is  that  of  the  Ivalij  Pheasants  of  the  Himalayas, 
and,  as  it  partakes  both  of  the  character  of  the  Pheasants  and 
Jungle-fowl,  so,  in  its  geographical  distribution,  it  ranges  from 
the  head  quarters  of  the  Pheasants  to  the  Burmese  province, 
where  Jungle-fowl  take  the  place  of  the  true  Pheasants. 

The  Silver  Pheasant  of  Burmah,  Phasianus  lineatus,  Latham, 
figured  in  Belanger's  Voyage,  Birds,  pi.  8,  might  be  classed  either 
with  the  true  Silver  Pheasant,  or  the  Kalij  group,  but  from  geogra- 
phic reasons  I  prefer  placing  it  with  the  latter.  It  has  been 
separated  as  Grammatoptilus,  Reichenbach.  It  occurs  throughout 
the  hilly  regions  of  Burmah. 


Gen.  Gallophasis,  Hodgson. 

Syn.     Euplocomus,  Temminck  (in  part). 

Char. — Head  more  or  less  crested ;  orbits  naked,  red  ;  plumage 
glossy  black  and  white ;  the  feathers  of  the  neck  and  breast 
hackled;  tail  moderately  long,  of  sixteen  feathers,  divaricated, 
raised  in  the  centre,  as  in  Jungle-fowl,  and  held  demi-erect,  the 
feathers  drooping  and  curving  outwards. 

This  group  is  composed  of  at  least  three  species,  two  being 
found  in  the  Himalayas,  and  one  in  Assam,  Chittagong  and 
Arrakan.  They  are  birds  about  the  size  of  a  small  fowl,  and  live 
at  various  elevations,  from  3,000  feet  to  7,000  feet  and  upwards. 
Gray  places  them  among  the  Jungle-fowl,  but  from  their  Himalayan 
distribution,  and  their  not  extending  far  South,  I  prefer  placing 
them  with  the  Pheasants,  but  leading  directly  to  the  Firebacks  and 
Jungle-fowl. 


532  BIRDS   OF    INDIA. 

810.    Gallophasis  albocristatus,  Vigors. 

Phasianus,  apud  Vigors — Gould,  Cent.  Him.  Birds,  pi.  66,  67 
— P.  Hamiltonii,  Gray — Hardwicke,  111.  Ind.  Zool.  1  pi. 
41 — Blyth,  Cat.  1470 — Kalij — Murgk-kalij,  and  Kukera,  H.  at 
Simla  and  the  N.  W.  Himalayas. 

The  Wiiite-crested  Kalij-pheasant. 

Descr. — Male,  head,  neck,  wings  and  tail  shining  bluish  black  ; 
a  long  crest  of  slender  decomposed  feathers,  white ;  lower  back 
and  rump  dull  white,  slightly  barred  with  black,  the  feathers  being 
black  at  the  base,  broadly  tipped  with  white ;  throat  and  breast 
greyish  white,  the  feathers  lanceolate  ;  belly  and  vent  dark  grey. 

Bill  dark  horny;  naked  orbits  briglit  red;  irides  brown;  legs 
and  feet  dark  horny.  Length  26  inches  ;  extent  32  ;  wing  10  ; 
tail  12  to  15.     Weight  about  3  lbs. 

The  female  is  less  than  the  male,  of  a  light  brown  colour 
throughout,  each  feather  being  tipped  with  pale  whity  brown;  the 
chin  whitish ;  lateral  tail-feathers  dark.  The  young  male  is  said 
to   get  his  proper  plumage  the  first  year. 

The  white-crested  Kalij  is  found  in  the  North-west  Himalayas, 
as  far  as  Nepal,  where  it  meets  with  the  next  species,  and 
hybrids  between  the  two  are  not  uncommon  ;  and  these  have 
caused  some  confusion  of  species,  P.  leucomelanos,  of  Latham 
being  considered  as  one  of  these  hybrids,  and  P.  hamiltonii  another. 

"  Tlie  well  known  Kalleege"  says  IMountaineer  "  is  most  abun- 
dant in  the  lower  regions ;  it  is  common  in  the  Dhoon  at  the 
foot  of  the  hills,  in  all  the  lower  vallies,  and  every  where  to  an 
elevation  of  about  8,000  feet ;  from  this  it  becomes  more  rare, 
though  a  few  are  found  still  higher.  It  appears  to  be  more  unsus- 
picious of  man  than  the  rest  of  our  Pheasants ;  it  comes  much  nearer 
his  habitations,  and  from  being  so  often  found  near  the  villages  and 
road-sides,  is  considered  by  all  as  the  most  common,  though  in  their 
respective  regions  the  Moonall  is  more  numerous.  In  the  lower 
regions,  it  is  found  in  every  description  of  forest  from  the  foot  to 
the  summit  of  the  hills,  but  it  is  most  partial  to  low  coppice  and 
jungle,  and  wooded  ravines  or  hollows.     In  the  interior  it  frequents 


PHASIANIN^.  533 

the  scattered  jungle  at  the  borders  of  the  dense  forest,  thickets  near 
old  deserted  patches  of  cultivation,  old  cowsheds  and  the  like, 
coppices  near  the  villages  and  roads,  and  in  fact  forest  and  juno-le  of 
every  kind,  except  the  distant  and  remoter  woods  in  which  it  is  sel- 
dom found.  The  presence  of  man,  or  some  trace  that  he  has  once 
been  a  dweller  in  the  spot,  seems  as  it  were,  necessary  to  its  existence. 

"  The  Kalleege  is  not  very  gregarious ;  three  or  four  are  often 
found  together,  and  ten  or  dozen  may  sometimes  be  put  out  of 
one  small  coppice,  but  they  seem  in  a  great  measure  independent 
of  each  other,  and  much  like  our  English  Pheasants.  When  disturb-  . 
ed,  if  feeding  or  on  the  move,  they  generally  run,  and  do  not 
often  get  up  unless  surprised  suddenly  and  closely,  or  forced  by 
dogs,  and  lie  rather  close  in  thick  cover.  They  are  never  very  shy, 
and  where  not  unceasingly  annoyed  by  sportsmen  or  shikarees,  are 
as  tame  as  any  sportsman  could  wish.  In  walking  up  a  ravine  or 
hill  side,  if  put  up  by  dogs,  a  little  distance  above,  they  will  often 
fly  into  the  trees  close  above  his  head,  and  two  or  three  allow  them- 
selves to  be  quietly  knocked  over  in  succession.  When  flushed 
from  any  place  where  they  have  sheltered,  whether  on  the  ground 
or  aloft,  they  fly  off  to  some  distant  cover,  and  alight  on  the  ground 
in  preference  to  the  trees.  Their  call  is  a  loud  whistling  chuckle 
or  chirrup  ;  it  may  occasionally  be  heard  from  the  midst  of  some 
thicket  or  coppice  at  any  hour  of  the  day,  but  is  not  of  very  fre- 
quent occurrence.  It  is  generally  uttered  when  the  bird  rises,  and 
if  it  flies  into  a  tree  near,  often  continued  some  time.  When  flushed 
by  a  cat  or  a  small  animal,  this  chuckling  is  always  loud  and 
earnest. 

"The  Kalleege  is  very  pugnacious,  and  the  males  have  frequent 
battles.  On  one  occasion  I  had  shot  a  male  which  lay  fluttering 
on  the  ground  in  its  death  struggles,  when  another  rushed  out  of 
the  jungle  and  attacked  it  with  the  greatest  fury,  though  I  was 
standing  reloading  the  gun  close  by.  The  male  often  makes  a 
singular  drumming  noise  with  its  wings,  not  unlike  the  sound 
produced  by  shaking  in  the  air  a  stiff  piece  of  cloth.  It  is  heard 
only  in  the  pairing  season,  but  whether  to  attract  the  attention  of 
the    females  or  in  defiance  of  his  fellows,  I  cannot  say,  as  I   have 


534  BIRDS  OF  INDIA. 

never  seen  the  bird  in  the  act,  though  often  led  to  the  spot  where 
they  were  by  the  sound. 

It  feeds  on  roots,  grubs,  insects,  seeds,  and  hemes,  and  the 
leaves  and  shoots  of  shrubs.  It  is  rather  difficult  to  rear  in  con- 
finement when  caught  old  ;  and  the  few  chicks  I  have  tried,  have 
also  soon  died,  though  possibly  from  want  of  proper  care  and  atten- 
tion. It  is  singular  that  of  the  Hill-pheasants  the  one  most  common 
near  the  habitations  of  man,  should  so  ill  brook  the  loss  of  liberty, 
while  the  Jewar,  the  most  retired  and  solitary  of  all,  is  the  most 
easily  reconciled  to  it.  The  Kalleege  lays  from  nine  to  fourteen 
eggs,  much  similar  in  size  and  colour  to  those  of  the  domestic 
hen.     They  are  hatched  about  the  end  of  May." 

811.    Gallophasis  melanotus,.  Blyth. 

Euplocomus,  apud  Blytii,  Cat.  1469 — Karrick-pho,  Lepch. — 
Kirrik,  Bhot. — Kalij  of  Europeans  at  Darjeeling. 

The  Sikim  Kalij  Pheasant. 

Descr. — Male,  the  whole  upper  plumage,  including  the  crest, 
glossy  black ;  beneath  white ;  the  feathers  of  the  throat  and  breast 
long  and  lanceolate  ;  abdomen,  vent,  and  under  tail-coverts  dull 
brownish  black. 

Bill  pale  horny  yellow ;  orbitar  skin  fine  red ;  irides  brown ; 
legs  horny;  weight  about  3  lbs.  Length  27  inches;  wing  9|;  tail 
13 ;  tarsus  3. 

The  female  has  the  plumage  brown,  pale  and  whitish  about  the 
head  and  throat,  the  feathers  of  the  back  tipped  with  greyisli,  and 
those  of  the  wing-coverts  and  beneath,  broadly  edged  with  white, 
all  the  feathers  faintly  white-shafted. 

The  Sikim  black  Pheasant  differs  conspicuously  from  that  of 
Simla  by  the  crest  being  black,  and  in  having  no  white  on  the 
rump.  In  this  last  point,  it  differs  also  from  another  species,  Gallo- 
jihasis  Horsfieldii.  It  extends  into  Nepal  for  some  distance  till  it 
meets  the  previous  species.  About  Darjeeling  it  is  the  only 
Pheasant  at  all  common,  and  is   not  unfrequently  put  up  on  the 


GALLINiE.  535 

road  side  by  dogs,  when  it  at  once  takes  refuge  in  trees.  It  is 
found  from  3,000  to  nearly  8,000  feet ;  walks  and  runs  with  its 
tail  semi-erect,  and  frequents  both  forests  and  bushy  and  grassy 
ground,  coming  to  the  fields  and  more  open  spaces  to  feed  in  the 
morning  and  evening.  Its  eggs  are  occasionally  found  by  the 
coolies  when  weeding  the  Tea-gardens  in  June  and  July,  and  are 
usually,  I  am  told,  five  to  eight  in  number.  Its  call  sounds  some- 
thing like  Ivoorchi-koorchi,  at  other  times  koorook-koorooh. 

Gallophasis  Horsjieldii,  figured  by  Gray  in  his  Genera  of  Birds, 
and  also  by  Wolf,  is  found  in  all  the  hilly  regions  of  Assam, 
Sylhei,  Tipperah,  and  Chittagong,  where  called  Muthura.  It 
differs  from  the  Darjeeling  Kalij  by  having  the  back  and  rump 
white,  &c.  I  found  it  in  the  Khasia  Hills,  at  between  3,000  and 
4,000  feet  of  elevation.  It  grades  into  the  Burmese  G.  Uneatusy 
specimens  from  Arrakan,  being  apparently  hybrids  between  the 
two  species. 

Sub-fam.  Galling. 

Head  sometimes  furnished  with  fleshy  crest  and  wattles,  or 
crested,  or  sub-crested ;  tail  usually  of  fourteen  feathers,  com- 
pressed, and  more  or  less  divaricate,  held  demi-erect ;  the  upper 
tail-coverts  in  the  males  are  (typically)  elongated  and  pendent. 

This  division  comprises,  according  to  our  views,  the  Jungle-fowls 
of  India  and  Malayana ;  the  Fire-backs,  and  the  black  Phea- 
sants, peculiar  to  the  Malayan  region ;  and  a  small  group  from 
India  and  Ceylon,  the  so  called  Spur-fowl  of  Indian  sportsmen. 
Although  one  species  extends  to  the  lower  ranges  of  the  Himalayas, 
it  cannot  be  called  a  Himalayan  form,  and  thus  this  series  of  game 
birds  differ  remarkably  in  their  geographic  distributions  from  the 
last,  only  one  form  of  which  (and  that  one  osculant  with  the 
present  division)  extends  south  of  the  Himalayan  region.  A 
very  beautiful  bird,  Diardigallus  prelatiis,  Bonaparte,  from  Siam, 
m-ay  be  considered  the  link  from  the  Kalij  Pheasants  to  the  Jungle- 
fowl,  or  rather  to  the  Fire-backs.  It  has  a  peacock-like  crest,  a 
rather  long  glossy  black  tail,  the  upper  plumage  and  breast  silvery 
grey,  and  the  rump  pale  golden  yellow.  It  is  figured  by  Gould  in 
his  birds  of  Asia,    pt.   XIL,  pi.  4.     Next  this  should  come  the 


536  BIRDS  OF   INDIA. 

Fire-backed  Pheasants,  Macartnei/a,  with  two  species,  Phasianus 
igniius,  and  P.  Vieilloti ;  large  birds  with  black  plumage,  the  back 
fiery  red,  and  the  middle  tail  feathers  white.  The  head  is  slightly- 
crested,  and  the  orbits  are  blue.  Next  Alectrophasis,  Gray,  founded 
on  the  Lophophorus  Cuvierii  of  Temrainck,  a  very  beautiful  bird ; 
and  Acomus,  founded  on  the  Phasianus  erytlirojjtlialmos^  similar 
but  smaller,  and  in  which  genus  the  female  is  occasionally  spurred. 
This  and  the  last  have  rufous  tails.     Next  these  the  Jungle-fowl. 

Gen.    Gallus,  Linnseus. 

Char. — Head  furnished  with  a  crest  of  skin ;  the  face  nude» 
and  also  a  loose  lappet  or  wattle ;  tarsus  of  the  male  strongly 
spurred  ;  the  spur  long  and  slightly  curved  ;  tail,  of  fourteen  feathers, 
compressed,  divaricated,  with  the  median  feathers  lengthened, 
curved  and  drooping,  held  semi-erect,  .the  backs  of  the  feathers 
facing  each  other ;  the  upper  tail-coverts  lengthened  and  curved ; 
feathers  of  the  neck  hackled,  lanceolate. 

This  genus  comprises  the  so  called  Jungle-fowl,  the  origin  of  all 
our  varieties  of  Fowl,  and  its  general  characters  are  familiar  to  all. 
Several  species  are  known  occurring  from  India  as  far  as  Timor 
at  all  events.  India  possesses  two,  and  Ceylon  another  species. 

812.    Gallus  ferrugineus,  Gmelin. 

.  Tetrao,  apud  Gmelin — figured  by  Latham  as  the  Hackled 
Partridge — Blyth,  Cat.  1462 — G.  bankiva,  Temminck  (in  part) 
— Hardwicke  111.  J.  Z.  1  pi.  43  f.  3  the  hen, — Jerdon,  Cat.  267 
— Ban  murgh,  or  Jangli-murgh,  H. — Bankohra  of  the  Sontals 
and  in  Central  India — Gera  gogor  of  the  Gonds  (the  male), 
K^lru  (the  hen) — Natsu-pia,  Bhot. — Pazok-tshi,  Lepch. 

The  Eed  Jungle-fowl. 

Descr. — Male,  colors  as  in  the  typical  Barn-door  fowl,  viz.,  rich 
golden  hackles  on  the  head,  neck,  throat  and  breast,  paler  on  the 
sides  of  the  neck  and  posteriorly  ;  ear-coverts  white  ;  back  purplish 
brown  in  the  middle,  rich  orange  brown  on  the  sides  ;  upper  tail- 
coverts  lengthened,  also  bright  orange  ;  wings  with  the  lesser  and 
greater-coverts   black,    glossed  with   green  ;  median-coverts   rich 


GALLlNiE.  537 

dull  raaronne ;  primaries  dusky  with  pale  edges ;  secondaries 
chesnut  externally,  dusky  within ;  tertiaries  p;lossy  black ;  tail 
with  the  central  feathers  rich  glossy  green-black,  the  gloss  dimin- 
ishing on  the  lateral  feathers  ;  beneath,  from  the  breast,  unglossed 
black  ;  thigh-coverts  the  same. 

Bill  slaty  brown  ;  irides  orange  red ;  face,  comb,  and  wattles 
red ;  legs  slaty  black.  Length  about  26  inches  ;  wing  9 ;  tail 
15  ;  tarsus  2|.     Weight  about  2^  lbs. 

The  Jungle-hen  has  the  general  colour  yellowish  brown,  minute- 
ly mottled  with  dark  brown  ;  and  some  of  the  feathers,  especially 
of  the  upper  back  and  wing  coverts  having  conspicuously  pale 
shafts  ;  the  head  dusky  above,  passing  into  short  hackles  of  dark 
brown,  edged  with  bright  yellow  on  the  neck  and  sides  of  the 
breast ;  quills  and  tail  dark  brown ;  the  central  rectrices  edged 
with  mottled  brown ;  ear-coverts  yellowish ;  a  line  down  the 
throat  deep  bright  red-brown  ending  in  a  point  below,  and  passing 
up  in  a  line  behind  the  ears  to  join  a  small  supercilium  of  the  same 
hue ;  breast  pale  rufous  brown,  with  central  pale  streaks,  lighter 
on  the  middle  of  the  belly  and  becoming  dull  brown  on  the  flanks, 
vent,  thigh-coverts,  and  under  tail-coverts.  She  wants  the  comb 
and  wattles,  and  has  only  a  small  nude  red  space.  Length  16  or 
17  inches;  tail  7. 

The  well  known  Jungle-fowl  is  found  from  the  Himalayas 
southwards,  on  the  west  of  India,  as  far  at  all  events,  as  the  range 
of  Vindhian  hills ;  and  as  I  have  been  informed  by  Mr.  W. 
Blanford  since  the  above  remarks  were  penned,  also  south  of 
the  Nerbudda  on  the  Raj-peepla  hills.  Col.  Sykes'  variety  found 
in  the  Western  Ghats  with  much  red  in  its  plumage  must  be  this 
species,  but  it  is  to  be  wished  he  had  noted  the  particular  locality. 
On  the  east,  it  occurs  through  Central  India  and  the  Northern  Circars 
to  near  the  north  Bank  of  the  Godavery.  I  have  heard  of  its  having 
been  killed  even  south  of  this,  at  Cummum,  but  I  cannot  speak 
positively  on  this  head.  I  have  not  seen  it  myself  further  south 
than  the  banks  of  the  Indrawutty,  not  far  from  its  junction  with 
the  Godavery,  and  there  both  this  species  and  the  next  were 
heard  crowing  a  few  yards  from  each  other.  I  shot  one  bird,  an 
undoubted  hybrid  between  the  two  races. 

PART.   II.  3   Y 


538  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

In  Central  India,  this  Jungle-fowl  is  rare,  especially  towards  the 
Western  portion,  at  Jubbulpore,  Saugor,  Mhow,  &c.,  but  it  is  very 
abundant  to  the  East,  and  particularly  so  in  the  Northern  Circars. 
It  is  not  uncommon,  too,  in  the  Rajmahal  hills,  extending  to  the 
south  bank  of  the  Ganges.  Towards  the  North-west  it  occurs  in 
the  range  of  hills  South  of  Cashmere,  and  to  the  West  of  Jummoo, 
but  is  rare  there,  though  common  in  the  lower  ranges  near  Simla, 
and  thence  along  the  Himalayas  to  Assam,  Sylhet,  Chittagong 
and  Burmah.  Malayan  specimens  are  decidedly  darker  in  tint, 
and  have  the  ear-coverts  rufous,  and  perhaps  may  be  considered 
to  be  a  distinct  race  or  species,  which,  in  that  case,  Avould  bear 
Temminck's  name,  Bankiva.  This  race  appears  to  extend  over 
many  of  the  IMalayan  islands,  as  far  as  Timor,  at  all  events;  and 
Mr.  Blyth  drew  my  attention  to  the^  statement  of  Jungle-fowl 
occurring  in  the  Bonin  islands.  Certain  pale-colored  birds  from 
the  lower  Himalayan  ranges  were  noticed  in  the  Ann.  and  Mag. 
Nat.  Hist.,  Vol.  XX.,  p.  389. 

The  Jungle-fowl  is  very  partial  to  Bamboo  jungle,  but  is  found 
as  well  in  lofty  forests  and  in  dense  thickets.  When  cultivated 
land  is  near  their  haunts,  they  may,  during  the  harvest  season 
and  after  the  grain  is  cut,  be  seen  morning  and  evening  in  the 
fields,  often  in  straggling  parties  of  ten  to  twenty.  Their  crow 
which  they  give  utterance  to  morning  and  evening,  all  the  year 
round,  but  especially  at  the  pairing  ssason,  is  quite  like  that  of  a 
Bantam  cock,  but  shorter,  and  never  prolonged  as  in  our  domestic 
cocks.  The  hen  breeds  from  January  to  July,  according  to  the 
locality,  laying  eight  to  twelve  eggs,  of  a  creamy  white  color, 
often  under  a  bamboo  clump,  or  in  some  dense  thicket,  occasionally 
scraping  a  few  leaves  or  dried  grass  together  to  form  a  nest.  Sooner 
or  later  after  the  breeding  season  is  over,  the  neck  hackles  of  the 
male  sometimes  fall  off,  and  are  replaced  by  short  blackish  grey 
feathers. 

Where  detached  clumps  of  Jungle  or  small  hills  occur  in  a 
jungly  district  where  these  Fowl  abound,  very  pretty  shooting  can 
be  had  by  driving  them  by  means  of  dogs  and  beaters ;  and  in 
travelling  through  a  forest  country,  many  will  always  be  found  near 
the  roads,  to  which  they  resort  to  pick  up  grain  from  the  droppings 


GALLINiB.  539 

of  cattle,  &c. ;  dogs  Avill  often  put  them  up  when  they  at  once  fly 
on  to  the  nearest  trees.  Young  birds,  if  'kept  for  a  few  days,  are 
very  excellent  eating,  having  a  considerable  game  flavour. 

813.    Gallus  Sonneratii,  Temminck. 

PI.  Col.  232  and  233— Phas.  gallus,  apud  Sonnerat— Phindi- 
cus.  Leach — Blyth,  Cat.  1464 — Sykes,  Cat.  148 — Jerdon, 
Cat.  2Q6 — Jangli  murgh,  H. — Adavi  kodi,  Tel. — Katu  koli,  Tarn. 

The  Grey  Jungle-fowl. 

De&cr. — Whole  head  and  neck,  with  the  hackles,  blackish  grey, 
with  yellow  spots,  each  feather  being  blackish,  with  the  shaft 
white  and  two  spots,  the  terminal  one  of  somewhat  square 
form,  as  if  a  drop  of  yellow  sealing  wax ;  the  other  whitish,  passing 
on  the  wing-coverts  into  oblong  spots  of  glistening  wood-brown  ; 
ear-coverts  pale  rufous  ;  the  rest  of  the  plumage  above  and  below, 
blackish  grey,  the  feathers  white  shafted,  and  those  on  the  flanks 
broadly  centered  and  tipped  with  wood-brown  ;  outermost  prima- 
ries dusky,  with  the  shaft  and  narrow  edge  pale ;  the  others  black, 
faintly  glossed  ;  upper  tail-coverts  glossy  purple ;  the  central  tail 
feathers  glossy  green,  the  gloss  diminishing  on  the  lateral  feathers ; 
vent  dirty  brownish  ;  under  tail-coverts  glossy  black,  with  white 
shafts. 

Bill  yellowish  horny  ;  comb,  face,  and  wattles  red  ;  irides 
orange  brown  ;  legs  and  feet  horny  yellowish.  Length  24  inches 
and  upwards  in  fine  specimens  ;  wing  9|  to  10;  tail  15  to  16  ; 
tarsus  3^ ;  weight  2^  lbs. 

The  Hen  is  mottled  brown  above,  with  pale  shafts  on  the  wlnc- 
coverts;  beneath  blackish  brown,  the  feathers  broadly  centered' 
with  pure  white,  passing  into  plain  dull  brown  on  the  flanks,  thigh- 
coverts,  vent,  and  under  tail-coverts  ;  head  and  neck  rufous  brown, 
paler  on  the  chin  and  throat  and  somewhat  yellowish  ;  pi-imaries 
dark  brown,  the  secondaries  mottled  brown  ;  tail  blackish  brown, 
edged  with  mottled  brown.     Lenojth  about  17  inches. 

This  handsome  Jungle-fowl  is  foimd  in  Southern  India  only, 
extending  on  the  east  coast  to  a  little  north   of  the    Godavery,    in 


540  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

Central  India  to  the  Pachmarri  or  Mahadeo  hills,  north  of  Nagpore, 
and  on  the  west  coast  to  the  Rajpeepla  hills,  where  it  meets  the 
Red  Jungle-fowl.  Its  occurrence  on  the  Pachmarri  hills  is  most 
probably  its  eastern  extension  from  the  Western  Ghats  and  the 
Kajpeepla  hills,  and  it  will  probably  be  found  all  along  the 
Sathpoora  range.  I  do  not  know  of  its  occurrence  east  of  the 
Mahadeo  hills,  till  the  neighbourhood  of  the  lower  part  of  the 
Godavery  is  reached.  It  is  very  abundant  on  the  Malabar  Coast, 
especially  in  the  more  elevated  districts,  as  in  the  Wynaad,  and  it 
ascends  to  the  summit  of  the  Neilgherries ;  it  is  also  common 
in  suitable  localities  on  the  Eastern  Ghats,  and  in  the  various 
isolated  ranges  of  hills  in  the  south  of  India.  It  is  not  rare  in 
the  Naggery  hills  near  Madras,  and  is  constantly  brought  for  sale 
to  the  Madras  market. 

Like  the  last,  it  is  particularly  partial  to  bamboo  jungles. 
Early  in  the  morning,  throughout  the  Malabar  Coast,  the  Wynaad, 
&c..  Jungle-fowl  may  always  be  found  feeding  on  the  roads,  and, 
with  dogs,  you  are  certain  of  getting  several  shots  on  the  road 
side,  the  birds  perching  at  once  on  being  put  up  by  dogs.  In 
some  districts  where  they  can  be  beaten  out  of  the  woods,  and 
especially  on  the  Neilgherries,  very  pretty  shooting  is  to  be  had 
at  this  Jungle-cock,  the  sharply  defined  woods,  or  '  sholas'  as  they 
are  called,  being  well  adapted  to  being  beaten  for  game.  The 
Hen  lays  from  February  to  May,  generally  having  from  seven  to 
ten  eggs,  of  a  pinky  cream  colour,  under  a  bamboo  clump.  The 
call  of  the  Cock  is  very  peculiar,  being  a  broken  and  imperfect 
kind  of  crow,  quite  unlike  that  of  the  Red  Jungle-cock,  and  impos- 
sible to  describe.  When  taken  from  the  jungles  they  are  more  wild 
and  not  so  easily  domesticated  as  the  Red  Jungle-fowl ;  but  they 
have  bred  in  confinement  with  Hens  of  the  common  breed.  1 
have  already  noticed  the  occurrence,  in  a  wild  state,  of  hybrids 
between  this  and  the  Red  Jungle-fowl. 

Ceylon  possesses  a  separate  species  of  Jungle-fowl,  Gallus 
Stanleiji,  Gray,  ( G.  Lafayetti,  Lesson ;  lineatiis,  Blyth),  something 
like  BanJciva,  but  red  beneath ;  and  Java  has  another  very  distinct 
species,  Gallus  furcatus,  Temminck.  Several  other  races  are 
noted,  but  some  of  them  are  doubtful  species,  G.  ceneus,  Temm., 


GALLTNiE.  541 

being  considered  a  hybrid  between  furcatus  and  hnnhivo.     Gray 
has  lately  figured  a  fine  Cock  from  Batavia,  G.  Temminckii. 

Lastly  we  come  to  what  may  be  considered  a  dwarfed  or  deoraded 
race  of  Jungle-fowl,  peculiar  to  the  Continent  of  India  and  Ceylon, 
the  so  called  Spur-fowl  of  sportsmen  in  the  South,  the  double- 
spurred  Partridge  of  some.  These  birds,  which  are  only  of  the 
size  of  Partridges,  have  no  comb  nor  wattles,  but  they  have  nude 
orbits,  quite  the  port  of  Jungle-fowl,  and  the  sexes  differ  nearly 
as  much,  in  which  point  they  do  not  agree  with  the  Partrido-e 
group.  They  moreover,  frequent  woods  and  dense  cover,  never 
coming  into  the  open. 

Gen.  Galloperdix,  Blyth. 

Char. — Bill  somewhat  lengthened  ;  orbits  nude  ;  tail  moderately 
long,  broad,  of  14  feathers,  held  erect  and  folded  as  in  fowls  ; 
tarsus  of  the  male  with  two  or  more  spurs ;  females  also  with  one 
or  more  spurs.     Of  small  size.     Sexes  difier  much  in  colour. 

Only  three  species  are  known  at  present. 

814.    Galloperdix  spadiceus,  Gmelin. 

Tetrao,  apud  Gmelin — Blyth,  Cat.  1458— Hardwicke,  111. 
Ind.  Zool.  1  pi.  42  f.  2— Gould,  Birds  of  Asia,  pt.  VI.  pi.  3—, 
SYKES,Cat.  160— Jerdon,  Cat.274— Polyplectronnorthia?,  Gray, 
Hardwicke,  111.  I.  Z.  I.  pi.  43,  f.  1  (the  female)— CAoto  jangli 
murgli^  H. —  Yerra  kodi,  and  Jitta  kodi,  Tel. — Saravi  koH,  Tam. 
Kokatri,  Mahr. 

The  Eed  Spur-fowl. 

Descr. — Male,  head  and  nape  dusky  olive-brown  ;  the  forehead 
and  round  the  eye  pale  whity  brown,  somewhat  buff  in  some 
individuals ;  chin,  throat,  and  sides  of  neck  pale  brown ;  the  rest 
of  the  body  both  above  and  below,  rich  brown-chesnut  or  bay ; 
each  feather  pale  edged ;  primaries  brown ;  the  secondaries  and 
tertiaries  more  or  less  minutely  mottled ;  tail  with  the  central 
feathers  chesnut,  the  others  dark-brown,  more  or  less  mottled,  this 
disappearing  with  age ;  lower  abdomen,  vent,  and  under  tail- 
coverts,  olivaceous. 


542  BIRDS  OF  INDIA. 

Bill  duskj-horny ;  orbits  red  ;  irides  orange  brown ;  legs  and 
feet  Vermillion  red.  Length  14  to  14^  inches  ;  wing  6| ;  tail  .5  ; 
tarsus  2  ;  weight  1.2  to  13  oz. 

The  female  has  the  crown  dusky  blackish,  the  neck  olive 
brown,  and  the  rest  of  the  upper  plumage  pale  rufous-brown, 
each  feather  with  two  or  three  blackish  bands,  and  minutely 
speckled,  and  the  tip  pale  ;  the  rump  and  upper  tail-coverts  are 
minutely  freckled  ;  the  tail  mostly  blackish,  with  mottled  rufous 
bars,  tending  to  become  obsolete  ;  primaries,  their  coverts,  and 
the  winglet,  spotless  dusky  brown  ;  throat  albescent ;  neck  olive 
brown,  the  feathers  becoming  rufous  in  the  centre,  and  tipped 
with  black  ;  breast  and  flanks  bright  ferruginous,  with  narrow 
black  tips  ;  belly  dusky  brown  ;  under  tail-coverts  freckled  rufous 
brown. 

Length  13  inches  ;  tail  4|. 

The  male  bird  has  usually  two  spurs  on  each  tarsus,  sometimes 
three  on  one,  and  occasionally  two  on  one  leg  and  one  on  another, 
often  long  and  sharp.  The  hen  bird  has  usually  one  on  each 
leg,  sometimes  absent  on  one  leg  ;  and  occasionally  two  on  one 
leg  and  one  on  the  other. 

The  Red  Spur-fowl  is  found  throughout  the  South  and  many 
parts  of  Central  India,  extending  into  the  Rajmahal  and  Kurruk- 
pore  hill  ranges  south  of  the  Ganges,  but  rare  there.  I  have 
seen  it  most  abundant  in  the  Malabar  jungles,  from  near  the  level 
of  the  Sea  to  the  Neilgherries,  up  to  nearly  7,000  feet  of  eleva- 
tion, but  more  common  lower  down  ;  In  the  Northern  Circars  ;  in 
the  eastern  parts  of  Central  India  ;  in  the  high  land  between 
Nagpore  and  the  Nerbudda,  and  also  in  the  A^indhian  range.  As 
both  male  and  female  are  figured  in  Hardwicke's  Illustrations, 
it  may  occur  in  some  parts  of  the  North-western  Provinces, 
but  I  have  nQt  seen  it  recorded  higher  than  Bundelkund.  In 
the  less  wooded  ranges  of  the  Eastern  Ghats,  it  is  rare,  being 
there  replaced  by  the  next  bird.  This  species  is  stated  in 
some  works  to  inhabit  Madagascar  as  well  as  India,  but  this  is 
exceedingly  doubtful.  If  it  really  has  been  received  as  from 
Madagascar,  I  would  accept  Mr.  Blyth's  conjecture  that  it  and 
FrancoUnus    sinensis    (also    stated  to  have    been   received    from 


GALLlN.33.  543 

that  Island)  have  been  introduced  Into  the  Mauritius,  and  sent 
thence  along  with  various  Madagascar  birds.  It  is  more  probable, 
however,  that  some  other  species  has  been  mistaken  for  it, 
probably  Tetrao  madagascariensis,  which,  indeed,  Gray  places  next 
Galloperdlv  in  his  genus  Phctrophorus  ;  but  which  most  probably 
belono-s  to   the  African    FrancoUns  rather  than    to    the  Gallince. 

The  Red  Spur-fowl  chieily  affects  forests,  or  dense  thickets  of 
bamboos,  and  is  difficult  to  obtain  without  dogs,  as  it  runs  before 
the  sportsmen  or  beaters  ;  and,  in  driving  some  of  the  large  forests 
for  Deer,  these  Spur-fowl  as  well  as  Jungle-fowl  and  Pea-fowl  often 
run  past  the  concealed  gunner.  On  the  Neilgherries  good  shots 
can  be  had  in  beating  the  woods  there,  and  two  or  three  Spur-fowl 
generally  form  part  of  a  miscellaneous  bag  on  those  hills.  Dogs 
cause  it  to  perch  on  trees  at  once,  and  it  always  roosts  on  trees 
at  night.  It  feeds  on  various  kinds  of  grain,  and  very  much  on 
insects,  especially  on  various  kind  of  bugs,  larva?  of  small  blattic, 
&c.,  it  comes  less  to  the  open  to  feed  than  Jungle-fowl,  and  1 
have  never  flushed  it  in  fields.  It  runs  with  its  tail  raised,  and 
is  always  considered  a  sort  of  Jungle-fowl  by  the  natives.  The 
call  is  a  sort  of  crowing  cry  which  the  Mahrattas  have  attempted 
to  imitate  in  their  name,  and  the  call  note  of  the  hen  is  quite 
fowl-like.  It  is  stated  to  breed  in  dense  thickets  In  March  and 
April.  The  flesh,  though  rather  dry,  is  of  high  flavour,  and  if, 
as  on  the  Neilgherries,  It  can  be  kept  a  few  days,  Is  really 
excellent. 

815.    Galloperdix  lunuiosus,  Valenc. 

Perdix,  apud  Valenciennes — Blyth,  Cat.  1457 — Francolinus 
nivosus,  Delessert  Voy.  aux.  Indes  pi.  10 — P.  ITardwIckii,  Gray, 
Hardwicke,  111.  Ind.  Zool.,  1,  pi.  52 — Jerdon,  111.  Ind.  Orn.  pi. 
42  (the  female.) — Jitta  lodi,  Tel.  » 

The  Painted  Spur-foavl. 

Descr, — Male,  head,  face,  and  neck  variegated  black  and  white, 
the  feathers  being  black  with  white  streaks  and  triangular  spots, 
the  head  mostly  black  ;  the  upper  plumage  and  wings  rich  chesnut, 
with  white   t-pots  on  tlic  back,  oide^i  of  neck,  shoulders,  and  wing- 


544  BIRDS  OP    INDIA. 

coverts ;  primaries  earthy  brown ;  tail  dark  sepia  brown,  glossed 
with  green  in  old  birds  ;  beneath,  the  throat  and  neck  are  varie- 
gated black  and  white,  changing  on  the  breast  to  ochreous  buff, 
with  small  triangular  black  marks,  which  disappear  on  the  abdomen ; 
the  flanks,  thigh-coverts,  and  under  tail-coverts  dull  chesnut. 

Bill  blackish  ;  orbits  red  ;  irides  red  brown ;  legs  horny  brown. 
Length  13  inches  ;  wing  6  ;  tail  5  ;  tarsus  1^. 

The  female  has  the  top  of  the  head  dusky,  with  the  forehead, 
over  the  eye,  and  the  nape  tinged  with  chesnut ;  a  pale  ruff 
and  raoustachial  line ;  the  rest  of  the  plumage  dull  olive  brown, 
changing  to  ochreous-olive  on  the  breast  and  abdomen. 

Length  12^  inches. 

The  male  has  generally  two  spurs  on  each  leg,  occasionally  three^ 
and  the  hen  bird  has  almost  always  one,  frequently  two.  Young 
males  have  the  general  plumage  of  females,  with  the  tertiaries 
and  tail  chesnut  brown,  with  black  bands  ;  and  young  females 
have  blackish  lunulations  on  part  of  their  plumage. 

Tlic  Painted  Spur-fowl  is  not  found  on  the  Malabar  Coast  nor 
on  the  Neilgherries,  but  is  common  in  several  of  the  isolated 
hill  ranges  of  Southern  India,  and  all  along  the  Eastern  Ghats 
which  are  more  scantily  clad  with  forest  than  those  on  the  Malabar 
Coast ;  also  in  rocky  hills  about  Hyderabad  in  the  Deccan,  and 
thence  sparingly  through  Central  India,  and  the  Saugor  and 
Nerbudda  territories  to  the  Monghyr  and  Mirzapore  hills,  and 
perhaps  still  further  West,  the  male  bird  being  figured  in  Hard- 
wicke's  Illustrations  as  from  Cawnpore.  A  writer  in  the  Bengal 
iSporting  Review  states  that  he  has  seen  them  in  the  Cuttack  jungles ; 
but  in  Goomsoor,  a  little  further  south,  I  saw  only  the  Ked  Spur- 
fowl.  The  same  writer  states  them  to  be  frequently  seen  on  the 
hilly  parts  of  the  Grand  Trunk  Road.  Either  this  or  the  last 
species  is  called  the  '  Nerbudda  Chukor'  in  some  pages  of  the 
same  periodiaal. 

This  handsome  Spur-fowl  is  especially  partial  to  rocky  jungles 
and  tangled  coverts,  and  is  a  very  difficult  bird  to  flush,  taking 
a  short  and  rapid  flight,  and  diving  down  into  some  impenetrable 
thicket.  I  have  often  seen  it  running  rapidly  across  rocks  when  the 
jungles  were  being  beaten  for  large   game.     From  the  difficulty 


GALLINiE.  545 

of  procuring  this  bird,  it  is  not  well  known  to  sportsmen  in  general, 
even  in  districts  where  it  is  not  rare ;  and  its  qualities  for 
the  table  are  inferior  to  those  of  the  last  species,  having  less 
flavour  and  being  more  dry.  Numbers  are  snared  in  the  hills 
not  far  from  Madras,  and  they  are  generally  procurable  in  the 
Madras  market.  I  have  kept  them  in  confinement  for  long. 
They  thrive  pretty  well,  but  the  males  are  very  pugnacious.  The 
males  have  a  fine  cackling  sort  of  call,  very  fowl-like.  This  Spur- 
fowl  has  been  introduced  into  the  Zoological  Gardens  of  London, 
and  appears  to  be  thriving  well.  A  figure  of  it  appeared  in 
Wolf's  Zoological  sketches  of  Animals  and  Birds  living  in  those 
gardens. 

The  only  other  known  species  of  Spur-fowl,  Galloperdix  zeylon- 
ensis,  is  somewhat  allied  to  the  last  species,  but  differs  conspi- 
cuously by  the  lower  parts  being  mottled  black  and  white,  some- 
what as  in  the  Painted  Partridge.  It  is  figured  by  Gould  in  Birds 
of  Asia,  pt.  VI.  pi.  2. 

Blyth  considers  1-tilopachus,  an  African  genus,  to  approximate 
Galloperdix,  but  on  geographic  considerations  I  prefer  keeping  it 
among  the  Francolins  and  Partridges  as  Gray  has  done.  The 
Turkeys  ^re  sometimes  placed  as  a  division  of  the  Phasianidw, 
but  I  think  on  grounds  both  of  structure,  habit,  and  geographic 
distribution,  that  they  ought  to  be  kept  distinct.  Bonaparte,  indeed, 
places  them,  and  the  somewhat  less  isolated  Guinea  fowls  of  Africa, 
as  families  in  one  Cohort,  Graces,  with  the  Cracidoe',  and  Gray 
places  both  Turkeys  and  Guinea-fowl  in  his  sub-fara.  Meleagrino3 
of  the  Phasianidm.  Though  I  can  hardly  agree  with  Bonaparte 
in  associating  them  with  the  Curassows  from  which  they  di£fer  in 
so  many  structural  details,  yet  I  agree  with  him  that  geographic 
distribution  must  be  considered  in  allotting  a  place  in  the  natural 
system  to  any  group. 

The  Meleagridoa  or  Turkeys,  are  birds  of  large  size,  with  the 
head  and  neck  naked ;  a  fleshy  caruncle  hangs  from  the  cere, 
partially  erectile,  and  the  throat  is  furnished  with  a  pendulous 
carunculated  wattle  capable  of  expansion  and  turgescence,  when 
the  bird  is  excited  either  by  anger  or  desire  ;  the  tail  has  eighteen 
broad  feathers,  which  the  male  raises  erect  and  spreads,  puffing  out 

PART  II.  3   Z 


546  BIRDS   OF  INDIA. 

his  plumage  and  gobbling.  The  tarsus  is  armed  with  a  blunt  spur, 
and  the  bill  is  rather  short  and  stout.  Three  species  are  now  known. 
Meleagris  sylvestris,  of  N.  America ;  M.  ocellata,  of  Honduras ; 
and  M.  mexicana,  Gould,  undoubtedly  the  origin  of  the  domestic 
Turkey.     They  frequent  woods,  associating  in  large  flocks. 

Fam.  Tetraonid^ — Grouse  and  Partridges. 

Syn.     Cohort  Perdices,  Bonap. 

Bill  generally  short,  stout,  and  thick ;  nostrils,  in  many,  plumed 
at  the  base;  wings  rounded  in  most,  pointed  in  a  few,  longer 
than  in  the  Fhasianidce  ;  tail  short  or  moderate,  even  or  very 
slightly  rounded,  forked  and  lengthened  in  a  few ;  tarsus  rather 
short  and  stout ;  face  feathered  entirely,  or  with  a  small  patch 
of  nude  skin  over  or  round  the  eye.  Plumage  of  the  sexes  in 
general  differing  but  very  slightly,  sometimes  not  at  all. 

The  Grouse,  Partridges,  and  Quails,  which  compose  this  family, 
differ  markedly  in  several  points  from  the  Pheasants  and  Jungle- 
fowls,  albeit  some  of  them  have  more  or  less  resemblance  to  the 
birds  of  that  group.  The  Black-cock  with  his  forked  tail  and 
black  plumage  recalls  the  coloring  of  Gallophasis  and  Acomus ; 
and  the  Capercailzie  has  the  perching  habits  of  the  Pheasants. 
But  there  is  something  in  the  physiognomy  of  most  of  this  family 
which  points  them  out,  even  to  the  common  observer,  as  a  distinct 
.  group.  Tlieir  form  is  heavy,  stout,  and  massive  ;  the  neck  shorter ; 
the  bill  stout  and  short ;  the  tail  is  shorter,  and  seldom  raised ; 
there  is  very  slight,  often  no  difference  between  the  sexes  ;  and 
the  plumage  of  most  has  that  peculiar  character  distinguished  as 
game  plumage,  rather  a  vague  term  certainly,  and  more  evident 
to  the  eye  than  describable  in  words. 

They  have,  moreover,  a  totally  different  geographical  distribu- 
tion, being  found  over  all  the  world,  whilst  the  Phasianidce  are 
confined  nearly  to  the  South-east  of  Asia.  Bonaparte  places  them 
as  his  Cohort  Perdices ;  but  in  relation  with  the  Pteroclid(B  and 
Tinamidce,  to  neither  of  which  they  are  very  closely  affined. 
They,  as  a  general  rule,  affect  open  grass  lands,  moors,  fields, 
and  low  scattered  jungle,  in  contradistinction  to  the  Pheasant 
tribe   which   almost   always   prefer  forests   or  thick  coverts ;  and 


TETRAONINiE  547 

several  associate  in  parties  called  coveys,  or  bevies,  and  in 
still  lariTcr  bodies  or  flocks  in  winter.  The  flesh  of  all  is  cood 
and  higli  flavored,  more  so  perhaps  than  that  of  the  Pheasants, 
but  varying  of  course  according  to  the  group,  or  even  the 
species. 

The  Tetraonidce  may  be  divided  into  Grouse,  Partridges,  American 
Partridges,  Quails  and  Guinea-fowl,  and,  as  in  the  last  family,  I 
shall  consider  these  as  sub-families.  Of  these,  the  Grouse  are 
peculiar  to  the  Northern  portions  of  both  Continents.  Partridges 
are  found  in  Europe,  Asia  and  Africa,  disappearing  in  the  Malayan 
Archipelago,  except  to  its  extreme  west ;  the  American  Partridges 
are  confined  to  the  New  World ;  and  Quails  have  the  same  distri- 
bution as  the  true  Partridges,  but,  conversely  to  that  group,  have 
a  tendency  to  accumulate  in  the  South-eastern  portion  of  the 
Malayan  Archipelago  and  Australia,  where,  with  Turnix  of  the 
Tinamidce,  they  are  the  only  typical  Gallinaceous  birds.  The 
Guinea-fowl  of  course  are  confined  to  Africa. 

The  sub-fam.  TETRAONINiE,  or  true  Grouse,  are  not  represented 
in  India,  being  peculiar  to  the  Northern  portion  of  both  Continents. 
They  are  mostly  birds  of  large  or  moderate  size,  and  of  strong 
flight,    Avith   the   tarsus  and   toes  more   or  less   feathered ;   they 
frequent  heathery  moors,  or  upland  and  hilly  pastures.     Some, 
the  Grouse,  are  polygamous ;   others,  as  the  Ptarmigan,  so  similar 
otherwise    to     Grouse,    are  monogamous.     The   plumage    is    in 
general  dark,  and  of  very  game  character,  and  the  flesh  is  the 
most  highly  flavoured  of  any  of  the  Gallinacece.     The  best  known 
are  the  Scottish  Grouse,  Tetrao  scoticus ;   the  Black-cock,  Lyrurus 
tetrix;  the  noble  Capercailzie,  Urogullus  vulgaris ;  and  the  mountain- 
loving  Ptarmigan,  Lagopus  mutus.  Several  other  species  of  Grouse 
occur  on  the  Continent  of  Europe    and  Northern   Asia,    and  one 
species  of  Ptarmigan  occurs  in  the  Caucasus,  but  as  yet  no  species 
of  Grouse  or  Ptarmigan  has  been  observed  on  the  Himalayas  or 
adjacent    territories.      The    PtufFed    Grouse  of    Europe,  Bonasa 
betulina,  Scopoll,  descends    to  a   lower   latitude  than    any   of  the 
true  Grouse ;  and  Mr.  Blyth  states  that  he  has  recognised  a  new 
species   of    this    group    among    some    Chinese    drawings.     Many 
Grouse  are  found  in  North  America,  one  group,  the  Centrocercus 


548  BIRDS  OF  INDIA. 

or  Pin-tailed  Pheasants,  as  they  are  there  called,  being  peculiar  to 
that  region. 

Sub-fam.  Perdicin^. 

Tarsus  not  feathered ;  orbits  generally  plumed,  or  wanting  the 
nude   eyebrow   of  the  Grouse;  tarsus  often  spurred. 

This  sub-family  comprises  an  extensive  group  of  birds  of  mode- 
rate or  small  size,  found  over  the  greater  part  of  the  Old  Continent, 
frequenting  fields,  pastures,  reeds,  moors,  and  rocky  hill  sides,  very 
rarely  preferring  forests  or  jungles.  They  are  distinguished  from 
Grouse  by  having  the  tarsus  nude  and  generally  scutate.  The 
beak  is  generally  short  and  tolerably  compressed,  the  margin  entire, 
and  the  nostrils  protected  by  a  hard  scale.  They  lay  numerous 
eggs,  and  feed  on  grain,  berries,  insects,  and  small  molluscs. 

There  are  several  distinct  types  of  form  among  them,  differing 
in  the  spurring  of  the  tarsus,  longer  or  shorter  bill,  coloration, 
and  habits  ;  and  they  are  found  throughout  the  Old  World,  not 
extending  to  the  eastern  portion  of  Malayana,  nor  to  Australia. 

The  Partridges  occurring  in  India  may  be  divided  into  Snow- 
cocks  and  Snow-partridges,  peculiar  to  the  highlands  of  Central 
Asia  and  the  Himalayas  ;  Partridges,  (in  ordinary  parlance)  com- 
prising the  Francolins,  Chukors,  Grey-partridges,  Wood-partridges 
and  Bush-quails.  Besides,  there  are  the  true  Partridges,  represented 
by  the  common  Grey-partridge  of  Europe,  with  one  species  from 
Thibet ;  and  the  great  group  of  African  Partridges. 

\st. — Snow-cocks  and  Snow-partridges. 

These  comprise  two  genera  of  mountain  Partridges  peculiar  to 
the  higher  regions  of  Central  Asia,  which  combine  the  naked 
tarsi  of  Partridges  with  the  habits  and  aspect  of  Grouse  and 
Ptarmigan,  and  may  thus  be  said  to  form  a  link,  both  structurally 
and  geographically  between  the  two  groups.  Both  occur  within 
our  limits.  Bonaparte  places  them  in  his  section  Tetrao-galleee 
of  his  Ferdicin<s,  but  badly  associates  with  them  Galloperdix, 
Francolijvus,  and  the  Grey-partridges  of  India,  and  also  most  of 
the  African  Partridges,  some  of  which,  from  their  size,  may 
perhaps  enter  this  group.  Gray  associates  them  with  the  Kock 
and  Sand-partridges  {Clmhors)  to  form  his  sub-fam.  CaccalincB. 


PERDIOIN^.  549 

Gen.  Tetraogallur,    Gray. 

Syn.  Megaloperdix,  Brandt. —  Chourtka,  Motsch. — Oreotetraxy 
Cabanis. 

Char. — Bill  longlsh,  stout,  broad  ;  a  small  naked  patch  behind 
the  eye  ;  wings  moderate  and  somewhat  pointed,  having  the  2nd 
and  3rd  quills  the  longest;  tail  ample,  moderate,  of  eighteen 
feathers ;  tarsi  short,  stout,  with  a  short  blunt  spur.  Of  large 
size — Sexes  alike. 

Until  recently  but  one  species  was  recognised  in  this  fine  group, 
but  now  four  very  distinct  species  have  been  discriminated,  and 
a  fifth  indicated.  They  are  birds  of  large  size,  as  large  as  a 
Black-cock,  of  a  light  mottled  grey  colour ;  and  they  frequent 
the  highest  spots  close  to  the  snows ;  from  their  large  size  they 
are  often  popularly  called  Snow-pheasants ;  but,  from  their  asso- 
ciation with  the  birds  of  this  group,  perhaps  had  better  be  called 
Snow-cocks. 

816.  Tetraogallus  Himalayensis,  Gray. 

Blyth,  Cat.  1487— Gould,  Birds  of  Asia,  pt.  V.  pi.  2-- 
T.  nigelli,  apud  Gray,  Hardavickic,  111.  Ind.  Zool.  vol.,  2  pi.  46 
— Lophophorus  nigelli,  Jard.  and  Selby,  111.  Orn.  3  pi.  141 — 
Jer-monal  in  the  N.  W.  Himalayas — Kahah,  and  Gourhagu  iu  some 
parts — Huin-ical,  in  Kumaon — Snow-pheasant,  Snow  Chukor,  and 
Strath  Chukor  of  sportsmen. 

The  Himalayan  Snow-cock. 

Descr. — Crown  of  head,  cheeks,  and  back  of  neck  grey,  the  rest 
of  the  iipper  parts  light  ashy-grey,  minutely  freckled  with  black, 
purer  ashy  on  the  wings,  and  tinged  with  brownish  rufous  on  the 
back ;  each  feather  of  the  back,  rump,  and  wing-coverts,  striped 
with  dull  buff,  more  rufous,  and  inclining  to  chesnut  brown  on 
those  of  the  wings ;  primaries  white,  broadly  tipped  with  dusky 
freckled  grey ;  tail  reddish  on  the  outer  web,  minutely  freckled 
with  black ;  freckled  grey  on  the  inner  webs ;  beneath,  the  chin 
and  throat  are  whitish  ;  a  band  of  chesnut  passes  from  above  the 
eye  down  the  sides  of  the  nape,  and  another  from  the  angle  of  the 
mouth  passes  down  the  sides  of  the  neck  and  meets  the  first,  when 


550  BIRDS   OF  INDIA. 

it  forms  a  collar  round  the  lower  part  of  the  tlivoat ;  beneath  this 
the  breast  plumes  are  somewhat  scale-like,  the  upper  ones  greyish 
with  a  black  lunule,  the  lower  ones  whitish  ;  the  rest  of  the  lower 
surface  is  grey,  minutely  freckled  with  brown,  pale  on  the  flanks, 
and  with  a  double  broad  dash  of  chesnut  on  each  feather ;  vent  and 
under  tail-coverts  white ;  thigh-coverts  dark  grey. 

Bill  pale  horny ;  naked  patch  behind  the  eye  yellow ;  irides 
dark  brown ;  legs  yellowish  red.  Length  29  inches ;  extent  40 ; 
wing  13;  tail  8  ;  tarsus  3.     Weight  6Mbs. 

The  females  are  somewhat  smaller,  24  inches  long;  wing  12; 
tail  7. 

This  fine  bird  is  found  throughout  all  the  Western  portion,  at  all 
events,  of  the  Himalayan  range,  as  far  as  Nepal,  but  it  is  not  certain 
if  it  extends  eastwards  into  Sikim  and  Bootan.  It  is  also  found 
across  the  higher  ranges  in  Chinese  Tartary  and  Thibet.  It  is  pro- 
bably the  species  observed  in  Cashmere  by  Vigne,  who  states  that 
it  inhabits  the  Snowy  Punjab  on  both  sides  of  the  valley,  but 
more  common  on  the  Thibet  side.  '  These  fine  birds,'  says  Hutton, 
'  are  common  in  the  Hazara  mountains,  and  are  caWcd  Kauk-i-diii'ra 
or  the  '  Partridge  of  the  Ghats'  by  the  AiFghans,  and  they  are  some- 
times sold  in  the  markets  of  Cabool  and  Candahar.  They  rise  in 
coveys  of  from  ten  to  twenty,  and  usually  have  a  sentry  perched 
on  some  neighbouring  rock,  to  give  warning  of  danger  by  his 
low  and  musical  whistle.  They  are  difficult  birds  to  shoot.  I 
found  them  in  patches  of  the  so  called  Tartaric  Furze.'  Captain 
Boys  states  that  it  is  strong  on  the  wing,  and  that  its  flights  are 
very  protracted.  Its  note,  he  says,  '  resembles  that  of  a  Dipper 
(^Cinclus),  finishing  with  the  cluck  of  a  Chukor.  During  flight  it 
emits  a  shrill  whistle  somewhat  similar  to  that  of  the  Monaul.' 

"  It  is  confined"  says  Mountaineer,  *'  exclusively  to  the  snowy 
ranges,  or  the  large  spurs  jutting  from  them  which  are  elevated 
above  the  limits  of  forest,  but  is  driven  by  the  snows  of  winter 
to  perform  one,  and  in  some  places,  two  annual  migrations  to  the 
middle  regions;  in  summer  they  are  only  seen  near  the  limits 
of  vegetation.  In  Koonour  (Kunawur)  they  are  common  at  all 
seasons  from  Cheenee  upwards,  but  on  the  Gangetic  hills,  from 
June  till  August,  however  much  a  person  wanders  about  on  the 


PERDICINiE.  551 

highest  accessible  places,  but  few  are  met  with,  and  I  have  no 
doubt  whatever,  but  that  nearly  all  which  at  other  seasons  fre- 
quent this  part,  retire  across  the  snow  into  Chinese  Tartary  to 
breed.  About  the  beginning  of  September  they  are  first  seen 
near  the  tops  of  the  higher  grassy  ridges  jutting  from  the  snow, 
and  the  green  slopes  above  and  about  the  limits  of  forest.  After 
the  first  general  and  severe  fall  of  snow  they  come  down  in  num- 
bers on  to  some  of  the  bare  exposed  hills  in  the  forest  regions, 
and  remain  there  till  the  end  of  March.  This  partial  mioration 
is  probably  made  in  the  night  after  the  fall  of  snow,  as  I  have 
invariably  found  them  in  their  winter  quarters  early  the  next 
morning.  It  requires  a  deep  fall  to  drive  them  down,  and  some 
mild  winters,  except  a  few  odd  birds,  they  do  not  come  at  all. 
The  birds  on  each  respective  hill  seem  to  have  a  particular  spot 
for  their  winter  resort,  which  they  return  to  every  year  the  migra- 
tion is  made. 

"  The  Snow-pheasant  is  gregarious,  congregating  in  packs,  some- 
times to  the  number  of  20  or  30,  but  in  general,  not  more  than 
from  5  to  10  ;  several  packs  inhabiting  the  same  hill.  In  summer 
the  few  which  remain  on  our  side  are  found  in  single  pairs  gene- 
rally, but  across  the  snow  where  the  great  body  migrate,  I  almost 
always,  even  then,  found  several  together.  They  seldom  leave 
the  hill  on  which  they  are  located,  but  fly  backwards  and  for- 
wards when  disturbed.  The  Ring-tailed  Eagle  is  an  inveterate 
annoyer  of  these  birds ;  inhabiting  such  exposed  situations 
where  there  is  nothing  to  conceal  so  large  a  bird  from  his  sight, 
as  he  sails  along  the  hill  side  above  them,  they  at  once  arrest 
his  attention,  and  are  driven  backwards  and  forwards  by  this 
unrelenting  tormentor  all  day  long.  On  the  appearance  of  one  of 
these  birds,  which  fortunately  for  them  are  not  very  numerous, 
they  seldom  wait  till  he  makes  a  stoop,  but  on  his  making  a  wheel 
near  the  spot  where  they  are,  immediately  fly  off  to  another  quarter 
of  the  hill,  the  eagle  never  flies  after  or  attacks  them  on  the  wing ; 
so  that  though  he  allows  them  little  quietude  while  near  their 
resort,  he  only  occasionally  succeeds  in  securing  one. 

"The  Jer-moonal  never  enters  forest  or  jungle,  and  avoids  spots 
where  the  grass  is  long,  or  where  there  is  underwood  of  any  kind. 


552  BIRDS  OF  INDIA. 

It  is  needless  to  add  that  it  never  perches.  During  the  day,  if  the 
weather  be  fine  and  warm,  they  sit  on  the  rocks  or  rugged  parts  of 
the  hill,  without  moving  much  about,  except  in  the  morning  and 
evening.  When  cold  and  cloudy,  and  in  rainy  weatlier,  they  are 
very  brisk,  and  are  moving  about  and  feeding  all  day  long.  When 
feeding  they  walk  slowly  up  hill,  picking  up  the  tender  blades  of 
grass,  and  young  shoots  of  plants,  occasionally  stopping  to  snatch 
up  a  certain  bulbous  root,  of  which  they  seem  very  fond.  If  they 
reach  the  summit  of  the  hill,  after  remaining  stationary  some  time, 
they  fly  off  to  another  quarter,  alighting  some  distance  down,  and 
again  picking  their  way  upwards.  When  walking,  they  erect  their 
tails,  have  a  rather  ungainly  gait,  and  at  a  little  distance  have  some- 
thing the  appearance  of  a  large  grey  goose.  They  are  partial  to 
feeding  on  spots  where  the  sheep  have  J)een  kept  at  nights  when 
grazing  in  the  summer  pastures.  These  places  have  been  called 
"tatters"  by  the  shepherds,  and  the  grass  on  them  keeps  green 
and  fresh  long  after  the  rest  of  the  hill  is  quite  dry  and  brown. 
They  roost  on  the  rocks  and  shelves  of  precipices,  and  return  to 
one  spot  many  successive  nights. 

"  Their  call  is  a  low  soft  whistling,  occasionally  heard  at  intervals 
throughout  the  day,  but  more  generally  at  daybreak.  It  is  most 
common  in  cloudy  weather.  The  first  note  is  considerably  pro- 
longed and  followed  by  a  succession  of  low  rapid  whistles,  and  it 
is  by  far  the  most  agreeable  song  of  all  our  game  birds.  This  note 
is  only  heard  when  the  bird  is  at  rest ;  when  alarmed  and  walking 
away,  it  sometime  utters  at  short  intervals  a  single  low  whistle,  and 
when  it  gets  on  the  wing  the  whistles  are  shrill  and  very  rapid. 
However  far  it  flies,  the  whistling  is  continued  until  it  alights,  and 
for  a  few  seconds  afterwards,  but  then  slightly  changed  in  tone  to 
a  few  notes  which  seem  in  a  strange  manner  to  express  satisfaction 
at  being  again  on  the  ground.  However  odd  tlie  comparison,  I  can 
compare  the  whistling  of  these  birds  when  flying  and  alighting  to 
nothing  but  the  difference  of  sound  produced  by  the  wings  of  a 
flock  of  Pigeons  when  flying,  and  when  alighting  on  some  spot  where 
they  have  to   flutter  a  few  seconds  before  they  can  gain  footing. 

"  The  Jer-moonall  is  not  remarkably  ^vild  or  shy.  When  ap- 
proached from  below,    on   a   person   getting  within  eighty  or  a 


PERDICINiE.  553 

hundred  yards,  they  move  slowly  up  hill  or  slanting  across,  often 
turning  to  look  back,  and  do  not  go  very  far  unless  followed.  If 
approached  from  above,  they  fly  off  at  once  without  walking  many 
yards  from  the  spot.  They  seldom  in  any  situation  walk  far  down 
hill,  and  never  run  except  for  a  few  yards  when  about  to  take  wing. 
The  whole  flock  get  up  together ;  the  flight  is  rapid,  downwards  at 
first,  and  then  curving  so  as  to  alight  nearly  on  the  same  level. 
Where  the  hill  is  open  and  of  great  extent,  it  is  often  for  upwards 
of  a  mile,  at  a  considerable  height  in  the  air ;  when  more  cir- 
cumscribed, as  is  often  the  case  on  the  hills  they  frequent  in  winter, 
it  is  of  shorter  duration,  perhaps  merely  across  or  into  the  next  ridge. 
"  They  feed  on  the  leaves  of  plants  and  grass,  and  occasionally 
on  moss,  roots,  and  flowers ;  grass  forms  by  far  the  greater  portion. 
They  are  very  partial  to  the  young  blade  of  wheat  and  barley, 
when  it  is  first  springing  up  and  while  it  remains  short;  and 
shovild  there  be  an  isolated  patch  on  the  hill  where  they  are, 
visit  it  regularly  night  and  morning.  They  never,  however,  come 
into  what  may  be  called  the  regular  cultivation.  They  are  gene- 
rally exorbitantly  fat,  but  the  flesh  is  not  particularly  good,  and 
it  has  often  an  unpleasant  flavour  when  the  bird  is  killed  at  an 
high  elevation,  probably  owing  to  some  of  the  plants  it  there  feeds 
upon.  Though  I  have  spent  many  summers  on  the  snowy  ranges, 
I  never  found  the  nest  or  eggs,  but  in  Thibet  I  often  met  with 
broods  of  young  ones  newly  hatched.  There  were,  however,  several 
old  birds,  and  probably  more  than  one  brood  of  chicks,  so  I  could 
form  no  correct  idea  of  the  number  in  one  brood.  They  are  hardy 
birds,  and  easily  kept  in  confinement,  but  though  they  will  eat 
grain,  I  doubt  if  they  would  live  long  without  an  occasional 
supply  of  their  natural  green  food  of  grass  and  plants.  They 
may  be  kept  with  the  least  trouble  in  large  cages,  the  bottoms  of 
which  instead  of  being  solid  are  made  of  bars  of  wood  or  iron 
wire,  so  that  the  cages  being  put  out  on  the  grass,  the  birds  may 
feed  through  the  interstices. 

The  eggs  which  have  been  found  by  travellers  are  about  the 
size  of  those  of  the  Turkey,  but,  like  those  of  the  grouse,  are 
of  a  more  lengthened  form  ;  their  ground  color  clear  light  olive, 
sparingly  dotted  over  with  small  light  chesnut  spots." 

PART.    II.  4  A 


554  BIRDS   OF    INDIA. 

Another  species  of  Snow-cock  occasionally  obtained  by  Indian 
sportsmen  is  Tetraogallus  tibetcmus,  Gould,  figured  in  the  Birds  of 
Asia,  pt.  v.,  pi.  4  ;  but  as  it  has  not,  I  believe,  been  procured  on 
this  side  the  Snowy  range,  I  shall  only  briefly  describe  it  without 
giving  it  a  place  among  the  Birds  of  India.  It  is  the  smallest  of 
the  group,  only  measuring  22  inches;  wing  10;^ ;  tail  7 ;  tarsus  2h. 
It  has  the  head  and  neck  grey ;  the  ears  white ;  the  upper  plumage 
generally  freckled  with  bu£f,  grey,  and  black,  which  latter  color 
forms  conspicuous  dashes ;  the  primaries  grey,  secondaries  broadly 
edged  externally  with  white,  forming  a  marked  wing-band ;  tail 
rufous  brown ;  beneath,  the  chain,  throat  and  breast  are  white, 
separated  from  the  grey  of  the  head  and  neck  by  a  dusky  freckled 
line,  and  with  a  gorget  of  freckled  grey  and  buff;  the  abdomen 
white ;  the  flanks  and  lower  belly  with  dashes  of  black,  and  the 
under  tail-coverts  entirely  black.  Bill  horny  ;  legs  red ;  called 
Hidnwal  in  Kumaon. 

It  has  been  found  in  Ladak,  Rukshu  and  other  places  across  the 
Himalayas.  Major  James  Sherwill  informed  me  that  he  had  seen  a 
bird  of  this  genus  close  to  the  snows  in  the  Sikim  Himalayas, 
which  he  was  inclined  to  identify  as  the  present  species,  and  if 
so,  it  must  be  included  among  the  Birds  of  India  ;  but,  as  he  did 
not  bring  specimens,  I  must  content  myself  with  the  above  notice. 
Lt.  Speke  informed  Mr.  Blyth  that  it  was  very  tame  and  fearless, 
and  could  be  approached  so  near  as  to  be  knocked  down  by  a 
stone.  Lt.  Forbes,  however,  assured  me  that  those  which  he 
procured  were  not  quite  so  accessible,  probably  having  been 
occasionally  shot  at  and  disturbed. 

The  other  species  of  Tetraogallus  are  T.  caucasicus,  Pallas ; 
(Caspius,  Gmelin;  LopJwjyh.  nigelli,  of  Jardine  and  Selby,  lUust. 
Orn.  pi,  76)  figured  by  Gould,  Birds  of  Asia,  pt.  V.,  pi.  1. 
This  is  found  in  the  high  mountain  ranges  of  Persia.  T. 
altaicus,  Gebler,  figured  by  Gould  in  the  same  number  at 
plate  3,  more  resembles  T.  tihetanus,  but  is  larger,  wants  the 
white  wing-band,  and  the  lower  abdomen  and  thigh-coverts  are 
black.  It  is  from  the  Altai  mountains.  Chourtka  alpina  of 
Motchoulski  is  considered  by  Gould  to  form  a  fifth  species  of 
this  jrenus. 


PERDICINiE.  555 

Gen.  Lekwa,  Hodgson. 

Syn.    Tetraoperdix,  Hodgson. 

Char. — Bill  stout,  short ;  orbits  plumed  throughout ;  wing  mo- 
derately long,  pointed,  of  great  expanse,  the  2nd  quill  longest  ; 
tail  of  fourteen  feathers,  rather  long  and  strong ;  tarsi  feathered 
a  short  way  down.     Male  with  short  spurs. 

This  genus,  composed  of  a  single  species  peculiar  to  the 
Himalayas,  combines  the  colors  of  a  Grouse  with  the  naked  leg 
of  a  Partridge.  Gould  says  that  it  assimilates  in  a  nearly  equal 
degree  to  a  Grouse,  Francolin,  and  Partridge. 

817.    Lerwa  nivicola,  Hodgson. 

Madras  Journ.  Lit.  1837 — Perdix  Lerwa,  Hodgson  P.  Z.  S. 
1833— Hardwicke  111.  Ind.  Zool.  2  pi.  44  f.  1— Gould,  Birds 
of  Asia,  pt.  VII.,  pi.  8 — Lerioa  in  Nepal,  Quoir-monal,  or  Koor- 
monal — Also  Gulahi — and  Jer-titar,  i.  e.  Snow  Partridge,  in  vari- 
ous hill  dialects — B/nj7'  or  Bhair  at  Simla — Janguriya  in  Kumaon. 

The  Snow  Partridge. 

Descr. — Head,  neck,  and  the  whole  plumage,  with  the  wings  and 
tail  minutely  barred  with  black  and  greyish  or  bufFy  white,  more 
grey  on  the  head,  neck,  rump  and  upper  tail  coverts,  and  tinged 
with  chesnut  on  the  sides  of  the  neck,  shoulder  and  wing-coverts  ; 
quills  dusky  brown,  narrowly  freckled  with  bufFy  white  on  their 
outer  edges  ;  the  secondaries  broadly  tipped  with  white  ;  tail  dusky 
with  speckled  bars  of  grey  and  rufous,  and  the  feathers  black 
shafted  ;  beneath,  the  chin  is  greyish  ;  the  throat,  breast,  and  upper 
part  of  the  abdomen  deep  chesnut  red,  with  dashes  of  buff  or 
whitish  on  many  of  the  feathers,  especially  on  the  flanks  ;  lower 
abdomen,  vent,  and  thigh-coverts  barred  like  the  upper  part, 
but  with  a  tinge  of  rufous ;  lower  tail-coverts  chesnut-red,  with 
bufipy  white  tips. 

Bill  bright  red  ;  irides  dark  brown  ;  legs  and  feet  red.  Length 
15  to  16  inches ;  extent  24 ;  wing  8  ;  tail  4  ;  tarsus  1^.  Weight 
18  oz. 

The  female  is  a  trifle  smaller  than  the  male,  and  wants  the  spurs, 
but  does  not  otherwise  differ. 


556  BIRDS   OF  INDIA. 

This  Game-looking  bird  appears  peculiar  to  the  upper  Hima- 
layan region  near  the  snows,  several  travellers  having  stated  that 
they  had  not  seen  them  on  the  Thibet  side  of  the  hills.  It  is 
found  however  along  the  whole  extent  of  the  Himalayas,  having 
been  found  in  the  extreme  North-west  as  well  as  in  Sikim. 
Hodgson  states  that  "  these  birds  have  the  habits  and  manners 
of  Tetrao  rather  than  Perdiv.  They  are  gregarious  in  coveys, 
nestle  and  breed  under  jutting  rocks,  feed  on  the  aromatics,  seeds, 
and  insects  found  in  the  proper  Himalayan  region,  which  they 
never  quit,  and  amid  the  glaciers  of  which  they  take  impene- 
trable refuge  when  disturbed.  Trees  they  wholly  avoid,  and  are 
usually  found  on  the  flatter  and  quasi-heathery  ledges  which 
form  steps  from  the  snow-bound  summits  of  the  Himalayas.  The 
Lerwas  moult,  I  think,  twice  a  year,-^  but  certainly  in  autumn, 
their  plumage  being  most  imperfect  in  August.  They  are 
splendid  game,  with  a  vigorous  flight,  shy,  and  in  size  and  strength 
equal  to  a  Grouse.  Their  flesh  is  white,  succulent  and  possessed 
of  a  very  high  flavour." 

Dr.  Hooker  observed  it  in  Sikim,  and  calls  it  a  small  gregarious 
bird  which  inhabits  the  loftiest  stony  mountains,  and  utters  a 
short  cry  of  quiok,  quiok ;  in  character  and  appearance,  it  is 
intermediate  between  Grouse  and  Partridge,  and  is  good  eating, 
though  tou";h. 

"  In  general  haunts  and  habits,"  says  Mountaineer  "  this  bird 
much  resembles  the  Snow-pheasant,  frequenting  the  same  high 
regions  near  the  Snow  in  summer,  and  migrating  to  the 
same  bare  hills  and  rocks  in  winter.  The  Pheasant,  however, 
prefers  the  grassy  slopes  and  softer  parts  of  the  hill,  the 
Partridge  the  more  abrupt  and  rocky  portions,  where  the 
vegetation  is  scantier,  and  more  of  a  mossy  than  grassy  charac- 
ter. They  are  also  more  local,  and  confined  more  to  particular 
spots,  and  do  not,  like  the  pheasant,  ramble  indiscriminately 
over  almost  every  part  of  the  hill.  They  are  generally  re- 
markably tame ;  when  approached,  they  utter  a  harsh  whistle, 
and  if  they  keep  still,  it  is  often  several  moments  before 
they  can  be  distinguished,  their  plumage  much  resembling  and 
blending  with   the  general   colour  of  much  of  the  ground   they 


PERDICINiE.  557 

frequent;  if  approached  from  above,  they  fly  ofFat  once,  if  from 
below  they  walk  away  in  the  opposite  direction,  calling  the 
whole  time,  and  often  cluster  together  on  the  top  of  some  large 
stone  in  their  way.  Their  flight  exactly  resembles  that  of  the 
Pheasant,  and  the  whistle  when  on  the  wing  being  nearly  the 
same,  and  tlie  birds  having  the  same  white  on  the  wings,  they 
could  hardly  be  distinguished  when  flying  past  at  a  distance,  but 
from  the  size.  They  seldom  fly  far,  and  if  followed  and  put  up 
again,  often  fly  back  to  the  spot  where  first  found.  At  times  they 
seem  unwilling  to  get  up  at  all,  and  several  shots  may  be  fired  at 
them  before  they  take  wing.  I  once  found  a  flock  on  a  steep 
ledge  of  rock  in  the  forest,  a  few  days  after  a  severe  snow  storm 
which  had  driven  them  down  to  their  winter  quarters  ;  they  were 
a  little  scattered  and  resting  on  the  projecting  ledges,  and  I  fired 
eleven  shots  within  twenty  yards,  without  one  bird  attempting  to 
get  up.     At  one  bird  I  fired  twice  without  its  moving  at  all. 

"The  Snow-partridge  feeds  on  moss  and  the  tender  shoots 
of  small  plants.  It  is  always  fat,  and  the  flesh  is  tender  and  well 
flavoured,  and  if  kept  a  few  days,  something  like  Grouse.  They 
breed  near  the  limits  of  vegetation,  but  I  have  not  seen  the  nest 
or  eggs.  I  have  often  met  witli  the  young  chicks,  sometimes  a 
single  pair  of  old  birds  with  their  young  brood,  and  sometimes 
several  old  birds  and  two  or  three  broods  of  chicks,  apparently 
six  or  seven  in  a  brood.  When  alarmed,  the  parent  birds  exhibit  all 
that  distressful  anxiety  so  common  with  their  tribe,  and  endeavour 
by  drawing  the  attention  of  the  intruder  to  themselves  to  decoy 
him  from  the  spot.  They  do  not  counterfeit  lameness  like  some, 
but  walk  away  before  him,  and  call  out  in  a  most  plaintive  manner. 
The  young  squat  close  on  the  ground,  or  creep  beneath  the  stones, 
for  the  herbage  where  they  breed  is  never  sufficiently  high  enough 
to  hide  even  the  smallest  bird." 

Partridges. 

We  now  come  to  the  true  Partridges,  which,  however,  form 
several  distinct  groups,  separated  alike  by  habits,  form,  and  colo- 
ration. In  India  there  are  representatives  of  Ihe  "Francolins" 
and  the  '  Ked-legged  Partridges'  of  Europe,  and  a  true    Partridge 


558  BIRDS   OP   INDIA. 

occurs  on  the  further  side  of  the  Himalayas ;  there  are,  besides,  three 
other  groups,  the  Grey  or  Spurred  Partridges,  peculiar  to  the 
continent  of  India ;  the  Wood  Partridges,  confined  to  the  Himalayasj 
in  India  proper,  but  extending  through  Burmah  into  Malay  ana  ; 
and  the  Bush-quails,  peculiar  to  India. 
1 5^.     Francolins  or  Meadow  Partridges. 

Gen.  Francolinus,  Stephens. 

Syn.  Attagen,  Keys  and  Bias. — Hephurnia,  Reichenb. 

Char. — Bill  moderate  or  somewhat  long,  stout,  slightly  curved 
at  the  tip ;  tail  of  fourteen  feathers,  somewhat  lengthened,  even, 
or  very  slightly  rounded ;  tarsi  of  the  male  with  strong  but  blunt 
spurs. 

The  Francolins  may  be  said  to  ^  be  Partridges  with  more 
lengthened  bill  and  tail,  slightly  spurred,  and  with  a  peculiar  and 
lich  coloration.  The  group  may  be  considered  an  Asiatic  form, 
extending  to  the  south  of  Europe,  and  to  the  north  of  Africa. 
India  possesses  two  species,  and  there  is  another  in  Burmah ;  they 
do  not  associate  in  coveys,  and  Blyth  states  that  they  appear  to 
him  to  have  more  of  the  general  habits  of  Pheasants  than  of 
Partridges,  but  to  this  I  must  demur.  Gould  considers  them 
allied  to  Ceriornis  in  the  general  style  of  coloring,  the  short  spur, 
and  the  form  of  the  bill. 

818.  Francolinus  vulgaris,  Stephens. 

Blyth,  Cat.  1500— Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  259 — Tetrao 
francolinus,  LiNN^us — Perdix  Hepburniie,  Gray,  Hardwicke, 
111.  Ind.  Zool.  pi.  55,  (the  female) — F.  Henrici,  Bonap. — Kala- 
titar,  or  Titir,  H.,  said  to  be  called  Gagliar  about  Benares. 

The  Black  Partridge. 

Descr. — Head,  cheeks,  and  throat,  deep  black;  the  top  of 
the  head  and  nape  edged  with  rufous,  and  with  some  white 
spots  on  the  sides  of  the  occiput,  forming  a  pale  line ;  ear- 
coverts  pure  white ;  a  broad  collar  of  fine  chesnut  red  passes 
round  the  whole  neck  ;  upper  part  of  the  back  black,  the  feathers 
edged  with  rufous  and  white  tipped ;  the   middle  and  loAver  back 


PERDICIN2E.  559 

rump,  and  upper  tail-coverts  finely  barred  black,  and  whitish,  or 
grey ;  wings  with  the  coverts  black,  with  broad  bay  or  rufous 
edges,  and  the  quills  barred  with  rufous  and  black;  tail  black, 
the  middle  feathers  barred  with  black  and  grey,  on  the  upper  parts  ; 
the  lateral  feathers  being  similarly  barred  at  their  base  only ; 
plumage  beneath,  from  the  rufous  collar,  deep  black,  more  or  less 
banded  on  the  lower  part  of  the  abdomen  with  white,  and  the 
flanks  of  the  breast  and  abdomen  spotted  with  white  ;  thigh-coverts 
and  under  tail-coverts  chesnut. 

Bill  black ;  irides   brown ;   legs   yellowish  red.     Length  13  to 
14  inches  ;  extent  20 ;  wing  5| ;  tail  3^.     Weight  13  to  15  oz. 

The  female  differs  in  wanting  the  black  head  and  neck  of  the 
male,  which  is  more  or  less  rufous,  mixed  with  brown,  the  throat 
and  sides  of  the  neck  being  white,  and  a  dusky  band  surrounds  the 
white  portion  of  the  ear-coverts  ;  the  back  and  wings  are  dusky, 
with  pale  rufous  edges,  whitish  on  the  wing  ;  the  back,  rump,  and 
upper  tail-coverts,  are  barred  pale  rufous  and  dark  brown  ;  the 
tail  feathers  blackish,  with  pale  bands ;  the  medial  pair  brown 
banded ;  beneath,  from  the  throat,  the  plumage  is  white  with 
black  spots,  longitudinal  and  arrow-shaped  in  front,  becoming 
more  transverse  on  the  flanks  and  lower  abdomen. 
Length  12^  to  13  inches  ;  weight  12  to  13  oz. 
The  males  have  a  short  blunt  spur,  tubercular  at  first. 
The  black  Partridge  is  found  throughout  the  whole  of  Northern 
India,  from  the  Himalayas  to  the  valley  of  the  Ganges,  but  not 
that  I  am  aware  of,  extending  to  any  distance  beyond  the  valley  of 
the  Ganges  until  above  Allahabad,  beyond  which  it  passes  to  the 
Punjab,  and  southwards,  through  Rajpootana  to  Sindh  and  per- 
haps to  Goozrat.  Eastwards  it  extends  through  Dacca  to  Assam, 
Sylhet  and  Tipperah,  but  I  have  seen  no  record  of  its  occurrence 
further  south  in  this  direction,  and  it  is  replaced  in  Burmah 
by  an  allied  species.  It  occurs  south  of  the  Ganges  between 
that  river  and  the  Hooghly,  and  I  have  seen  notices  of  the  black 
Partridge  having  been  shot  in  Midnapore  and  Cuttack,  but  it  is 
certainly  rare,  south  of  the  Ganges.  Various  notices  appear  in 
several  pages  of  the  Bengal  Sporting  Magazine  of  Black  Partridges 
occurring  in  the  Saugor  and  Nerbudda  territories,  Mhow  and  Bun- 


560  BIBDS   OF   INDIA. 

delkund  ;  but  in  these  instances,  it  has  certainly  been  confounded 
with  the  nearly  related  Painted  Partridge,  as  the  Black  Partridge 
does  not,  to  my  own  knowledge,  occur  for  many  miles  north  of 
Mhow,  Saugor  or  Jubbulpore,  and  I  suspect  not  till  the  valley 
of  the  Jumna  is  reached.  Adams  says  that  the  Black  Partridge 
is  plentiful  in  Bombay  and  Bengal,  but  as  he  does  not  give 
the  Painted  Partridge  at  all,  he  has  in  some  instances,  at  all 
events,  confounded  it  with  that  bird.  The  Black  Partridge  extends 
along  the  valleys  of  the  Himalayas  for  some  distance  in  the 
interior,  but  not  ascending  high ;  and  I  observed  it  on  the  Khasia 
hills  at  nearly  4,000  feet  of  elevation.  The  Black  Partridge  from 
Sindh  is  put  as  distinct  by  Bonaparte  under  the  name  of  F. 
Heni'ici,  and  a  drawing  of  the  Sindh  bird  in  Sir  A.  Burnes'  collec- 
tion gave  some  color  to  the  separation,'-;  but  Sir  B.  Frere,  to  whom 
I  applied,  having  sent  several  specimens  from  Sindh,  they  proved 
to  be  perfectly  identical  with  the  Partridge  of  Bengal.  Out  of 
India  the  Black  Partridge  inhabits  Northern  Africa  and  the 
South  of  Europe,  especially  Malta,  Sicily,  and  probably  part  of 
Western  Asia. 

The  Black  Partridge  frequents,  by  preference,  grass  meadows 
near  water,  also  cultivated  fields  of  corn,  mustard  or  pulse,  and 
any  patch  of  moderately  high,  green  herbage,  also  occasionally 
jhow  jungle ;  and  it  is  not  unfrequently  flushed  in  moderately 
long  grass  interspersed  with  bushes,  even  at  some  little  distance 
from  water.  It  never  associates  in  regular  coveys,  though  several 
may  be  flushed  not  far  from  each  other ;  and,  indeed,  it  is  generally 
to  be   found  in  pairs  at  all  seasons. 

From  January  to  August,  the  call  of  the  Cock-bird  may  be 
heard,  a  harsh  sort  of  cry  which  has  been  variously  rendered 
by  sounds  in  different  languages ;  but  these  imitations,  though 
intelligible  to  those  who  have  heard  the  call,  fail  to  give  any- 
thing like  a  correct  idea  to  a  person  who  has  not  had  the 
opportunity  of  hearing  it.  The  Mussulmans  say  that  it  repeats 
the  pious  words,  '  Sobhan  ten  kudrut ;  others  say  it  calls  out 
'  Lussun,  piaz,  udruk,'  or  garlic,  onions,  ginger.  Adams  sylla- 
bizes it  as  '  Lohee-uha-wJiich-a-ivhick\  and  some  one  else  puts  it 
as  '  jnh-jak,  tee-teetur'     One  writer  calls  it  like  the  harsh  grating 


PERDICIN-ffi.  561 

blast  of  a  cracked  trumpet ;  but  it  is  far  from  being  a  loud  call, 
though  sufficiently  audible  for  a  great  distance.  This  call  is 
almost  always  uttered  from  a  slight  eminence,  a  bank,  ant  hill 
or  clump  of  earth,  and  where  it  abounds,  answering  cries  may  be 
heard  from  all  sides.  It  generally  calls  much  after  rain,  or  after 
a  heavy  dew. 

The  hen  Partridge  breeds  from  May  to  July,  laying  ten  or 
twelve  eggs  (sometimes,  it  is  stated,  as  many  as  fifteen)  of  a 
pale  bluish  white  colour,  according  to  some  writers,  but  those 
I  have  seen  were  pale  greenish,  when  first  laid ;  and  she  iisually 
has  her  nest  in  the  grass,  sometimes  in  an  Indigo  field,  and 
occasionally  in  a  Sugar-cane  field. 

In  the  cold  weather,  after  the  yoilng  have  flown  and  separated 
from  their  parents,  they  may  be  found  scatterd  over  a  greater 
expanse  of  country  than  in  the  hot  weather  and  rains,  and  are 
often  to  be  found  in  fields  far  from  water.  This  Partridge  is 
stated  occasionally  to  perch  on  and  to  roost  on  trees,  but  this 
is  certainly  a  rare  habit  with  this  species,  though  not  uncommon 
with  the  Painted  Partridge. 

The  Black  Partridge  is  strong  on  the  wing,  but  flies  steadily  and 
afibrds  a  fair  shot.  Its  pursuit  is  a  favorite  sport  in  many  parts  of 
the  country  where  it  is  at  all  abundant.  It  is  stated  in  the  Bengal 
Sporting  Magazine,  for  1841,  that  seventy-five  brace  have  been 
bagged  in  one  day  by  one  gun,  near  Kurnal  in  the  Upper  Provinces, 
but  it  is  now  everywhere  more  scarce  than  it  used  to  be  formerly. 
It  is  tolerably  good  eating,  especially  Avhen  kept  for  a  few  days  and 
eaten  cold.  In  some  parts  of  the  country  tippets  used  to  be  made 
of  the  beautiful  black,  white-spotted  feathers  of  the  lower  plumage, 
and  were  in  much  request,  but  they  are  rarely  procurable  now. 

819.    Francolinus  pictus,  Jard.  and  Selby. 

Perdix,  apud  Jardine  and  Selby,  111.  Orn.  pi.  50 — Blyth, 
Cat.  158— Sykes,  Cat.  158— Jerdon,  Cat.  212-~Kala-titar,  H. 
and  Mahr. — Kahkera  kodi,  Tel. 

The  Painted  Partridge. 

Descr. — Forehead,  lores,  face,  broad  superciliura,  and  ear-coverts, 
ferruginous-chesnut ;    the  top  of  the  head  dark  brown  with  pale 

PART    II.  4    B 


562  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

edgings  ;  the  neck  all  round  pale  ferruginous  ;  the  upper  part 
of  the  back  and  scapulars  deep  brown,  the  feathers  edged 
laterally  with  creamy  white,  and  this  gradually  passing  into 
the  mai-kings  of  the  wings,  which  are  chesnut  with  black  bands ; 
the  lower  back,  rump  and  upper  tail-coverts  are  beautifully 
marked  with  undulating  lines  of  black  and  white ;  tail  deep 
brown,  the  feathers  finely  cross-barred  at  their  base ;  beneath, 
the  throat  is  white,  with  longitudinal  dark  lines ;  the  wliole  of 
the  rest  of  the  lower  surface  variegated  black  and  white,  each 
feather  being  white,  with  two  dark  cross-bands,  and  the  shaft  and 
tip  black ;  these  dark  bands  gradually  narrow  towards  the  vent ; 
under  tail-coverts  chesnut,  the  feathers  of  the  flanks  and  sides  of 
the  rump  are  tinged  with  pale  'ferruginous. 

Bill  blackish ;  irides  dark  brown  ;  legs  yellow  red.  Length  12 
inches  ;  wing  6  ;  tail  2| ;  tarsus  If.     Weight  11  to  13  oz. 

The  female  differs  in  having  a  somewhat  ferruginous  tinge 
beneath,  and  in  the  throat  being  more  or  less  rufous. 

The  Painted  Partridge  may  be  said  to  take  the  place  of  the 
Black  in  Central  and  part  of  Southern  India.  It  is  found 
throuo-hout  Bundelkund  and  the  Saugor  and  Nerbudda  territories, 
and  thence  south  "through  Nagpore  and  the  Deccan,  to  about  N. 
L.  15°,  gradually  becoming  more  scarce  southwards.  I  have 
heard  of  its  occasional  occurrence  near  Bangalore  still  further 
south,  but  where  the  land  is  higher  and  the  climate  cooler.  West, 
it  extends  into  Candeish,  and  perhaps  Guzerat,  but  is  not  known 
on  the  Malabar  Coast;  and  eastwards,  it  is  found  throughout 
Chota  Nagpore  and  adjacent  lands  to  the  more  open  parts  of  the 
Northern  Circars,  as  far  as  Cuttack,  but  far  more  rare  there  than 
in  the  west  of  the  Peninsula.  I  have  found  it  most  abundant  in 
the  Deccan  near  Jalna,  and  at  Mhow ;  less  so  in  Saugor,  Nagpore 
and  Hyderabad. 

Like  its  northern  congener,  it  delights  in  grassy  plains  and 
fields,  but  more  affects  open,  dry,  and  raised  plains  with  scattered 
bushes,  than  the  low-lying,  damper  meadows  that  the  Black 
delights  in.  It  is  always,  when  the  grain  is  ripe,  as  well  as  at 
other  times  not  unfrequently,  to  be  found  in  wheat  fields  and  other 
cultivated  lands,  and  occasionally  in   open  and   grassy  glades  in 


PERDICINiE.  563 

the  midst  of  thin  forest  jungle.  It  chiefly  occurs  in  pairs,  now 
and  than  several,  not  far  from  each  other.  Early  in  the  morning, 
the  cock-bird  may  be  heard  uttering  his  peculiar  guttural 
call  or  broken  crow,  Chee-hee-kerray — Chee-kee-herray,  which 
can  be  heard  a  very  long  way  off,  though  by  na  means  loud,  and  is 
answered  on  all  sides.  On  approaching  the  spot  whence  the  sound 
proceeds,  if  carefully  looked  for,  he  may  be  seen  seated  on 
the  stump  of  a  tree,  or  a  thick  bush,  or  an  ant-hill  or  other  elevated 
spot ;  but  when  he  finds  himself  discovered,  he  slinks  down, 
and  runs  off  in  a  Avay  that  puzzles  dogs  much. 

The  female  breeds  from  June  to  August,  laying  seven  or  eight 
eggs  of  a  creamy  or  smoky  white,  generally  near  the  shelter  of  some 
bush.  "  The  poults, "  remarks  a  writer  in  the  Bengal  Sporting 
Review^  "  begin  to  call  soon  and  chirrup  like  Crickets."  When  the 
grass  is  not  too  high,  the  Painted  Partridge  affords  very  fair 
shooting  with  a  steady  pointer,  as  also  in  the  wheat  fields  in 
November  and  December,  when  the  birds  have  scattered.  I  have 
seen  this  bird  perch  on  a  low  tree,  but  very  rarely,  and  only 
when  disturbed  by  a  dog ;  certainly  not  so  commonly  as  is  implied 
by  a  writer  in  the  Bengal  Sporting  Magazine  for  1841.  This 
Partridge  is  very  fair  eating,  especially  when  kept  long  enough 
and  eaten  cold. 

Francolimis  Phayrei,  Blyth,  (if  distinct  from  F.  pintadeus)  is 
common  in  all  upper  Burmah  as  at  Thyet-Myo,  and  has  a  very 
similar  call  to  the  Painted  Partridge,  but  is  more  given  to  frequent 
grassy  spots  among  jimgle.  l^etrao  pintadens,  ScoTpoli,  { perlatus, 
Temm.)  from  China,  has  been  separated  by  Keichenbach  as 
Margaroperdlx,  but  on  what  grounds  it  would  be  difficult  to  say. 

2nd. — Rock  or  Sand  Partridges. 

Gen.  Caccabis,  Kaup. 

Syn.  Perdix,  Bonap. — Chacura,  Hodgson,  postea  Pyctes. 

Char. — Bill  somewhat  lengthened,  stout,  red  ;  tarsi  of  male 
with  a  blunt  sptu*,  red ;  tail  of  twelve  or  fourteen  feathers, 
not  quite  concealed  by  the  upper  tail-coverts  ;  a  small  nude  patch 
behind  the  eye  ;  plumage  not  mottled. 

The  Red-legged  Partridges  form  a  well  marked  group,  spread 
over  the  temperate   and  warmer  parts  of  Europe,  Western  and 


564  BIRDS   or   INDIA. 

Central  Asia,  and  the  north  of  Africa,  including  Madeira  and 
the  Canary  islands.  They  are  well  characterized  by  a  plain 
unmottled  plumage  with  some  rich  bands  on  the  flanks,  and,  as 
Blyth  remarks,  they  have  the  desert-coloring  in  some  degree. 
They  affect  rocky  and  hilly  ground,  in  preference  to  cultivated 
lands,  and  associate  more  or  less  in  coveys.  Gray  makes  a  sub- 
family Caccabince  of  this  and  Jinmojyerdiv,  but  .rather  strangely 
joins  with  them  Tetraogallns  and  Lerioa.  Bonaparte  retains  the 
generic  name  of  Perdix  for  this  genus,  as  it  was  undoubtedly 
the  Perdix  of  the  Ancients. 

820.    Caccabis  chukor,  Gray. 

Perdix,  apud  Gray,  Hardw.,  111.  Ind.  Zool.  1.  pi.  54— Blyth, 
Cat.  1503 — Gould,  Cent.  Him.  Birds,  pL  71 — P.  grooca,  var.  of 
several  authors — Chiikor,  H. 

The  Chukor  Partridge. 

Descr. — Plumage  above  pale  bluish  or  olive  ashy,  washed  with 
a  rufous  tinge  ;  lores  black,  and  a  white  band  behind  the  eye  ; 
ear-coverts  rufous  ;  wings  reddish  ashy,  the  coverts  tipped  with 
buff,  and  the  primaries  narrowly  edged  with  the  same  ;  tail  ashy 
on  the  central  feathers,  the  laterals  tinged  with  rufous  ;  face,  chin, 
and  throat,  fulvous  or  rufous,  surrounded  by  a  black  band  which 
begins  at  the  eye,  and  forms  a  sort  of  neck-lacc  round  the  throat  ; 
below  this  the  neck  and  breast  are  ashy,  changing  to  buff  on  the 
abdomen  and  under  tail-coverts  ;  flanks  of  the  breast  and  belly 
beautifully  banded,  each  feather  being  ashy  at  the  base,  with 
two  large  black  bands,  the  terminal  one  tipped  with  fine  maronne, 
and  the  space  between  the  bands  creamy  white. 

Bill  red  ;  irides  yellowish  white  ;  legs  and  feet  red.  Length 
15  to  16  inches  ;  extent  24  ;  wing  6|  ;  tail  3^  ;  tarsus  If  ;  bill 
at  front  1  ;  weight  18  oz.  to  1^  lb. 

The  female  closely  resembles  the  male,  but  is  slightly  smaller, 
and  wants  the  spurs. 

This  fine  Partridge  is  so  very  closely  allied  to  Caccahis  grceca 
of  the  South  of  Europe,  Africa,  and  Western  Asia,  that  it  has 
been  considered  to  be  a  climatic  variety  of  that  species,  but  most 
systematists  keep  it  distinct.     It  appears  to  differ  in  the  less  ashy 


PERDICINJD.  565 

tint  of  the  European  bird,  which  moreover  appears  to  have  the 
dark  collar  of  greater  extent,  and  in  our  bird  having  the  chin  and 
throat  always  more  or  less  rufous. 

The  Chukor  is  -found  throughout  the  Western  Himalayas,  from 
the  lowest  range  to  tlie  Snows,  and  passing  over  into  Thibet,  but 
it  does  not  extend  so  far  east  as  Sikim.  It  is  also  met  with  in  the 
salt  range  of  the  Punjab,  and  its  more  alpine  regions,  passing  into 
AiFghanistan.  It  prefers  bare  and  rocky  hills  with- low  scrab  or 
jungle,  near  cultivation.  ^ 

"  In  our  part  of  the  hills"  says  Mountaineer  (i.  e.  in  the  North- 
western   Himalayas)    "  the    Chuckore   is    most   numerous    in   the 
highei'  inhabited  districts,  but  is  found  scattered  over  all  the  lower 
and  middle    ranges.      In    summer    they    spread   themselves    over 
the  grassy   hills  to   breed,    and   about   the   middle  of  September 
begin  to  assemble  in  and  around  the  cultivated  fields  near  the 
villages,    gleaning  at   first  in    the  grain    fields  which    have  been 
reaped,   and  afterwards  during  winter  in  those    which  have   been 
sown   with  wheat  and  barley  for  the  ensuing    season,  preferring 
the  wheat.     A  few  straggling    parties  remain  on    the    hill  sides 
where  they  breed,  as   also  in  summer   many  remain    to    perform 
the  business   of  incubation  in  the  fields.     In  autumn  and  winter 
they  keep  in  loose  scattered  flocks,  very   numerous,    sometimes 
to  the  number  of  forty  or  fifty,  and  even  a  hundred.     In  summer, 
though  not   entirely  separated,   they  are   seldom  in   large  flocks, 
and  a  single   pair  is    often  met    with.     They  are   partial    to  dry 
stony  spots,  never  go  into  forest,  and  in   the  lower  hills  seem  to 
prefer  the  grassy  hill  sides   to  the  cultivated  fields.     This  may 
probably  be   owing   to   their    comparatively  fewer   numbers,  as  I 
have  observed  that  many  others  of  the  feathered  race   are  much 
shyer  and  more  suspicious  of  man  when  rare,  than   those  of  the 
same  species  in  places  more  numerous.     Their  call  is  a  kind  of 
chuckling,  often  continued  for  some  time  and  by  a  great  many 
birds  at  once.     It  is  uttered   indiscriminately  at  various  intervals 
of  the  day,  but  most  generally  towards  evening. 

"  The  Chuckore  feeds  on  grain,  roots,  seeds,  and  berries  ;  when 
caught  yoimg,  it  becomes  quite  tame,  and  will  associate  readily 
with  domestic  poultry. 


566  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

"  From  the  beginning  of  October,  Chuchore  shooting,  from  the 
frequency  and  variety  of  the  shots,  and  the  small  amount  of 
fatigue  attending  it,  is  to  one  partial  to  such  sport  perhaps  the  most 
pleasant  of  any  thing  of  the  kind  in  the  hills.  About  some  of 
the  higher  villages,  ten  or  a  dozen  brace  may  be  bagged  in  a  few 
hours.  Dogs  may  be  used  or  not  at  the  discretion  of  the  Sports- 
man ;  they  are  not  at  all  necessary,  and  if  at  all  wild  are  more  in 
the  way  than  otherwise." 

"The  male,"  says  Major  Brown,*  "is  very  bold,  and  is  tamed 
for  the  purpose  of  fighting.  In  a  domesticated  state,  he  makes 
no  hesitation  in  offering  battle  to  every  animal,  and  pecks  very 
fiercely,  always  searching  for  a  tender  part ;  the  nose  of  a  dog, 
or  the  naked  feet  of  the  native  servants  immediately  attract  his 
attention,  and  he  soon  makes  the  object  of  his  attack  fain  to  run." 
"  When  reclaimed"  says  another  writer  in  the  same  periodical 
"  this  bird  is  peculiarly  bold,  fearless,  and  entertaining.  It  trots 
about  the  house,  and  is  as  familiar  as  a  little  dofr.  It  is  amusing 
to  see  its  antipathy  to  quick  motions  in  others.  It  will  follow  a 
servant  who  hurries  into  a  room,  pecking  at  his  heels,  scouring 
away  when  he  attempts  to  turn  upon  it.  It  is  still  more  perse- 
vering against  the  poor  wight  who  moves  backwards  and  for- 
wards as  he  pulls  the  punkah.  Half  asleep  at  his  task,  he  is 
roused  by  a  fierce  attack  on  his  legs.  He  attempts  to  continue 
his  work,  and  at  the  same  time  to  drive  away  the  intruder,  but 
it  is  of  no  use  ;  and  he  is  at  last  obliged  to  call  for  assistance 
to  rid  him  of  his  persecutor." 

The  Ilen-chukor  lays  from  eight  to  fifteen  eggs,  of  a  creamy 
white,  according  to  one  writer ;  pure  white  according  to  Adams ; 
and  the  male  bird  is  said  to  remain  near  the  nest  during  incubation, 
and  may  be  heard  calling  all  day,  its  call  nruch  resembling  that 
of  the  domestic  hen,  being  a  '  cuc-cuc  often  repeated,  and  the 
Cashmeeres  call  it  kau-kau  from  its  cry.  The  Affghans  call  it 
the  Fire-eater.  It  is  considered  to  be  excellent  eating.  In 
Ladak  it  is  said  to  be  numerous  in  the  cultivated  part  of  the 
country,  and  is  there  called  Nek-pa. 


Beng.  Sport.  M  g. 


PERDICINiE.  567 

CaccaUs  riifa,  the  Red-legged  Partridge  of  France  and  Western 
Europe,  has  been  partly  naturalized  in  England,  and  drives  away 
the  common  Partridge.  C  petrosa  has  been  unnecessarily  separated 
by  Kaup  as  Alectoris. 

Close  to  the  red-legged  Partridges  come  the  Sand-partridges. 

Gen.  Ammoperdix. 

Char. — Of  small  size  ;  bill  somewhat  lengthened,  red  ;  wings 
long  ;  tarsus  wholly  devoid  of  a  spur  or  even  of  a  knob.  Other- 
wise as  in  Caccabis. 

The  Sand-partridges  may  be  said  to  be  simply  dwarf  Chukors, 
to  which  they  are  allied  in  color,  habits,  and  geographical  distribu- 
tion. Only  two  species  are  known,  both  found  in  Western  Asia, 
one  of  "which  extends  into  the  North-western  limits  of  our  region. 

821.     Ammoperdix  Bonhami,  Gray. 

Perdix,  apud  Gray,  P.  Z.  S., — Gould,  Birds  of  Asia,  pt.  III., 
pi.  4 — figured  Beng.  Sport.  Mag.  1843 — P.  griseogularis,  Brandt. 
— Sisi,  II.  in  the  Punjab. 

The  Seesee  Partridge. 

Descr. — Male,  above  pale  Isabella  brownish,  finely  freckled 
with  dusky  ;  the  crown  of  the  head  and  cheeks  grey  ;  forehead 
and  a  narrow^  line  over  the  eye  black  ;  lores  and  ear-coverts  silky 
white,  rufous  posteriorly  ;  beneath  this  a  narrow  black  line  ;  rump 
and  upper  tail-coverts  much  speckled  with  black  ;  primaries  dusky 
within,  Isabella  brown  on  the  outer  webs,  with  dusky  pencillings, 
and  all  but  the  first,  barred  on  their  outer  webs  Avith  whitish  ; 
tail  chesnut  brown,  paler  at  the  tip,  and  freckled  with  black  ; 
beneath,  the  throat  is  greyish  white,  the  breast  delicate  grey,  and 
the  sides  of  the  neck  grey  with  numerous  white  spots,  and  a  few 
black  specks  ;  breast  pale  rufous  isabelline  or  vinaceous  ;  the  fea- 
thers of  the  flanks  whitish  tinged  with  vinaceous,  and  dashed 
with  rufous  and  dark  brown  ;  lower  tail-coverts  pale  chesnut. 

Bill  fleshy,  (brownish  yellow  according  to  Adams) ;  irides  hazel 
brown  ;  legs  and  feet  olive  yellow.  Lengtli  10  inches  ;  Aving  5 ; 
tail  2^  ;  tarsus  1^  ;  bill  at  front  f . 

The  female  differs,  accordino-  to  Gould,  in  havino;  the  black 
markings  of  the  head   replaced  by  freckled  black  and  white ;  the 


568  BIRDS   OF    INDIA. 

general  colour  more  }^vey  and  the  wings  more  freckled.  According 
to  Blyth,  she  wants  the  ashy  crown  of  the  male,  and  is  minutely 
mottled  all  over,  both  above  and  beneath. 

This  small  species  of  Partridge  was  named  almost  simultane- 
ously by  Gray  and  Fraser  after  the  first  gentleman  who  had  sent 
specimens  to  Europe.  It  is  closely  related  to  A.  Heyi,  but  is 
somewhat  larger,  and  that  species  wants  the  white  spots  on  the 
sides  of  the  neck.  The  females  are  said  to  resemble  each  other 
very  closely.  One  point  of  difference  of  the  two  species  men- 
tioned by  Gould,  viz.,  the  colour  of  the  legs,  is  contradicted  by 
Adams,  who  says  that  the  color  of  the  legs  of  Bonhami  is  a 
'  lighter  brownish  yellow  than  the  bill. ' 

The  Seesee,  as  this  small  Partridge__  is  named,  is  only  found  in 
the  Punjab,  in  the  Salt  range  of  hills,  more  abundant  across 
the  Indus  on  the  Suleiman  range,  near  Attock,  and  in  the  Khyber 
and  Bolan  passes ;  and  it  is  still  more  common  in  AfFghanistan 
and  Persia,  whence  the  original  specimens  were  sent.  It  is  there 
called  Tee-hoo.  Gould  states  that  it  was  also  brought  from  Thibet 
by  Lord  GifFord.  Adams  says  that  it  is  not  found  further  south 
than  the  Salt  range  ;  but  a  writer  in  the  Bengal  Sporting  Bevieiv, 
on  the  game  of  Sindh,  distinctly  indicates  it  under  the  name  of  ihe 
Eock  or  Barbary  Partridge  as  found  across  the  Indus.  It  fre- 
quents rocky  ground  with  brushwood  here  and  there,  and  is  often 
seen  in  company  with  the  Chukor  Avhich  it  much  resembles  in 
habits  ;  is  found  in  coveys  which  when  sprung  rise-  with  a  startling 
noise,  and  feeds  much  on  a  kind  of  wild  Thyme.  The  flesh  is 
said  to  be  delicious.  The  name  Seesee  is  given  from  its  call. 
Theobold  found  the  eggs,  twelve  in  number,  of  a  clear  cream 
colour,  laid  in  a  slight  hollow  among  stones  in  the  hills. 

The  other  species,  A .  Heyi,  is  also  figured  by  Gould,  in  Birds 
of  Asia,  pt.  III.,  pi.  5.  It  is  found  in  Western  Asia,  Palestine, 
Arabia,  &c. 

Zrd. — Grey  or  Bush  Partridges. 

The  Grey  Partridges  of  India  come  under  this  head  ;  they  are 
somewhat  similar  in  coloring  to  the  English  Partridge,  but  differ 
in  being  strongly  spurred. 


PERDICINiE.  569 

Gen.  Ortygornis,  Reichenbach. 

Syn.  Plectroperdix,  Blyth. 

Char. — Bill  lengthened,  tip  well  turned  over ;  legs  red,  with 
one  strong  and  sharp  spur,  occasionally  two  ;  tail  rather  short,  of 
twelve  feathers,  wings  moderate. 

This  form,  as  far  as  we  know  at  present,  is  peculiar  to  the 
Indian  continent,  but  some  of  the  African  Partridges  appear 
nearly  allied  to  it.  Only  two  species  are  known,  very  similarly 
coloured  above,  but  differing  greatly  in  size  and  haunts.  They 
are  bold  birds,  of  truly  perdicine  habits,  having  a  great 
tendency  to  form  coveys  ;  but  they  run  much  and  very  rapidly, 
and  frequently  perch,  as  well  on  bushes  and  low  trees,  as  on 
high  reeds. 

822.    Ortygornis  Ponticeriana,  Gmelin. 

Tetrao  apud  Gmelin— Sykes,  Cat.  159 — Jerdon,  Cat.  273 — 
Blyth,  Cat.  1506 — Perdix  orientalis,  Gray— Hardwicke,  111. 
Ind.  Zool.  1.  pi.  56,  f.  2 — Titar,  H. —  Gora  ^titar  of  some — 
KaioimzU)  Tel. — Koudari,  Tam. 

The  Grey  Partridge. 

Descr. — Head  above  olive  brown,  rufous  on  the   forehead,  over 
the  eyes,   and  on  the  nape ;  lores  and  face  also  rufous,  with  black 
specks  ;  ear-coverts  silky   hair-brown ;    upper   plumage,  including 
the    wing-coverts,     upper    tail-coverts    and   central  tail-feathers, 
speckled  brown,  each  feather  being  rich  red  brown  with  three  bars 
of  creamy  yellow,  and  paler   and   somewhat    olive   brown  at  the 
tip ;    primaries    pale    brown ;    outer    tail-feathers    rich    chesnut 
brown,  with  a  dusky  brown  terminal  band,  pale  tipped ;  beneath 
the  chin  and  throat  are  whitish  with   small  dark   brown  spots, 
forming  a  triangular  mark  ;  the  rest  of  the  lower  plumage  ochreous 
white   or   creamy,   most   pronounced    on    the  breast,     and  with 
numerous  minute  cross-bars  of  brown,  somewhat  broader  on  the 
breast  and  sides  of  the  neck,  where  it  mingles  with  the  upper 
plumage  ;  lower  tail-coverts    ferruginous. 

Bill  dusky  plumbeous ;  irides  hazel  brown ;  legs  dull  red. 
Length  about  12^  to  13  inches  ;  wing  5  ;  tail  3^  ;  tarsus  not  quite 
2;  weight  11  to  12  oz. 

PART   II.  .  4   C 


570  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

The  male  is  strongly  spurred,  generally  only  one  spur  on  each 
leg,  occasionally  two,  the  second  at  the  base  of  the  first.  Females 
only  differ  in  not  being  spurred,  and  in  being  a  trifle  smaller. 
Young  birds  have  the  chin  and  throat  strongly  tinged  with 
fulvous. 

The  Grey  Partridge  is  found  throughout  the  greater  part 
©f  India,  but  not  frequenting  mountainous  or  forest-clad  dis- 
tricts, and  it  is  totally  wanting  throughout  the  Malabar  Coast, 
as  far  at  all  events  as  N.  L.  17° — 18".  It  is  also  very  rarely  met 
with  north  of  the  Ganges,  although  recorded  as  a  bird  of  Nepal 
by  Hodgson,  and  it  is  replaced  generally  in  Bengal  by  the  next 
species.  It  is  not  known  in  Assam  nor  in  any  of  the  countries 
to  the  Eastward.  Westward  it  is  very  abundant  in  Sindli,  and 
some  parts  of  the  Punjab,  and  it  is  stated  to  occur  in  Persia, 
as  Mr.  Blyth  informed  me,  where  known  as  '  JiruftV 

It  frequents  alike  bush -jungle,  and  cultivated  lands,  being  often 
found  in  gardens  and  compounds  ;  and  very  generally  near  villages, 
concealing  itself  in  hedge-rows  and  thickets.  It  associates  in 
coveys  of  varied  number,  from  five  to  fifteen,  is  often  very 
difiicult  to  flush,  running  for  a  great  distance,  and  with 
amazing  speed,  and  taking  refuge  in  thick  bushes  and  hedges, 
whence  driven  with  difiiculty.  When  flushed,  it  rises  with  a 
loud  whirr,  flies  very  strongly,  but  does  not  take  long  flights. 
It  frequently  perches  on  low  trees  and  shruhs,  and  on  the  branches 
of  thick  Euphorbia  hedges.  Its  call  is  a  peculiar  loud  shrill  cry, 
and  has,  not  unaptly,  been  compared  to  the  word  Pateela-pateela- 
pateela,  quickly  repeated,  but  preceded  by  a  single  note  uttered 
two  or  three  times,  each  time  with  a  higher  intonation,  till  it 
gets,   as  it  were,  the  key  note  of  its  call. 

This  Partridge  breeds,  chiefly  in  the  dry  weather,  from  February 
to  May  or  June,  the  hen-bird  laying  usually  eight  or  ten  eggs,  of 
a  cream  or  stone  colour,  under  a  hedge-row  or  thick  bush.  One 
writer  in  the  Bengal  Sport.  Revieio  says,  from  twelve  to  eighteen 
eggs,  greyish  speckled  with  red  and  brown.  It  occasionally, 
it  is  stated,  breeds  in  grain  fields,  and  many  nests  are  said  to  be 
destroyed  in  reaping  the  crops.  "  The  young,"  says  the  same  writer, 
"  soon  get  strong  on  the  wing,  and  attempt  to  call  when  only  five 


PERDICINiE.  571 

days  old."  In  flight  this  bird  is  not  unlike  the  English  Partridge, 
and  I  have  known  many  sportsmen  who  considered  them  to  be  the 
same  bird.  It  is  considered  to  be  a  stronger  flying  bird,  and  to  be 
more  difficult  to  bring  down. 

Though  generally  dispersed  throughout  the  country,  they  are 
seldom  so  plentiful  as  to  induce  Sportsmen  to  go  out  after  them 
alone,  but  a  few  generally  form  part  of  the  bag  after  a  day's 
shooting  in  Southern  and  Western  India.  "  I  have  found  Greys 
with  my  pointers"  remarks  a  writer  in  the  Beng.  Sport.  Mag. 
(XIV.  90)  "always  in  a  steady  way,  but  subject  of  course  to  the 
peculiar  habit  of  that  skulking,  running  bird ;  fond  of  bushes,  and 
strong  on  the  leg,  they  will  walk  or  dodge  before  the  dogs  and 
sportsmen  in  a  tiresome  way,  tantalizing  and  trying  to  the  temper 
of  both  man  and  beast ;  still  the  dogs  will  be  staunch  to  their  trail, 
drawing  on  them,  and  standing  until  they  are  sprung."  It  is  not, 
in  general,  considered  good  eating,  being  usually  dry  and  insipid. 
One  writer,  however,  in  the  above  quoted  Periodical,  says,  "  In 
this  respect  it  has  not  had  justice,  being,  in  October  and  November, 
superior  to  our  Black  Partridge,  but  in  this  country  game  is  so 
much  spoiled  in  cooking  that  there  is  no  knowing  what  to  make  of 
it,  as  it  is  invariably  roasted  as  dry  as  a  stick."  The  best  way  of 
cooking  dry  game  in  this  country  is  the  Gypsy  or  Mexican  fashion 
of  enclosing  it  in  a  lump  of  good  fire-clay,  and  roasting  it  in 
the  fire.  Birds  (and  hares)  otherwise  dry  and  insipid,  come  out 
of  their  case  juicy  and  tasty. 

When  not  disturbed  much,  and  near  villages,  the  Grey  Partridge 
is  by  no  means  a  shy  bird.  It  is  easily  tamed,  and  may  be 
brought  to  follow  his  owner  about  like  a  dog,  even  through  a 
crowded  street.  It  is  very  commonly  kept  by  Mussulmans  in  small 
cages,  sometimes  for  fighting,  as  it  is  highly  pugnacious,  and 
fights  with  great  spirit  and  obstinacy.  Partridges  with  double 
spurs  are  esteemed  the  most  for  fighting.  It  will  readily  utter  its 
call  when  spoken  to,  and  is  generally  liberated  on  a  grass  plain 
for  a  run  every  morning,  returning  to  its  cage  when  called  upon. 
It  is  also  used  as  a  decoy  for  wild  birds,  a  tame  bird  being  put 
down  near  a  covey  and  made  to  call,  when  he  is  invariably  met  by 
a  cock-bird,    and    a   battle  ensues.     The  Bird-catcher  approaches 


572  BIRDS  OF  INDIA. 

cautiously  and  seizes  the  wild  bird   as  it  is  heedlessly  engaged  in 
the  fight. 

This  Partridge  feeds  on  grain  and  seeds  of  all  kinds,  and  is 
very  partial  to  small  grasshoppers,  white  ants  and  other  insects.  It 
is  often  accused  of  being  a  dirty  feeder  when  living  near  villages, 
but  I  am  inclined  to  think  unjustly. 

823.  Ortygornis  gularis,  Temminck. 

Perdix,  apud  Temminck— Blyth,  Cat.  1505— Hardwioke* 
111.  Ind.  Zool.  1.  pi.  56,  f.  l.—Khijr,  or  Kyah  or  Kaijali,  H. 
—occasionally  Ban-titar,  '  Chikore'  or  '  Bengal  Chikore'  of 
sportsmen  in  Bengal. 

The  Kyah  Partridge. 

Descr. — Top   of  the  head  olive-brown ;  supercilium,  lores,  and 
a  streak  below  the  eye,  pale   buff  or    fulvous,    and    a  dusky   line 
passes   through  the  eyes  to  the   upper   part  of   the   ear-coverts ; 
upper  plumage  brown,  barred  with  narrow  cross  streaks  of  whitish 
or   fulvous,  edged   black,   and   the  shafts  of  the  feathers  mostly 
white,  except  those  of  the  hinder    part   of    the   back   and   rump ; 
primaries    plain    brown   externally,    passing    to  ferruginous  brown 
within ;    tail   ferruginous   except   the    central   feathers ;    beneath, 
the  chin  and  throat  are  bright  ferruginous  brown  ;  the    rest  of   the 
lower  plumage,  with  the  sides  of  the  neck,  are  brown,  with  white 
streaks,  edged  by  black,  which  on  the   breast   and   belly  become 
laro-e    dashes    or   blotches,    giving    a  handsome    character    to  the 
plumao-e ;  lower  tail-coverts  ferruginous,  and  the  under  surface   of 
the  wings  mostly  ferruginous  also. 

Bill   blackish ;  irides  dark  brown  ;  legs   dull  red.     Length  15 
inches ;    extent  22  ;    wing  6f ;    tail   4  ;  bill    at   front    nearly    1  ; 

tarsus  2^;  weight  17  oz.  to  1  lb.  6  oz. 

The  male  is  furnished  with  a  strong  and  sharp   spur,    ^  inch 

lono-.     The  female  is  a  trifle  smaller,  and  wants  the  spur.     Length 

13^  to  14  inches. 
This  fine  bird  in  its  upper  plumage,  veiy  closely  resembles  the 

common  Grey  Partridge,  but  the  lower  surface  is  very  different, 


PERDIOIN^,  573 

being  longitudinally  dashed  with  white  Instead  of  narrowly  barred ; 
it  is  nearly  double  the  size,  and  has  very  different  distribution  and 
haunts. 

The  Kyah  Partridge  is  found  throughout  Bengal,  from  TIrhoot 
and  Goruckpoor  to  the  Sunderbuns,  and  extending  eastwards 
into  Assam,  Sylhet,  Cachar  and  Tipperah.  South  of  this  it  Is 
not  recorded,  but  it  may  occur  in  Chittagong.  In  the  Western 
Provinces  of  Bengal,  it  is  chiefly  found  on  the  north  bank  of  the 
Ganges,  crossing  in  a  few  suitable  localities  from  Monghyr  to 
Eajmahal,  and  also  found  between  the  Bhagirutty  and  the  Ganges ; 
but  not  extending  to  Kishnagur,  It  is  said,  nor  to  the  vicinity  of 
Calcutta.  It  is  stated  that  it  used  to  be  found  along  the  banks 
of  the  Roopnarain  River,  but  is  so  no  longer.  It  is  found  up  to 
the  base  of  the  Himalayas,  and  I  have  heard  of  its  occurring  in 
the  Oude  Teral,  but  It  apparently  does  not  go  further  west. 

The  favorite  grounds  for  this  Partridge  are  thick  beds  of  reeds 
and  long  grass  along  the  banks  of  rivers,  jheels,  and  water-courses  ; 
and  especially  in  those  swampy  patches  of  reeds  where  the  creep- 
ing Eose-bushes  form  thickets  impenetrable  to  ought  but  an 
Elephant,  though  hardly  "  frequenting  swampy  churs  and  reedy 
waters,  the  same  as  the  Bittern,  Snipe  and  Heron"  as  one  writer 
states.  "The  strongest  depths"  sa,ys  a.  wntev  in  the  Beng.  Sport. 
Mag.  "  whether  in  patches,  or  In  continuous,  wavy,  thick  grass, 
or  seas  of  jungle  hold  them."  If  cultivated  land  be  near,  so 
much  the  better,  for  this  Partridge  loves  to  feed  on  open  patches  of 
Mustard,  Dhal  and  other  pulses,  and  indeed  during  the  cold  weather 
may  frequently  be  found  in  the  fields  at  all  hours  of  the  day. 
Occasionally  it  resorts  to  dry  grassy  plains  with  scattered  bushes, 
but  much  more  generally  grassy  churs  near  water.  During 
the  rains,  and  when  some  of  its  usual  haunts  are  flooded,  it  betakes 
itself  to  the  fields,  hedgerows  and  bush  jungle,  and  at  this  time 
affords  good  sport  even  to  the  Sportsman  on  foot  ;  and,  in  some 
localities  when  flooded,  the  Kyah  may  be  seen  flying  from  tree 
to  tree 

This  Partridge  Is  generally,  except  when  breeding,  met  with  in 
somewhat  scattered  coveys,  which  rise  three  or  four  at  a  time  with 
a  cackling  scream  ;  they  fly  strong  and  straight  with  outstretched 


574  BIRDS  OF  INDIA. 

ncckj  seldom  going  to  any  distance,  but  dropping  into  some  thick 
covert,  and  thence  often  dislodged  with  difficulty ;  for  it  runs  much, 
even  among  the  thick  reeds.  It  very  generally,  however,  especi- 
ally in  SAvampy  thickets,  perches  on  the  high  reeds,  and  generally 
roosts  there. 

The  call  of  the  Kyah  is  quite  similar  in  character  to  that  of 
the  Grey  Partridge,  though  in  a  somewhat  different  tone,  and 
not  uttered  so  hurriedly,  and  the  preliminary  chuck  is  exactly  that 
of  its  congener.  It  is  one  of  the  earliest  birds  astir,  crowing  at 
day-light,  as  well  as  frequently  also  during  the  day. 

The  Kyah  breeds  early  in  the  spring,  in  some  localities,  at  all 
events,  from  March  to  May,  and  at  this  time  is  very  difficult  to 
put  up  ;  indeed,  I  have  seen  an  Elephant  almost  break  down  a 
bush  before  the  Partridge  would  ri^e.  The  eggs  are  said  to  be 
laid  under  some  thick  bush,  in  a  dry  spot,  and  to  be  white  like 
those  of  the  Grey  Partridge.  It  is  a  very  quarrelsome  bird,  fight- 
ing much  with  his  own  species,  and  one  writer  states  that  "the 
scars  of  former  fights  disfigure  the  breasts  of  almost  every  bird 
you  kill."     It  drives  off  the  Black  Partridge  if  it  comes  across  it. 

Shooting  the  Kyah  is,  in  many  parts  of  the  country,  only  possible 
on  Elephants,  as  the  high  grass  and  reed  jungles  it  frequents  are 
impenetrable  to  man  or  dog;  and  moreover  Tigers  are  occasionally 
found  in  the  heavy  jungles  they  frequent.  But  where  the  patches 
of  reeds  and  rose  bushes  are  thinner,  and  of  small  extent,  and 
with  fields  and  moderately  high  grass  at  hand,  the  sportsman  may 
manage  to  get  a  good  many  shots  if  aided  by  a  few  strong  and 
determined  beaters  and  a  good  spaniel.  Early  in  the  morning 
too,  by  walking  down  the  reedy  bank  of  a  jheel  or  river,  bordered 
by  fields,  and  having  a  beater  or  two,  with  a  good  dog,  you  will  get 
several  shots  as  the  birds  fly  across  you  into  their  cover.  *'The 
scent  of  this  bird"  says  a  writer  in  the  Beng.  Sport.  Mag.  "  is 
most  gratefully  warm  to  pointers.  My  dogs  would  stand  to  the 
dead  birds  as  staunchly  as  to  the  living  ones." 

The  flesh  is  excellent  if  kept,  though  somewhat  more  dry  than  an 
English  Partridge.  The  same  writer  above  quoted  says  :  "  Of  all 
the  game  birds  of  India  known  to  me,  cold  roast  Chikore,  in  my 
opinion,  bears  away  the  palm  for  delicacy  of  flavour  and  texture  in 


PERDTCINuE.  575 

the  meat.  During  the  months  of  November  and  December,  it 
forms  an  unrivalled  dish  for  the  Epicure  in  gamey  flavour,  and 
an  additional  inducement  to  the  sportsman  to  fag  and  find." 

This  Partridge  has  had  the  name  of  Chickore  erroneously  applied 
to  it  by  sportsmen  in  Bengal,  and  various  writers  in  the  Indian 
Sporting  Magazines  have  kept  up  the  error.  Thus  it  is  well  figured 
by  George  Trigger  as  the  Chickore  ;  and  previously  a  group  of  them 
as  the  Common  Chickore  ;  and  one  sportsman,  on  reading  a  correct 
statement  that  the  Chickore  Partridge  is  only  found  in  the 
Himalayas,  immediately  publishes  an  article,  stating  that  the 
writer  was  perfectly  mistaken  as  to  the  Chickore  being  found  only 
in  the  hills ;  for,  that  he  has  shot  many  near  Eajmahal,  and 
elsewhere,  he  himself  having  been  deceived  by  the  name  popular- 
ly applied  to  this  Partridge.  A  bad  figure  of  it  is  elsewhere  given 
as  the  Wood  Partridge  of  Bengal,  also  a  misnomer.  No  native 
ever  applies  the  name  of  '  Chickore  to  this  bird,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped 
sportsmen  will  give  up  applying  this  name  to  it,  both  as  being 
perfectly  erroneous,  and  as  misleading  naturalists  and  others. 

The  Kyah  is  easily  reconciled  to  confinement,  even  when  taken 
old,  and  eats  greedily  of  almost  every  thing,  but  having  a  special 
preference  for  white  ants.  "  They  are"  says  the  same  writer  pre- 
viously quoted,  "  the  most  restless  creatures  imaginable,  always  on 
the  move  and  trying  to  get  out  at  any  cranny  and  bar  of  the  cage. 
Those  whicii  I  had,  called  regularly  at  day  break,  sometimes  in  the 
afternoon,  and  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  when  there  was  bright 
moonlight,  and  I  have  heard  the  wild  ones  answer  them  in  the 
night  from  the  borders  of  the  jungle." 

Probably  not  far  from  this  group  should  come  the  Malayan 
Bhizothera,  founded  on  the  Perdix  longirostris  of  Temminck. 
In  habits  it  is  said  to  resemble  the  Francolins,  not  associating  in 
coveys.     Both  sexes  are  spurred. 

The  true  Partriges,  Perdix  of  most  authors,  {Starna  of  Bona- 
parte) are  not  represented  in  India,  but  one  species  occurs  on  its 
northern  confines,  in  Thibet,  Perdix  Uodgsoniee,  Gould,  made  the 
type  of  the  genus  Sacfahj  Hodgson.  It  is  figured  by  Gould  in  the 
Birds  of  Asia,  pt.  IX.,  pi.  2,  and  appears  to  be  quite  of  the  same 


576  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

type  as  the  true  Perdix  of  Europe,  being  without  any  indication 
of  a  tarsal  spur.  It  has  been  lately  shot  by  several  sportsmen, 
Captain  Smythe,  Lt.  Forbes,  and  others,  who  have  sent  specimens 
to  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Calcutta ;  but  I  am  not  aware  of  its 
having  been  killed  on  this  side  of  the  Himalayas,  so  shall  not 
include  it  in  the  '  Birds  of  India.'  I  add  a  brief  description. 
The  upper  plumage  is  olive  brown,  the  lower  parts  buff;  it  has 
a  good  deal  of  chesnut  red  on  the  sides  and  back  of  the  neck 
and  wings ;  the  head  is  red,  with  white  specks,  and  there  is  a  black 
line  from  the  forehead  round  the  ear-coverts  and  throat.  A  belt 
of  black-edged  feathers  on  the  upper  part  of  the  belly  represents 
the  horse-shoe  marks  of  the  English  Partridge,  Length  13  inches; 
wing  G ;  tail  3^.  ^  * 

Perdix  cinerea,  the  English  Partridge,  has  eighteen  tail-feathers  ; 
it  chiefly  affects  cultivated  lands,  and  is  found  over  all  Europe 
and  Western  Asia  as  far  north  as  Siberia.  It  always  associates 
in  coveys,  which  in  winter  occasionally  collect  into  packs  of  several 
coveys. 

The  African  Partridges  are  very  numerous.  They  form  several 
groups,  two  of  them,  Pternestes  and  Clamator,  of  great  size,  and 
sometimes  called  Pheasants  by  colonists  at  the  Cape  and  elsewhere. 
Some  of  these  extend  into  Arabia,  and  travellers  there  have  also 
called  them  Pheasants  and  Jungle-fowl,  Blyth  indeed  is  inclined 
to  consider  them  '  Pheasants  with  Partridge  tails,'  but  this  I 
cannot  agree  to.  They  are  mostly  devoid  of  spurs,  but  some, 
called  Francolins  by  Dr.  A.  Smith,  have  large  and  even  double 
spurs,  Clioetopus  and  Scleroptila  of  modern  ornithologists. 
4:th.  Wood-partridges. 
Gen.  Arboricola,  Hodgson. 

Syn.  Arborophila,  Hodgson. 

Char. — Tarsus  not  spurred  ;  toes  long,  with  long  claws  ;  tail  of 
twelve  feathers,  short,  of  rather  soft  texture. 

The  Hill-partridges  or  Green-partridges  as  they  are  sometimes 
called,  occur  throughout  the  Himalayas,  but  are  found  nowhere 
else  in  India  proper.  They  extend  into  the  hilly  regions  of  Assam 
and  the  Burmese  provinces,  as  far,  at  all  events,  as  Tenasserim, 


PERDICINiB.  577 

and  south  of  this  they  are  replaced  by  one  or  more  nearly  affined 
genera.  They  are  of  rather  small  size  and  plump  form,  and  are 
the  most  forest-loving  of  the  family ;  being  only  found  in  dense 
forests  in  mountainous  districts,  or  in  thick  scrub ;  they  live  in 
coveys,  and  have  a  whistling  call.  The  sexes  differ  slightly  in 
plumage,  in  some  of  the  species  at  all  events. 
There  are  two  species  within  our  limits. 

824.    Arboricola  torqueola,  Valenciennes. 

Perdix,  apud  Valenciennes— Blytii, Cat.  1510 — P.  megapodia 
Temminck,  pi.  col,  462,  463 — P.  olivacea,  Gray — Hardwicke 
111.  Ind.  Zool.  1,  pi.  57 — Ban  titar,  and  Peura,  H.  Phohras  in 
some  parts  of  the  North- West  Himalayas — Kohempho,  Lepch. — 
Kangkom,  Bhot. 

The  Black-throated  Hill-partridge. 

Descr. — Male,  crown  of  head  and  ear-coverts  ferruginous,  passing 
down  the  sides  and  nape  of  the  neck  ;  lores  and  supercilia  black,  the 
latter  bordered  by  a  narrow  white  line  ;  shoulders,  back  and  rump 
olive  with  dusky  lunules,  deepening  to  black  spots  on  the  rump  ; 
wing-coverts  mixed  olive  and  chesnut,  with  a  few  large  black 
spots ;  chin  and  throat  black,  the  outer  feathers  white-margined  ; 
the  neck  and  upper  part  of  breast  bright  olive,  with  a  circle  or 
torque  of  white  below  the  black  throat ;  the  lower  breast  and 
belly  whitish ;  the  flanks  olive,  broadly  dashed  with  chesnut  and 
with  large  white  spots  ;  tail  olive,  black-speckled,  and  a  terminal 
dark  bar. 

Bill  black;  irides  deep  brown;  legs  red.  Length  lOi-  to  11 
inches  ;  extent  18  ;  wing  5^  ;  tail  2^  ;  tarsus  1|.     Weight  8  oz. 

The  female  has  the  head  and  neck  olive  with  black  speckles ; 
the  chin,  throat,  and  sides  of  the  neck  light  chesnut,  with  black 
marks  ;  the  neck  and  breast  olive  with  a  chesnut  gorget ;  the  rest 
as  in  the  male. 

This  pretty  Partridge  is  found  throughout  the  Himalayas,  from 
Simla  to  Darjeeling.  In  Sikim  it  is  found  from  about  6,000  to 
9,000  feet,  and  is  often  taken  in  winter  by  imitating  its  whistling 
call.  The  female  is  figured  in  the  Bengal  Sporting  Magazine  under 
the  name  of  the  Phokras. 

Part  ii.  4  d 


578  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

"This  handsome  little  Partridge,"  says  Mountaineer,  "inhabits  the 
forests  and  jungles,  and  is  never  found  in  open  spots  or  the  culti- 
vated fields.  It  is  most  numerous  on  the  lower  ranges,in  the  wooded 
ravines  and  hill  sides  from  the  summit  to  near  the  base,  but  does 
not  occur  at  the  foot  of  the  hills  or  low  down  in  the  valleys.  It 
is  not  so  common  in  the  interior,  but  met  with  to  an  elevation  of 
about  9,000  feet.  It  is  rather  solitary  in  its  habits,  generally 
found  in  pairs,  but  occasionally,  in  autumn  and  winter,  five  or 
six  will  collect  together,  and  keep  about  one  spot.  It  is  a  quiet 
unsuspicious  bird  ;  when  alarmed  it  utters  a  soft  whistle,  and 
generally  creeps  away  through  the  underwood  if  not  closely 
pressed,  in  preference  to  getting  up.  Its  flight  is  rapid,  oftener 
across  the  hill  than  downwards,  and  seldom  very  far,  in  general 
not  more  than  80  or  100  yards.  Its  food  being  much  similar,  it 
is  met  with  in  the  same  places  as  the  Coklass  Pheasant,  and  both 
are  often  found  together.  Indeed,  in  winter,  in  some  of  the  forests 
of  the  interior,  Argus,  Moonall,  Coklass,  and  Kalleege  Pheasant, 
and  the  Hill  partridge  are  sometimes  all  found  within  a  compass 
of  50  or  60  yards.  I  have  not  seen  the  nest  or  eggs.  It  feeds 
on  leaves,  roots,  maggots,  seeds,  and  berries  ;  in  confinement  it 
will  eat  grain  ;  in  a  large  cage  or  enclosure  its  motions  are  very 
lively,  running  about  with  great  sprightliness  from  one  part  to 
another.  It  occasionally  mounts  into  the  trees,  but  not  so  often 
as  a  forest  bird  might  be  expected  to  do.  In  the  forests  of  the 
interior,  in  spring,  it  is  often  heard  calling  at  all  hours  of  the  day. 
The  call  is  a  single  loud  soft  whistle,  and  may  be  easily  imitated 
so  as  to  entice  the  birds  quite  close.  At  other  seasons  it  is  never 
heard  to  call  except  when  disturbed." 

825.    Arboricola  rufogularis,  Btath. 

J.  A.S.  XVIII.  819— Blyth,  Cat.  l5ll—Kohom-but-pIw,  Lepch. 
— Lahoni,  Bhot. 

The  Rufous-throated  Hill-partridge. 

Descr. — Male,   as  in  the  last  species,  but  the  black   undulations 

on  the  back  are  generally  almost  obsolete  ;  it  has  the  red  head  of 

the   last,    but   the   throat,   front,  and   sides    of  the  neck  are  deep 

ferruginous,  with  some  small  black  specks  on  the  throat,  and  a  black 


PERDICIN^.  579 

torque  or  collar  separating  the  ferruginous  sharply  from  the  purer 
ashy  of  the  breast ;  an  ill  defined  whitish  streak  with  black  specks 
on  each  side  of  the  throat,  and  similar  but  more  rufescent  supercilia. 

Bill  black ;  irides  red  brown ;  orbits  dull  lake  red ;  legs  red. 
Length  lOi  to  11  inches ;  extent  19  ;  wing  oh  ;  tail  2  ;  tarsus  1^. 

The  female  has  the  dusky  bars  and  undulations  well  developed, 
and  the  throat  is  more  ferruginous  than  the  female  of  the  last,  but 
otherwise  there  is  little  difference. 

The  rufous-throated  Hill-partridge  was  discriminated  by  Blytli 
from  specimens  sent  from  Darjeeling,  and  we  are  ignorant  of 
its  range  west  of  Sikim.  It  probably,  however,  extends  into 
several  of  the  hill  ranges  of  Assam  and  Sylhet,  for  I  procured  it  on 
the  Khasia  Hills.  Its  habits,  voice,  &c.,  are  very  similar  to  those  of 
the  previous  species,  from  which  it  is  not  generally  distinguished, 
but  the  natives  of  Sikim  discriminate  them,  and  have  different 
names  for  them.  The  present  species  is  found  at  lower  altitudes 
than  the  former  one,  occurring  chiefly  from  3,000  to  6,000  feet  of 
elevation,  or  rather  more.  Neither  of  these  Partridges  are  readily 
obtainable  by  the  sportsman  at  Darjeeling,  owing  to  the  density 
of  the  forest.  Now  and  then  dogs  will  put  up  a  covey  at  which  a 
chance  shot  may  be  had ;  but  in  general  they  can  be  best  pro- 
cured by  imitating  their  whistle,  and  thus  decoying  them  within 
short  range  of  the  gunner. 

Arljoricola  atrogularis,  Blytli,  is  very  closely  allied  to  A.  tor- 
queola,  but  differs  in  the  male  not  having  a  chesnut  head.  It 
appears  to  be  P.  olivacea  of  Buch.  Hamilton,  and  is  found  in  the 
Tipperah  Hills  and  Chittagong.  A.  intermedia,  Blyth,  occurs  in 
Arrakan  ;  and  A.  brunneo-pectus,  Tickell,  is  from  Tenasserim.  This 
species  has  the  Avings  strongly  marked  with  chesnut.  One  species, 
A.  sphenura  is  stated  to  occur  in  China.  To  the  same  group  belong 
Perdix  personata,  Horsfield,  and  P.  javanica,  Gmelin,  both  from 
Java.  Peloperdiv,  Blyth,  founded  on  Perdix  charltoni  of  Penang, 
is  a  distinct  though  affined  form ;  and  it  appears  to  me  that 
P.pu7ictulata,  Gray,  figured  in  Hardwicke's  111.  Ind.  Zool.,  is  either 
the  same  bird  as  P.  charltoni,  or  some  nearly  related  species, 
perhaps  P.  chloropus.  Blyth.  Caloperdld',  Birth,  founded  on  the 
2'etrao  O'jellatut'.)  Uaffles,  ( Perdix  ocu.ka.  Teniminck)  U  a  very  beauti- 


580  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

ful  species,  poorly  figured  in  Hardwicke's  Illustrations.  This  is 
not  unfrequently  double  spurred,  and,  says  Blyth,  displays  unmis- 
takeable  affinities  for  Polyplectron  and  Galloperdix.  It  extends  up 
the  Malayan  Peninsula  as  high  as  Mergui.  It  appears  to  me  that 
Perdix  thoracica,  Temminck,  supposed  to  be  from  the  Philippine 
Islands,  is  more  allied  to  this  group  of  Wood-partridges  than  to  true 
Perdix  with  which  Blyth  would  class  it.  It  has  a  larger  and  firmer 
tail  than  Arboricola,  and  possesses  spurs,  which,  however,  are  irre- 
gular in  number. 

As  a  very  anomalous  form  of  spurless  Partridges  might  here 
be  placed  Bollulus  (formerly  Cryptonyx)  coronatus,  the  crowned 
Partridge  of  IMalacca,  extending  to  Mergui,  remarkable  for 
wanting  the  claw  of  the  hind  toe ;  and  R.  niger,  ('the  female  of 
which  is  R.  ferrugineus  of  Gray  in  Hardwicke's  Illustration,) 
the  type  of  Melanoperdix,  which  possesses  a  minute  hind  claw. 
Gray  places  these  birds  in  a  distinct  sub-family  {Rollulin(B, 
Bonap.,)  in  which  I  think  he  is  right ;  indeed  from  their  colora- 
tion, the  fan-like  crest,  and  the  different  colour  of  the  sexes, 
they  ought  rather  to  be  placed  with  the  Gallincc  than  with  the 
Partridges.  The  crest  is  similar  to  that  of  the  crowned  pigeons, 
Goura,  and  the  bare  frontal  plumes  of  Rollulns  are  only  represented, 
elsewhere,  in  this  family,  by  some  of  the  Americun  Partridges. 
hth.  Bush-quails. 

The  dwarf  Partridges  or  Bush-quails,  belong  more  strictly  to 
this  sub-family  than  to  that  of  the  true  Quails,  though  placed 
among  the  latter  by  Bonaparte. 

Gen.  Perdicula,  Hodgson. 

Bengal  Sporting  Revieiv,  1837,  1  p.  344. 

Char. — Bill  short,  thick,  well  curved ;  tarsus  with  a  blunt 
tubercle;  wings  firm,  much  rounded,  outer  web  of  most  of  the  pri- 
maries sinuated  and  moderately  firm ;  tail  short,  of  twelve  feathers. 
Of  very  small  size.     Sexes  differ  in  plumage. 

This  genus  is  peculiar  to  India  proper,  not  being  found  to  the 
east  of  the  Bay  of  Bengal,  nor,  as  far  as  we  know,  across  the 
Indus.  It  is  not  very  distantly  removed  from  Perdix,  and  has 
also  some  more  remote  analogies  with  the  American  Partridges. 
The  species  are  called  Bush-quail  by  sportsmen,  and  are  found  either 


PEEDICIN^.  581 

in  bushy  ground  or  in  thin  forest  jungle.     Hodgson  noted  the  firm 
and  quasi-spiuous  character  of  the  plumage  of  the  neck  and  breast. 

826.    Perdicula  Cambayensis,  Latham. 

Perdix,  apud  Latham— Coturnix  pentah,  Sykes,  Cat.  156  — 
Hardwicke,  111.  Ind.  Zool.  2  pi.  45  f.  3— Zool.  Trans.  2  pi.  3— 
C.  argoondab,  apud  Gould,  Birds  of  Asia,  pt.  XV".,  pi.  13* — 
Jerdon,  Cat.  278— Blyth,  Cat.  1517 — P.  rubicola,  Hodgson 
• — P.  rubiginosa,  Valenc?  Girza,  H. —  Girza  pitta,  Tel. 
The  Jungle  Bush-quail. 

Male,  above  rich  dark  reddish  brown,  mottled  with  dull  rufous ; 
a  long  yellowish  or  rufous  white  supercilium,  narrowly  edged 
with  black,  and  an  indistinct  pale  line  from  the  gape ;  between 
this  and  the  supercilium  rufous  brown  ;  the  shafts  of  the  feathers 
of  the  back  of  the  neck  and  the  back  white  ;  many  of  the  feathers 
of  the  back  with  black  markings ;  and  the  scapulars  and  wing- 
coverts  richly  marked  on  their  inner  webs  with  pale  creamy  white 
and  black ;  primaiues  red-brown,  with  fulvous  or  tawny  spots  or 
bars  ;  tail  with  a  few  black  bars ;  beneath,  the  chin  is  rich  chesnut, 
and  the  rest  of  the  under  surface  white,  tinged  with  rufescent  on  the 
lower  abdomen,  flanks,  vent  and  lower  tail-coverts,  with  numerous 
crossbars  of  black,  small  on  the  throat  and  sides  of  neck,  increasing 
in  size  on  the  breast  and  abdomen,  and  disappearing  towards  the 
vent.  Bill  dusky,  with  reddish  tinge  ;  irides  light  brown  ;  legs 
yellow-red.     Length  6^  inches  ;  wing3|;   tail  If  ;   tarsus  ly'jy. 

The  female  has  the  lower  plumage  rufous,  with  whitish  shafts 
in  some  specimens,  and  the  black  markings  of  the  upper  plumage 
less  distinct  ;  the  throat  is  generally  darker  rufous  than  the  rest 
of  the  lower  plumage.  In  some  specimens  the  rufous  tinge  is 
more  distinct  above,  and  in  others  less  so,  and  the  brown  has 
more  of  a  greyish  tinge.  The  absence  of  the  rich  rufous  throat  in 
many  of  Col.  Sykes'  specimens  is  probably  a  mark  of  immaturity. 

This  pretty  little  Bush-quail  is  extensively  distributed  through- 
out India,  and  is  found  at  all  levels  from  the  sea-coast  to  nearly 
5,000  feet  of  elevation.  In  the  south  of  India  it  is  chiefly  found  in 
the  more  wooded  districts  in  Malabar,   Mysore,  on  the  eastern 

*  Except  the  account  of  its  habits  by  Sykes  and  Burgess  which  relates  to  the 
ne.Kt  bird. 


582  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

Ghats,  and  on  the  various  hill  ranges,  being  rare  in  the  low 
Carnatic  and  bare  table-land.  Colonel  Sykcs  found  it  on  the 
higher  ranges  of  the  western  Ghats  at  4,(300  feet,  and  it  is  found 
throughout  Central  India  as  far  as  the  northern  slopes  of  the 
Rajraahal,  Monghyr  and  Mirzapore  hills.  It  is  not  generally  found 
on  the  north  bank  of  the  Ganges,  but  Hodgson  gives  it  as  found  in 
the  Sub-Himalayan  zone  ;  and  Adams  says  that  it  is  found  in  the 
valleys  of  the  lower  janges  of  the  Himalayas.  It  does  not  occur 
in  Lower  Bengal,  that  I  know  of,  nor  in  any  of  the  countries  east  of 
the  Ganges,  but  it  is  said  to  be  common  in  the  N.  W.  Provinces. 

I  have  very  little  doubt  of  its  being  Valenciennes'  bird, 
although  Sykes  is  inclined  to  think  it  distinct,  but  the  markings, 
as  described,  are  quite  those  of  the  present  species  and  not 
of  the  next.  Adams  quotes  it  as  Ikrcl.  Asiatlca,  Latham,  but 
I  am  inclined  to  apply  that  specific  name  to  the  red  Bush-quail, 
which  is  stated  by  Latham  to  occur  chiefly  in  the  Mahratta 
country,  whilst  camhaiensis  is  from  Guzerat,  where,  as  far  as 
we  know,  only  the  present  species  is  found.  Adams,  however, 
states  that  he  has  only  seen  this  bird  in  the  upper  Himalayas, 
and  not  on  the  plains  of  India. 

In  the  South  of  India  this  Bush-quail  frequents  open  forests  ; 
thick  patches  of  jungle,  and  especially  grassy  hill  sides  with  a  few 
scattered  bushes  :  also  fields  near  hills  or  jungle.  Riding  through 
some  of  the  more  open  forests,  especially  in  the  upland  districts ; 
a  bevy  of  this  little  bird  is  often  seen  crossing  the  road,  or  feeding 
on  grain  dropped  by  cattle.  In  the  North-west  Provinces,  how- 
ever, they  appear  to  frequent  gardens,  bushes  and  hedge-rows 
in  more  open  ground,  near  stations.  Hodgson  states  them 
to  be  migratory  in  Nepal.  A  writer  in  the  Bengal  Sporting  Magazine, 
vol.  xi.,  says  that  "  they  are  very  abundant  in  the  plains 
of  upper  India,  indeed  in  some  places,  scarcely  any  other  game 
is  to  be  had.  According  to  my  observations  they  are  not  migratory; 
but  pair  and  breed  about  the  same  time  as  the  Rain-quial  (Coturnix 
coromandelicus)  in  the  rains.  During  this  period,  the  plumage  of 
the  male  is  really  handsome.  I  have  seen  the  parent  birds  leading 
forth  their  young  exactly  as  a  Partridge  would.  A  covey  of  them 
in  iii\'  garden  never  faiU'  mc  for  breaking  in  my  setters." 


PERDICINiE.  583 

This  bush-quail  is  found  in  coveys  or  bevies  of  from  six  ro 
eight  to  a  dozen  and  more,  and  generally  all  rise  at  once  with  a 
loud  whirring  noise,  uttering  cries  of  alarm,  and  after  a  short 
flight  drop  down  again  into  the  jungle. 

A  tolerable  figure  is  given  in  the  volume  of  the  Bengal  Sporting 
Bevieio  for  1836,  pi.  1,  f.  6,  under  the  name  of  the  Bush-quail. 

827.    Perdicula  Asiatica,  Latham. 

Perdix,  apud  Latham,  also  Lauwau  Partridge,-  Latham,  No.  41. — 
Gould,  Birds  of  Asia,  pt.  XV.,  pi.  12,  (except  the  account  of  its 
distribution  and  habits) — Coturnix  argoondah,  Sykes,  Cat.  155, 
and  Trans.  Zool.  Soc.  vol.  2,  pi.  2.*— Jerdon,  Cat.  277 — 
Blyth,  Cat.  1518 — P.  rubiginosa,  Valenc  ? — Loiva,  H. — 
Lmviinfia,  Tel. — Sin-kadeh,  Tarn.  ?".  e.  the  red  quail. 

The  Rock  Bush-Quail. 

Descr. — Male,  upper  plumage  brownish  rufous,  tlie  feathers 
minutely  freckled  and  lineolated  with  black  and  tawny ;  the  feathers 
of  the  head  and  neck  tipped  with  black,  and  some  of  the  scapulars 
and  wing-coverts  with  irregular  black  blotches;  primaries  dark  brown 
with  tawny  bars  on  the  outer  webs ;  tail  with  the  lateral  feathers 
also  barred ;  a  narrow  white  line  passes  over  the  eye  from  the  base 
of  the  bill,  bordered  by  dusky,  and  another  short  line  below  this 
from  the  gape ;  the  rest  of  the  face,  chin  and  throat  bright 
rufous ;  the  whole  lower  parts,  including  the  sides  of  the  neck, 
being  white  with  numerous  cross  bars  of  black,  and  tinged  with 
rufous  on  the  flanks,  lower  belly  and  thigh  coverts. 

Bill  dark  slaty;  irides  brown;  orbits  pale ;  legs  red.  Length 
Q)\  inches;  wing  3§- ;   tail  1^  ;  tarsus  barely  1. 

The  female  differs  in  having  the  upper  surface  more  uniform 
rufous  brown,  and  the  whole  of  the  lower  parts  are  pale  rufous, 
albescent  on  the  vent ;  supercilia  barely  perceptible.  Some  spe- 
cimens of  males  are  more  uniformly  rufous  than  in  the  above 
description,  and  want  the  black  markings.  Judging  from  the 
character  of  the  female  these  birds  should  be  young  males. 


*  Note. — Blyth  in  his  Cat.  looks  on  this  as  pentah,  the  former  as  argoondah, 
Sykes,  but  I  think  that  I  have  correctly  applied  those  names  here. 


584  BIEDS  OP  INDIA. 

This  species  differs  more  from  the  preceding  one  than  is 
apparent  from  the  description  alone.  It  is  always  more  rufous  than 
the  last,  and  wants  the  rich  markings  on  the  scapulars.  Tlie  females 
are  very  similar  to  each  other,  but  those  of  the  present  species  are 
more  uniform  in  their  coloration  than  those  of  the  last. 

The  Rock  Bush-quail  is  found  over  most  of  Southern  India, 
avoiding  the  Malabar  Coast  and  forest  districts  generally,  as  well 
as  the  more  highly  cultivated  portion?.  It  is  abundant  in  parts  of 
the  Carnatic  and  j\Iysore,  as  well  as  in  the  more  barren  portion  of  the 
Deccan,  but  does  not  appear  to  occur  in  the  North  of  India  at  all 
beyond  the  Nerbudda,  although  very  suitable  ground  for  it  occurs 
both  at  Mhow  and  Saugor.  It  frequents  rocky  hills  with  low 
scrub  jungle,  and  especially  barren  uncultivated  plains,  scantily 
covered  with  low  bushes  of  Zizyphus  or  Carissa  and  other  thorny 
shrubs,  out  of  which  the  bevy  rises,  ten  or  a  dozen  or  twenty  toge- 
ther, with  a  startling  suddenness  and  bustle,  dispersing  more  or  less 
among  the  neiglibouring  bushes.  The  flesh  of  tliis  Bush-quail, 
as  well  as  of  the  last,  is  perfectly  white,  and  it  makes  a  good  pie  ; 
plain  roasted  they  are  not  so  good  as  the  species  of  Cutiirnix,  being 
dry  and  with  little  flavour. 

The  Lowa  is  much  used  for  fighting  among  the  Mussulmans  of 
Soutliern  India,  as  indeed,  the  Geerza  is  also,  though  not  so  com- 
mon, nor  so  highly  esteemed.  Burgess  found  this  Bush-quail 
breeding  from  December  to  Marcli,  but  found  only  four  pale  buff 
eggs.     It  probably  lays  considerably  more. 

The  next  species  differs  from  the  previous  ones  by  its  more 
slender  and  led  bill,  and  the  male  wants  the  tarsal  tubercle;  but 
it  has  the  rounded  wings  and  mucli  the  same  habits  as  the  Bush- 
quails  with  which  I  shall  continue  to  associate  it,  though  as  a 
somewhat  aberrant  species.  Gould  has  separated  it  under  the 
generic  name  of  Microperdix. 

828.    Perdicula  erythrorhyncha,  Sykes. 

Coturnix,  apud  Sykes,  Cat.  117 — and  Zool.  Trans,  vol.  2,  pi.  1  — 
Jerdon,  Cat.  279— -Blyth,  Cat.  1525— Hardwicke,  111.  Ind. 
Zool.  2,  pi.  44,  f.  2— Gould,  Birds  of  Asia,  pt.  XIV.  pi. 
16 — Kohni  loiva,  II,  of  some  Shikarees. 


PERDIOINiE.  585 

The  Painted  Bush-quail. 

Descr. — Male,  forehead,  lores,  and  crown  of  head  black  ;  a  white 
frontal  band,  continued  as  a  supercilium  over  each  eye ;  upper 
plumage  rich  olive  brown,  with  black  lunules ;  scapulars,  wing- 
coverts  and  secondaries  with  large  patches  of  black,  the  shaft  pale 
yellow,  and  some  faint  cross  lines  of  the  same  ;  primaries  brown, 
the  outer  webs  barred  with  dark  rufous ;  tail  brown  with  black 
spots,  and  barred  with  narrow  pale  yellow  lines ;  beneath,  the 
chin  is  pure  white,  bordered  by  black ;  the  rest  of  the  lower  parts 
are  rufous,  passing  into  olive  brown  on  the  sides  of  the  neck,  and 
with  a  few  spots  of  black  on  the  breast,  increasing  in  size  on  the 
sides  of  the  neck  and  breast;  feathers  of  the  flanks  with  large 
spots  of  deep  black  tipped  with  white. 

Bill  and  legs  fine  red ;  irides  yellow  brown.  Length  6^  inches  ; 
wing  3 ;  tail  1  ^  ;  tarsus  1 . 

The  female  differs  in  having  the  chin,  supercilium,  forehead,  and 
face  rufous,  in  place  of  wiiite,  and  the  head  is  brown  instead  of 
being  black. 

This  very  handsome  Bush-quail  has  only  been  found  on  the 
higher  lands  of  Southern  India,  extending  along  the  crest  of  the 
Ghats,  from  the  Wynaad  to  near  Poonah,  at  all  events.  I  have 
observed  it  on  the  Neilgherries,  in  the  Wynaad,  and  in  Coorg ; 
Col.  Sykes  recorded  it  from  the  valley  of  Karleh,  associating  with 
Frnncolinus  pictiis,  and  Mr.  W.  Elliot  obtained  it  on  the  inter- 
vening ranges  of  Dharwar.  It  is  far  from  rare  in  Wynaad,  and 
abundant  on  the  Neilgherries,  frequenting  bushy  ground  and 
patches  of  ferns  on  hill  sides,  or  in  the  valleys.  It  frequently 
enters  gardens  at  Ootacamund,  and  may  be  watched  from  the 
windows,  running  actively  about,  picking  up  seeds  and  insects,  and 
I  have  known  many  fall  victims  to  the  stealthy  pounce  of  some 
domestic  Cat.  It  lives  in  moderately  large  bevies,  which  rise  all 
too-ether,  but  with  less  whirr  than  the  other  Bush-quails,  their 
plumage  generally  being  softer  and  not  so  firm. 

No  other  species  are  known. 

Sub-fam.     Coturnicin^,  Quails. 

Wings  pointed,  rather  long;  bill  moderate;  tarsi  not  spurred  ; 
of  small  size.     Sexes   differ   somewhat  in  coloration.      Of  univer- 

PART    II.  4    E 


586  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

sal   distribution   throughout    the  Old  World,    but    culminating  in 
Australia  and  Eastern  Mai  ay  ana. 

The  true  Quails  are  not  always  kept  distinct  from  the  Part- 
ridges, but  tbeir  longer  and  more  pointed  wings,  great  powers 
of  flight,  and  migratory  habits  of  some,  together  with  their 
distribution,  point  them  out  as  a  separate  group.  They  are 
the  most  widely  distributed  division  of  Rasores,  being  found 
throughout  the  whole  old  continent,  as  far  as  New  Zealand.  One 
genus  is  peculiar  to  Australia  and  neighbouring  islands ;  and  there 
are  two  others  differing  very  slightly  from  each  other  which  have 
a  still  wider  distribution. 

Gen.  CoTURNlX,  Brisson. 

Char. — Bill  somewhat  slender,  straight,  or  slightly  curved  ;  tarsi 
without  spurs  ;  tail  very  short,  rounded  and  soft,  concealed  by  the 
upper  tail-coverts ;  wings  lengthened  and  pointed,  the  1st  and 
2nd  quills  longest. 

This  genus  is  most  numerous  in  species  in  the  Southern  regions  of 
Asia ;  one  species  only,  the  common  Quail,  being  found  throughout 
the  greater  part  of  Asia,  Europe  and  Africa. 

829.    Coturnix  communis,  Bonaterre. 

Blyth,  Cat.  1521 — C.  dactyhsonans,  Temminck — Sykes,  Cat. 
153_Jerdon,  Cat.  275— Gould,  Birds  of  Europe  pi.  263 — 
C.  indicus,  Hodgson — Batter  or  barra  batter,  H. —  Ghagas  hatter 
II.  of  Falconers — Gogari  ydliclii.,  Tel. — Peria  kadeh,  Tam. — Loica, 
Mahr.  (according  to  Sykes) — The  European  Quail. 

The  Large  Grey  Quail. 

Descr. — Male,  head  brown,  with  pale  edging  to  the  feathers, 
and  a  central  pale  line ;  eyebrows,  cheeks,  and  lores  whitish,  with 
the  ear-coverts  partially  brown  ;  the  upper  plumage  brown, 
each  feather  of  the  back,  scapulars,  rump  and  tail  having  on  one 
side  of  the  pale  yellow  shaft  a  fine  black  patch,  and  some  pale 
cross  striai ;  wing-coverts  greyish-brown,  with  narrow  streaks 
and  bars  of  pale  yellowish,  black  bordered  ;  primaries  dark  brown, 
with  pale  rufous  spots  and  bars  on  the  outer  webs ;  beneath,  the 
chin  is  dull  white ;  the  throat  rufous  brown,  with  a  double  blackish 


coTURNicm^.  587 

or  brown  band  or  collar,  separated  by  some  yellowish  white,  and 
a  few  blackish  spots  on  the  breast  and  sides  of  neck ;  the  rest 
of  the  lower  plumage  pale  rufous,  deepest  on  the  lower  neck 
and  breast,  and  becoming  earthy  on  the  flanks  and  vent ;  the 
long  feathers  of  the  flanks  pale  chocolate  color,  with  a  broad  cen- 
tral yellow  stripe  and  some  black  blotches. 

The  female  chiefly  differs  in  wanting  the  rufous  brown  patches 
on  the  throat  and  breast,  which  is  much  spotted  with  brown  ;  she 
is  larger  than  the  male. 

Bill  horny  brown ;  irides  yellow  brown ;  legs  pale  fleshy. 
Length  7^  inches  ;  extent  1-i^  ;  wing  4^  ;  tail  nearly  2  ;  tarsus  1 . 
Weight  3J  to  4  oz. 

The  European  Quail  is  found  throughout  India,  in  considerable 
numbers,  during  the  cold  weather,  most  migrating  during  the  rains, 
and  breeding  elsewhere,  but  a  few  pairs  remaining  and  breeding 
in  various  parts  of  the  country,  especially  towards  the  West  and 
North-west.  The  Grey  Quail,  as  it  is  generally  termed  in  India, 
generally  rises  singly  or  in  pairs,  but  considerable  numbers  are 
found  together ;  and,  in  some  localities,  and  in  certain  seasons,  it 
occurs  in  great  profusion,  and  affords  excellent  sport  to  the  gunner. 
It  is  found  in  long  grass,  corn-fields,  stubble  and  fields  of  pulse, 
wandering  about  according  as  the  crops  ripen  in  different  parts  of 
the  country.  It  is  less  numerous  towards  the  south  of  India  than 
further  north  ;  but  in  beating  grass-lands  for  the  small  Florikin, 
many  are  flushed.  Dogs  stand  very  steadily  to  Quail,  and  in  the 
cool  weather  excellent  sport  is  to  be  had,  fifty  couple  being  not 
unfrequently  bagged  by  one  gun  in  a  mornings'  shooting  in  the 
North-western  Provinces.  In  parts  of  Bengal,  they  also  abound 
much,  and  I  have  heard  of  seventy-five  brace  being  killed  by  two 
guns.  I  have  received  several  authentic  notices  of  this  Quail 
breeding  in  India,  among  other  parts  of  the  country  in  Rajpootana 
and  Bundelkund. 

The  female  lays  eight  to  twelve  eggs,  dull  whitish,  blotched 
and  speckled  with  umber  brown.  Gunga,  in  the  Bengal  Sporting 
Magazine,  says,  that  on  one  occasion,  he  found  four  whitish  eggs, 
dotted  and  blotched  with  pale  red.  The  same  good  observer  states, 
with  reference  to  the  abundance  or  otherwise  of  Quail,  that  '  if  the 


588  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

country  which  lies  between  us  and  their  breeding  country  be 
defective  from  bad  seasons,  they  proceed  on,  and  reach  us  in  great 
numbers  ;  on  the  contrary,  if  they  find  food  nearer  at  hand, 
they  stop.'  Hodgson  states  that  they  reach  the  valley  of  Nepal,  in 
greatest  numbers,  at  the  ripening  of  the  autumn  and  spring 
crops,  respectively.  Quails  are  netted  in  great  numbers  in  some 
parts  of  the  country,  and  many  are  also  caught  in  hair-nooses- 
The  Nepalese  have  an  ingenious  way  of  catching  QuaiL  They 
put  a  pair  of  imitation  horns  on  their  heads,  and  walk  slowly  about 
the  stubble  fields,  twirling  some  blades  of  grass  in  their  hands 
in  a  way  to  imitate  the  champing  of  grass  by  cattle,  and  as  these 
birds  are  not  alarmed  by  cattle,  they  succeed  in  driving  any  quail 
they  see  under  a  small  net,  which  thjgy  then  drop,  and  secure  the 
bird. 

Sykes,  Yarrell  and  otliers  have  expended  much  learning  and 
paper  in  endeavouring  to  show  that  this  bird  was  the  species  that 
supplied  food  to  the  starving  Israelites,  referring  to  its  migratory 
habits  as  a  proof  thereof.  It  will  be  seen  on  referring  to  page  501, 
that  the  large  Pin-tailed  Rock-pigeon  is  considered,  with  more  pro- 
bability,  to  have  been  the  bird  referred  to  by  the  Historian. 

830.    Coturnix  coromandelica,  Gmelin. 

Tetrao  apud  Gmelin — Blyth,  Cat.  1523 — Gould,  Birds  of 
Asia,  pt.  VI.,  pi.  7 — C.  textilis,  Temminck,  PI.  col.  35 — Jerdon, 
Cat.  276 — Sykes,  Cat.  154 — Batter  or  hatteyr,  li. — Chinna 
yellichi,  Tel. — Kade,  Tarn. — '  Rain-quaiV  of  some  Sportsmen. 

The  Black-breasted  Quail. 

Descr. — Male,  upper  surface  closely  resembles  that  of  the  Grey- 
quail,  but  somewhat  brighter,  and  the  colours  more  pronounced, 
the  yellow  stripes  being  in  greater  number  ;  chin  and  throat  pure 
white ;  two  narrow  cross  bands  of  black  on  the  throat,  the  upper 
one  joined  by  a  longitudinal  stripe  on  each  side,  from  the  base  of 
the  lower  mandible ;  below  these,  the  breast  is  black,  breaking  up 
into  black  blotches  on  the  abdomen,  extendino;  alono-  the  flanks  as 
far  as  the  vent;  lower  belly  white,  tinged  with  rufous  on  the  flanks 
and  lower  tail-coverts  ;  primaries  plain  unbarred  brown. 


COTURNICIN^.  589 

Bill  dusky;  ivides  brownisli-red ;  legs  fleshy-yellow.  Length  G 
to  6^  niches  ;  extent  12  ;  wing  3^  ;  tail  1;^ ;  tarsus  f .  Weight 
2^  to  21  oz. 

The  female  wants  the  black  breast  and  cross  bars,  and  has  the 
neck  and  breast  spotted  with  dark  browu. 

Young  males  have  less  of  the  black  on  the  breast  which  is 
broken  up  into  spots  and  blotches.  During  the  breeding  season, 
the  black  breast  is  more  marked,  the  bill  also  is  darker,  and  the 
legs  redder. 

This  Quail  bears  so  close  a  resemblance  to  the  large  Grey-quail, 
that  many  Sportsmen  consider  it  to  be  the  same,  in  spite  of  the 
difference  in  size,  in  which  they  are  confirmed  by  the  opinion  of 
some  natives  who  assert  that  the  Rain-quail  is  the  male  bird  of 
the  Grey-quail.  Looking  at  the  upper  surface  of  eacli,  they 
certainly  present  a  very  close  similarit}^,  but  the  lower  plumacre 
differs  much  in  the  males,  less  so  in  females.  The  two  birds, 
however,  may  always  be  distinguished  by  a  glance  at  the  primaries, 
which  are  unspotted  brown  in  the  present  bird,  barred  in  the 
Grey-quail. 

The  Rain-quail,  as  it  is  called  by  many  Sportsmen,  is  found 
throughout  the  whole  of  India,  rare  in  thickly  wooded  or  forest 
districts.  In  many  parts  of  the  country  where  the  grass  is  short 
and  much  dried  up  in  the  hot  months,  it  is  not  found,  or  at  all 
events,  it  is  rare  till  the  rains  have  commenced,  and  the  youno- 
grass  is  springing  up,  when  numbers  api)ear  all  over  the  country, 
entering  gardens  and  grassy  compounds,  and  their  pleasant  whistle 
v)hit-whit,  stronger  in  its  tone  than  the  call  of  the  Grey-quail,  mav 
be  heard  at  all  hours.  On  this  account  it  has  received  its  popular 
name  of  '  Rain-quail.'  Several  writers  in  the  Bengal  Sporting 
Magazine,  including  Hodgson,  used  to  consider  the  Coromandel 
and  Rain-quail  to  be  distinct;  but  the  well-known  'Gunga' 
shewed  that  they  were  the  same  bird,  and  that  the  supposed 
distinction  probably  arose  from  Sportsmen  considering  that  Rain- 
quail,  so  called,  were  never  met  with,  except  during  the  rains, 
Avhereas  they  are  found  at  all  seasons,  but  attract  attention  less  in 
the  cold  weather,  and  indeed  are  then  often  confounded  with  the 
Grey-Quail. 


590  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

Although  it  thus  moves  about,  according  to  the  seasons,  from  one 
part  of  the  country  to  another,  it  is  not  strictly  a  migratory  bird, 
and  will  occasionally  be  found  in  suitable  spots  where  there  is  grass 
or  good  cover,  at  all  seasons.  It  is  frequently  found  in  pairs,  now 
and  then  in  bevies,  which  however,  do  not  generally  rise  at  once 
like  the  Bush-quail.  Though  not  the  special  object  of  the  sports- 
man's attention,  several  of  this  Quail  are  frequently  shot,  along 
with  the  large  ones.  Throughout  considerable  part  of  Bengal, 
this  bird  does  not  appear  to  occur,  or  at  all  events  to  be  plentiful 
during  the  rahas,  and  as  it  is  the  most  moist  and  grassy  part  of 
the  country,  probably  many  of  the  birds  that  disperse  over  the 
country  during  the  rains,  find  shelter  and  food  there  in  the  hot 
weather.  Both  this  and  the  Grey-qtiail  are  very  partial  to  the 
grains  of  Cheenee,  a  small  Millet  cultivated  extensively  in  Bengal 
during  the  hot  weather  and  rains. 

This  Quail  lays,  from  six  to  eight  eggs  generally,  of  a  creamy 
pink  colour,  with  a  few  brownish  spots,  in  a  tuft  of  grass,  in  June 
and  July. 

The  Rain-quail  extends  to  Assam,  Sylhet,  and  upper  Burmah. 
I  found  it  abundant  at  Thayet  Myo,  in  May  and  June. 

Several  other  true  Quails  are  found  in  Australia,  New  Zealand, 
and  some  of  the  most  Eastern  Islands  of  Malayana,  viz.,  C. 
NovcE  Zealandi(e,  Q.  and  G.  ;  C.  pectoralis,  Gould  ;  and 
C.  Bealteiii,  S.  Miiller.  C.  Idstrhidcd,  Hartl.,  is,  perhaps,  an 
Excalfactoria. 

The  genus  Si/noicus,  Gould,  comprises  some  large-sized  Quails 
peculiar  to  Australia,  and  there  termed  Partridges. 

Gen.  ExcALrACTORiA,  Bonaparte. 

Char. — Very  similar  to  Coturnix  ;  wings  less  pointed  and  more 
rounded  ;  1st  quill  shorter  than  the  2nd  ;  3rd,  4th  and  5th,  gra- 
duating very  sliglitly  fran  the  2nd.  Of  small  size,  and  rich 
plumage.     Sexes  differ  much  in  plumage. 

I  should  not  have  adopted  this  genus,  had  not  Gould  and  other 
modern  Ornithologists  done  so,  for  it  differs  but  little  from  true 
Coturnix.  It  has  a  more  limited  geographic  range,  one  species 
occurring   in    India,    but   none    in    Central    or  Western  Asia,  nor 


COTURNICIN^.  591 

in  Africa.     Several,  however,  are  found  in  the  Malayan  islands  and 
Australia. 

831.    Excalfactoria  chinensis,  Linn^us. 

Tetrao  apud  Linn^us— Gould,  Birds  of  Australia,  V.,  pi.  92 — 
Blyth,  Cat.  1524— -Jeedon,  Cat.  280— Tet.  manillensis,  Gmelim 
—Cot.  Philippensls,  Brisson — C.  excalfactoria,  Temminck — C. 
fiavipes,  Blytii,  (the  female).  'Painted  Quail' of  some  Sports- 
men— Eain-quail  in  parts  of  Bengal. 

The  Blue-breasted  Quail. 

Descr. — Male,  head  and  upper  plumage  olive-brown,  with  a 
central  pale  streak  on  the  head ;  the  feathers  of  the  back  pale- 
shafted,  and  with  a  black  band  usually  on  one  side  only  of  the 
shaft ;  primaries  and  their  coverts  uniform  olive-brown,  some  of  the 
greater  secondary  coverts  edged  with  deep  rufous,  forming  a 
narrow  red  wing  band,  the  rest  of  the  quills  barred  with  black  ; 
forehead,  lores,  cheeks,  ear-coverts,  and  breast,  of  a  fine  dark  purple 
grey ;  chin  and  throat  deep  black,  enclosing  a  Avhite  triangular 
moustachial  patch  from  the  base  of  the  lower  mandible ;  and  below 
the  black  is  a  white  collar  commencing  as  a  narrow  line  behind 
the  ear-coverts,  and  curving  down  and  increasing  in  width  on  the 
lower  part  of  the  throat ;  this  is  narrowly  edged  by  black ;  the 
middle  of  the  abdomen,  vent  and  under  tail-coverts,  rich  deep 
maronne,  as  are  most  of  the  tail  feathers. 

Bill  black  ;  irides  deep  brown  ;  legs  bright  yellow.  Length  5^ 
inches;  extent  9  ;  wing  3  ;  tail  not  1  ;  tarsus  |.     Weight  1|  oz. 

The  female  differs  in  wanting  the  pronounced  lower  plumage  of 
the  male  bird ;  the  supercilium,  forehead,  and  throat  are  rufous, 
enclosing  a  dull  whitish  chin ;  the  breast  is  brown,  with  dark  cross 
bars,  as  are  the  feathers  of  the  flanks  which  are  much  lengthened  ; 
the  lower  parts  are  whitish,  tinged  with  earthy-brown.  Length 
5 ;  extent  8. 

This  beautiful  little  Quail  recalls  the  coloring  of  some  of  the 
American  Quails,  Ortygince,  the  grey  and  maronne  tints  being 
similarly  present  in  one  or  more  of  that  group.  The  upper 
plumage,  however,  is  that  of  typical  Coturnix.  It  is  found 
in   many  parts  of  India ;   but  generally  rare,   except  in  Bengal 


592  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

and  adjacent  provinces,  and  is  still  more  common  in  Assam 
and  Burmah,  where  it  is  very  abundant.  Thence  it  extends 
through  the  islands  to  Avistralia,  and  it  is  said  to  be  common  in 
China  and  the  Philippines.  I  have  killed  it  once  only  in  the  Car- 
natic ;  one  specimen  is  recorded  in  my  Catalogue  from  Belgaum  in 
Western  India.  It  occurs  occasionally  in  Central  India,  and  in  the 
Upper  Provinces  as  far  as  Bareilly,  but  it  is  rare  in  all  these 
localities,  and  perhaps  only  stragglers  find  their  way  so  far.  In 
lower  Bengal  it  is  tolerably  abundant  in  damp  grassy  meadows, 
the  edges  of  Indigo  fields,  and  in  the  grass  on  road  sides  ;  and  in 
Purneah,  in  the  month  of  July,  it  was  the  only  Quail  I  observed. 
It  breeds  in  this  month,  the  eggs  being  pale  olive-green.  When 
the  young  are  full  grown,  they  disperse  all  over  the  country,  and 
this  dispersion  is  greatly  assisted,  and  in  many  parts,  perhaps, 
caused  by  the  heavy  inundations  to  which  great  part  of  the 
country  in  Bengal  is  annually  subjected,  generally  in  August  or 
September  ;  and  in  the  cold  season  they  are  replaced  by  the  Grey- 
quail,  and  the  so  called  Rain-quail.  A  female  or  young  bird, 
evidently  of  this  species,  is  figured  in  the  Bengal  Sportinrj  Magazine, 
1836,  pi.  1.  f.  5,  the  writer  considering  it  possibly  a  young  of 
C.  coroma?idelica,  and  Hodgson  as  young  of  C.  communis. 

Other  species  of  this  pretty  genus  are  E.  novce  guinece,  Gmel.  ; 
E.  .1  cZamson?,  Verreaux ;  and  E.  minima,  Gould,  from  Celebes, 
'  the  smallest  game-bird  in  the  world.' 

The  American  Partridges  form  the  sub-family  Ortygin<R  of  some, 
OdontophorhKB,  Gray  and  Gould,  the  latter  Ornithologist  having 
published  a  valuable  monograph  of  the  group.  They  comprise 
several  distinct  forms,  some  crested,  others  not  so  ;  they  are  birds  of 
a  size  intermediate  between  a  Quail  and  a  Partridge,  and  are 
found  both  in  North  and  South  America.  One  genus,  Odontophorus, 
is  chiefly  found  in  South  America.  It  has  the  bill  short,  much 
arched,  and  with  two  small  teeth  on  each  side  of  the  lower 
mandible  near  its  point.  Ortyx  and  its  near  affines,  Lophorti/x, 
Strophiorti/x,  Bendrortj/a;,  are  mostly  from  North  America.  They 
frequent  fields,  hedge-rows,  and  occasionally  woods.  The  females 
are  said  to  lay  numerous  eggs,  from  fifteen  to  twenty-four.  Blyth 
remarks  that  Lophortyx  appears  to  bear  the  same  relationship   to 


TINAMID^.  593 

Ortyx  which  Caccahis  does  to  Perdix,  i.  e.  iu  its  mode  of  colora- 
tion; and  the  similarity  of  color  of  Lophortyx  to  Excalfactoria  has 
been  already  alluded  to. 

The  Guinea-fowls  of  Africa  may  either  form  a  separate  sub- 
family of  the  TetraonidcB,  or  be  considered  a  distinct  family 
as  they  are  by  Bonaparte.  They  are  birds  of  large  size,  with 
short  tails  of  fourteen  or  sixteen  feathers,  grey  spotted  plu- 
mage, and  with  the  skin  of  the  head  usually  devoid  of  feathers, 
in  other  cases  plumed,  and  the  head  is  furnished  in  some  with  a 
bony  casque,  in  others  with  a  crest  of  feathers.  The  tarsus  is 
not  spurred.  They  are  noisy  and  gregarious.  Blyth  considers 
them  '  a  most  thorough  Partridge  genus' ;  I  think  them  sufficiently 
distinct  in  appearance,  habits,  and  their  limited  African  distribu- 
tion, to  form  a  separate  family.  Bonaparte  places  the  Guinea  fowls 
near  the  Turkeys,  in  a  separate  group,  (Cohort  Craces),  along 
with  the  Cracidce,  thus  considering  them  removed  both  from  the 
Pheasants  (Cohort  Galli),  and  the  Partridges  (Cohort  Perdices). 
Several  species  are  known,  one  of  them  N.  vulturina  having  the 
feathers  of  the  neck  and  breast  hackled  and  lanceolate.  Among 
the  Guinea  fowls  should  be  placed  Agelastes  meUagrides. 

Fam.  TiNAMiD^. 

Bill  moderate,  slender,  straight,  or  slightly  curved  at  the  tip  ; 
wings  moderate  or  short ;  tail  short,  occasionally  none,  the  upper 
tail-coverts  lengthened  and  concealing  the  tail  in  many ;  tarsi 
unarmed ;  lateral  toes  short,  hallux  small  and  elevated,  or  wanting 
altogether ;  claws  short  and  blunt. 

'Jlie  birds  of  this  family,  mostly  peculiar  to  the  new  continent, 
and  especially  to  South  America,  are  represented  in  the  old  world 
and  Australia  by  two  or  three  genera,  which  have,  by  most  systema- 
tists,  been  usually  placed  among  the  Quails,  and  were  located  by 
Cuvier  next  Syrrhaptes,  from  the  absence  of  the  hind  toe  in  both. 
Blyth  first,  I  believe,  referred  these  birds  to  the  present  family. 

The  Tinamida  differ  remarkably  from  other  GallinacecB  in  the 
structure  of  their  sternum,  the  inner  emargination  being  very 
deep,  but  the  outer  one  wanting,  or  rather  the  outermost  projection 
of  bone  bounding   it  disappears    altogether,    leaving   the   sternum 

PART   II.  4    F 


594  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

very  narrow,  and  with  one  deep  notch.  The  furcula  is  very  long 
and  compressed,  and  its  bony  edge  reaches  the  front  of  the  sternal 
crest  which  is  moderately  raised.  The  stomach  is  muscular,  and 
the  intestines  rather  short  with  moderately  long  coeca. 

The  Indian  members  of  this  family  may  be  placed  in  a  distinct 
sub -family. 

Sub-fam.  TuRNiciNiE. 

Of  diminutive  size.  Found  in  the  old  Continent  and  Australia. 
Three  toes  in  one  genus  ;  the  hind  toe  present  in  another.* 

Gen.  TuRNix,  Vieillot. 

Syn.   Ortygis,  111. — Hemipodius,  Reinwardt. 

Char. — Bill  slender,  of  moderate  length,  straight,  much  com- 
pressed, slightly  curved  at  the  tip ;  nostrils  linear;  wings  of 
moderate  length,  with  the  first  quill  longest  in  some,  or  the  first 
three  gently  graduated  ;  tail  feeble,  short,  concealed  by  the  upper 
coverts,  of  ten  or  twelve  narrow  feathers  ;  tarsus  moderate  or 
rather  long ;  toes  moderate  or  rather  short,  separated  at  tlie  base  ; 
no  hind  toe. 

This  genus  is  placed  by  Bonaparte  and  by  Gray,  in  a  sub- 
family Tuniicince  of  the  Perdicidce. 

These  diminutive  game-birds  may  be  said  to  have  their  head 
quarters  in  Australia,  whence  they  spread  into  Malayana,  India  and 
Africa,  one  species  being  even  found  in  Spain.  Those  whosenidifi- 
cation  is  known,  lay  several  large  eggs,  dull  brownish  green  with 
numerous  dusky  spots;  Blyth  says  only  four,  like  Plovers  and  Snipe. 

Two  types  are  discriminable,  the  one  larger,  with  the  plumage 
much  mottled  and  barred  with  black  beneath ;  the  other  smaller, 
with  the  plumage  more  or  less  pale  or  fulvous,  with  spots.  To 
the  latter,  Gray  restricts  Turnix,  applying  Ortygis  to  the  former, 
which  Bonaparte  distinguishes  under  the  name  of  Areoturnix.  I 
shall  not  adopt  these  divisions  except  as  sections. 

1st — With  the  bill  stronger,  and  the  plumage  of  the  females 
black-barred  on  the  throat  and  breast.  Ortygis  apud  Gray, 
Areoturnix,  Bonap.     In  this  section  the  females  are  larger  than 


*  Mr.  Parker's  interesting  paper  on  the  anatomy  of  these  birds  reached  me  too 
late  to  incorporate  here,  but  i  will  notice  it  in  the  Appendix. 


TURNICIN^.  5D5 

the  males,  and  the  brightest  coloured,  as  well  as  the  boldest.    They 
live  chiefly  in  bushy  jungles  with  grass. 

832.  Turnix  taigoor,  Sykes. 

Hemipodius,  apud  Sykes,  Cat,  164  (the  male)  and  H.  pugnax, 
Cat.  163  (the  female) — Trans.  Zool.  Soc.  2,  pi.  (the  male) — Bcng. 
Sport.  Mag.  1836,  pi.  1.  f.  8.— Jerdon,  Cat.  268  and  269— T. 
ocellatus,  apud  Blyth,  Cat.  1526,  (rufous  variety  from  S.  India, 
and  small  variety  from  Bengal) — T.  rufa,  Bonap.  ex.  Blyth — T. 
bengalensis,  Blyth — Gulu  and  Gundlu,  H.  in  the  South — Salui 
gundru,  H.  in  the  N.  W.  P. — Puredi,  Tel.  i.  e.  the  bold  one,  (the 
female)  Koladii,  Tel ,  i.  e.  of  no  spirit,  (the  male) — Kurung  kadeh, 
Tarn,  (the  female),  An-kadeh  (the  male) — Black  quail  of  some 
Sportsmen. 

The  Black-breasted  Bustard-quail. 

Descr. — The  female  is  rufous  above,  with  transverse  black 
lines  on  each  feather  of  the  back,  scapulars  and  rump,  these 
having  also  yellowish  white  lateral  margins,  internally  edged 
with  black ;  the  crown  of  the  head  rufous  with  a  series  of 
black  and  white  feathers,  appearing  as  white  spots  set  off 
with  black,  along  the  medial  line  ;  another  and  broader  series 
over  each  eye ;  a  third  bordering  the  throat,  which,  with  the  middle 
of  the  foreneck  to  the  commencement  of  the  breast,  (together  with 
the  more  conspicuous  feathers  of  the  wings)  is  fulvous  white,  with 
tolerably  broad  black  cross-bars ;  below  the  breast,  light  but 
bright  ferruginous. 

Bill  dark  slaty;  irides  pale  yellow;  legs  plumbeous.  Length 
about  6^  inches ;  wing  3^ ;  tarsus  -/-^g  ;  bill  at  front  ^.  Weight 
2^  oz.  or  a  trifle  more. 

The  male  bird  differs  in  wanting  the  black  on  the  throat  and 
neck,  tlie  chin  and  throat  being  whitish;  the  markings  on  the  head 
are  whitish  yellow  without  black  specks  ;  the  throat  and  breast  are 
faintly  banded  ;  and  the  whole  tone  of  plumage  is  lighter  and  less 
pronounced  than  in  the  female.  Length  not  quite  6  inches. 
Weight  If  to  2  oz. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  name  I  have  adopted  and  the  synonyms, 
that  I  do  not  consider  this  bird  to  be  the  same  as  the  Burmese, 


596  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

and  ("perhaps)  Malayan  race  wliich  also  occurs  within  our  limits, 
in  the  Himalayas,  and  hence  I  have  taken  Sykes'  name  as  the  one 
first  bestowed  on  the  peninsular  race,  albeit  applied  only  to  the 
male,  as  he  considered  the  female  to  be  purjnax,  a  Javanese  bird. 
As  thus  understood,  the  present  species  may  be  said  to  inhabit 
the  whole  of  Continental  India  including  Ceylon.  Specimens 
from  different  localities  differ  slightly.  The  Ceylon  bird  is 
altogether  similar  in  the  upper  plumage  to  peninsular  specimens, 
but  rather  deeper  ferruginous  beneath  ;  whilst  some  from  Bengal 
have  a  sliglitly  darker  and  browner  tone  above,  but  with  the 
whitish  edgings  to  the  feathers  of  the  back  still  more  pronounced 
and  wider ;  whilst  the  ferruginous  colour  of  the  lowei*  parts  is 
perhaps  a  little  paler.  ^v 

The  black-breasted  Bustard-quail  affects  grassy  patches  in  the 
forests  and  jungles  ;  also  low  bushy  jungle,  and  is  frequently  to 
be  found  in  fields  of  Chili,  Dhal,  and  various  dense  crops,  especially 
if  near  patches  of  jungle  ;  for  in  open  and  barren  country,  or  very 
highly  cultivated  country  without  juugle,  it  is  comparatively  rare. 
Occasionally  small  bevies  of  five  or  six  are  flushed  together,  but 
in  general,  it  is  put  up  singly,  or  two  or  three  birds  together. 
It  feeds  on  grain  of  various  kinds,  but  also  very  much  on  small 
insects,  larvse  of  grasshoppers  and  the  like.  The  female  has  a 
peculiar  loud  purring  call  which  must  be  familiar  to  many. 

The  hen-birds  are  most  pugnacious,  especially  about  the 
breeding  season,  and  this  propensity  is  made  use  of,  in  the  south 
of  India,  to  effect  their  capture.  For  this  purpose  a  small 
cage  with  a  decoy  bird  is  used,  having  a  concealed  spring 
compartment,  made  to  fall  by  the  snapping  of  a  thread  placed 
between  the  bars  of  the  cage.  It  is  set  on  the  ground  in  some 
thick  cover  carefully  protected.  The  decoy-bird  begins  her  loud 
purring  call  which  can  be  heard  a  long  way  off,  and  any  females 
within  ear-shot  rvm  rapidly  to  the  spot,  and  commence  fighting 
with  the  caged  bird,  striking  at  the  bars.  This  soon  breaks  the 
thread,  the  spring-cover  falls,  ringing  a  small  bell  at  the  same 
time  by  which  the  owner,  who  remains  concealed  near  at  hand,  is 
Avarned  of  a  capture ;  and  he  runs  up,  secures  his  prey  and  sets  the 
cage  again  in  another  locality.     In  this  way  I  have  known  twelve 


TURNICIN^.  597 

to  twenty  birds  occasionally  'captured  in  one  day,  in  a  patch  ot" 
thick  bushy  junf^de  in  the  Carnatic,  where  alone  I  have  known  this 
practice  carried  on.  The  birds  that  are  caught  in  this  way  are  all 
females,  and  in  most  cases  are  birds  laying  eggs  at  the  time,  for  I 
have  frequently  known  instances  of  some  eight  or  ten  of  those 
captured,  so  far  advanced  in  the  process  as  to  lay  their  eggs  in  the 
bag  in  which  tliey  are  carried,  before  the  bird  catcher  had  reached 
my  house.  The  eggs  are  said  to  be  usually  deposited  under  a 
bush  in  a  sliglit  well-concealed  hollow  ;  they  are  from  five  to  eight 
in  number,  and  of  a  dull  stone  grey  or  green  colour,  thickly  spotted 
and  freckled  with  dusky,  very  large  for  the  bird,  and  very  blunt. 
In  the  Carnatic  this  bird  breeds  from  July  to  September  ;  further 
south  from  June  to  August,  and  in  Ceylon,  says  Layard,  from 
February  to  x'Vugust.  The  females  are  said  by  the  natives  to 
desert  their  eggs,  and  to  associate  together  in  flocks,  and  the  males 
are  said  to  be  employed  in  hatching  the  eggs,  but  I  can  neither 
confirm  nor  reject  this  from  my  own  observations. 

This  bird  I  presume  from  the  description  to  be  the  Rain-quail  of 
a  writer  in  the  Beng.  Sport.  Mag.  for  September  1835,  who  says 
that  "the  scent  is  good  and  dogs  find  them  well  in  the  evening." 

The  flesh  of  this  bird  is  excellent,  mixed  brown  and  white, 
succulent  and  tasty.  Col.  Sykes  asserts  that  their  fighting  qualities 
are  unknown  in  the  Deccan,  as  also  in  Java ;  but  they  are  well 
known  in  the  south  of  India ;  and  at  Hydrabad  in  the  Deccan, 
Arcot,  and  other  places,  Hiany  used  to  be  kept  for  that  purpose  by 
Mussulmans. 

833.     Turnix  ocellatus,  Scopoli. 

Oriolus  apud  Scopoli — Blytii,  Cat.  1526,  (in  part) — H.  atro'ni- 
laris,  Eyton,  (the  female) — H.  taigoor  apud  Eyton,  (the  male) 
— H.  plumbipes,  HoDGSON — H.  pugnax  apud  Gkay — Timok- 
fho,  Lepch. — Timoh,  Bhot. 

The  Htll  Bustard-quail. 

Descr. — Female,  very  similar   in    appearance    to    the    last,    but 

darker,    less  rufous   and   browner    above,    the    feathers    minutely 

mottled,  and  with  the  pale    edgings  to    the    feathers   of  the  back 

and  scapulars,  &c.,  almost  wanting,  giving  quite  a  different  appear- 


598  BIRDS   OF    INDIA. 

ance  to  the  plumao-e  ;  the  head  too  is  generally  blacker  ;  the 
black  spots  on  the  wings  are  rounded,  and  have  less  of  the  charac- 
ter of  bars  and  more  that  of  spots.  In  size  it  is  larger  too  than 
the  peninsular  species. 

Bill  slaty  brown  ;  irides  pale  yellow  ;  legs  leaden.  Length 
fully  7  inches  ;  wing  3j%  ;  tail  1  ;  tarsus  1  ;  bill  at  front  f'fjths, 
stronger  than  in  taigoor. 

The  male  bird  differs  from  the  female  much  as  that  of  taigoor 
does,  and  it  has  the  same  characters  of  the  upper  plumage  as 
the  female. 

This  species  appears  to  inhabit  the  Himalayas,  Assam  and 
Burrnah,  perhaps  extending  into  Malayana.  Specimens  from  the 
Khasia  hills  and  Burmah,  quite  agree  with  Himalayan  birds,  but 
those  from  Malacca  are  still  darker,  the  whole  head  being  blacker, 
the  pale  lines  on  the  top  of  the  head  and  the  supercilia  hardly 
contrasting  ;  and  the  black  wing-spots  are  still  rounder  than  in 
Himalayan  birds,  Scopoli's  name  of  ocellatus  being  perfectly  appli- 
cable to  such  birds,  a  trifle  less  so  to  Himalayan  specimens,  and 
not  at  all  to  taigoor.  It  is  possible  that  in  Malacca  an  allied  race, 
piignax,  takes  the  place  of  the  Himalayan  and  Burmese  birds,  and 
perhaps  interbreeds  with  it,  as  very  probably  the  present  bird  may 
with  taigoor,  where  the  two  meet,  on  the  confines  of  Bengal  to  the 
North  and  East.  How  far  this  bird  may  extend  along  the  Hima- 
layan range  westward,  I  know  not,  as  there  are  no  records  of 
its  occurrence  further  West  than  Nepal. 

The  Hill  Bustard-quail  is  found  on  grassy  slopes  on  the  Hima- 
layas, in  cleared  spots  as  Tea  gardens,  and  fields  ;  and  the  female 
has  a  similar,  but  still  louder  purring  call  than  that  of  taigoor.  The 
female  is  much  more  commonly  met  with  than  the  male.  It 
occurs  up  to  a  level  of  7000  feet,  and  I  have  seen  it  occasionally 
in  grassy  compounds  in  the  station  of  Darjeeling.  I  had  the  egg 
brought  me  once,  very  similar  to  that  of  taigoor,  but  darker  and 
a  trifle  larger. 

Other  species  belonging  to  this  section  are  T.  pugnax,  Teraminck, 
from  Java,  possibly  the  same  as  T.  luzoniensis,  Gmel. ;  T.  fasciatus, 
Temm.,  from  Macassar,  figured  by  Gould,  Birds  of  Asia,  pt.  XHL, 
pi.  16;  and  T.  nigrifroiis,  Cuvier,  from  some  of  the  islands.    Two 


TURNICINiE.  599 

African  species,  T.  nigricollis,   Grael.,   and  T.  hottentotus,  Temm., 
probably  belong  to  this  group. 

2. — With  more  slender  bills,  the  plumage  beneath  more  or  less 
rufous  with  a  few  spots,  not  black-barred,  restricted  Turnix  of 
Bonaparte  and  Reichenbach.     Sexes  alike  or  nearly  so. 

834.    Turnix  Dussumierii,  Temminck. 

Hemipodius  apud  Temminck,  PI.  col.  454,  f.  2 — BLvrn,  Cat. 
1530 — T.  tancki,  BucH.  Hamilton  apud  Blyth,  J.  A.  S.  XII. 
181,  bis — T.  joudera,  Hodgson — figured,  Beng.  Sport  Mag.  1838 
pi.  1  f.  1. — Pedda  daba  gundlu,  Tel. 

The  Larger  Button  Quail. 

Descr. — Crown  light  brown,  with  blackish  margins  to  the  fea- 
thers ;  a  central  stripe  on  the  crown ;  the  supercilia  and  ear-coverts 
light  fulvescent ;  nape  bright  ferruginous  ;  back  ashy  brown, 
tending  to  rufous,  the  feathers  with  dark  cross  bars,  most  marked 
on  the  lower  back  and  rump  ;  scapulars  and  some  of  the  nearest 
dorsal  plumes  with  edgings  of  creamy  yellow  ;  wing-coverts 
light  sandy  brown,  with  a  small  black  spot  near  the  tip  which  is 
margined  with  pale  yellowish  ;  quills  earthy  brown,  the  primaries 
narrowly  edged  with  yellowish  white  ;  chin  and  upper  part  of 
throat  white ;  the  rest  of  the  lower  parts  ferruginous,  deepest  on 
the  breast  and  upper  part  of  the  abdomen. 

Bill  yellow  ;  irides  yellowish  white  ;  legs  deep  yellow.  Length 
5^  to  6  inches ;  wing  2|  ;  tarsus  1  ;  bill  at  front  \q. 

This  large  Button-quail  (as  this  species  and  the  next  are  named 
by  sportsmen  in  India)  is  found  in  open  grassy  glades  in  forests 
or  jungles,  both  on  the  plains,  and  more  especially  in  hilly  coun- 
tries, and  is  also  found  in  grass  jungles  throughout  Bengal  and 
the  countries  to  the  eastward.  It  occurs  throughout  India  in 
suitable  localities,  rare  in  the  bare  Deccan  and  North-western 
Provinces,  not  uncommon  in  open  glades  of  the  upland  districts 
of  Malabar,  in  the  Eastern  Ghats  and  in  lower  Bengal.  It  is 
always  seen  singly,  in  patches  of  long  grass  or  thick  cultivation, 
flying  but  a  short  distance,  and  is  very  difficult  to  flush  a  second 
time. 


GOO  BIRDS    OF    INDIA, 

835.    Turnix  Sykesii,  A.  Smith. 

Blyth,  Cat.  1531 — T.  Dussumierii,  Temm.  apud  Sykes,  Cat. 
165 — and  Gray,  List  of  Nepal  birds, — and  Jerdon,  Cat.  769 — 
T.  variabilis,  HoDGSON,  Beng.  Sport.  Mag.  1837  p.  345  ? — figured 
in  the  same  periodical  for  1836  pi.  1.  f.  7 — and  for  1838  pi.  1.  f. 
2 — Dabki,  H.  of  some — Tura  of  others  —  Chwinaj,  H.  at  Muttra — 
Lihbia,  H.  in  Purneah —  Tatu  hattera,  Sindh — Chinna  (or  telld) 
daba  gundlu,  Tel. 

The  Button-quail. 

Descr. — Head  brown,  black-barred,  with  a  pale  superciliura 
and  central  stripe  ;  upper  parts  chesnut  brown,  each  feather  finely 
barred  with  black,  and  edged  with  yeliowish-white,  conspicuously 
on  the  scapulars  and  part  of  the  back,  and,  on  the  wing-coverts 
so  broadly  as  to  appear  entirely  yellowish  white  with  chesnut, 
black-edged  spots ;  quills  dusky  brown ;  rump  and  upper  tail-coverts 
dark  brown,  closely  barred  with  black,  and  with  faint  whitish 
edges  to  the  feathers  ;  throat  whitish,  with  a  few  blackish  specks 
on  the  sides ;  breast  pale  ferruginous,  with  the  sides  of  the  neck 
and  breast  with  dark  brown  drops  and  lunules  ;  abdomen  whitish. 
Bill  plumbeous  ;  irides  pale  yellow  ;  legs  fleshy  whitish.  Length 
5  to  5:1:  inches  ;  wing  2| ;  tarsus  |. 

This  Button-quail,  the  most  diminutive  game-bird  of  India,  was 
first  named  by  Dr.  A.  Smith,  in  his  Zoology  of  South  Africa,  when 
describing  a  nearly  allied  African  species  T.  lepurana.  It  occurs 
throughout  the  whole  of  jfcidia,  (not  however  affecting  hilly  or 
forest  districts,)  in  grass,  corn  fields,  and  wherever  there  is  thick 
herbage.  It  is  flushed  with  great  difficulty,  often  getting  up  at 
your  very  feet,  flies  but  a  few  yards,  and  drops  down  again  into 
the  grass,  not  to  be  re-flushed  but  after  a  most  laborious  search, 
and  sometimes  allowing  itself  to  be  caught  by  the  hand,  or  by  a 
dog.  Its  name  of  Dabki,  signifying  '  squatter,'  is  given  from  this 
habit.  It  has  a  low  plaintive  moan  of  a  single  note.  I  regret 
that  I  know  nothing  of  the  habits  of  this  or  the  previous  species 
as  to  breeding,  &c. 

Other  species  of  this  group  are  2\  andalusicus,  Gmelin,  figured 
by  Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  264,  found  in  Africa  and  the  south 


TINAMID^.  601 

of  Europe,  which  has  occasionally  been  killed  in  England,  and 
there  are  other  African  species.  T.  maculosus,  Temm.,  [Blanfordi 
Blyth)  represents  Dussumierii  in  Burmah.  Several  species  from 
Australia,  are  figured  by  Gould  in  his  Birds  of  Australia,  and  some 
of  these  appear  to  be  similar  to  the  birds  of  the  first  section  ; 
whilst  others  resemble  Dussumierii ;  and  one  or  two  have  the 
coloration  of  rlic  African  species  mentioned  below. 

The  genus  Pedionomus  of  Gould,  differs  in  possessing  a  hind 
toe,  and  is  placed  by  Bonaparte  among  his  Coturnicinae,  but  it 
clearly  belongs  to  the  present  family.  It  is  the  Turnici-gralla  of 
O.  des  Murs.  Only  one  species  is  known  P.  torqiiatiis,  of  which 
P.  microiirus,  Gould,  is  considered  to  be  the  male.  Owytelos,  Vieillot, 
{Helovtyx,  Agass.)  has  been  dedicated  to  some  African  species, 
the  best  known  of  which  is  O.  meiffreyii,  V.,  (nivosus,  Swainson). 

The  TinamidcB  of  South  America  live  in  fields,  or  the  edges  of 
woods  ;  and  are  said  to  run  well  but  to  fly  badly ;  they  lay  seven 
or  eight  eggs  ;  and  are  seldom  found  in  flocks.  They  vary  from 
6  inches  to  nearly  15  in  length.  One  genus  Tinamotis  makes 
a  somewhat  near  approach  to  the  Bustards. 


PART    II.  4    G 


602  BIRDS    OF    JNDIyV. 


Ord.    GRALLATORES. 


Gj'allcB,  L. — -Waders — Shore-birds. 

Lower  part  of  tlie  tibia  bare ;  tarsus  more  or  less  elongated ; 
feet  of  most,  with  the  hind  toe  imperfect  and  raised,  or  absent ; 
in  a  few  long,  and  on  the  same  plane  as  the  front  toes ;  bill. 
very  varied  ;  tail  nsually  short ;  wings  lengthened. 

The  nudity  of  the  tibia  to  a  greater  or  less  extent,  and  the  usually 
long  legs,  are  the  only  general  features  characteristic  of  this  order, 
which  comprises  a  considerable  number  of  Ground-birds  of  very 
varied  appearance,  habits,  and  structure.  Many  have  long  necks, 
proportional,  in  most  cases,  to  the  length  of  the  legs.  The  bill 
varies  from  the  gigantic  beak  of  the  Adjutant  and  Mi/cferia,  to  the 
short  and  slender  bills  of  the  Plovers  and  Tringce.  The  outer  toe  is 
usually  joined  to  the  middle  one  by  a  short  web,  and  the  inner  toe 
occasionally ;  whilst  in  some  the  toes  are  perfectly  sepai'ated.  In  a 
few  the  toes  are  bordered  by  a  loose  web.  All,  except  those  of 
the  first  family,  (which  cannot  fly  at  all)  and  some  of  the  Rails,  fly 
well,  and  stretch  their  legs  out  behind  them  during  flight.  They 
frequent  chiefly  the  edges  of  rivers,  seas  and  lakes  ;  many  affect 
.swamps,  and  a  few  dry  plains  or  even  sandy  deserts.  They  feed 
mostly  on  fish,  reptiles,  molluscs,  insects,  &c.,  and  a  few  on  vegetable 
matter.  In  a  large  number,  there  is  a  vernal  moult,  and  the  plumage 
changes  considerably,  in  many  becoming  more  or  less  black,  in 
others  rufous.  They  comprise  several  very  distinct  groups,  with 
anatomical  differences,  and  of  varied  habits,  which  will  be  best 
noticed  under  each  tribe. 

They  divide  into  two  great  groups,  the  one  in  which  the  young, 
as  in  the  Rasores,  run  at  once  when  hatched ;  the  other  in  which 
the  young  are  helpless  at  birth,  and  remain  in  tlie  nest  till  near 
maturity,  the  whole  forming  five  tribes. 

A_ — The  young,  when  hatched,  able  to  run  at  once. 

1st,  Tribe. — Strut humes,  comprising  the  Ostriches,  Emeus,  &c. 

2nd,  Pressirostres,  containing  the  Bustards,  Plovers,  and  Cranes. 

3rd,  Longirostres. — Snipes  and  Sandpipers. 


STRUTHIONIDiE.  60o 

4^A,  Latitores. — Rails  and  Water-hens. 
B. — With  the  young  helpless  at  birth. 

btli,   Cullirostres.  —Storks,  Herons  and  Ibises. 

Tribe — Struthiones,  Latham. 

Brevipenne-s,   Cuvier, —  Cursores,   111. 

Of  large  size.  Some  with  three  toes,  others  with  only  two ; 
wings  undeveloped. 

This  tribe  contains  the  Ostrich,  Emeu,  Cassowary,  and  Apteryx. 
They  are  the  giants  of  the  Bird  kingdom,  and  by  their  massive 
form  and  size,  as  well  as  in  certain  points  of  structure,  they 
approach  the  nearest  to  Mammalia,  and,  at  the  same  time,  may, 
in  some  respects  (  with  Parker  )  be  called  '  unspecialized  forms,' 
but  hardly  'low  and  embryonic'  They  are  divided  into  two 
families.  Strut hionidce  and  ApterygidoB. 

The  well  known  Ostrich  of  Africa,  Strut Jiio  camelus,  L.,  is  the 
type  of  the  former.  It  has  the  wings  rudimentary,  consisting 
of  a  number  of  large  decomposed  feathers,  so  well  known  as 
ornaments.  The  tail-feathers  resemble-  those  of  the  wings,  the 
head  and  neck  are  almost  bare,  and  the  plumage  lax,  with  the 
supplementary  plume  well  developed.  The  bill  resembles  that 
of  Bustards,  and  there  are  only  two  toes,  the  inner  front  toe 
being  absent.  The  sternum  is  short,  broad,  and  without  a  keel, 
the  bones  of  the  pubis  unite  as  in  Mammals,  and  the  bones  are 
qidte  destitute  of  air  cells.  The  legs  are  very  strong  and  mus- 
cular. They  resemble  Gallinaceous  birds  closely  in  their  enormous 
crop,  strong  gizzard,  long  intestinal  canal,  and  long  cosca ;  and 
they  feed  on  various  vegetable  substances,  often  swallowing 
stones  and  pieces  of  metal.  They  have  moreover,  a  large  sort  of 
urinary  bladder  or  pouch,  and  are  the  only  birds  that  urinate. 
The  penis  of  the  male  bird  is  long  and  often  protruded.  The 
Ostrich  is  polygamous,  and  the  attendant  females  of  one  male 
deposit  their  eggs  often  to  the  number  of  twenty  or  thirty  together, 
in  the  sand,  where  they  are  hatched  chiefly  by  the  heat  of  the  sun, 
assisted  by  the  male.  The  young,  of  course,  run  as  soon  as 
hatched.  The  Ostrich  passes  over  from  Africa  into  Arabia,  amlT 
have  heard  it  stated  that  it  is  believed,  many  years  ago,  to  have 
extended  along  the  shores  of  the  Sea,  as  far  as  Sindh. 


604  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

A  second  species  is  supposed  to  exist,  *S.  epoasticus,  Bonap., 
from  the  very  different  egg  brought  occasionally.  Vide  J.  A.  S. 
XXVIII.  282. 

The  American  Ostriches,  of  which  two  species  are  known, 
Mhea  americana,  and  it!.  Darwinii,  differ  from  the  African  birds 
in  having  three  toes,  the  nails  of  which  are  nearly  equal ;  and 
the  head  and  neck  are  clad  with  feathers.  The  males  perform 
the  duties  of  incubation. 

The  Emeus  of  New  Holland  have  also  three  toes.  The  body 
plumage  resembles  hairs,  lying  down  on  each  side  of  the  body 
from  a  central  line  or  parting.  The  wings  are  still  more  rudi- 
mentary than  in  the  Ostriches.  The  accessory  plume  of  the 
feathers  is  nearly  as  large  as  the  feather,  so  that  two  stems  appear 
to  arise  from  the  same  quill.  They  have  neither  casque  on  the 
head,  nor  naked  orbits,  nor  caruncles.  Two  species  are  known, 
Dromains  nov(B  IlollajicUce,  and  D.  ater.  The  eggs  are  fine  dark 
blue  green. 

The  Cassowaries  inhabit  various  islands  in  the  Eastern  Archi- 
pelago, and  four  species  are  now  recorded.  The  wings  consist  of  a 
few  cylindrical,  hard  shafts,  without  any  barbs ;  tlie  claw  on  the 
inner  toe  is  much  larger  than  the  others,  and  curved  (^as  in  Grus 
and  other  birds)  ;  the  head  and  neck  are  naked,  and  are  furnished 
with  wattles  of  a  bright  color,  generally  blue  and  red.  The  body 
plumage  is  still  more  hair-like  than  that  of  the  Emeus;  the 
supplementary  plume  is  very  large,  and  there  is  a  rudiment  even 
of  a  third.  The  intestinal  canal  is  short,  the  ccEca  small,  and  there 
is  no  proventriculus.  It  has  been  remarked  that  Emeus  and 
Cassowai-ies  resemble  Bustards  in  their  anatomy,  whilst  Ostriches 
and  Rliea  are  more  like  Gallinaceous  birds.  Owen  in  his  lectures 
states  that  Cassowaries  are  modified  Coots,  and  Parker  in  his 
paper  already  alluded  to,  says  that  he  feels  certain  that  there  is 
a  near  relationship  between  the  Rail-tribe  and  the  Ostriches ;  but 
that  it  is  more  philosophical  t')  say  that  a  Coot  is  a  modified 
Cassowary.  The  best  known  species  is  Casuarius  galeatus  of  New 
Guinea.  The  other  species  are  C.  Beuneltii,  Gould,  i\\Q  Mooruh\ 
C.  nni-appendiculatus,  Blyth ;  and  C.  australis,  Gould.  The  eggs 
of  the  Cassowaries  arc  pale  greenish. 


PRESSIROSTKES.  605 

The  other  family,  ApterygidcB,  is  composed  of  one  genus  only, 
A])teryx,  a  remarkable  Avingless  bird  from  New  Zealand,  with  a 
long  Snipe- like  bill,  and  the  nostrils  situated  at  the  tip  ;  short 
legs,  and  a  short  hind  toe  .with  a  strong  claw.  The  wings  are  so 
perfectly  rudimentary  that  no  trace  of  them  is  visible  externally. 
The  diaphragm  is  perfect,  the  stomach  slightly  muscular,  the 
intestines  moderately  long,  and  there  are  moderately  sized  coeca. 
The  feathers  want  the  supplementary  plumes.  The  birds  are 
chiefly  nocturnal,  running  rapidly,  and  they  feed  on  insects.  Three 
species  are  known,  A.  cmstrcdis,  A.  Mantelli,  and  A.  Oiveni. 

Fragments  of  some  enormous  birds  have  been  discovered  in 
New  Zealand ;  and  one  of  these,  the  il/oa,  is  supposed  only 
recently  to  have  become  extinct.  The  Q,gg  of  one  was  infinitely 
larger  than  that  of  the  Ostrich.  Fossil  remains  of  a  gigantic 
Ostrich  are  found  in  the  Sewalik  range  of  hills. 

Tribe — Pkessirostres,  Cuvier. 

Cursores,  apud  Bonaparte  (in  part.) 

Tarsi  elongated  ;  hind  toe  small  or  absent ;  bill  moderate  or  short, 
thick,  moderately  depressed  at  the  base,  compressed  on  the  sides. 

This  tribe,  as  I  recognise  it,  comprises  Bustards,  Plovers,  and 
Cranes  ;  in  all  the  young  run  from  the  egg.  The  majority  feed 
chiefly  on  insects,  a  few  on  grain  and  vegetable  diet.  They  may  be 
distinguished  from  the  next  tribe,  the  Longirostres,  by  their  usually 
shorter  and  thicker  bill,  more  robust  make,  average  greater  size;  and 
in  their  habits  they  frequent  the  open  dry  plains  more  habitually 
than  banks  of  rivers,  shores  or  marshes.  A  few  are  migratory,  others 
breed  and  remain  here  throughout  the  year.  Several  have  a  double 
moult,  and  the  change  of  plumage  Avhich  takes  place,  sometimes 
in  the  male  only,  in  others  in  both  sexes,  is  usually  to  black,  in 
a  few  cases  only  to  rufous,  'f'hey  lay  but  few  eggs,  usually  four, 
sometimes  two  only,  usually  dark  olive  brown,  blotched  or  plain. 
The  Cranes  are  usually  classified  next  the  Herons,  by  some,  indeed, 
in  the  same  family,  but  their  very  different  habits,  the  young 
running  as  soon  as  hatched,  and  the  similarity  of  their  bills,  and 
general  form  to  that  of  Bustards,  all  combine  to  remove  them 
far  from  the  Herons  and  brino-  them  close  to  Bustards. 


606  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

The  Pressirostres  may  be  distributed  among  the  following 
families,  all  of  which,  except  the  last,  are  represented  in 
India : — 

1.  OiididcB,  Bustards  and  Florican^. 

2.  CursoridcB,  Courser-plovers. 
o.  Glareolidce,  Swallow-plovers. 

4.  Cha7xi(lridcB,  Plovers. 

5.  Ilcematopodidce,  Shore-plovers. 

6.  Thinocoridce,  Game-plovers,  a  purely  American  group. 

7.  Gruida,  Cranes. 

Gray,  in  his  List  of  Genera,  places  Thinocoridce  among  the 
Rasores,  and  considers  the  Swallow-plovers  and  Shore-plovers 
simply  as  sub-families  of  the  Charadrida. 

Fam.     Otidid^, 

Bill  rather  short,  stout,  broad  at  the  base,  somewhat  compressed 
towards  the  tip ;  iipper  mandible  convex  and  slightly  curved ; 
nostrils  in  a  large  membranous  groove  ;  legs  long,  rather  stout ; 
tarsi  reticulated  ;  three  short  toes  united  at  the  base  by  a  small 
membrane ;  hind  toe  always  absent ;  claws  short  and  blunt ; 
wings  ample,  more  or  less  pointed  ;  plumage  mottled  and  game- 
like. 

Bustards  have  the  heavy  aspect  and  form  of  Gallinaceous  birds, 
which  they  also  approximate  somewhat  in  the  form  of  their  bill, 
and  the  short  membrane  at  the  base  of  their  toes  ;  but  their  more 
nude  tibia,  and  their  general  anatomy  ally  them  closely  with  the 
Plovers.  They  differ,  however,  from  these  last  by  their  less  muscu- 
lar stomach,  and  partially  polygamous  liabits  ;  and  they  approach 
the  Cranes  and  Cassowaries,  and  perhaps  are  distantly  related  to 
some  of  the  Thinocoridce,  and  also  to  the  Tinamida.  Their 
plumage  is  beautifully  mottled,  light  olive  brown  or  fulvous  and 
black,  and  at  the  spring  moult  many  of  them  assume  various  orna- 
mental tufts  and  plumes,  and  more  or  less  of  a  black  colour,  like 
several  Plovers.  Their  food  is  chiefly  insects,  occasionally  in 
dearth  of  this  aliment,  shoots  of  plants,  grain,  and  vegetable  matter. 
Tliey  lay  two  to  five  eggs,  (or  more  it  is  said,)  of  a  dark  olive  brown 
colour  ;    and,   though  not   strictly  migratory,  they  wander  about  a 


OTIDlDiE.  607 

good  deal  in  search  of  food  and  shelter.  Their  wings  are  strong  and 
ver}'  ample,  and,  contrary  to  received  notions,  they  use  them  very 
freely,  and  are  capable  of  a  tolerably  strong  and  protracted  flight. 
They  are  found  throughout  the  Old  World,  extending  to  Australia. 

The  sternum  has  one  deep  fissure  in  some,  two  however  in  others  ; 
the  stomach  is  capacious,  with  rather  thin  coats  ;  the  intestines  are 
short ;  and  the  rectum  large,  making  the  nearest  approach  to  the 
Ostriches.  In  some  there  is  a  gular  membranous  pouch  (communi- 
cating with  the  mouth  by  a  small  aperture  beneath  the  tongue), 
supposed  by  some  to  supply  water  to  the  female,  but,  as  it  only 
exists  in  tlie  male  bird,  and  as  the  Bustards  do  not  appear  to 
drink,  it  is  more  probably  a  sexual  appendage,  perhaps  merely  used 
in  dilating  the  throat.  Bustards  can  raise  the  feathers  round  the 
cars  to  catch  any  distant  sound. 

They  vary  a  good  deal  in  the  length  and  curvature  of  their 
beaks,  and  in  the  length  of  the  tarsus,  as  well  as  in  the  character 
of  the  plumage,  and  the  changes  they  undergo  ;  and  they  have  been 
divided  into  several  genera.  India  possesses  representatives  of 
three  groups. 

Gen.  EupODOTis,  Lesson. 

Cliar. — Bill  long,  pointed,  nearly  straight;  legs  long  and  strong; 
wings  lengthened  and  very  ample  ;  male  provided  with  a  pouch  ; 
sexes  alike  in  plumage  or  nearly  so,  but  the  female  about  a  third 
smaller ;  no  spring  moult.     Of  very  large  size. 

This  genus  contains  some  of  the  largest  species  in  the  family,  and 
is  found  in  India,  China,  Africa  and  Australia.  They  frequent 
bare  open  plains,  as  well  as  high  grass  and  corn  fields,  and  live 
entirely,  or  nearly  so,  on  insect  food,  chiefly  large  grasshoppers. 

836.    Eupodotis  Edwardsii,  Gray. 

Otis  apud  Gray — Hardwicke,  111.  Ind.  Zool.  1,  pi.  59— 
Blyth,  Cat.  1539 — 0.  nigriceps.  Vigors — Gould,  Cent.  Him. 
Birds,  pi.  72 — Sykes,  Cat.  166 — Jerdon,  Cat.  281 — 0.  lucionensis, 
ViEiLLOT  ?  Tokdar,  H. — Sohiin,  and  Gugunhher  in  the  North- 
western Provinces — Giirayin  in  Hurriana — Bm'ra  cJiirath  in  some 
parts — Baft-mela,  or  Bat-myaha,  Tel. 


608  birds  of  india. 

The  Indian  Bustard. 

Descr. — Male,  top  of  head  with  crest  black  ;  face,  nape,  and 
the  whole  neck,  white,  the  feathers  somewhat  lengthened  and 
hackled  in  front ;  the  back  and  upper  plumage,  including  the 
shoulder  of  the  wings  and  the  inner  wing-coverts,  pale  olive 
brown,  or  buff,  beautifully  mottled  and  variegated  with  minute 
lines  of  black ;  outer  wing-coverts  black,  white  tipped ;  greater 
coverts  slaty-grey,  also  tipped  with  white,  as  is  the  winglet ; 
primaries  dark  slaty,  more  dusky  on  their  outer  edges,  and  white- 
tipped  ;  tail  as  the  back,  with  a  dark  sub-terminal  band  not  always 
very  distinct  on  the  central  feathers ;  a  blackish  brown  band 
across  the  breast ;  lower  parts,  Avith  the  thigh-coverts,  white  ;  the 
flanks  dark  olive  brown  ;  vent  and  lower  tail-coverts  the  same  but 
lighter. 

Bill  dusky  above,  yellowish  beneath  ;  irides  pale  yelloAv  with 
some  brownish  specks ;  legs  and  feet  dingy  pale  yellow.  Length 
4^  to  5  feet ;  extent  8  feet ;  wing  30  inches  ;  tail  13  ;  bill  at 
front  2  ;  tarsus  8|.     AV eight  26  to  28  lbs. 

The  female  is  one-third  less  at  least,  the  white  of  the  neck  is  less 
pure,  generally,  indeed,  mottled  with  olive-brown,  and  with  some 
rufous  about  the  face  and  eyes  ;  the  pectoral  band  is  incomplete, 
and  consists  of  broken  spots ;  the  abdomen  is  less  pure  white 
and  the  flanks  paler  brown  and  more  spotted.  Length  3|- 
feet.  Young  males  resemble  the  females,  and  it  is  only  the 
largest  old  males  that  have  the  neck  pure  white,  as  described 
above  ;  in  most  there  being  a  few  brown  specks  on  the  neck. 
In  the  old  male,  too,  the  neck  appears  very  thick,  the  feathers 
being  well  puffed  out  and  full.  A  fully  grown  adult  male  stands 
very  high,  above  4  feet.  The  gular  sac  is  stated  to  be  able  to 
hold  about  three  quarts  of  water. 

'I'his  noble  bird  is  found  throughout  considerable  part  of  India, 
most  common  in  the  West,  and  not  known  in  Bengal  or  Behar,  nor 
in  the  Malabar  Coast.  It  is  found  occasionally  in  the  Carnatic  and 
Mysore,  tolerably  common  in  the  Deccan  and  in  the  Southern 
Mahratta  country,  extending  through  Central  India  as  far  East  at 
all  events  as  Saugor  and  Rewah,  and  abundant  in  Rajpootana.  I  have 
not  heard  of  its  occurring  anywhere  in  the  valley  of  the  Gana:es. 


OTIDIDiE.  609 

The  Bustard  frequents  bare  open  plains,  grassy  plains  interspersed 
with  low  bushes,  and  occasionally  high  grass  rumnahs.  In  the  rainy 
season  large  numbers  may  be  seen  together  stalking  over  the  undu- 
lating plains  of  the  Deccan  or  Central  India.  1  have  seen  flocks  of 
twenty-five  and  more,  and  a  writer  in  the  Sporting  Review  mentions 
having  seen  above  thirty  on  one  small  hill.  This  writer  states  his 
belief  that  they  are  never  seen  in  any  district  that  is  not  charac- 
terized by  hills  as  well  as  plains  ;  but  this,  from  my  own  experience 
I  would  merely  interpret  that  they  do  not  frequent  alluvial  plains, 
but  prefer  the  undulating  country;  for  I  have  seen  them  on 
extensive  plains,  where  there  were  merely  a  few  ridges  or  emi- 
nences, and  nothing  deserving  the  name  of  a  hill  close  at  hand. 
Towards  the  close  of  the  rains,  and  in  the  cold  weather  before 
the  long  grass  is  cut  down,  the  Bustard  will  often  be  found,  at  all 
events  in  the.  heat  of  the  day,  concealed  in  the  grass,  but  not  for 
the  purpose  of  eating  the  seeds  of  the  Roussa  grass,  as  the  writer 
above  alluded  to  imagines,  rather  for  the  large  grasshoppers  that 
abound  so  there,  and  which  fly  against  you  at  every  few  steps 
you  take.  During  the  cold  weather  the  Bustard  frequently  feeds, 
and  rests  during  the  day  likewise,  in  wheat  fields.  When  the 
grass  and  corn  is  all  cut,  and  the  bare  plains  no  longer  afford  food 
to  the  Bustard,  it  will  be  found  along  the  banks  of  rivers  where 
there  is  long  grass  mixed  with  bushes,  or  the  edges  of  large  tanks, 
or  low  jungle  where  there  is  moderately  high  grass,  or  it  wanders 
to  some  district  where  there  is  more  grass,  for  though  they  do  not 
migrate,  yet  Bustards  change  their  ground  much  according  to  the 
season,  and  the  supply  of  grasshoppers  '  and  other  insects.  The 
hen  birds,  remarks  the  writer  quoted  above,  generally  congregate 
together  during  the  rains,  are  very  timid,  and  frequently,  when  a 
sportsman  is  pursuing  a  single  one,  she  will  attempt  to  seek  safety, 
fatally  for  herself,  in  some  large  bush,  particularly  if  the  gunner 
turn  aside  his  head,  and  affect  not  to  see  her  at  the  moment  of 
hiding.  The  cock-birds,  at  this  season,  feed  a  mile  or  so  apart 
from  the  hens,  and  stretching  their  magnificent  white  necks,  stride 
along  most  pompously.  Besides  grasshoppers,  whicli  may  be  said 
to  be  their  favorite  food,  the  Bustard  will  eat  any  other  large 
insect,    more     especially     Mylahris,     or     blistering     beetle,     so 

PART  II.  4    H 


610  BIRDS   OF  INDIA. 

abundant  diiring  the  rains ;  the  large  Buprestis,  Scarahm,  cater- 
pillars, &c.,  also  lizards,  centipedes,  small  snakes,  &c.  Mr.  Elliot 
found  a  Quail's  egg  entire  in  the  stomach  of  one,  and  they  will 
often  swallow  pebbles  or  any  glittering  object  that  attracts  them. 
I  took  several  portions  of  a  brass  ornament,  the  size  of  a  No.  16 
bullet,  out  of  the  stomach  of  one  Bustard.  In  default  of  insect 
food,  it  will  eat  fruit  of  various  kinds,  especially  the  fruit  of  the 
Byr  (Zizyphus  jujuba)  and  Caronda  (^Carissa  carandas)  ;  grain, 
and  other  seeds  and  vegetable  shoots. 

The  Bustard  is  polygamous,  and  at  the  breeding  season,  which 
varies  very  greatly  according  to  the  district,  from  October  to 
March,  the  male  struts  about  on  some  eminence,  puffing  out  the 
feathers  of  his  neck  and  throat,  e^^anding  his  tail,  and  ruffling 
his  wings,  uttering  now  and  then  a  low  deep  moaning  call  heard  a 
great  way  off.  The  female  lays  one  or  two  eggs  of  a  dark  olive 
green,  faintly  blotched  with  dusky.  I  have  killed  the  young,  half- 
grown,  in  March,  near  Saugor. 

The  Bustard  has  another  call  heard  not  unfrequently,  compared 
by  some  to  a  bark  or  a  bellow  ;  chiefly  heard,  however,  when  the 
bird  is  alarmed.  This  is  compared  by  the  natives  to  the  word 
liook^  hence  the  name  of  hoohna,  by  which  it  is  known  to 
the  villagers  about  Gwalior.  When  raised,  it  generally  takes 
a  long  flight,  sometimes  three  or  four  miles,  with  a  steady,  con- 
tinued flapping  of  its  wings,  at  no  great  height  above  the  ground, 
and  I  never  found  that  it  had  any  difficulty  in  rising,  not  even 
requiring  to  run  one  step,  as  I  have  many  times  had  occasion  to 
observe  when  flushing  them  in  long  grass  or  wheat  fields.  On 
the  open  bare  plains,  it  will  sometimes  run  a  step  or  two  before 
mounting  into  the  air.  A  writer  in  the  Bengal  Sporting  Magazine 
asserts  that  he  has  known  the  Bustard  ridden  down,  and  that 
after  two  or  three  fli2i:hts  it  is  so  exhausted  as  to  allow  of  its 
capture.  I  imagine  that  a  healthy  bird  would  tire  out  the  best 
horse  and  rider  before  giving  in. 

At  times  a  single  Cock-bustard  can  be  very  easily  stalked  so  as 
to  get  within  distance  of  a  fair  shot,  50  or  60  yards,  or  even  nearer, 
by  rapidly  moving  obliquely  towards  them,  as  mentioned  previously 
when   speaking   of  Sand-grouse ;  when  several  are  together  they 


OTIDID^.  611 

are  more  wary,  but  even  then  can  often  be  approached  within  one 
hundred  yards.  If  there  is  any  bushy  or  uneven  ground  to  favor 
the  gunner,  the  task  is  comparatively  easy.  Occasionally  they 
may  be  flushed  in  long  grass,  or  Dhal  fields,  or  even  Wheat  fields, 
and  an  easy  shot  obtained  ;  and  I  once  brought  down  two  birds, 
right  and  left,  in  a  wheat-field  near  Saugor. 

Many  sportsmen  kill  it  with  the  rifle,  and  one  sportsman  on 
the  Bombay  side  is  known  to  have  killed  above  one  thousand 
Bustards  with  his  rifle;  chiefly,  I  believe,  in  the  Deccan  and 
Southern  Mahratta  country.  A  young  Bustard,  or  a  full  grown 
lien  bird  are  very  excellent  eating ;  the  flesh  is  dark,  and  very 
highly  flavored ;  but  in  an  adult  cock  it  is  rather  coarse. 

A  large  Bustard  has  been  seen  in  various  parts  of  China  which 
is  perhaps  this  species,  or  some  closely  allied  one,  may-be,  Otis 
lucionensis.  A  very  closely  allied  species,  0.  australis,  Gray,  occurs 
in  Australia,  where  known,  to  some  of  the  Colonists  as  the  Wild 
Turkey.  Other  species  are  Euj).  nuha,  Riipp  ;  E.  ludwigi,  Riipp  ; 
E.  caffra,  Licht.  {Stanleyi,  Gray)  ;  E.  Denhami^  Children;  E' 
arabs,  L.  {abijssinica,  Gray)  ;  and  E.  Jcori,  Burchell. 

The  European  Bustard,  O.  tarda,  Linnaeus,  belongs  to  restricted 
Otis.  It  has  a  long  white  moustachial-tuft.  The  short  limbs,  short 
bill,  and  general  form  give  it  quite  a  different  aspect  to  that  of  the 
Indian  Bustard,  and  I  can  understand  its  being  called  a  Turkey.  It 
is  found  throughout  Eastern  Europe  and  Central  Asia,  and  used  to 
be  occasionally  captured  in  England;  audits  peculiar  attitudes 
during  the  courting  season  have  been  ably  illustrated  by  Wolf 
in  his  Zoological  Sketches. 


Gen,  HoUBARA,  Bonaparte. 

Syn.  CJila^nydotis,  Lesson. 

Char. — Legs  rather  short ;  neck  of  the  male  furnished  with  a 
ruff,  and  occasionally  crested;  bill  rather  lengthened,  much 
depressed  at  the  base. 

The  ruffed  Bustards  are  birds  of  moderate  size,  frequenting  the 
open  sandy  deserts,  the  type  of  which  is  Otis  houhara  of  Gmelin, 


612  BIRDS  OF  INDIA. 

from  Northern  Africa,  which  occasionally  passes  over  into  Spain. 
One  species  is  found  in  the  North-western  Provinces  of  India. 

837.    Houbara  Macqueenii,  Gray. 

Otis,  apud  Gray — Hardwicke  111.  Ind.  Zool. — Gould,  Birds 
of  Asia,  pt.  HI,  pi.  8 — 0.  marmorata,  Gray,  Hardwicke,  111. 
Ind.  Zool.  1,  pi.  60  (the  female) — Tilaor,  R.^Obarra  in  the 
Western  Punjab — Hurriana  Florikin  of  Sportsmen  in  the  N.  W.  P. 
— figured  in  Bengal  Sporting  Magazine,  1833. 

The  Indian  Houbara  Bustard. 

Descr. — Male,  head  beautifully  crested,   the  crest  consisting  of 
a  series  of  lengthened  slender  feathers'in  the  centre  of  the  crown, 
white   with   a  black  tip   in  front,    wholly   white   behind;    upper 
plumage,  including  the  neck,  pale  buff,  somewhat  albescent  on  the 
wing-coverts  and  deeper  on  the  back ;    upper  tail-coverts  and  tail 
all  delicately  and  minutely  pencilled  with  black,  and  each  feather 
with  a  sub-terminal  black  band  visible   externally,  and  another  at 
the  base  of  the  feathers ;  upper  tail-coverts   with  the  black  bands 
narrower,  distant,  and  more  or  less  ashy ;  tail  banded  with  bluish- 
ashy,   and  all  the    lateral  feathers  broadly  tipped   with   creamy 
white ;  greater  wing-coverts  tipped  with  white ;  primaries  white 
at  their  base,   black  for  the  terminal  half,  and  most  so  on  the 
outer  web  ;  lesser  wing-coverts  and  scapulars  more  or  less  spotted 
with  black,  not  barred ;  the  shorter  quills  and  the  winglct  black, 
the  former  tipped  with  white ;    the  cheeks  are  white,  with  black 
shafts  and  tips ;  the  throat  white ;  neck  fulvous  ashy ;  belly  and 
lower  parts,   including   the   lower   surface    of  the  wings,  white; 
under  tail-coverts  slightly  barred ;  the  neck-ruff  in  its  full  integrity 
during    the   breeding   season   begins   from   the   ear-coverts,    the 
feathers  are  moderately  long,  about  2  inches,   and  entirely  black 
and  silky ;  on  the  sides  of  the  neck  they  are  at  least  6  inches  long, 
white  at  the  base  and  with  black  tips ;  and,  where  they  terminate 
are  still  longer,  wholly  white,  varying  in  texture  and  with  more 
or    less    disunited    webs,    very    fine    and    curving    downwards 
below. 


OTiDiDj;.  613 

Bill  horny   slate-color ;    irides    bright   yellow ;    legs   greenish- 
yellow.     Length  25  to  30  inches ;  extent  4  feet ;  wing  14  to  15 
inches  ;  tail  9  to  10 ;  tarsus   3| ;    bill  at  front  1|.     Weight  3^  to 
S^lbs.  (Adams  states  the  iris  to  be  black,  and  the  sclerotic  yellow.) 
The  male  in  non-breeding  or  winter  plumage,    appears  to  want 
the  fine  crest,  and   in  some,   apparently,   the  greater  part  of  the 
ruff,    as    in  the   one   figured   in   Hardwicke's    Illustrations.     A 
figure  among  Burnes'    drawings  represents  the  male  bird  with  his 
V  coronal  crest,  but  having  the  upper  portion  only  of  the  neck-rufF, 
which  forms  a  conspicuous  ear-tuft  as  in  the  Likh   Florikin,  but 
of  ordinary   shaped  feathers.     Can   the   ruff'  also   be   a   seasonal 
ornament  of  the  Cock-bird?     This  is  not  alluded  to  in  any  of  the 
notices  of  the  Indian  Houbara  that  I  have  seen,  but  is  not  unlikely. 
The  female  is  said,  by  the  writer  of  the   article  in  the  Bengal 
Sporting   31agazine  alluded  to  above,  to  resemble  the  male ;  and  a 
specimen,  supposed  to  be  that  of  a  female  killed  at  Hansi,  agreed, 
says  Mr.  Blyth,  "  very  well  with  Hardwicke's  figure,  except  that 
the  mottled  black  patches  on  the  upper  parts  are  smaller,  and  more 
numerous,  and  scarcely  appear  on  the  wings  which  should  have 
been  colored  paler ;  the  pencilling  in  front   of  the   neck  is  very 
delicate ;  the   tail   is   banded   with  light    ashy    (appearing  blue) 
slightly  bordered  with  black.     The  coronal  feathers  are  all,  in   the 
mass,    considerably  lengthened,  there  is  no  indication  whatever 
of  the  medial  crest ;  the  lower  third  of  the  lateral  neck-tufts   are 
white,  but  the  front  of  the  neck,  below  the  dull  white  throat,  is 
uniform  pale  buff,  minutely  freckled  with  black,  and  at  its  base  are 
some  lengthened  plumes  of  a  pale  ash  color  impending  the  breast." 
Another  specimen  agrees  nearly  with  the  Hansi  bird,   but  has 
a  slight  crest,    or  apparently  the  remains  of  a  crest  in  process  of 
bein^y  shed,  confined  to  the  forehead  only,  and  there  are  but  few 
traces   of  white  upon   the   black  or   upper  tuft   of  lateral   neck 
plumes.     Mr.  Blyth  is  inclined  to  regard  the  crest  as  a  distinctive 
characteristic  of  the  breeding  season  only,  when  it  would  probably 
be  more  developed  in  the  male  than  in  the  female. 

I  am  strongly  inclined  to  think  that  0.  marmorata,  Gray,  in 
Hardwicke's  Illustrations,  is  intended  for  the  female  in  ordinary 
attire.     It  has  generally  been  considered  as  the  female  of  Sypheo- 


614  BIRDS  OF  INDIA. 

tides  bengalensis,  but  the  whole  style  of  the  markings  is  that  of 
the  Houbara  rather  than  of  the  Florikin.  The  only  difference  is 
that  the  white  of  the  wing  is  not  shown ;  but,  on  the  other  side, 
the  primaries  of  the  hen  Florikin  are  black.  It  may,  indeed,  be 
a  young   Houbara. 

According  to  Captain  Boys  the  female  assumes  the  ruflp  in 
the  breeding  plumage  but  not  the  crest ;  but  so  few  observations 
have  been  recorded  about  this  bird,  that  it  is  yet  possible  (and 
probable  from  analogy)  that  the  hen  bird  possesses  neither  crest 
nor  ruff.  The  female  of  the  African  Houbara,  accordinsr  to 
Temminck,  has  neither  crest  nor  ruff.  The  figure  among  Burnes' 
drawings  may  be  that  of  a  young  male  in  his  first  breeding  season 
before  the  ruff  had  been  fully  developej^  ;  and  in  this  drawing  and 
that  of  marmorata,  the  irides  of  both  are  represented  as  vinous 
red,  whilst  that  of  the  adult  is  said  to  be  yellow.  This  bird  is 
so  exceedingly  similar  to  the  African  Houbara  (H.  undulatd) 
that  I  consider  them  to  be  doubtfully  distinct,  but  Gould  and 
other  late  writers  still  separate  them,  the  black  on  the  crest  of  the 
Indian  bird  being  one  of  the  chief  distinctions. 

The  Indian  Houbara  is  found  throughout  the  plains  of  the 
Punjab  and  Upper  Sindh,  occasionally  crossing  the  Sutlej  and  the 
Indus  lower  down,  and  it  has  been  killed  at  Ferozepore,  Hansi, 
and  in  various  parts  of  Hurriana,  but  no  records  exist  of  its 
occurrence  eastwards  of  Delhi.  It  is  probably  a  permanent  re- 
sident, as  no  notice  is  given  of  its  occurring  at  any  particular 
season.  It  frequents  open  sandy  and  grassy  plains,  or  undulating 
sandy  ground  with  scattered  tufts  of  grass,  also  wheat  and  other 
grain  fields;  and  is  generally  met  with  in  such  bare  and  open  ground 
that,  being  shy  and  wary,  it  is  approached  with  difficulty,  ex- 
cept in  the  heat  of  the  day,  when  it  lies  down  in  a  thick  tuft, 
or  other  shelter,  and  can  be  approached  with  ease.  Major  James 
Sherwill  informed  me  that  it  is  very  abundant  across  the  Indus 
at  Derajat  and  towards  the  frontier  of  Sindh;  and  that  a  black 
hawk  which  hunts  in  pairs  often  kills  a  wounded  bird,  and  has 
been  seen  to  strike  a  sound  one.  The  Houbara  is  much  hawked 
both  in  the  Punjab  and  Sindh,  and  the  Falcon  exclusively  used 
for  this  purpose  is  the   Chartagh  {Falco  sacer,  vol.  1,  p.  30).     It 


OTIDID^.  615 

occasionally  baffles  the  Falcon  by  ejecting  a  horribly  stinking 
fluid  which  besmears  and  spoils  the  plumage  of  the  hawk ;  just 
as,  in  Africa,  its  congener  is  stated  to  behave  towards  the  Sahr 
falcon.  Adams  states  that  it  is  very  destructive  to  young  wheat 
fields  in  winter,  eating  the  young  shoots,  but  its  chief  food  is 
doubtless  insects  of  various  kinds.  The  flesh  is  said  to  be  ex" 
ceedingly  tender,  and  is  often  so  loaded  with  fat,  that  skins  are 
with  difficulty  dried  and  preserved. 

This  species  is  common  in  the  bare  stony  plains  of  AfFghanistan, 
where  it  is  stated  to  occur  in  packs  of  five  or  six  together,  to  fly 
heavily,  and  for  a  short  distance  only,  soon  alighting  and  running, 
and  is  there  called  Dugdaor.  It  also  occurs  in  various  other 
parts  of  Asia,  in  Mesopotamia  and  elsewhere ;  it  has  been 
occasionally  killed  in  Europe,  and  one  specimen  was  shot  in 
England  in  Lincolnshire,  which  had  its  craw  filled  with  caterpil- 
lars, snails,  and  beetles. 

The  egg  of  this  species  procured  in  Mesopotamia,  is  figured  in  a 
late  volume  of  the  Illustrated  Proceedings  of  the  Zoological  Society. 
It  is  of  the  usual  color.  H.  imdulata,  the  Houbara  of  Northern 
Africa  and  Arabia  is  often  killed  in  Spain,  and  is  said  to  be  a  great 
delicacy.     0.  rvficrista,  A.  Smith,  perhaps  belongs  to  this  genus. 

Gen.  Sypheotides,  Lesson. 

Syn.  Comatitis,  Eeichenbach. 

Char. — Bill  moderately  long  and  broadish  ;  legs  lengthened, 
with  a  large  portion  of  the  tibia  bare ;  in  nuptial  plumage  the  male 
with  more  or  less  white  wings,  and  mostly  black  plumage,  highly 
crested  or  with  ear-tufts,  and,  in  some,  the  breast  plumes  greatly 
developed.     ]<^emales  larger  than  the  males. 

This  genus  comprises  the  large  Florikin  of  Bengal,  and  the  lesser 
Florikin  of  Southern  India,  called  the  Likh  or  Leek  in  the  North. 
In  both  of  these  species,  the  hen  bird  undergoes  no  change  of 
colour  at  the  vernal  moult,  but  is  considerably  the  larger  and 
heavier  bird ;  whilst  the  cock  changes  to  nearly  all  black,  and 
a  crest  or  ear-tuft  is  developed.  The  down  at  the  base  of  the 
body-feathers  is  a  beautiful  rosy -pink  colour,  and  these  are  very 
loosely  set,  coming  off  very  readily. 


616  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

838.    Sypheotides  bengalensis,  Gmelin. 

Otis,  apud  Gmelin — Blyth,  Cat.  1540 — 0.  deliciosa,  Gray — 
Hardwicke,  111.  Ind.  Zool.  1,  pi.  61  and  62—0.  Himalayana, 
Vigors — Gould,  Cent.  Him.  Birds,  pi.  73,74,75 — Charras,  or 
Charaj,  or  Charaz,  H. — called  Dahar  in  the  Nepal  Terai. 

The  Bengal  Florikin. 

Descr. — Male,  in  full  breeding  dress,  has  the  whole  head,  which 
is  very  fully  crested,  neck,  breast,  and  lower  parts,  with  the  thigh- 
coverts,  deep  glossy  black ;  the  plumes  of  the  breast  elongated, 
forming  a  full  breast-tuft,  and  the  feathers  of  the  neck  in  front 
also  lengthened ;  the  back,  with  the  scapulars  and  the  tertiaries, 
rump,  and  upper  tail-coverts,  rich  olive  buff,  closely  and  minutely 
mottled  with  jet  black  zig-zag  markings,  and  a  black  dash  in  the 
centre  of  each  feather;  shoulders,  wing-coverts,  and  quills,  pure 
white,  with  the  tips,  shafts,  and  outer  edges  of  the  first  three 
primaries  only  black  ;  tail  black,  minutely  mottled  with  buff,  and 
with  a  broad  white  tip. 

Bill  dusky  above,  yellowish  beneath ;  irides  brown ;  legs 
dingy  pale  yellowish ;  the  knee-joint  and  the  toes  livid  blue. 
Length  24  to  27  inches ;  extent  44  to  47  ;  wing  14 ;  tail  7 ; 
tarsus  6  ;  bill  at  front  1^;  weight  3|-  lbs. 

The  female  has  the  head  (which  is  moderately  crested),  and  the 
whole  upper  plumage  pale  fulvous,  with  black  and  brown  mot- 
tlings,  barrings  and  vermiculations ;  the  ear-coverts  are  whitish, 
and  the  neck  is  minutely  dotted  with  dark  lines ;  the  primaries  are 
banded  dark  brown  and  fulvous.  Irides  dull  yellow ;  legs  dirty 
yellow.     Length  28  to  29  inches ;  extent  50.     Weight  4  lbs. 

Young  birds  are  probably  at  first  colored  like  the  females. 
Males,  in  winter  dress,  (perhaps  only  the  younger  birds,)  have  the 
head,  neck,  and  wing-coverts  as  in  the  female,  the  primaries  white, 
and  more  or  less  of  the  lower  plumage  black,  as  in  one  of  Gould's 
figures.  Many  birds  in  this  state  of  plumage  are  killed  during 
the  cold  weather  and  even  as  late  as  July.  I  think  it  doubtful  if 
young  males  assume  this  plumage  the  first  year,  and  I  am  in- 
clined to  consider  that  it  is  the  winter  dress  of  all  except,  perhaps, 


OTIDIDiE.  fil7 

very  old  males.  Perhaps  males  of  the  previous  year  do  not 
assume  the  full  breeding  dress  at  the  first  spring  moult ;  and  it  is 
possible  that  older  birds  may  always  retain  it  more  or  less,  for  in 
February  I  have  shot  Cock-birds  with,  the  whole  head  and  neck 
black,  but  the  crest  and  pectoral  plumes  not  developed,  and  the 
feathers  of  the  neck  thin  and  short.  Hodgson  indeed  asserts  that 
the  Cock  bird  always  retains  his  fully  adult  livery,  but  that  the  crest 
and  breast-hackles,  in  their  most  entire  fulness,  are  only  assumed 
as  a  nuptial  dress.  I  have  not  myself  had  sufficient  opportunities 
to  decide  on  this  point ;  but,  judging  from  the  analogy  of  the  Likh 
Florikin,  I  would  be  inclined  to  think  that  all,  except  perhaps  verj'- 
old  birds,  do  lose  part  of  this  black  plumage  on  the  neck  and 
wing-coverts  in  an  autumn  moult ;  but  that  they  assume  this  some- 
what irregularly  in  point  of  time.  In  tliese  imperfectly  colored 
birds,  too,  the  back,  upper  tail-coverts,  and  tail  are  lighter,  with 
less  black,  and  more  of  a  fulvous  hue  with  brown  markings. 

Hodgson  says  that  the  sexes  are  equal  in  size.  1  have  measured 
and  weighed  many  lately,  and  invariably  found  the  difference 
nearly  as  great  as  that  mentioned  above,  and  the  difiference  of 
colour  in  the  irides  of  the  tAvo  sexes  is  apparently  constant. 
Analogy  with  the  Likh  Florikin  would  also  suggest  the  inferiority 
in  size  of  the  male  bird,  which  is,  however,  more  marked  in  that 
species. 

This  fine  bii'd  is  found  throughout  Lower  Bengal  north  of  the 
Ganges,  extending  to  the  south  bank  above  the  junction  of  the 
Jumna,  and  thence  spreading  through  the  valley  of  the  Jumna  into 
Rajpootana,  the  Cis-Sutlej  States,  and  parts  of  the  Punjaub  ;  in  the 
east  it  occurs  in  Dacca,  Tipperah,  Sylhet  and  Assam,  and  northwards 
to  the  foot  of  the  Himalayas.  It  frequents  large  tracts  of  moderately 
high  grass,  whether  interspersed  with  bushes  or  otherwise,  grass 
churrs  on  rivers,  and  occasionally  cultivation,  but  it  appears  to  be 
very  capricious  in  its  choice  of  ground,  several  often  congregating 
in  some  spots  to  the  exclusion  of  others  that  seemed  equally 
favorable  for  it.  From  February  to  April  it  may  be  seen  stalking 
about  the  thin  grass  early  in  the  morning,  and  it  is  noticed  to  be 
often  found  about  newly  burnt  patches;  or  one  or  more  may  be 
noticed  winging  their  way  to  some  cultivated  spot,   a  Pea-field, 

PART.    II.  4  I 


618  BIRDS  OF  INDIA. 

or  Mustard  field,  to  make  its  morning  repast ;  after  which  it  flies 
back  to  some  thicker  patch  of  grass  to  rest  during  the  heat  of  the 
day.  Birds,  at  this  time,  as  well  as  during  the  earlier  part  of  the 
year,  are  usually  found  singly,  sometimes  in  pairs,  male  and  female 
not  far  distant  from  each  other ;  or,  as  stated  previously,  three  or 
four  will  be  found  in  some  favored  spot. 

According  to  Hodgson,  the  Florikin  is  neither  monogamous,  nor 
polygamous,  but  the  sexes  live  apart  at  no  great  distance  ;  and 
this  appears  to  be  very  probable.  The  Florikin  breeds  from  June 
to  August.  At  this  season  the  Cock-bird  may  be  seen  rising 
perpendicularly  into  the  air  with  a  hurried  flapping  of  his  wings, 
occasionally  stopping  for  a  second  or  two,  and  then  rising  still  higher, 
raising  his  crest  at  the  same  time,  and  pufRng  out  the  feathers 
of  his  neck  and  breast,  and  afterwards  dropping  down  to  the 
ground,  and  he  repeats  this  manffiuvre  several  times  successively, 
humming,  as  Hodgson  asserts,  in  a  peculiar  tone.  Such  females  as 
happen  to  be  near  obey  this  saltatory  summons ;  and,  according  to 
Hodgson,  when  a  female  approaches,  he  trails  his  wings,  raises  and 
spreads  his  tail,  humming  all  the  while  like  a  Turkey-Cock.  I 
have  seen  the  Cock-bird  performing  this  nuptial  dance  repeatedly, 
but  have  not  witnessed  the  subsequent  ceremonials,  which,  however, 
are  likely  enough. 

At  this  time  the  hen  Florikin  is  generally  to  be  found  in  lower 
ground  and  thicker  grass,  and  is  flushed  with  difficulty,  running 
far,  and  almost  allowing  herself  to  be  walked  over.  She  lays  from 
two  to  four  eggs,  in  some  sequestered  spot,  Avell  concealed  in  the 
grass,  of  a  dull  olivaceous  tint,  more  or  less  blotched  and  coloured 
with  dusky.  Hodgson  calls  them  sordid  stramineous,  minutely 
dotted  and  more  largely  blotched  and  clouded  with  black  ;  he  also 
states  that  the  young  remain  with  their  mother  for  nearly  a  year  ; 
but  I  look  on  this  as  doubtful.  Two  females  are  said  not  unfre- 
quently  to  breed  near  each  other. 

The  flight  of  the  Florikin  is  a  steady,  flapping  flight,  of  no  great 
speed,  and  it  seldom  flies  very  far  before  alighting.  It  is  occa- 
sionally hawked  with  the  Baz  and  Bhyree,  It  feeds  chiefly  on 
insect  food,  grasshoppers,  beetles  and  caterpillars,  but  will  also 
eat  small  lizards,   snakes,   centipedes,    &c.  ;  and   Hodgson  says 


OTIDID^.    '  619 

sprouts  and  seeds  of  various  plants,  and  that  their  diet  is  chiefly 
vegetable.  This,  however,  is  opposed  both  to  my  own  experience, 
and  the  analogy  of  the  other  members  of  this  family.  It  occasion- 
ally, however,  does  eat  sprouts  and  flowers  of  certain  plants,  but 
whether  from  choice,  or  taken  in  along  with  some  grasshopper 
or  beetle, .  I  cannot  say. 

When  feeding,  or  on  bare  ground,  the  Florikin  is  shy  and  wary, 
and  will  often  rise  at  some  distance,  but  sooner  or  later  takes  refuge 
in  a  thicker  patch,  and  may  be  approached  with  ease;  or  it  will 
elude  the  gunner  altogether  by  running  to  some  distance,  or  squat- 
ting. In  the  heat  of  the  day  it  is  generally  flushed  pretty  close,  even 
when  the  sportsman  is  on  an  elephant.  In  general,  it  is  a  silent 
bird,  but  if  suddenly  startled  will  rise  with  a  shrill  metallic  chik-chik, 
occasionally  repeated  during  its  flight.  The  Florikin  is  highly 
esteemed  for  the  table,  being  considered  by  some  the  most 
delicious  game  in  the  country  ;  the  flesh  is  brown  without,  with  a 
layer  of  white  within^  juicy,  and  of  a  very  high  flavour.  In 
some  districts  it  is  eagerly  sought  for  by  sportsmen,  but  is  most 
frequently,  perhaps,  seen  when  tiger  or  large  game  are  being 
hunted  for  with  a  long  line  of  elephants,  and  consequently  many 
escape  being  fired  at.  The  churrs  of  the  Burhampooter  river  are 
said  especially  to  abound  with  Florikin,  even  to  upper  Assam.  Parts 
of  Rungpore,  Furneah,  and  Goruckpore,  all  afford  fair  Florikin 
shooting,  as  do  many  portions  of  the  N.  W.  Provinces,  from  Delhi 
to  Rohilcund  and  Oude. 

839.    Sypheotides  auritus,  Latham. 

Otis,  apud  Latham — Jard.  and  Selby,  111.  Cm.  pi.  40,  92 — 
Belanger,  Voy.  aux  Ind.  Orient.  Zool,  pi.  10— Jerdon,  111.  Ind. 
Orn.  pi.  33.— Blyth,  Cat.  1542—0.  fulva,  Sykes,  Cat.  167— 
Jerdon,  Cat.  282 — Charaz  or  Chai^aSt  H.  in  the  South  of  India— 
Chulla  charz,  H.  in  some  parts — Likh,  H.  inHindoostan — Tan-mor, 
Mahr. — Kan-noul,  Can. — Niala  nimili,  Tel.,  the  last  three  names 
si o-nifying Ground  pea-fowl —  Wurragu  koU,Tixm. — Khartitar,  of  the 
Bheels  near  Mhow,  i.  c,  Grass-partridge — vulgo,  Ghas  ka  murghi, 
or  Grass  Fowl. 


620  birds  of  india. 

The  Lesser  Florikin. 

Descr. — Male,  in  full  breeding  plumage,  with  the  head,  neck,  ear- 
tufts,  medial  -wing-coverts,  and  the  whole  lower  plumage  deep  black, 
the  chin  alone  being  white ;  lower  part  of  the  hind  neck  and  a 
large  patch  on  the  wing  white,  the  rest  of  the  plumage  fulvous, 
beautifully  and  closely  mottled  with  dark  brown ;  the  first  three 
primaries  plain  dusky  brown,  the  remainder  both  barred  and 
mottled  with  brown.  The  down  at  the  base  of  all  the  feathers 
is  a  beautiful  pale  dull  rose-colour,  and  the  quills,  when  freshly 
moulted,  have  a  beautiful  bloom,  mingled  pink  and  green,  which 
however  soon  fades.  The  ear-tufts  are  about  4  inches  long,  and 
have  usually  three  feathers  on  each  side ;  with  the  shaft  bare,  and 
a  small  oval  web  at  the  tip,  curving  upwards.  The  primaries  are 
much  acuminated,  sometimes  ending  in  a  point  almost  as  fine  as  a 
needle. 

',  Bill  dusky  above,  the  edges  of  the  upper,  and  all  the  lower 
mandible  yellowish  ;  irides  pale  yellow,  clouded  with  dusky  ;  legs 
dirty  whitish  yellow.  Length  18  to  19  inches;  wing  8  ;  tail  4 ; 
bill  at  front  ly% ;  tarsus  barely  4.   Weight  16  to  18  ozs. 

The  female  has  the  prevalent  tone  of  her  plumage  pale  fulvous- 
yellow,  the  feathers  of  the  head,  back,  wings,  and  tail,'  clouded 
and  barred  with  deep  brown,  those  on  the  head  mostly  brown  ;  the 
fore-neck  with  two  irregular  interrupted  streaks,  increasing  on  the 
lower  neck  and  breast,  the  lower  plumage  thence  being  unspotted 
and  albescent ;  the  hind  neck  is  finely  speckled  Avith  brown ;  the 
chin  and  throat  white ;  the  first  three  primaries,  as  in  the  male,  un- 
spotted bro^vn  ;  wing-coverts  with  only  a  few  bars ;  axillaries  brown. 

Bill,  legs,  and  irides  as  in  the  male,  but  the  irides  generally 
unclouded  yellow.  Length  19  to  21  inches  ;  wing  9|;  tail  nearly 
5  ;  bill  at  front  1^  ;  tarsus  4^.     Weight  20  to  24  ozs. 

The  male,  in  whiter  dress,  closely  resembles  the  female,  but  has 
always  some  white  on  the  shoulder  of  the  wing;  and  some  of  the 
wing-coverts  also  partially  white;  the  under  wing -coverts  being  dark 
brown,  whilst  in  the  female  they  are  fulvous.  Of  course  during 
the  vernal  and  autumnal  moults,  male  birds  with  every  gradation 
of  colour  will  be  met  with,  and  some  of  tliese  are  figured  in  the 
Benyul  Sporting  Magazine,  and  in  Belangers   Voyage.     The  differ- 


OTiDiD-a:.  621 

ence  between  the  size  of  the  male  and  female  is  much  more  marked 
in  this  species  than  in  the  last. 

Franklin  and  Sykes  having,  in  their  respective  Catalogues,  pro- 
nounced the  common  Florikin  of  Central  and  Southern  India 
distinct  from  the  Black  Florikin,  I  entered  at  some  length  in  my 
Catalogue,  and  also  in  my  Illustrations,  into  this  subject,  and  from 
the  latter  work  I  extract  the  following  observations  : — 

"  My  reasons  for  believing  the  Black  and  the  common  Florikin 
to  be  one  and  the  same  bird,  may  be  here  briefly  recapitulated. 

Istly.  "All  Black  Florikin  hitherto  examined  have  been  male  birds. 

2ndly.  "  The  Black  Florikin  agrees  exactly  in  size,  and  com- 
parative dimensions,  with  the  male  of  the  common  Florikin,  as 
described  fully  by  Colonel  Sykes,  but  more  especially  in  the 
length  of  wing,  and  acumination  of  the  primary  quills,  the  points 
insisted  on  by  him,  and  most  correctly  so,  as  the  essential  points 
of  difference  from  the  female. 

Si'dli/.  "  Some  black  feathers  are  in  general  to  be  found  on  every 
Cock-bu'd,  not  however  always  noticeable  till  the  feathers  of  the 
abdomen  are  pulled  aside  ;  and  this  mottling  with  black  varies 
from  a  feather  or  two  to  so  many  that  the  bird  would  be  consi- 
dered by  sportsmen  a  Black  Florikin. 

Stilly.  "  I  have  watched  the  progressive  change  in  birds  at  Jalnah, 
where  a  few  couple  always  remain  and  breed,  from  the  garb  of  the 
female  to  the  perfect  Black  Florikin,  and  back  again  from  this  the 
nuptial  plumage,  to  the  more  sober  livery  of  the  rest  of  the  year. 

oilily.  "I  have  seen  more  than  one  specimen  of  the  cock-bird 
in  the  usual  grey  plumage,  which,  from  some  cause  or  other,  had 
not  as  usual  dropped  the  long  ear-feathers,  but  these  had,  in  con- 
formity with  the  change  in  the  system  causing  this  alteration  of 
plumage,  become  white. 

*'  These  reasons  will,  I  trust,  be  considered  sufficient  to  convince 
the  most  sceptical  sportsmen  of  the  identity  of  the  common  and 
Black  Florikin.  Other  testimony  might  be  brought  forward  in 
support,  but  I  shall  only  cite  that  of  Lieut.  Foljambes,  in  a  brief 
paper  in  the  Journal  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Bengal,  who,  from 
observations  in  Guzerat,  where  they  appear  very  numerous,  states 
it  as  his  belief  that  they  arc  the  same  bird,  but  that  the  Black  one 


622  BIRDS   OF  INDIA. 

is  only  met  with  in  Guzerat  during  the  monsoon,  which,  as  we  shall 
soon  see,  is  the  breeding  season." 

The  Leek  or  Lesser  Florikin  is  found  throughout  India,  from 
near  the  foot  of  the  Himalayas  to  the  Southernmost  districts, 
but  has  not,  I  believe,  been  seen  in  Ceylon.  It  is  more  rare 
in  Northern  India  and  Bengal,  but  has  been  killed  even  in 
Arrakan.  It  is  most  abundant  in  Central  and  Western  India  during 
the  rains,  and  in  Southern  India  in  the  cold  weather,  whilst  those 
that  have  occurred  in  Bengal  and  neighbouring  districts  have 
chiefly  been  seen  in  the  hot  weather  or  commencement  of  the 
rains.  I  saw  it  on  the  banks  of  the  Ganges  in  April  and  May, 
and  know  of  its  having  been  occasionally  killed  in  Purneah  in  May 
and  June.  In  the  Carnatic,  Mysore,  the  Deccan,  and  Northern 
Circars,  it  is  chiefly  found  in  the  cold  weather,  from  October  to 
February  and  March;  and  in  the  westernmost  portion  of  Central 
India  and  Western  India,  Guzerat,  the  neighbourhood  of  Malwah 
and  Indore,  and  the  southernmost  portion  of  Eajpootana,  chiefly 
during  the  rains,  from  June  to  September.  The  few  that  I  saw  in 
Saugor  and  the  neighbouring  country,  occurred  during  the  hot 
weather,  at  which  time  they  leave  the  dried-up  districts  of  Southern 
India,  and  migrate  north  in  search  of  suitable  shelter  and  food. 
As  great  part  of  the  eastern  portion  of  Central  India,  from  the 
Godavery  to  Midnapore  and  Chota  Nagpore,  consists  more  or  less 
of  forest  and  jungles,  the  majority  are  drawn  westwards  into 
Malwah,  Eajpootana,  and  Guzerat.  Few  occur  in  Malabar,  but  in 
Southern  Canara  there  is  at  least  one  locality  where  they  may  be 
found  in  the  cold  weather. 

"  The  lesser  Florikin  frequents  long  grass  in  preference  to  any 
other  shelter.  It  is,  however,  often  to  be  met  with  in  grain  fields, 
in  fields  of  Cotton  and  Dholl,  and  in  the  Carnatic  so  much  in 
those  of  the  grain  called  IVarragoo,  as  to  be  called  in  Tamool 
Warragoo  holee,  or  Warragoo  Fowl.  It  feeds  chiefly  in  the 
morning,  and  is  then  easily  raised,  but  during  the  heat  of  the  day 
it  lies  very  close,  and  is  often  flushed  with  difficulty,  I  have 
known  an  instance  of  one  being  killed  by  a  horse  stepping  on  it. 
Now  and  then  an  exceedingly  wary  one  is  met  with,  which  runs 
to   a  great   distance,   and  takes  wing  well  out  of  shot.     When 


OTIDID^,  623 

walking  or  running  it  raises  its  tail,  as  is  represented  on  the 
drawing,  the  lateral  feathers  diverging  downwards,  whilst  those  of 
the  centre  are  the  most  elevated,  as  is  seen  in  domestic  fowls,  &c., 
forming  ^what  Swainson  calls  an  erect  or  compressed  tail.  The 
chief  food  of  the  JPlo^ikin  is  grasshoppers.  I  have  found  also 
blister  beetles,  {Mijlahris)  Scarabcei,  centipedes,  and  even  small 
lizards,  "\7hen  flushed  suddenly  it  utters  a  kind  of  sharp  '  quirk,' 
or  note  of  alarm,  and  it  is  said  also  to  have  a  feeble  plaintive 
chirp  or  piping  note,  when  running  or  feeding.  Its  flesh  is  ver}'- 
delicate,  and  of  excellent  flavour,  and  it  is  the  most  esteemed  here, 
of  all  the  game  birds.  Its  pursuit  is  consequently  a  favorite  sport, 
and  from  the  open  nature  of  the  ground  it  frequents,  it  is  well 
adapted  for  being  hawked.  I  have  killed  it  occasionally  with  the 
Luggur,  but  generally  with  the  Shaheen,  and  have  already  given 
an  account  of  the  manner  of  hunting  it.  Should  the  Shaheen, 
miss  her  first  stoop,  I  have  seen  the  Florikin  accelerate  its  speed  so 
greatly,  that  the  falcon  was  unable  to  come  up  with  it  again  under 
600  yards  or  so.  I  have  seen  one  struck  dead  by  the  Wokhab, 
Aquila  Vindhiana  ;  I  had  slipped  a  Lnggur  at  it,  which  was  in 
hot  pursuit,  though  at  some  little  distance  behind,  when  two  of 
these  Eagles  came  down  from  a  vast  height,  and  joined  in  the 
chase.  One  of  them  made  a  headlong  swoop  at  it,  which  the 
Florikin  most  skilfully  avoided,  only  however  to  fall  a  victim  to 
the  talons  of  the  other,  which  stooped  almost  immediately  after  its 
confederate,  and  dashed  the  poor  bird  lifeless  to  the  ground.  It 
had  not,  however,  time  to  pick  it  up,  fur  I  rode  up,  and  the  Eagles 
soared  off  most  unwillingly,  and  circled  in  the  air  long  above 
me.     The  Florikin  had  its  back  laid  open  the  whole  length."* 

A  few  birds  appear  to  breed  in  all  parts  of  Southern  India, 
from  July  to  November,  for  I  have  put  the  hen  bird  off  her  nest 
in  August  in  the  Deccan,  and  in  October  near  Trichinopoly ;  and 
have  heard  of  the  hen  having  been  found  incubating  still  later,  up 
to  January  indeed  ;  but  the  majority  breed,  in  Guzerat,  Malwa 
and  Southern  Rajpootana,  from  July  to  September.  I  have 
found  the  cock-bird  commencing  to  assume  the   black   plumage  at 


*  Jerdon's  111.  lutl.  Orn.  I  c. 


624  BIRDS  OF  INDIA. 

the  end  of  April,  and  have  killed  them  with  the  black  ear-tuft 
just  beginning  to  sprout,  hardly  any  other  black  feathers  having 
appeared.  In  other  instances  I  have  noticed  that  these  ear-tufts 
did  not  make  their  appearance  till  the  bird  was  quite  mottled  with 
black.  The  full  and  perfect  breeding  plumage  is  generally  com- 
pleted during  July  and  August.  At  this  season  the  male  bird 
generally  takes  up  a  position  on  some  rising  ground,  from  which 
it  wanders  but  little,  for  many  days  even  ;  and  during  the  morning 
especially,  but  in  cloudy  weather  at  all  times  of  the  day,  every  now 
and  then  rises  a  few  feet  perpendicularly  into  the  air,  uttering 
at  the  same  time  a  peculiar  low  croaking  call,  more  like  that 
of  a  frog  or  cricket  than  that  of  a  bird,  and  then  drops  down  again. 
This  is  probably  intended  to  attract  the  females,  who,  before  their 
eggs  are  laid,  wander  greatly  ;  or  perhaps  to  summon  a  rival  cock, 
for  I  have  seen  two  in  such  desperate  fight  as  to  allow  me  to 
approach  within  thirty  yards  before  they  ceased  their  battle. 
The  female  lays  her  eggs  in  some  thick  patch  of  grass,  four  or  five 
in  number,  (one  writer  says  seven)  of  a  dark  olive  colour,  with  or 
without  a  few  darker  blotches,  of  a  very  thick  stunted,  ovoid 
form,  very  obtuse  at  the  larger  end.  During  this  season  the 
females  are  very  shy  and  wary,  seldom  rising,  though  often  run- 
ning great  distances  ;  and  when  closely  approached  and  unable  to 
run  further  perhaps  without  being  seen,  squatting  so  close  as  to 
allow  a  man  or  dog  almost  to  tread  on  them  before  they  take  flight. 
,  I  have  never  put  up  or  taken  a  young  Florikin.  Soon  after  incu- 
bation has  fairly  commenced,  the  cock-birds  appear  to  leave  the 
breeding  district,  and  gradually  migrate  southwards.  At  Trichino- 
poly  about  the  end  of  September  and  beginning  of  October,  the 
birds  first  met  Avitli  are  all  cock-birds,  generally  in  pretty  fair 
plumage,  but  very  rapidly  assuming  their  more  sober  winter  garb ; 
and  females  are  very  rare  till  much  later  in  the  season. 

The  Lesser  Florikin  is  occasionally  snared  and  brought  in 
alive  by  some  bird-catchers,  but  the  gun  is  had  resort  to  in 
general  to  procure  it.  It  is  invariably  called  Charraz  by  all 
Mussulmans  in  Southern  India,  although  Mr.  Hogdson  asserts 
that  I  had  no  right  to  apply  that  name  to  it,  and  I  have 
not    yet    learnt    in   what   particular   districts   it  is   called  Lihhy 


OTIDIDiE.  625 

most  probably  in  the  N.  W.  Provinces.  I  have  not  been  able  to 
trace  the  origin  of  the  Anglo-Indian  word  '  FloriUn,'  but  was  once 
informed  that  the  little  Bustard  of  Eui-ope  was  sometimes  called 
FlanderUn.  Latham  gives  the  word  'Flercher  as  an  English  name, 
and  this,  apparently,  has  the  same  origin  as  Florikin. 

The  small  Bustard  of  Europe,  Otis  tetrox,  L.,  now  classed  as 
Tetrax  campestris,  is  stated  to  have  occurred  in  the  Peshawur  valley ; 
but  as  I  have  not  seen  a  specimen  from  that  locality,  nor  heard 
of  one  having  been  examined,  I  shall  only  give  a  brief  description 
of  the  species  here,  without  enumerating  it  as  one  of  the  '  Birds  of 
India.'  The  bill  and  lesis  are  short,  the  male  has  the  usual  mottled 
brown  plumage  above,  the  wing-coverts  and  the  base  of  the 
primaries  white,  the  rest  of  the  primaries  greyish-black,  and  the 
secondaries  patched  black  and  white ;  the  tail  with  two  dark  cross- 
bars, and  the  tip  and  base  white ;  cheeks,  ear-coverts,  and  neck 
bluish-grey,  edged  with  black,  and  below  this  a  white  ring  in  the 
form  of  a  necklace  all  round  the  neck.  Length  17  inches  ;  wing 
9|.  The  female  has  less  white  than  the  male,  wants  the  white  ring, 
and  the  neck  is  coloured  like  the  back.  In  winter  the  males  are 
said  to  resemble  females.  This  small  Bustard,  or  what  in  India 
would  be  called  a  Florikin,  occurs  throughout  Central  and  Western 
Asia,  and  North  Africa,  and  is  said  at  times  to  be  gregarious. 
It  is  stated  to  frequent  open  plains,  and  to  feed  chiefly  on  vegetable 
matter. 

Africa  appears  to  be  the  Head  Quarters  of  the  Bustard  family, 
and  there  are  several  forms  peculiar  to  that  Continent,  whence 
some  spread  into  Arabia.  Otis  rhaad,  Shaw,  0.  ccerulescens. 
Vieill.,  {Verrauxii,  A.  Smith),  and  0.  scolopacea,  Temminck, 
( Vigorsii,  Smith),  are  classed  by  Bonaparte  under  Trachelotis^ 
Reichenbach;  and  0.  ofra,  Linn.,  and  0.  afroides,  Smith,  are 
placed  under  Afrotis,  Bonaparte.  The  last  two  Bustards,  (if  really 
distinct  from  each  other)  have  quite  the  coloration  of  the 
Sypheotides  group  ;  and  the  same  remark  applies  to  0.  rhaad. 

Otis  senegalensis,  Vieillot.,  (rhaad  apud  Rlippell)  and  O.  melano- 
fjaster,  Riippell,  arc  placed  under  Lissotis,  Reich.  The  latter 
also  has  mvich  the  plumage  of  a  Sypheotides  in  non-breeding 
dress.     Perhaps,  from  a  want  of  knowledge  of  the  changes  of  plu- 

PART   II.  4  K 


^^  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

mage  of  these  birds,  some  of  the  above  species  will  require  to  be 
withdrawn. 

The  next  great  group  is  that  of  the  Plovers,  but  some  of  the 
forms  usually  associated  with  these  birds,  and  popularly  called 
Plovers,  are  so  distinct  as  to  require  their  distribution  into  three 
different  families,  Cursoridce,  or  Courier-plovers  ;  Glareolidce,  or 
Swallow-plovers ;  and  Charadridoe,  or  Plovers  and  Lapwings. 

Fam.  CuRSORiD^. 

CursonncBi  Gray. 

Tarsi  elevated ;  bill  somewhat  slender ;  three  toes  only.  Plumage 
brown  and  rufous.  Found  in  the  warmer  and  temperate  parts  of 
the  Old  World. 

Courier-plovers  resemble  Bustards  in  their  anatomy,  having  a 
large  membranous  stomach  and  short  intestines,  but  they  are  of 
small  size  and  do  not  change  their  plumage  at  the  breeding  season. 
Kepresentatives  of  two  genera  are  found  in  India. 

Gen.    CuRSORius,  Latham. 

Syn.   Tacliydromus,  lUiger. 

Char. — Bill  moderately  long,  slender,  slightly  arched  through- 
out and  bent  at  the  tip  ;  nostrils  oval,  not  placed  in  a  groove ; 
wings  moderate,  the  first  and  second  quills  longest ;  tail  short, 
even,  of  twelve  feathers ;  tarsi  long  and  slender,  scutellated ; 
lateral  toes  short,  divided  to  the  base  ;  nails  small. 

The  Courier-plovers  form  a  small  group  distributed  over  the 
Old  World  to  the  Indian  islands,  frequenting  bare  plains  on  which 
they  run  freely ;  they  feed  almost  entirely  on  coleoptera  and  other 
insects.  One  species  is  peculiar  to  India.  Gray  makes  them  a 
sub-family  of  the  Plovers,  but  the  distinctive  points  of  their 
anatomy  make  it  desirable  to  separate  them.  Degland  even 
places  them  among  the  Otitidce. 

840.    Cursorius  coromandelicus,  Gmelin. 

Charadrius,  apud  Gmelin — Blyth,  Cat.  1545 — Sykes,  Cat. 
206— Jerdon,  Cat.  371.— C.  asiaticus,  Latham — Tachydromus 
orientalis,  SWAINSON— iVifftn,  H. —  Yerra  chitawut  Tel,  also  Ditra- 
wayi,  Tel. 


CURSORIDiE. 


621 


The  Indian  Courier  Plover. 

Descr. — Top  of  head  bright  ferruginous ;  lores,  continued  througK 
the  eye  to  nape,  black,  and  a  white  eyebrow ;  upper  plumage  pale 
ashy  or  Isabella  brown ;  quills  and  primary-coverts  black ;  chin 
white ;  neck  and  breast  pale  Isabella  rufous,  deepening  on  the  ab- 
domen to  chesnut,  and  terminating  in  a  black  bar  on  the  middle 
of  the  belly ;  lower  abdomen,  vent,  and  under  tail-coverts  white. 

Bill  black  ;  irides  deep  brown ;  tarsus  creamy  white.  Length  9  to 
10  inches ;  extent  19 ;  wing  6  ;  tail  2| ;  tarsus  2^ ;  bill  at  front  ^. 

The  Courier-plover  is  found  throughout  the  greater  part  of 
India ;  it  is  unknown  in  lower  Bengal  and  the  Malabar  Coast,  is  rare 
in  upper  Bengal  and  Behar,  and  very  abundant  in  the  Deccan  and 
Western  India.  It  associates  in  small  flocks,  frequenting  the 
barest  plains  and  ploughed  lands,  and  is  very  abundant  on  the 
Cavalry  parade  ground  at  Jalna.  It  runs  about  rapidly,  nodding 
its  head  occasionally  when  it  stops,  and  picks  up  various  insects, 
chiefly  coleoptera  and  the  larvsB  of  certain  grasshoppers.  Burgess 
states  correctly  that  it  has  the  peculiar  habit  of  running  for  a 
distance  at  speed,  suddenly  stopping,  erecting  the  body,  and  then 
starting  off  again. 

It  breeds  on  a  hollow  in  the  ground,  from  March  to  May,  laying 
usually  three  eggs,  of  a  pale  greenish  yellow  colour,  much 
blotched  and  spotted  with  black,  and  with  a  few  dusky  olive 
spots.  It  is  rather  a  silent  bird.  The  eggs  of  the  European  bird 
have  been  figured  in  the  '  Ibis'  vol.  1,  pi.  2 ;  they  are  said  to  be 
always  three  in  number,  plover-like,  with  numerous  minute  red 
spots  on  a  greenish  ground, 

Mr.  Blyth  writes  me  that  C.  isabelUnus  apud  Horsfield  is  C%a- 
radrius  veredus,  Gould. 

Other  species  are  Cursorius  gallicuSy  Gmel.,  {isahellinus,  Meyer), 
the  cream-colored  Courier,  found  in  Africa  and  the  South  of 
Europe,  and  occasionally  met  with  in  England ;  two  or  three  others 
from  Africa,  and  one  from  the  Indian  islands,  C.  rufus,  figured 
by  Gould  in  his  Icones  Avium. 

Gen.   Rhinoptilus,  Strickland. 
Syn.  Macrotarsius,  Blyth — Chalcopterus,  Reich. — HemerodromuSf 
Heuglin. 


628  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

Char. — Bill  shorter  and  more  robust  than  in  Cursorius,  straight, 
the  tip  slightly  widened  and  curved;  feathers  of  the  forehead 
advanced ;  orbits  feathered  ;  2nd  and  3rd  primaries  sub-equal  and 
longest;  tarsus  long,  scutellate,  feet  short,  the  outer  toe  joined  by- 
web. 

This  form  combines  the  large  eye  and  somewhat  the  colours  of 
some  of  the  true  Plovers,  especially  of  the  Dottrels,  with  the 
lengthened  legs  and  general  structure  of  the  Courier-plovers.  It 
is  composed  of  one  Indian  and  two  or  three  African  species,  one  of 
which,  Cursorius  chalcopterus,  Temm.,  (subsequently  separated  as 
Chalcopterus)  nearly  agrees  in  character  with  the  Indian  bird ;  the 
other  species,  C.  hicinctus,  being  said  by  Bonaparte  to  approximate 
Cursorius.  As  far  as  is  known  of  their  habits  from  the  Indian 
bird,  thsy  may  be  said  to  be  a  mountain  form  of  CursoriuSy  fre- 
quenting rocky  hills  with  thin  jungle.' 

841.    Rhinoptilus  bitorquatus,  Jeedon. 

Blyth,  J.  A.  S.,  XVII.  254 — R.  bicinctus  apud  Bonaparte, 
(olim) — Adavi  ivuta-titti,  Tel.,  i.  e.,  eTungle  empty-purse. 

The  Double-banded  Plover. 

Descr. — Above  sandy  brown  with  a  faint  pink  gloss,  the  dorsal 
feathers  slightly  margined  with  rusty  brown,  and  the  wing-coverts 
more  conspicuously  with  pale  rufescent ;  crown  of  the  head  black 
with  rusty  lateral  margins  to  the  feathers ;  a  broad  white  super- 
cilium,  commencing  with  the  lores,  is  continued  round  the  occiput, 
and  there  is  a  less  defined  (but  equally  conspicuous)  rufescent 
white  streak  along  the  mesial  line  of  the  head ;  ear-coverts  streaked 
dusky  and  ferruginous ;  throat  white,  with  a  broad  rufous  band 
below  it ;  this  is  bordered  by  a  narrow  white  semi-collar,  continued 
to  below  the  ear-coverts  and  narrowly  edged  above  and  below  with 
dusky,  then  follows  a  broad  brown  gorget,  and  another  white 
collar,  margined  above  and  below  with  dusky ;  this  again  is 
succeeded  by  brown,  forming  an  ill-defined  band  on  the  lower 
part  of  the  breast,  and  the  rest  of  the  lower  parts  are  isabelline, 
with  Avhite  upper  and  lower  tail -coverts ;  primaries  and  their 
coverts  black,  the  first  two  primaries  largely  and  obliquely  marked 


GLAREOLID^.  629 

with  white,  which  is  reduced  to  a  large  sub-terminal  spot  on  the 
inner  web  of  the  third  primary,  and  a  small  analogous  spot  on 
the  fourth;  tail  white  at  base,  extending  for  two-thirds  of  the 
length  of  the  exterior  web  of  its  outermost  feather  ;  the  terminal 
half  of  the  tail  black,  passing  basally  into  brown,  and  all  but  the 
middle  feathers  having  a  small  white  spot  at  the  extremity  of 
their  inner  webs. 

Bill  yellow  at  the  base,  horny  at  the  tip ;  irides  dark  brown ; 
legs  pale  fleshy  yellow.  Length  9^  to  10  inches;  wing  6|;  tail  3; 
tarsus  2 1 ;  middle  toe  with  nail  not  1 ;  outer  toe  barely  ^ ;  bill 
at  front  f . 

This  remarkable  Plover  has  hitherto,  I  believe,  only  been 
procured  by  myself,  from  the  hilly  country  above  the  Eastern  Ghats, 
ofi  Nellore,  and  in  Cuddapah.  It  frequents  rocky  and  undulating 
ground  with  thin  forest  jungle,  and  is  found  in  small  parties,  not 
very  noisy,  but  occasionally  uttering  a  plaintive  cry.  I  believe  it 
to  be  a  permanent  resident.  It  is  an  almost  unique  instance  of  a 
species  of  Plover  having  such  an  extremely  limited  geographical 
distribution ;  and  I  imagine  that  hereafter  it  will  be  found  spread 
through  many  parts  of  the  Balaghat  district  and  Mysore.  Blyth 
writes  me  that  Hemerodromus  cinctiis,  recently  figured  in  the  Ibis, 
vol.  v.,  is  certainly  of  the  same  genus  as'this  bird.  It  appears 
to  be  the  young  of  one  of  the  other  African  species. 

Gray  and  Bonaparte  place  in  this  family  Charadrius  oegyptitts  of 
Linnffius  under  the  name  of  Pluvianus,  Vieill.  ;  and  a  somewhat 
remarkable  form,  Oreophilus  fotanirostris,  from  Australia.  The 
former  has  been  killed  in  Europe,  and  is  said  by  Degland  to  be 
intermediate  between  the  Couriers  and  the  true  Plovers.  It  has 
the  middle  toe  with  the  claw  dilated  and  finely  toothed  internally, 
thus  resembling  the  Pratincoles,  It  is  supposed  to  be  the 
Trochilus  of  Herodotus,  said  by  him  to  take  leeches  and  other 
parasitic  animals  out  of  the  mouths  of  Crocodiles. 

Fam.  Glareolid^,  Swallow-plovers. 
Bill  short,    arched ;    gape  very   large ;    wings   long ;    tail   even 
or  forked ;  tarsus  rather  short,  reticulated ;  hind  toe  present,  but 
small. 


630  BIRDS   OP   INDIA. 

The  Pratincoles,  as  they  are  sometimes  called,  are  a  peculiar 
group  of  birds  which  Cuvier  placed  at  the  end  of  the  Grallatores 
as  '  incertce  sedis.^  Their  anatomy  and  especially  the  form  of 
the  sternum  ally  them  to  the  Plovers,  of  which  they  are  considered 
a  sub-family  by  Gray ;  but  they  appear  sufficiently  distinct  in 
their  external  characters,  organisation  and  habits  to  separate  them 
as  a  family.  Linnaeus  placed  them  with  the  Swallows,  which  they 
resemble  by  their  wide  gape,  short  bill,  and  the  forked  tail  of 
many ;  and  Blyth  even  approximates  them  to  Caprimidgus.  The 
analogies  to  the  Caprimulgidce  are  certainly  curious.  The  wide 
gape,  short  curved  bill,  the  similar  scutation  of  the  foot,  with  the 
back  toe  slightly  directed  inwards,  and  the  middle  claw  somewhat 
pectinated ;  its  mode  of  flight,  serai-nocturnal  habits,  and  hawking 
for  insects  in  the  air  all  correspond  with  the  night-hawks,  and  it 
will  be  an  interesting  problem  for  some  future  Darwinian  to  trace 
out  the  order  of  progression,  and  show  the  significance  of  these 
marks.  The  sternum  is  that  of  the  CharadridcB,  with  a  double 
emargination,  the  tongue  is  broad  and  flat,  with  a  thin  serrated 
tip,  and  the  stomach  is  strong  and  muscular.  Keyserling  and 
Blasius  join  the  Pratincoles  with  the  Courier-plovers  to  form  one 
family.  They  are  called  Sea-partridges  by  the  French  from  some 
fancied  resemblance  to  a  Gallinaceous  bird.  They  seek  their 
insect  food  chiefly  in  the  air,  but  they  also  run  well.  They 
are  stated  to  have  a  double  moult,  but  do  not  change  the  colours 
of  their  plumage.  They  are  found  in  all  the  warmer  and  temperate 
countries  of  the  Old  World. 

Gen.  Glareola,  Brisson. 

Syn.  Pratincola. 

Char. — Bill  short,  convex,  arched  from  the  middle  ;  gape  very 
deeply  cleft ;  nostrils  basal,  oblique,  semi-tubular ;  wings  narrow, 
very  long  and  pointed,  with  the  first  quill  longest ;  tail  short  and 
even,  or  long  and  forked  ;  tarsi  moderate,  reticulated,  slender ;  four 
toes ;  the  outer  toe  united  at  the  base  to  the  middle  one  by  a 
short  web ;  middle  claw  pectinated ;  hind  toe  not  touching  the 
ground  ;  nails  pointed. 


GLAREOLID^.  631 

Two  species  occur  in  India,  the  one  with  a  longish  forked  tail, 
of  the  same  type  as  G.  torquata,  of  Southern  Europe ;  the  other 
with  a  short  and  nearly  even  tail. 

With  forked  tail,  restricted  Glareola  apud  Gray. 

842.    Glareola  orientalis,  Leach. 

Lin.  Tr.  XIII.  132,  with  bad  figure— Blyth,  Cat.  1543— 
G.  torquata  apud  Jerdon,  Cat.  370 — Gould,  Birds  of  Australia 
VL,  pi.  23? 

The  Large  Swallow-plover. 

Descr. — Upper  plumage,  including  the  head,  pale  hair-brown ; 
orbits  white  beneath,  feathered;  quills  blackish,  the  shaft  of  1st 
primary  white  externally ;  upper  tail-coverts  white  ;  tail  with  the 
feathers  white  at  their  base,  broadly  tipped  with  blackish  brown  ; 
beneath,  the  chin  and  throat  rufous,  surrounded  by  a  black  line 
from  the  gape ;  below  this  the  breast  and  abdomen  are  rufous 
earthy,  passing  into  white  on  the  lower  abdomen,  vent,  and  under 
tail-coverts ;  axillaries  and  posterior  portion  of  the  under-wing 
coverts  chesnut. 

Bill  black,  gape  red;  feet  dusky  black;  irides  dark  brown. 
Length  10  inches  ;  extent  24  ;  wing  7^  ;  tail  4^,  forked  for  about 
1  inch  ;  bill  at  gape  nearly  1  ;  tarsus  l^.  The  young  are  spotted 
with  pale  fulvous. 

This  large  Swallow-plover  nearly  resembles  G.  torquata  of 
Europe,  but  differs  conspicuously  by  its  much  less  forked  tail, 
in  this  approaching  G.  limhata,  Strickl.,  of  Africa.  The  figure  of 
Gould  quoted  above  has  the  throat  fulvous  white  with  blackish 
spots,  and  probably  represents  a  distinct  species. 

The  large  Swallow-plover  is  found  throughout  India  in  suit- 
able places,  but  chiefly  in  the  cold  weather,  and  I  am  not  aware 
if  it  breeds  in  this  country.  It  is  generally  found  near  large 
rivers,  occasionally  in  very  large  flocks,  hawking  over  the  fields 
of  grain  or  rumnahs  of  grass,  catching  insects  in  the  air,  and 
sometimes  uttering  its  peculiar  call  when  flying.  Now  and  then 
small  parties  may  be  seen,  long  after  sunset,  flying  round  and 
round  some  small  field  or   cultivated  patch,  pursuing  moths  or 


632  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

beetles,  and  now  and  then  alighting  on  the  ground.  In  the 
middle  of  the  day,  it  may  be  seen  seated  in  large  flocks  at  the 
edge  of  some  tank,  or  on  a  sand-bank  in  the  river.  It  is  quite 
possible  that  some  few  may  breed  in  Northern  India,  but  the 
majority  probably  migrate  to  Thibet  and  central  Asia.  I  saw  one 
pair  of  these  birds  as  early  as  July  in  upper  Burmah. 

The  nearly  allied  Glareola  pratincola  is  found  in  Southern  and 
Eastern  Europe,  Western  Asia,  and  Northern  Africa.  G.  melanop- 
tera,  Nordmann,  differing  in  its  black  lower  wing-coverts,  is  found 
in  Tartary  and  other  parts  of  Central  Asia,  and  has  been  killed 
in  Greece.  It  is  figured  by  Gould  in  his  Birds  of  Asia,  pt.  II.,  pi. 
15,  and  might  occur  as  a  straggler  in  the  N.  W.  Provinces.  Two 
or  three  others  from  Africa  are  recorded. 

With  shorter  and  even  tail,  Galachry^ia,  Bonap. 

843.    Glareola  lactea,  Temminck. 

PL  col.  399 — Blyth,  Cat.  1544 — G.  orientalis  apud  Jerdon, 
Cat.  369 — Utteran  in  Sindh. 

The  Small  Swallow-plover. 

Descr. — Upper  plumage  pale  brownish  Isabella  colour ;  upper 
tail-coverts  white  ;  tail  white,  tipped  with  dark  brown  for  about  one 
inch  on  the  centre  feathers,  diminishing  to  a  quarter  of  an  inch  on 
the  outer  ones ;  primaries  brown,  the  first  four  conspicuously 
white  shafted ;  the  inner  web  white  on  the  last  four  or  five ; 
secondaries  all  white,  tipped  with  brown ;  winglet  dark  brown ; 
chin,  throat,  and  breast  pale  isabella  colour ;  belly  and  under 
tail-coverts  white  ;  axillaries  and  lower  wing-coverts  deep  brown. 

Bill  black,  the  gape  red  posteriorly ;  feathered  orbits  white ; 
irides  deep  brown ;  legs  dusky  green.  Length  6^  inches  ;  extent 
16J  ;  wing  5| ;  tail  2  ;  bill  at  gape  y%  ;  tarsus  |f . 

The  small  Swallow-plover  occurs  throughout  the  greater  part  of 
the  country,  and  is  very  abundant  in  some  localities,  especially  near 
large  rivers.  Now  and  then  large  parties  are  seen  hawking  over  the 
plains  and  fields,  but  it  prefers  hunting  up  and  down  the  banks  of 
rivers,  over  sandy  churrs,  and  by  large  tanks.  In  localities  where  they 
abound,  vast  parties  may  be  seen  every  evening  after  sunset  taking 


CUAUADRID^.  633 

a  long  flight  in  a  certain  direction,  capturing  various  insects  .as 
they  fly.  They  live  entirely  on  insects  which  they  capture  in 
the  air,  in  many  cases  coleoptera.  Several  vf^hich  I  examined  had 
partaken  only  of  a  species  of   Cicindela. 

I  found  tliera  breeding  at  Thyetmyo  in  upper  Burraah,  with  the 
young  just  flown  in  May;  and  Mr,  Brooks,  Civil  Engineer,  Mirza- 
pore,  informs  me  that  he  found  their  nests  in  a  large  sandy  churr 
near  Mirzapore.  The  parents  endeavoured  to  entice  him  away 
from  their  nests  just  like  a  Plover.  The  eggs  are  pale  stone 
colour,  with  numerous  small  reddish-brown  and  a  few  dull  purplish 
spots. 

Another  species  of  this  division  is  recorded  from  Africa,  G. 
cinerea,  Fraser. 

G.  grallaria,  T.,  {G.  Isabella,  Y.,)  from  Australia,  has  enormously 
long  wings  and  a  short  even  tail,  and  is  separated  as  Stiltia, 
Bonap. 

Fara.     CHARADRiDiEj  Plovers. 

Bill  straight,  stout,  and  moderately  thick  in  some,  slender  in  a 
few,  more  or  less  raised  and  swollen  at  the  tip ;  nostrils  placed  in 
a  long  groove ;  wings  moderately  long,  and  pointed  ;  tail  usually 
short ;  tarsi  long,  reticulated  in  most,  or  scutellate  near  the  feet 
only  ;  toes  usually  short,  connected  at  the  base  by  a  membrane ; 
hind  toe  minute  or  wanting. 

The  gape  in  the  Plovers  is  small ;  the  gizzard  is  large  and 
muscular  ;  and  they  have  moderately  long  cosca.  The  fissure  in 
the  sternum  is  very  wide  throughout. 

Plovers  are  more  or  less  gregarious  birds  that  feed  on  bare 
plains,  ploughed  lands,  moors  and  wilds,  or  wet  meadow  land ;  a 
few  preferring  the  banks  of  rivers,  sand-banks,  or  the  edges  of 
tanks.  They  run  quickly,  feed  almost  entirely  on  insects  and 
worms,  and  the  flight  of  most  is  easy  or  rapid.  Many  are  migra- 
tory, others  appear  to  be  resident  in  the  warm  and  temperate 
regions  of  the  Old  World.  Their  eggs  are  usually  four  in  number, 
generally  of  a  stone-yellow  or  green  colour,  richly  blotched. 
Many  are  very  noisy  birds,  and  have  a  peculiar  shrill  or  plaintive 
PART    11.  4    L 


634  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

cry.  Nidificating,  as  they  do,  on  somewliat  open  ground,  their 
young  are  very  liable  to  be  taken,  and  the  parent  birds  feign  lame- 
ness, and  adopt  every  sort  of  manoeuvre  to  entice  the  supposed 
enemy  away  from  their  offspring.  Most  have  a  double  moult, 
and  in  some  the  change  of  plumage  is  very  great.  All  are  good 
and  wholesome  eating,  and  some  are  not  surpassed  by  many  game 
birds.  The  eggs  too,  in  various  countries,  are  considered  a  great 
delicacy. 

Plovers  differ  considerably  from  Snipes  and  Sandpipers,  with 
which  they  are  associated  by  some,  in  their  shorter,  stronger 
and  harder  bill,  adapted  for  seizing  insects  and  small  shells  ofi 
the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  not  for  insertion  into  the  soft 
mud,  as  they  seldom  or  never  enter  even  shallow  waters, 
most  of  tliem  preferring  dry  ground.  ^  They  have  also  a  generally 
stouter  and  more  robust  make,  several  have  the  face  nude,  or 
with  lappets  of  skin  at  the  base  of  the  bill,  and  a  few  are  armed 
with  strong  spurs  on  the  shoulder  of  the  wings.  In  their  anatomy 
they  resemble  the  Scolopacida,  having  a  strong  muscular  gizzard, 
long  intestines,  and  short  or  moderate  cocca. 

Plovers  may  be  divided  into  CharadriiKS,  or  true  Plovers,  con- 
taining the  Golden  and  Ringed-plovers  ;  Va?iellince,  or  Lapwings ; 
and  Esacince  or  Stone-plovers ;  the  first,  grade  into  the  Courier- 
plovers  through  the  Dottrel ;  and  the  last  are  nearly  related  to 
some  of  the  next  family,  the  HcEmatopodidce. 

Sub-fam.     Charadrin^ — Plovers. 

Bill  short,  somewhat  weak,  slightly  enlai'ged  above  at  tlie  tip  ; 
tarsi  shorter  than  in  the  next  two  families,  and  more  reticulated  ; 
wings  long  and  much  pointed,  1st  quill  usually  longest ;  tail  short, 
nearly  even  ;  hind  toe  generally  wanting. 

The  true  Plover's  are  mostly  birds  of  small  size,  and  more  gre- 
garious generally  than  the  Lapwings,  have  a  speedier  flight,  and 
the  change  of  plumage  at  the  spring  moult  is  great  in  many, 
some  of  them  becoming  as  black  as  the  Florikin,  others  assuming 
a  more  or  less  rufous  tinge  on  parts  of  the  body. 

The  first  genus  is  distinguished  from  the  others  by  having  a 
minute  hind  toe. 


CHARADRIN^.  635 

Gen.     Squatarola,  Cuvier. 

Char. — Bill  enlarged  at  the  tip,  both  above  and  below ;  nasal 
groove  short  ;  a  very  minute  hind  toe  present,  provided  with  a 
rudimentary  claw ;  otherwise  as  in  Cliaradrius. 

This  genus  differs  from  Chafadrius  only  in  possessing  a  rudimen- 
tary hind  toe  and  claw,  and  the  colours  and  changes  it  undergoes 
at  the  spring  moult  are  quite  similar.  Gray  in  his  List  of  Genera 
places  this  genus  among  the  Lapwings,  far  from  its  natural  place. 

844.    Squatarola  Helvetica,  Gmelin. 

Tringa,  apud  Gmelin — T.  squatarola,  Linn^us — Blyth,  Cat. 
1558— Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  230 — Burra  battan,  H. 

The  Grey  Plover. 

Desc'>\ — In  winter  plumage,  forehead  and  chin  white  ;  streak 
over  the  eyes,  forepart  of  the  neck,  sides  of  the  breast  and 
flanks,  white,  variegated  with  spots  of  brown  and  ash  colour ; 
head  and  all  the  upper  parts  of  the  body  dusky  brown,  the 
feathers  edged  and  tipped  with  greyish  white  ;  belly,  abdomen, 
thighs  and  upper  tail-coverts,  pure  white ;  beneath  the  wing 
some  long  black  feathers  arising  from  the  axilla ;  tail  white, 
towards  the  tip  reddish,  with  transverse  brown  bars  which  become 
paler  and  less  numerous  on  the  lateral  feathers. 

Bill  black ;  irides  dusky  brown ;  feet  blackish  grey.  Length 
12  inches  or  so;  wing  8;  tail  3| ;  bill  at  front  1;^;  tarsus  2; 
mid  toe    If. 

In  summer  plumage  the  forehead,  lores,  throat,  and  whole  lower 
surface,  become  deep  black,  edged  by  white  on  the  forehead  and 
sides  of  the  neck,  and  the  upper  plumage  is  brown,  more  or  less 
barred  with  black  and  white.  The  young  birds  differ  from  the 
winter  plumage  only  in  having  the  spots  on  the  breast  and  flanks 
larger   and  paler,   and  the  upper  parts  greyish  with  white  spots. 

The  Grey  Plover  is  found  occasionally  throughout  India  in 
the  cold  season,  chiefly,  perhaps,  near  the  sea  coast  and  in 
the  north  of  India.  I  have  obtained  it  from  the  Madras  market, 
and  seen  it  north-east  of  Calcutta  on  the  banks  of  large  rivers. 
It  associates  in  moderately  sized  flocks,  and  is  somewhat  wary.     It 


C3G  BIRDS    OF   INDIA. 

inhabits  all  Europe,  temperate  Asia,  the  north  of  Afiica,  and 
Australia ;  is  stated  to  breed  far  north,  among  mountains,  and  its 
eggs  are  said  to  be  very  large. 

Varieties  of  the  Grey  Plovers  are  given  from  America  and 
Australia,  and  one  species,  S.  rhynchomega,  with  a  very  strong 
bill,  from  Abyssinia,  is  recorded  by  Bonaparte.  Between  the 
Grey  and  Golden  Plovers,  the  same  Ornithologist  places  l^onihyx 
^nodestus  Licht.  {V.  cinctus  Lesson,)  figured  Zool.  Yoy.  de  la 
Coquille,  pi.  43. 

Gen.  Charadrius,  Linn,  (as  restricted.) 

Syn.     Pluvialis,  Brisson. 

Char. — Bill  straight,  short,  compressed,  swollen  at  the  tip; 
legs  moderate  ;  wings  long,  pointed,  1  st  quill  longest ;  tail  short. 

The  plumage  of  these  birds  is  visually  brown  spotted  with 
yellow,  hence  they  are  called  Golden  Plovers ;  in  summer  the 
whole  lower  surface  becomes  black,  the  upper  plumage  at  the  same 
time  assuming  a  darker  tinge.  Several  very  closely  allied  specie* 
are  found  all  over  the  world. 

845.    Charadrius  longipes,  Temminck. 

C,  virginicus,  apud  Blyth,  Cat.  1560 — C.  pluvialis  apud  Sykes, 
Cat.  209,  and  Jerdon,  Cat.  359 — C.  xanthocheilus,  WAGLiiR, 
Gould,  Birds  of  Australia,  VL,  pi.  13? — C.  orientalis,  Schllgel 
—  Chota  battan,  H. 

The  Golden  Plover. 

Descr. — In  winter  plumage  the  general  colour  above  is  dull 
blackish-grey,  the  edges  of  all  the  feathers  with  triangular  spots  of 
gamboge  yellow  ;  the  primaries  blackish  ;  tail-feathers  banded  whit- 
ish and  dull  black  ;  the  chin  white,  front  of  neck  and  breast  white, 
tinged  with  dusky  and  spotted  with  dull  yellow  ;  the  rest  of  the 
lower  plumage  dull  whitish  ;  the  flanks  somewhat  spotted  with 
ashy  and   yellowish. 

Bill  dull  black  ;  irides  deep  brown  ;  legs  and  feet  dark  plum- 
beous green.  Length  10  inches  ;  extent  20  ;  wing  6| ;  tail  2|  j 
bill  at  front  ^  ;  tarsus  If. 

In  summer  the  upper  plumage  becomes  darker,  the  ground 
colour  being  somewhat  deeper,   and  the  yellow  spots  diminished 


charadrin;e.  Go7 

in  extent  ;  the  forehead  is  >Yhite  ;  the  cheek?,  tliroat,  neck, 
and  middle  of  breast  and  abdomen,  deep  black,  edged  with 
white  on  the  sides  of  the  neck,  breast,  and  flanks  of  abdomen ; 
lower  tail-coverts  white ;  primaries  black,  the  stem  of  the  first 
white  towards  the  tip,  and  the  secondaries  tipped  with  white,  as 
are  the  median  coverts  ;  tail  brown,  banded  with  black.  Bill  and 
feet  deeper  black  than  in  winter. 

The  young  have  the  colors  somewhat  as  in  the  winter  plumage, 
but  the  yellow  spots  above  are  less  marked,  the  breast  is  more 
dusky  gre}^,  and  they  do  not  become  so  black  the  first  summer 
as  they  do  subsequently.  Most  birds  shot  early  in  the  season 
have  a  good  deal  of  black  on  the  lower  plumage,  giving  them 
a  mottled  appearance,  and  the  same  in  April  and  May  when 
resuming  their  summer  garb. 

The  Golden  Plover  found  in  India,  at  first  thought  the  same 
as  the  European,  was  afterwards  identified  as  the  American  species, 
C.  virginicus ;  more  recently  it  has  been  considered  a  distinct 
species  confined  to  Eastern  Asia,  and  some  of  the  Islands. 
It  is  clearly  the  C.  pluvialis  apud  Pallas,  as  opposed  to  C. 
apricarius,  for,  he  says,  smaller  than  apricarius,  but  with  longer 
legs.  It  differs  from  the  European  species  in  its  much  smaller 
size,  somewhat  larger  beak,  longer  legs,  with  more  nude  space 
on  the  tibia,  and  having  the  yellow  spots  on  the  lower  part  of  the 
back  more  oval.  It  is  now  considered  to  be  longipes,  Temminck, 
differing  from  virginicus  in  having  the  axillaries  light  grey,  and 
in  some  few  other  points.  I  am  unable  from  want  of  specimens  for 
comparison,  to  point  out  in  what  it  differs  from  its  nearest  ally, 
C.  fulvus  of   New  Guinea  and  Australia, 

This  Golden  Plover  occurs  throughout  India  in  open  plains, 
grassy  downs,  ploughed  fields,  and  on  the  edges  of  rivers,  lakes, 
&c.,  associating  in  flocks  of  various  magnitude,  and  feeding 
on  beetles  and  other  hard  insects,  worms,  &c.  It  has  a  shrill 
whistling  call,  and  flies  very  rapidly.  Many  breed  in  this 
country,  even  towards  the  south,  as  at  Nellore,  but  some 
appear  to  pass  northwards  for  that  purpose,  and  to  return  in 
September.  The  alteration  of  colour  to  black,  takes  place  as 
well  by  a  partial  renewal,    as  by  a  change  in  the  feather  itself. 


G38  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

The  eggs  are  four,  of  tlie  usual  yellowish  stone   color,   with  dark 
brown  spots  and  blotches. 

Gray,  in  his  Catalogue  of  the  Birds  of  the  Pacific,  gives  C. 
falvus,  Grael.,  {xantliocheilus,  Wagler  and  Gould)  as  the  species 
found  in  New  Guinea  and  most  of  the  Pacific  islands  ;  whilst 
longipes  is  said  to  extend  to  the  Ladrone  islands.  The  American 
species  is  C.  virginicus  ;  and  there  thus  appear  to  be  four 
races  or  species,  C.  pluvialis  of  Europe,  Africa,  and  Western 
Asia  ;  C.  longipes,  from  Central  and  Eastern  Asia  including 
India  ;  fxdvus,  from  New  Guinea,  Australia,  and  the  Pacific 
Islands ;  and  virginicus  in  America.  Some  other  races  are  recorded, 
but  probably  all  will  range  under  one  or  other  of  these 
four. 

Gen.  ^GiALiTis,'^Boie. 

Syn.   Hiaticula,  Gray. 

Char. — Bill  much  as  in  Charadrius,  but  more  slender ;  wings 
long.  Of  small  size,  often  with  a  black  collar  round  tlie  neck, 
hence  they  are  often  called  the  Pdnged-plovers. 

There  are  two  types  of  form  in  this  genus  even  as  here  restrict- 
ed, the  one  of  somewhat  stout  form  with  shorter  tail,  which, 
at  the  spring  moult,  assumes  more  or  less  rufous  colour  on  the 
neck  and  throat ;  and  the  other  generally  of  smaller  size  and 
more  slender  make,  with  a  black  collar,  and  black  frontal  band, 
which  does  not  become  rufous  at  the  breeding  season. 

1st.     Of  stouter  make,  Cirrepidesmus,  Bonap. 

846.    ^gialitis  GeofFroyi,  Wagler. 

Charadrius,  apud  Wagler — Blyth,  Cat.  1562 — H.  rufinus, 
Blyth— -C.  Leschenaultii,  Lesson  ? — C.  asiaticus,  Horsf  ? 

Thf,  Large  Sand-plover. 

Descr. — Winter  plumage  greyish  brown  on  the  upper-parts, 
ear-coverts,  and  beneath  the  eye,  and  sides  of  the  breast ;  the 
rest  of  the  under  parts,  w^ith  the  feathers  immediately  above  the 
bill,  and  a  streak  over  the  eye,  white ;  primaries  darker,  and 
the  secondaries  partly  white  on  their  outer  web. 


CHARADRIN^.  639 

Bill  blackish  ;  irides  dark  brown  ;  orbits  blackish  ;  legs  greyish 
green;  the  toes  darker.  Length  8^  inches;  extent  17  to  18; 
wing  oi  ;  tail  2  ;  bill  at  front  1  ;  tarsus  1^. 

In  summer  dress,  the  forehead,  lores,  ear-coverts  and  beneath 
the  eye,  are  black,  having  a  white  mark  on  each  side  of  the 
forehead  ;  the  neck  and  breast  are  bright  rufous,  contrasting  with 
the  pure  white  throat ;  the  head  is  more  or  less  deeply  tinged 
with  rufous,  and  the  back, ..  and  especially  the  scapularies  are 
partially  margined  with  the  same. 

This,  the  largest  of  the  group,  is  chiefly  found  near  the  Sea 
coast,  and  at  the  mouths  of  large  rivers,  in  considerable  flocks.  It 
is  found  over  all  India  in  suitable  spots,  retiring  north  in  April 
and  May  to  breed,  and  it  is  often  brought  to  the  Calcutta  market 
for  sale,  but  not  in  such  numbers  as  the  next  species.  I  have 
procured  it  on  the  east-coast  at  Madras,  and  elsewhere,  but  never 
far  inland.  Blyth  remarks  that  it  is  not  till  May  that  birds  in 
summer  plumage  are  procurable  at  Calcutta,  and  I  never  got  them 
in  the  south  of  India  in  that  garb.  It  probably  occurs  throughout 
Eastern  Asia. 

847.    .Sgialitis  pyrrhothorax,  Temminck. 

Charadrius  apud  Temminck — C.  ruficollis,  Cuvier — H.  Le- 
schenaultii.  Lesson — Blyth,  Cat.  1563 — H.  rufinellus,  Blyth^ 
Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  299 — C.  cirripidesmos,  Wagler — 
C.  cantianus  apud  Horsfield. 

The  Lesser  Sand-plover. 

Descr. — Precisely  similar  to  the  last,  both  in  winter  and  summer 
plumage,  from  which  it  differs  chiefly  in  size,  being  considerably 
smaller;  the  bill  moreover  diflfers  slightly  in  shape.  Length  7^ 
inches  ;  extent  15| ;  wing  5  ;  tail  1|  ;  bill  at  front  |;  tarsus  1;^. 
Bill  black  ;  irides  blackish  ;  legs  plumbeous,  darker  on  the  toes. 

Like  the  last,  this  little  Plover  prefers  the  vicinity  of  the  Sea- 
shore, and  large  rivers.  It  is  brought  in  great  numbers  to  the 
Calcutta  market,  during  the  season  ;  and  Mr.  Blyth  has  remarked  that 
it  does  not  assume  its  summer  plumage  till  May.  I  have  procured 
it  in  the  Carnatic,  at  Madras,  on  the  Malabar  Coast,  and  elsewhere 


640  BIRDS   OF    INDIA. 

also,  but  more  rarely,  and  seldom  far  inland.  Adams  states  that 
lie  shot  it  at  the  Chimouraree  lake  in  Ladakh,  and  that  it  breeds 
there,  but  that  he  did  not  see  it  in  the  Punjab.  This  plover  is 
found  throughout  great  part  of  Asia  and  South-eastern  Europe. 

'i'o  this  type  I  consider  that  the  following  species  also  belongs, 
although  placed  in  the  next  group  by  Bonaparte. 

848.  ^gialitis  cantianus,  Latham. 

Charadrius,  apud  Latham — Bltth,  Cat.  1564— Jeiidon,  Cat. 
362— Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  298. 

The  Kentish  King-plover. 

Descr. — Crown  of  the  head  and  nape  light  brownish-red,  the 
rest  of  the  upper  parts  ashy-brown  ;  primaries  brown,  the  shafts 
white ;  tail  with  the  central  feathers  as  the  back,  the  two  outermost 
white,  and  the  next  partially  white ;  forehead,  a  broad  streak  over 
the  eye,  and  a  ring  round  the  neck,  white  ;  lores  and  ear-coverts 
black,  and  a  black  stripe  on  the  forehead ;  lower  parts  white,  with 
a  large  patch  of  black  on  each  side  of  the  breast. 

Bill  black;  irides  brown;  feet  dusky  grey  or  blackish.  Length  6f 
inches  ;  extent  13  to  14  ;  wing  A.^^  ;  tail  2  ;  bill  at  front  -^-^  ;  tarsus 
1  or  rather  more.  The  female  is  said  to  differ  in  having  the  lores 
and  ear-coverts  brown  instead  of  black,  and  less  white  and  black 
on  the  head  ;  and  the  young  have  neither  white  nor  black  markings. 

The  Kentish  Ring-plover  is  more  generally  diffused  in  India  than 
the  last  two  species,  being  more  frequently  found  far  inland  on  the 
banks  of  rivers  and  large  tanks ;  but,  like  the  others,  it  prefers  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  Sea-coast,  and  large  rivers  near  their  mouths. 
It  has  a  wide  geographical  distribution  over  the  old  continent. 

H.  riificapiUa,  Tern.,  and  H.  inornata,  Gould,  from  Australia,  are 
members  of  this  group  ;  and  there  are  others. 

The  next  group  is  that  of  the  little  Einged-plovers,  which 
frequent  dry  sandy  plains,  occasionally  the  sandy  beds  of  rivers. 

849.  ^gialitis  Philippensis,  Scopoli. 

Charadrius,  apud  Scopoli — Blyth,  Cat.  1567 — Jeruon,  Cat. 
360 — S\KES,  Cat.  210 — C.  hiaticuloides,  Franklin — C.  hiati- 
cula,  apud  Pallas  ? — Zirrea,  H. — Bytu  ulanka,  Tel.,  also  Reica. 


CIIARADRINiE.  G41 

The  Indian  Ringed-plover. 

Descr. — Frontal  zone  white,  followed  by  a  black  band  edged 
with  white,  which  passes  over  the  eyes  as  a  superciliary  mark  ; 
lores  black,  passing  under  the  eyes  through  the  ear-coverts ;  chin, 
throat,  and  lower  face,  passing  as  a  collar  round  the  hind  neck, 
white ;  succeeded  by  a  broadish  black  zone  or  ring  which  borders 
the  white  ring,  gradually  narrowing  behind ;  upper  plumao-e 
cinereous-brown ;  quills  brown ;  tail,  with  the  central  feathers  ashy- 
brown,  tipped  dark  brown,  the  outermost  feathers  nearly  all  white, 
with  a  brown  spot  on  the  inner  web,  gradually  increasing  in  extent 
and  becoming  ashy  at  the  base  ;  lower  plumage  and  under  wing- 
coverts  white. 

Bill  black,  yellowish  at  the  base  ;  irides  deep  brown ;  orbits 
yellow  ;  legs  yellow.  Length  1^  inches  ;  extent  13^  ;  wing 
4i ;  tail  2^  ;  bill  at  front  -f-^  ;  tarsus  1 ;  middle-toe  with  claw- 
nearly  |. 

The  Indian  Ringed-plover  is  found  throughout  India  on  open 
plains,  ploughed  land,  dried  up  paddy-fields,  and  the  edges  of 
tanks  and  rivers,  as  well  as  on  sand  banks  and  churrs.  It  is 
generally  in  small  flocks,  from  half  a  dozen  to  twenty  or  more, 
feeding  not  very  close  to  each  other,  and  running  about  in  a  lively 
manner,  frequently  taking  flight,  circling  round  with  a  cheerful 
whistling  note,  and  alighting  again  near  the  same  spot.  It  feeds 
on  insects.  Burgess  found  them  breeding  in  April  on  sand  banks 
in  the  middle  of  rivers,  laying  three  eggs  on  the  bare  sand,  of  a 
rich  stone-colour,  spotted  and  freckled  with  grey  and  brown. 

850.    .Slgialitis  minutus,  Pallas. 

Charadrius,  apud  Pallas — H.  pusilla,  Horsfield  apud  Blyth, 
Cat.  1568 — C.  minor,  apud  Jerdon,  Cat.  361. 

The  Lesser  Ringed-plover. 

Descr. — Very  similar  to  the  last  but  smaller  altogether,  and 
with  proportionally  much  smaller  legs  and  feet.  The  upper  plu- 
mage is  of  a  somewhat  darker  shade  ;  the  quills  are  also  blacker ; 
the  lateral  tail-feathers  have  more  white  ;  the  base  of  the  lower 
mandible  is  more  yellow,  and  the  tertials  are  less  lengthened. 

PART    II.  4    M 


642  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

Bill  black,  yellow  at  the  base  beneath ;  irides  deep  brown  ; 
orbits  much  larger  than  in  the  last,  yellow  ;  legs  yellow.  Length 
hardly  6^  inches  ;  wing  4  ;  tail  2  ;  bill  at  front  j\  ;  tarsus  3%  ; 
middle-toe  and  claw  |  or  a  trifle  more. 

I  procured  this  small  Plover  in  the  Deccan,  generally  among 
hills ;  and  also  from  the  top  of  the  Eastern  Ghats  inland  from 
Nellore.  It  has  precisely  similar  habits  to  the  last,  but  appears  to 
be  more  generally  found  in  the  interior  than  near  the  Coasts. 

Blyth  writes  me  that  the  specimen  of  H.  pusilla,  Horsf.,  in  the 
India  House  Museum  (in  bad  order)  has  the  wing  4f  long,  and  is 
therefore  either  H.  philippina,  or  some  other  species.  Pallas'  bird 
appears  to  have  been  a  young  one,  and  he  did  not  himself  observe 
it;  but  his  measurements  are  nearly  those  of  this  bird,  and 
he  states  that  it  is  much  smaller  than  hiaticula.  It  resembles 
^.  minor  of  Europe,  but  appears  to  be  even  smaller  than 
that  species  which  is  said  to  have  the  wing  4f  inches.  It  is 
perhaps  Swinhoe's  bird,  H.  pusilla,  which,  he  says,  frequents 
rice  fields  or  fields  of  dry  mould. 

There  are  many  other  species  of  Charadriiis  in  America,  Africa, 
and  Australia.  Amongst  the  foreign  forms  allied  to  these  Plovers 
are  the  Dottrels,  Eudromias,  Boie  {Morinellus,  Bonap.,)  containing 
the  well  known  Dottrel  of  England,  JU.  morinellus,  which  frequents 
downs,  ploughed  land,  and  hilly-ground,  breeding  on  high  moun- 
tains. A  second  species  is  £'.  caspius,  Pallas,  from  Central  Asia, 
said  to  have  been  killed  in  Europe.  Charadrius  obscurics, 
Gmelin,  and  C.  monffolus,  Pallas,  are  placed  by  Bonaparte  in 
Pluviorhynchus,  next  the  Dottrels,  but  both  mongohis  and  caspius 
appear  to  be  very  like  the  rufous  phases  of  true  Charadrius.  A 
New  Zealand  form  with  lengthened  bill,  is  named  Tldnornis ;  and 
this  appears  to  me  to  grade  towards  Hcematopus.  Erytlirogonys 
cinctus,  Gould,  from  Australia  also  appears  to  be  a  very  distinct 
form,  having  the  whole  head  and  broad  pectoral  band  black,  and 
rather  long  legs.  It  has,  however,  four  toes,  and  perhaps  belongs  to 
the  Lapwings.  Phegornis,  Gray,  (Leptopus,  Eraser^  is  applied  to 
an  African  bird,  Leptopus  Mitchelli,  of  Eraser,  Several  American 
Plovers  of  this  group  are  arranged  in  various  other  genera, 
one  of  which,  at  all   events,   appears   to    be   well   marked,    viz., 


VANELLINiE.  643 

Ochthodromus.  Anarhynchus  frontalis,  Quoy  and  Gaimard,  is 
placed  by  Gray  next  Thinornis,  but  perhaps  does  not  belong 
to  this  group ;  it  appears  to  me  to  have  some  affinities  with 
Strepsilas. 

Sub-fam.  Vanellin^,  Lapwings. 

Of  moderate  or  largish  size  ;  legs  lengthened ;  bill  moderately 
strong  ;  a  short  hind  toe  frequently  present. 

Some  are  crested  ;  a  few  have  the  wings  spurred ;  and  there 
are  wattles  of  skin  at  the  base  of  the  bill  in  several.  The  plu- 
mage is  in  masses,  and  the  tail  usually  white  with  a  dark 
band. 

This  sub-family  comprises  the  sections  Vanellea,  Sarciophore<B 
and  Hoplojitereoe  of  Bonaparte's  Charadrince ;  which  are,  I  think, 
sufficiently  characterized  apart  from  the  more  typical  Charadrince 
to  form  a  distinct  group. 

1st.     Vanelleas. 

With  four  toes,  the  hind  toe  small,  wing  not  spurred,  nor  in 
general,  any  lappets  about  the  bill. 

Gen.  Vanellus,  Linn,  (restricted.) 

Chai\ — Bill  moderate,  straight,  compressed  at  the  base,  convex 
at  the  tip  ;  nostrils  linear  in  a  cleft  occupying  two-thirds  of  the 
upper  mandible ;  wings  pointed,  4th  and  5th  quills  longest ; 
shoulder  of  wing  with  a  tubercle  ;  tail  nearly  even ;  a  very  short 
hind  toe.     Head  crested. 

This  genus,  as  at  present  restricted,  consists  of  but  one  species, 
the  well  known  Pee-wit  or  Lapwing  of  Europe. 

851.    Vanellus  cristatus,  Meyer. 

Blyth,  Cat.  1557— Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.—.  Tringa 
vanellus,  Linn. 

The  Crested  Lapwing. 
Descr. — Head  with  lengthened  slender  crest,  black  ;  behind  the 
eye,   ear-coverts,   nape,    and  sides  of   the  neck  white  ;  upper  plu- 
mage green,   glossed  with  purple  and  coppery,  becoming  golden 


644  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

green  on  the  lower  back  and  rump,  and  with  a  golden  fulvous  tinge 
on  the  scapulars  ;  primaries  black,  the  first  three  greyish  white 
at  the  tip  ;  tail  white  at  the  base  with  a  broad  black  terminal 
band,  broadest  on  the  medial  feathers ;  lores,  chin,  throat,  and 
breast  glossy  blue-black  ;  lower  breast,  abdomen  and  vent  white  ; 
lower  tail-coverts  chesnut. 

Bill  black ;  irides  hazel-brown ;  legs  orange-brown.  Length 
12  inches  ;  wing  9  ;  tail  4  ;  tarsus  2, 

In  winter  the  chin  and  throat  are  white.  The  female  only 
differs  in  having,  it  is  said,  a  shorter  crest  than  the  male. 

The  English  Pee-wit  is  found  in  India  only  in  the  Punjab. 
It  occurs  throughout  great  part  of  Asia  and  Europe.  It  breeds 
in  the  Punjab,  and  the  eggs  were  found  by  Theobald.  Its  habits 
are  very  similar  to  those  of  the  Indian  Lapwings,  and  many 
anecdotes  are  related  of  its  endeavouring  to  allure  dofrs  or  men 
from  its  young  by  feigning  lameness,  &c.  It  is  the  only  species 
of  the  genus. 

Gen.  Chettusia,  Bonap. 

Char. — Bill  stronger  than  in  restricted  Vanellus ;  head  not  crest- 
ed ;  plumage  ashy  ;  tarsi  moderately  long,  otherwise  as  in 
Vanellus. 

In  this  genus  the  technical  characters  are  only  slightly  marked, 
but  it  forms  a  natural  group,  the  species  of  which  have  strong 
migratory  instincts.  There  are  three  species  in  India,  none  of 
which  breed  here  ;  two  of  them  are  somewhat  rare  in  most  parts  of 
the  country,  whilst  the  third  is  chiefly  confined  to  the  Northern, 
or  perhaps  the  North-eastern  part. 

The  first  species  differs  from  the  other  two  in  its  mode  of  colora- 
tion, partly  in  structure,  and  also  in  its  haunts;  and  it  is  by  some 
retained  in  Chettusia  as  restricted. 

852.    Chettusia  gregaria,  Pallas. 

Charadrius,  apud  Pallas — Blyth,  Cat.  1925 — Tringa  keptus- 
chka,  Lepcil— C.  ventralis,  Wagler,  Jerdon,  Cat.  366— C. 
Wagleii,  Gray — The  Black-breasted  Sandpiper,  Hakdwicke, 
111.  Ind.  Zool.  2,  pi.  50— Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  292. 


vanellin^.  645 

The  Black-sided  Lapwing. 

Descr. — Foreliead  and  superciliary  band  passing  round  to  the 
occiput  Avhite  ;  top  of  the  head  black ;  back  of  neck  and  upper 
plumage  generally  of  an  olivaceous  brown,  tinged  with  grey ;  pri- 
maries black,  secondaries  white  ;  tail  white  with  a  subterminal  black 
band  wanting  in  the  outermost  feather ;  a  narrow  band  from 
the  lores  through  the  eyes,  black  ;  sides  of  head  and  neck,  both  in 
front  and  on  the  sides  above,  pale  rufous,  passing  to  brownish  on 
the  lower  part  of  the  neck,  and  to  brownish-ashy  on  the  breast; 
middle  of  the  abdomen  deep  black,  bordered  posteriorly  by  deep 
chesnut ;  lower  belly,  vent,  and  under  tail-coverts  white. 

Bill  black;  irides  dark  brown;  legs  dull  black.  Length  13 
inches  ;  wing  8^  ;  tail  3^ ;  tarsus  2^^  ;  bill  at  front  Ij^.  The  fe- 
male differs  only  in  her  somewhat  duller  tints.  The  young  have  the 
forehead  and  eyebrow  pale  rufous,  top  of  the  head  and  back  brown 
with   pale   rufous   borders,  and  the    abdominal  region    all   white. 

This  is  a  somewhat  rare  bird,  and  I  have  only  seen  it  in 
Western  India,  at  Jalna  in  the  Deccan,  and  at  Mhow  in  Central 
India.  It  frequents  grassy  plains  in  moderate  sized  flocks,  of 
from  eight  to  twenty,  is  rather  shy,  and  has  a  peculiar  cry,  which 
however  it  does  not  utter  frequently.  It  is  a  migratory  bird, 
departing  early  in  the  year  for  Central  Asia  where,  according 
to  Pallas,  it  breeds ;  Adams  states  it  to  be  pretty  common 
during  the  cold  months  in  fields  and  wastes  near  Loodiana ; 
and  Irby  records  it  as  exceedingly  common  on  open  sandy 
plains  in  Oudh  and  Kumaon,  in  flocks  of  from  six  to  fifty.  He 
further  states  that  it  flies  close  to  the  ground,  and  when  on 
the  wing  shows  a  good  deal  of  white.  It  is  found  all  through 
Western  Asia  and  the  South-east  of  Europe,  and  has  been 
killed  in  France. 

Another  species  of  this  section,  from  Africa,  apparently  is  Chet 
tnacrocercus,  Heuglin,   {crassirostris,  Hartlaub). 

The  next  two  birds  approximate  to  each  other  very  closely  in 
plumage,  and  both  frequent  the  vicinity  of  water.  The  white 
on  their  wings  and  tail  is  of  great  extent,  and  both  are  much 
paler  in  their  tints  than  the  previous  species.  One  is  furnished 
with  a  very  small  lobe  of  skin  near  the  base  of  the  bill. 


646 


BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 


853.    Chettusia  leucura,  Light. 

Vanellus,     apud     Lichtenstein — V.    flavipes,      Savigny — 
L'Egypte,  Zool.  pi.  6,  f.  2— Blyth,  Cat.  1556. 

The  White-tailed  Lapwing. 
Descr. — General  colour  above  brownish-grey,  with  a  reddish 
purple  gloss  on  the  mantle,  extending  over  the  tertiaries ;  head 
and  neck  browner  and  glossless  ;  the  throat  and  around  the  bill 
white  ;  breast  more  ashy,  the  feathers  margined  paler ;  rest  of  the 
under  parts,  with  the  tail  and  its  upper  coverts  white,  the  belly 
and  flanks  conspicuously  tinged  with  dull  rosy,  or  a  roseate 
cream  hue ;  primaries  and  their  coverts  black  ;  the  secondaries 
and  their  coverts  largely  tipped  with  white,  and  having  a  black  bar 
above  the  white  ;  rest  of  the  wing-coverts  like  the  back. 

Bill  black  ;  irides  brownish  red  ;  legs  bright  yellow.  Length  11 
inches  ;  extent  23  ;  wing  7  ;  tail  2f  ;  bill  at  front  1 ;  tarsus  2f . 

The  White-tailed  Lapwing  is  a  rare  bird  in  India.  I  procured 
it  myself  only  once,  on  the  margin  of  the  large  lake  at  Bhopal 
in  Central  India,  in  December,  where  it  occurred  in  small  flocks  ; 
my  attention  was  first  called  to  it  by  its  peculiar  cry.  Blyth 
procured  one  specimen  from  the  Calcutta  Bazaar ;  it  was  once 
procured  in  the  Dehra  Doon,  and  no  other  record  of  its  occurrence 
in  India  is  noted.  It  is  however  stated  not  to  be  rare  in 
AlFghanistan,  where  it  is  called  Chiric.  Out  of  India  it  is  chiefly 
known  as  an  inhabitant  of  Northern  Africa,  and  is  said  to  be 
abundant  in  marshes  near  Thebes.  At  the  time  that  Mr.  Tristram 
published  his  account  of  its  occurrence  there,  it  was  stated  by 
him  to  be  rare  in  European  Museums  ;  only  one  bad  specimen 
existing  in  the  British  Museum,  and  none  in  that  of  Paris. 

The  following  species  differs  from  the  two  previous  ones  in 
possessing  a  small  lappet  of  skin,  which  led  Mr.  Blyth  to  class 
it  in  the  next  genus  to  which  it  forms  a  near  link  ;  were  it  not 
for  its  colours  and  migratory  habits  it  might  perhaps  be  retained 
in  that  group.     It  has  been  separated  as  Vanello-chetusia,  Brandt. 

854.    Chettusia  inornata,  T.  and  Schleg. 

Lobivanellus,  apud  Temminck  and  Schlegel,  Faun.  Jap. — L. 
cintreus,  Blyth,  Cat.  1555 — Chajyj^oiw.  H. 


vanelltn^.  647 

The  Grey-headed  Lapwing. 

Descr. — General  colour  of  the  upper  parts  pale  greyish-brown, 
the  head,  neck,  and  breast,  pure  light  grey,  passing  into  black  on 
the  lower  part  of  the  breast,  and  terminating  abruptly,  contrast- 
ing with  the  white  belly ;  primaries,  their  coverts,  and  the  winglet, 
black  ;  the  secondaries  and  their  coverts  chiefly  white,  and  the 
tertiaries  concolorous  with  the  back :  upper  tail-coverts  white, 
slightly  tinged  with  brownish ;  and  tail  pure  white,  having  a  black 
subterminal  band,  broad  on  its  medial  feathers,  nearly  obsolete 
on  the  penultimates,  and  quite  so  on  the  outermost. 

Bill  black  ;  irides  pale  red ;  orbital  skin,  small  frontal  lobes,  and 
basal  portion  of  the  bill,  pale  yellow  ;  legs  bright  yellow.  Length 
15  inches  ;  extent  32  ;  wing  9| ;  tail  4^  ;  tarsus  3^  ;  bill  at 
front  1^. 

This  fine  Lapwing  is  not  very  rare  in  Bengal,  but  I  have  seen 
it  in  no  other  Province.  It  is  stated  however  by  Capt.  Irby  to  be 
common  in  Oudh  and  Kumaon,  about  swamps  and  jheels,  generally 
in  lots  of  seven  or  eight.  It  is  a  migratory  bird  in  India  coming 
in  the  cold  season,  and  departing  in  April  to  Central  and 
North-eastern  Asia.  It  is  not  recorded  by  Pallas,  but  it  appears 
to  be  found  in  Japan.  It  is  usually  seen  in  moderately  large 
flocks,  from  eight  to  a  dozen  or  so  not  far  from  water,  and  when 
on  the  wing  shews  much  white.  It  is  generally  a  silent  bird 
at  this  season.  I  have  seen  it  abundant  in  Purneah,  and  in 
Dacca,  and  it  probably  will  be  found  in  all  the  countries  to  the 
Eastward. 

C.  macro-cercus,  Heuglin,  and  C.  arabensis,  Eversraan,  are  indi- 
cated by  Bonaparte,  but  are  perhaps  identical  with  one  or  other 
of  the  last  three  species. 

2nd.  Sarciophoreas. 
With  fleshy  wattles  at  the  base  of  the  bill  ;  with  four  toes. 

Gen.  LoBiVANELLUS,  Strickland. 

Char. — Bill  moderately  long  and  stout,  the  horny  tip  not  much 
elevated  ;  a  lappet  of  nude  skin  at  the  base  of  the  bill  in  front 
of  the  eye ;  shoulder  of  the  wing  furnished  with  a  tubercle  which 


G48  BIRDS    OF   INDIA, 

in  some  becomes  developed  at  the  breeding  season  into  a  short 
horny  spur ;  tail  even ;  wings  long  ;  a  very  small  hind  toe  and 
rudimentary    claw. 

The  Indian  species  has  been  separated  by  Reichenbach  under 
the  name  of  Sarcogramma. 

855.    Lobivanellus  goensis,  Gmelin. 

Parra,  apud  Gmelin — Gould, Cent.  Him.  Birds  pi.  78 — Blyth, 
Cat.  1554 — Sykes,  Cat. '207 — Jerdon,  Cat.  365 — Ch.  atrogularis, 
Wagler —  Titai,  Titi,  Tituri,  Titiri  in  different  parts  of  India — 
Yennapa  chitawa,  Tel. — Al-kati,  Tam.,  i.  e.,  the  Man-pointer. 

The  Eed-wattled  Lapwing. 

Descr. — Head,  back  of  neck,  face^  chin,  throat,  and  breast, 
glossy-black  ;  ear-coverts  white  continued  in  a  stripe  down  the  sides 
of  the  neck  and  round  to  the  nape  ;  back,  scapulars,  wing-coverts, 
and  tertiaries,  pale  brownish  green,  the  wing-coverts  glossed  with 
purple  ;  a  white  band  on  the  wing  formed  by  the  greater  coverts 
and  partly  by  the  secondaries;  primaries  and  most  of  the  secondaries 
black ;  winglet  black ;  tail  white  with  a  black  band  near  the  tip, 
the  central  feathers  tipped  brown  ;  beneath  from  the  breast  white. 

Bill  red  at  the  base,  tip  black ;  eyelid  and  wattle  lake  red  ; 
irides  red  brown  ;  legs  bright  yellow.  Length  nearly  13  inches  ; 
extent  30;  wing  9^  ;  tail  1^  ;  bill  at  front  1§  ;  tarsus  3. 

This  Lapwing  is  one  of  the  best  known  birds  of  India  occur- 
ring everywhere,  from  Ceylon  up  to  Cashmere.  It  is  replaced 
in  Burmah  by  a  closely  allied  race,  JL.  atroiiuchalis,  Blyth,  in 
which  the  white  ear  patch  does  not  extend  round  the  nape. 
It  is  generally  found  not  far  from  water,  though  now  and 
then  at  some  considerable  distance  :  it  is  occasionally  seen  in  the 
cold  season  in  scattered  flocks,  but  generally  in  pairs,  or 
single.  It  feeds  on  various  insects,  shells,  and  worms.  It 
breeds  from  April  to  July,  laying  four  large  eggs  of  a  rich 
olive  yellow  colour  with  blotches  of  brown  and  grey.  Its  wiles 
to  allure  a  dog  or  man  away  from  its  eggs  or  young  are  quite 
similar  to  those  recorded  of  the  English  Pee-wit,  but  its  cries  are 
still  more  vociferous.     It  is   a  noisy  bird  at  all  times,    and  its 


VANELLINJE.  649 

cry  has  been  variously  rendered  as,  "  Did  he  do  if.  Pity  to  do  if, 
Dick  did  you  do  it.'"  In  the  South  of  India  it  is  recorded  to  sleep 
on  its  back  with  its  legs  upwards,  and  the  Indian  proverb  '  Titihri 
se  asman  thama  jaega,  &c.,'  '  can  the  Pee-wit  support  the  Heavens/ 
is  applied  to  a  man  who  undertakes  some  task  far  above  his 
strength. 

V.  tricolor,  Horsf.,  (cucullatus,  Temm.)  is  a  nearly  allied  race 
from  Java,  &c. 

Two  species  from  Australia  and  two  from  Africa  are  recorded. 
The  former  two,  L.  lobatus  and  L.  personatus  have  very  large 
yellow  wattles. 

The  next  group  barely  differs,  but  there  is  no  hind  toe,  and  in 
all  the  lappets  and  nude  parts  are  yellow ;  this  group  is  much 
developed  in  Africa. 

Gen.     Sarciophorus,  Strickland. 

Char. — Rill  mi^re  slender  than  in  the  last,  the  tip  scarcely  ele- 
vated ;  wattles  yellow  ;  hind  toe  wantiuL'  ;  a  tubercle  at  the 
shoulder ;  wings  very  pointed,  1st  quill  nearly  as  long  as  the  2nd, 
slightly  longer  than  the  3rd. 

The  following  Indian  species  has  been  separated  from  the 
African  ones  as  a  minor  group  by  Bonaparte  under  the  name 
Lobipluvia. 

856.   Sarciophorus  bilobus,  Gmelin. 

Charadrius,  apud  Gmelin — PI.  Enl.  880 — Blyth,  Cat.  1552 

Sykes,  Cat.  208— Jerdon,  Cat.  364 — Zirdi,  H. — Chitawa,  Tel. — 
Jithiri  in  North-western  Provinces — Al-kati,  Tam. 

The  Yellow-wattled  Lapwing. 

Descr. — Head  and  nape  black ;  rest  of  the  upper  plurnage,  in- 
cluding wing-coverts  and  tertiaries,  chin,  throat,  and  upper  part  of 
l)reast,  pale  ashy  brown ;  a  white  streak  from  behind  the  eye 
bordering  the  bhck  head  all  round;  winglet  and  pri'.naries  bkck ; 
secondaries  white  at  their  base,  brownish  black  for  the  gvez'.Q-:  part 
of  their  length,  the  white  increasing  in  extent  towards  the  Lst, 
and  with  the  ti  s  of  the  greater  wing-coverts  forming  a  not  very 
conspicuous  white  wing-band ;  upper  tail-coverts  white ;  tail  white 

PART  II.  4  N 


650  BTEDS   OP   INDIA. 

with  a  broad  blackish  siib-terminal  band,  evanescent  on   the   outer 
feathers;  beneath,  from  the  breast,  pure  white. 

Bill  yellow  at  the  base,   black    at   the  tip  ;  lappet  pale  yellow 
irides  silvery   grey,   or  pale  yellow  ;  legs  yellow.     Length  nearly 
12  inches ;  extent  27;    wing   8;^;  tail  3^;  bill  at  front  1;  tarsus 
21 

The  Yellow-wattled  Plover  is  found  throughout  the  greater 
part  of  India,  and  also  Ceylon  ;  is  rare  in  forest-clad  and  very  rainy 
districts,  abundant  in  the  drier  parts  of  the  country.  It  is  rare  in 
Bengal,  but  I  have  seen  it  in  the  Purneah  district,  and  it  has  been 
obtained  occasionally  near  Calcutta.  It  frequents  dry  stony 
plains,  open  sandy  downs,  and  arable  land,  often  very  far  from 
water ;  it  associates  in  small  flocks,  except  at  the  pairing  season, 
and  feeds  on  various  beetles,  white  ants,  worms,  &c.  It  has  a 
plaintive  cry,  much  less  harsh  and  loud  than  that  of  the  Red- 
wattled  Lapwing,  which  Col.   Sykes  likens  to  Dee-wit^    Dee-wit. 

I  have  found  the  eggs,  three  to  four  in  number,  of  a  reddish 
stone  colour,  spotted  with  brown  and  purplish,  on  ploughed  land 
and  on  sand  banks. 

S.  pileatas,  Gmel.,  from  Africa,  and  S.  pectoralis,  Cuv.,  from 
Australia,  with  a  small  red  lobe,  belong  to  the  genus  Sarciophorus 
as  restricted  by  Bonaparte. 

3rd.  Hoplopterese. 

With  strong  spines  on  the  slioulder  of  the  wings. 

There  are  two  or  three  minor  sections  in  this  group,  some  with 
a  distinct  hind  toe,  others  with  only  three  toes.  The  Indian 
species  belongs  to  the  latter  section. 

Gen.  HoPLOPTERUS,  Bonaparte. 
Char.  —Wings   furnished   with  a  long  and  stout,  slightly  curved 
horny  spur,  present  at  all  seasons ;  no  hind  toe ;  otherwise  as  in 
Vanellus. 

857.  Eoplcpterus  ventralis,  Citvier. 

Vanellus,  apud  Wagler— Hardwicke,  111.  Ind.  Zool.  — 
Blyth,  Cat.  1549 — Char.  Duvaucelei,  Lesson. 


VANELLIN^.  651 

The  Spur-winged  Lapwing. 

Descr. — Head  including  the  long  crest,  face  as  far  as  the 
middle  of  the  eye,  and  a  broad  band  from  the  base  of  the  lower 
mandible  down  tlie  chin  and  throat,  glossy  black  ;  a  white  line  from 
behind  the  eye,  bordering  the  black  and  mt-eting  its  fellow  be- 
hind ;  sides  of  the  neck  and  back  pale  ashy,  gradually  passing  into 
the  brownish  ashy  of  the  back,  scapulars,  and  wing-coverts,  and 
formmg  a  pectotal  band,  between  which  and  the  black  throat 
is  a  broad  white  space ;  quills  black,  white  at  their  base,  the 
white  increasing  in  extent  to  the  last  secondary  whi:  h  is  merely 
black-tipped  ;  primary  and  secondary  coverts  white  ;  the  shoulder 
black ;  winglet  white ;  tail  feathers  white,  with  a  broad  black 
tip ;  upper  t-iil-coverts  white ;  abdomen  white,  with  an  interrupted 
black  band  in  the  centre. 

Bill  black  ;  irides  deep  brown  ;  legs  reddish  black.  Length 
12  inches  ;  extent  25  ;  wing  8;  tail  4;   hill  at  front  1^  ;  tarsus  2^. 

The  Spur-winged  Lapwing  is  found  throughout  the  greater 
part  of  India,  but  only  along  the  course  of  the  larger  rivers  I 
have  seen  it  on  the  Godavery,  the  Nerbudda,  the  Ganges,  and  all 
its  tributaries,  for  it  appears  more  numerous  towards  the  North 
of  India  than  in  the  South;  I  have  not  myself  seen  it  South 
of  the  Godavery,  nor  is  it  recorded  by  Col.  Sykes  or  Walter 
Elliot.  It  is  usually  found  single  or  in  paiis,  now  and  then  in 
small  flocks,  but  always  in  the  sandy  or  shingly  beds  of  rivers, 
or  not  far  from  their  banks.  It  is  not  rare  in  mountain  streams 
in  the  Himalayas,  and  I  have  shot  it  on  the  banks  of  the  great 
Runfreet  River  in  Sikim. 

Mr.  Brooks,  C.  E.,  found  the  eggs  of  this  Lapwing  on  a  sandy 
churr  near  Mirzapore  ;  they  were  of  the  usual  pale  stone-green 
color,  with  blotches  and  spots  of  rich  chocolate  brown,  but 
varying  somewhat  both  in  shape,  and  in  the  size  and  character  of 
the  spots. 

Other   species  of  this    genus    are   H.  spinosus,    L.    (melasomus^ 

Swains.),  from  Africa  and  Western  Asia,   occasionally  killed  in 

•  the  South  of  Europe  ;     in    P)ree's     Birds    of  Europe    this  species 

is  erroneously  quoted  as  the   Indian  bird  :    //.    nnnatus,    Burchcll, 

{speciosuSj  Wugler),  with  a  still  stronger    and    longer  spur,  hence 


652  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

separated  as  Xiphidiopterus,  Bonap.,  and  H.  alhiceps,  Fraser. 
An  American  Lapwing  witii  spurred  wing  and  four  toes  is  Parra 
cayanensis  of  Ginelin,  from  which  lieichenbach  has  formed  his 
Be/onopterus,  and  C.  cayanus,  Latham,  appears  to  be  another 
species  of  the  same  group. 

Vanellus  melanocephalus,  Riippell,  is  classed  as  Tylihyx  by 
Reichenbach  ;  and  the  same  Systematist  has  formed  Step/umibyx 
from  C.  coronatus,  L.,  with  one  or  two  other  American 
Lapwings. 

Sub-fam.  EsACiNiE,  Stone-plovers. 

Syn.    CEdicnemince,  Bonap. 

Of  large  size  ;  bill  very  strong  and^vthick,  dilated  both  above  and 
below,  and  compressed  ;  gonys  more  or  less  strongly  angulated  ; 
no  hind  toe  ;  legs  long. 

This  sub-family  comprises  some  moderately  large  Plovers, 
with  very  strong  and  lengthened  bills,  and  with  a  peculiar  mode 
of  coloration.  Some  frequent  jungly  and  bushy  ground,  others 
the  stony  beds  of  rivers  ;  they  feed  on  slugs,  insects,  molluscs 
and  Crustacea.  They  have  only  one  moult,  and  undergo  no  seasonal 
change  of  colour. 

Gen.  EsACUS,  Lesson. 

Syn.  Carvanaca,  Hodgson. 

Char. — Bill  long,  sub-recurved,  strong,  convex  above,  consider- 
ably compressed ;  the  base  thick  and  rounded ;  edges  sharp, 
notched  towards  the  tip  as  in  Ardea  ;  nares  broad,  linear,  advanced, 
in  a  wide  groove  that  extends  from  the  base  to  the  tip  of  the 
culmen  ;   otherwise  as  in  GEdicnemus. 

The  Indian  member  of  this  genus  is  referred  by  Gray  and 
Bonaparte  to  Carvanaca,  Hodgson,  Esacus  being  reserved  for  a 
nearly  allied  Australian  Plover,  E.  maynirostris,  Geoffroy. 

858.    Esacus  recurvirostris,   Cuvier. 

CEdicnemus,  apud  Cuvier — Jerdon,  Cat.  368— Blyth,  Cat. 
1547 — Carvanaca  grisea,  Hodgson — AM,  H.  of  Falconers — Burra 


ESACiNvi:.  653 

karwanak,   H. —  Talur,  in  Sindh — Gaiig  titai,  in  Bengal,  i,  e.,  the 
Ganges  Lapwing. 

The  Large  Stone-plovkr. 

Descr. — General  colour  above  brownish  sky-grey;  forehead 
white;  eyebrow,  ear-coverts,  and  moustaches  blackish;  shoulders, 
winglet,  some  of  the  outermost  wing-coverts,  quills,  and  tip  of 
tail  blackish  ;  wings  and  tail  irregularly  but  broadly  banded  with 
white ;  beneath,  with  the  lower  surface  of  wings  and  tail, 
white. 

Bill  greenish-yellow  at  the  base,  black  at  the  tip  ;  irides  bright 
pale  yellow ;  legs  yellow.  Length  19  to  20  inches  ;  extent  36  ; 
wing  11  ;  tail  4i  ;  bill  at  front  2^  ;  tarsus  ?>^. 

This  large  Plover  is  found  throughout  India,  frequenting  the 
Sea-coast  occasionally,  but  chiefly  the  stony  beds  or  banks  of 
large  rivers,  alone  or  in  small  parties.  It  feeds  on  Crustacea  and 
shell  fish,  with  occasionally  insects.  Hodgson  states  that  it  is  mii^ra- 
tory  to  Thibet  in  summer,  but  I  have  seen  it  in  Southern  India  at  all 
seasons,  though  I  have  never  procured  its  eggs ;  and  Layard 
found  it  breeding  in  Ceylon.  It  is  a  very  shy  and  wary  bird, 
though  at  times  it  will  suffer  a  moderately  near  approach.  I  have 
never  seen  it  more  than  a  few  yards  away  inland  from  the  banks  of 
the  rivers.  It  feeds  much  by  day  but  probably  also  partially  at 
night,  and  has  a  loud  harsh  creaking  note.  Layai  d  obtained  the 
eggs  in  Ceylon,  of  '  a  pale  nankeen  colour,  with  numerous  brown 
blotches.' 

Gen.    CEdicnemds,  Cuvier. 

Char. — Bill  very  stout,  thick,  straight,  compressed,  culmen 
raised,  the  tip  inflated  both  above  and  below  ;  lower  mandible  with 
a  strongly  marked  angular  gonys ;  nostrils  long,  median  in  a 
groove  about  half  the  length  of  the  bill ;  wings  moderately  long, 
2nd  quill  longest ;  tail  of  twelve  feathers,  somewhat  lengthened, 
much  rounded  ;  tarsus  long,  reticulated  ;  three  toes  only,  united 
at  the  base  by  a  shoit  membrane  ;  nail  of  the  middle  toe  dilated, 
trenchant,  hollowed  out  beneath. 

This  genus  comprises  several  closely  allied  species  from  the 
warm  and  temperate  regions  of  both  Continents.     The  plumage  is 


654  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

brown  and  striated,  the  eye  very  large,  and  the  habits  mostly 
nocturnal.  The  plumage  somewhat  recalls  that  of  Attatjen  and 
Thinocoris,  which  perhaps  ought  to  be  placed  near  them.  They 
live  chiefly  in  arid  and  stony  distrii-ts,  also  in  thin  jungle  ;  they 
liave  only  one  moult,  and  no  seasonal  change  of  plumage  whatever. 
The  bill  has  been  by  some  compared,  not  unaptly,  with  that 
of  the  Nuthatch. 

859.    (Edicnemus  crepitans,  Temminck. 

Blyth,  Cat  1548— Sykes,  Cat.  212— Jerdon,  Cat.  367— 
Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  Karwanak,    H. — Barsiri,    H.    of 

some  ;  Lamhi  of  Falconers — Rharmo,  Beng. — KaJleydu,  Tel. — Kana 
mosa/, Tarn.,  i.  e.,  Jungle-hare — Bastard  Florikin  of  some  Sportsmen. 

The  Stone-plover. 

Desrr. — Upper  parts  reddish  ashy  with  a  longitudinal  dusky 
stripe  down  the  middle  of  each  feather  ;  a  pale  bar  on  the  wing 
formed  by  the  tips  of  the  coverts  ;  quills  black,  the  first  with  a 
large  ;ind  conspicuous  white  spot  near  the  middle,  the  second  with 
one  somewhat  smaller ;  tail  with  all  the  feathers,  except  the  central 
ones  tipped  with  black;  lores,  cneeks,  throat,  belly,  and  thigh- 
coverts  white  ;  the  neck  and  breast  tinged  with  reddish  earthy,  and 
marked  with  fine  longitudinal  streaks  ;  under  tail-coverts  reddish 
ashy. 

Bill  pale  yellow  at  the  base>  black  at  the  tip  ;  irides  and  orbits 
yellow;  legs  and  feet  yellow.  Length  16  to  17  inches  ;  wing  9  ; 
tail  4^  ;  bill  at  front  1^  ;  tarsus  Sy'^. 

The  wrll  known  Stone-plover  of  England  occurs  in  most  parts  of 
India  down  to  the  extreme  South,  frequenting  bushy  wilds, 
cleared  spots  in  jungle,  low,  stony  and  jungly  hills,  also  now  and 
then  patches  of  grass  with  bushes  interspersed,  but  generally  in 
some  retired  and  secluded  spots.  It  is  more  rare  in  Lower  Bengal 
and  in  Mallabar  than  in  most  other  districts.  When  a  flock  of 
these  birds  is  disturbed,  they  fly  a  short  distance,  and  then  run 
and  hide  themselves,  occasionally  squatting  so  close  as  to  have 
received  from  the  Tamuls  the  name  of  the  Jungle-hare.  They 
are  permanent  residents  in  India,  laying  generally  two  or  three 


HCEMATOPODID^.  655 

eggs  of  a  stone-yellow  colour,  blotched  and  spotted  with  dark 
brown  and  grey,  in  March  and  April, 

It  is  a  favorite  quarry  for  the  Shikra  with  natives,  for  which  its 
habits  of  lying  close  well  adapt  it,  and  it  generally  falls  an  easy 
prey.  It  is  excellent  eating,  being  very  hii.',h  flavored,  and  it 
has  received  the  name  of  Bastard  Florikin  among  some  sports- 
men in  the  South  of  India.  It  feeds  almost  entirely  on  insects, 
is  quite  nocturnal  in  its  habits,  and  its  wild,  long  cry  may 
frequently  be  heaid  at  night  close  to  many  stations,  where 
you  may  hunt  long,  without  finding  it  in  the  day  time.  The 
Stone-plover  is  found  throughout  a  great  part  of  Europe,  Asia, 
and  Northern  Africa. 

Two  or  three  affined  species  from  Africa  are  recorded,  and  one 
or  two  from  America ;  one  from  Australia  with  somewhat  longer 
legs,  C.  (grallarius,  Latham),  is  separated  as  Burhinus^  Illiger. 
It  appears  intermediate  between  CEdicnemus  and  Esacus. 

Fam.  H^MATOPODiD^,  Bonap.,  Sea-plovers. 

Feet  with  three  toes,  and  with  a  small  hind  toe  raised  above  the 
others ;  plumage  variegated ;  bill  varied,  stout ;  legs  long  or 
moderate.     Mostly  Sea-shore  birds. 

The  birds  that  I  include  in  this  family  are  of  three  very  different 
types,  which  might  each  form  a  distinct  family,  but  a  certain 
similitude  in  coloration  and  habits  is  apparent.  The  Turnstones, 
Oyster-catchers,  and  Crab-plovers  are  the  three  forms,  to  each  of 
which  I  shall  give  the  rank  of  a  sub-family.  Bonaparte  places 
the  Turnstones  and  Crab-plovers  (Dromas)  together  in  one 
family,  and  the  Oyster-catchers  in  close  proximity  to  them,  in 
another ;  Gray  in  like  manner,  groups  the  first  two  sub-families 
together  but  includes  them  among  the  Plovers.  All  frequent 
the  Sea-shore  chiefly,  the  Turnstones  alone  occasionally  wandering 
inland;  they  run  quickly  on  the  sand,  and  pick  up  various 
Crustacea,  shell- fish,  &c. 

Sub-fam.     STEEPSiLiNiE,  Bonap. 
Cinclin(E,  Gray. 

Bill  short,  conical,  with  the  culmen  flattene«i,  the  tip  compressed 
and   truncated,   upper  mandible  slightly  turned  upwards  ;  nostrils 


656  BIEDS   OF   INDIA. 

basal ;  wings  Innor,  very  pointed,  tlie  1st  primary  longest ;  tail  round- 
ed, of  twelve  feathers  ;  tarsus  short  ;  tibia  barely  denuded;  toes 
divided  to  the  base  ;  a  moderate  himi  toe  ;  claws  short  and  pointed. 
This  sub-family  is  composed  of  one  genus,  with  only  one  .species, 
found  on  sea-coasts  over  all  the  world. 

Gen.     Strepsilas,  L. 

Syn.  Arenaria,  Brisson — Morinelln,  Meyer — Cinclns,  Moehring 
and  Gray. 

Char. — Those  of  the  family  of  which  it  is  the  sole  genus. 

This  remarkable  type  has  the  bill  something  like  that  of  a 
Nuthatch,  but  stronger  ;  it  is  a  bird  of  small  size,  and  has  a  double 
moult.  Cuvier  classed  it,  next  the  Phalaropes  in  the  following 
family,  but  its  strong  bill,  coloraticyi,  and  habits  are  quite  those 
of  the  present  group. 

860.  Strepsilas  interpres,  Linn^us. 

Tringa,  apud  Linnaeus — Blyth,  Cat.  1602 — Jerdon,  Cat. 
356. — Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi. 

The  Turnstone. 

Descr. — Head  and  neck  white,  the  crown  of  the  head,  with  some 
black  stripes  ;  a  narrow  black  frontal  band,  continued  behind  the 
eye  and  meeting  another  narrow  stripe  of  the  same  colour  from  the 
base  of  the  lower  mandible  ;  shortly  beyond,  these  unite  into  an 
incomplete  collar,  extendmg  back  along  the  sides  of  the  neck,  and 
in  front  expanding  and  forming  a  broad  gorget  covering  the 
breast,  and  which,  at  its  termination  below,  sends  up  another  incom- 
plete band  towards  the  shoulder  of  the  wing  ;  mantle  and  wings 
chesnut  brown  mixed  with  black,  especially  on  the  sc-apulars ; 
coverts  edged  with  grey  and  whitish  ;  primaries  black,  stem  of  the 
1st  white  ;  secondaries  tipped  greyish  ;  back,  rump  and  upper  tail- 
coverts  white,  crossed  on  the  rump  by  a  black  hand ;  tail  white, 
with  a  broad  sub-terminal  band  of  black;  lower  parts  white. 

Bill  black  ;  irides  deep  brown ;  legs  orange  yellow.  Length 
85  inches  ;  wing  6  ;  tail  2|  ;    bill  at  front  |  ;  tarsus  1. 

The  female  differs  only,  it  is  said,  in  having  the  colours  not  so 
distinct,  and  the  white  on  the  head  and  neck  lesspure.     In  winter 


DROMADINiE.  657 

plumage,  the  colors  are  not  so  pure  and  rich  in  tint  as  in  the  summer. 
The  young  have  the  upper  plumage  and  sides  of  the  neck  and 
throat  dark  ashj-brown,  the  feathers  edged  paler,  aud  the  lower 
parts  white.  After  the  autumn  moult  the  young  are  stated  to  be 
more  pronounced  in  their  coloration ;  and  at  the  spring  moult  they 
assume    the    adult  plumage. 

The  Turnstone  is  not  a  common  bird  in  India,  and  chiefly 
frequents  the  sea-coast  and  rocky  beds  of  large  rivers.  I  have 
procured  it  above  200  miles  inland,  in  the  Deccan,  on  the  edge  of 
a  large  tank,  and  more  abundantly  on  the  sea-coast  near  Madras ; 
Mr.  Blyth  has  frequently  obtained  it  from  the  Calcutta  Bazaar. 
It  is  found  throughout  both  Continents,  chiefly  on  the  sea-coast ; 
it  is  said  to  lay  on  the  sand  or  bare  rock,  well  concealed  under  a 
projecting  stone  or  tuft  in  some  cases,  four  rather  large  eggs.  They 
are  pale  greyish  or  greenish  in  color  with  large  spots  of  grey  and 
brown.  It  is  stated  to  feed  chiefly  on  small  shells,  and  various 
insects;  to  live  well  in  confinement  in  gardens,  like  Plovers,  and  to  be 
easily  tamed. 

Bonaparte  and  Gray  place  next  Strepsilas  Aphriza,  with  two 
species,  Tringa  borealis,  and  T.  virgata  of  Latham ;  and  Plu- 
vianellus  socialis  of  Hombron. 

It  is  possible  that  Anarhynchus  frontalis^  a  remarkable  bird  from 
the  Oceanic  regions  may  belong  to  this  sub-family. 

Sub-fam.  Dromadin^,  Gray,  (in  part.) 
Bill  lengthened,  compressed,  smooth,  barely  grooved,  very  strono-, 
with  the  culmen  gently  arching  towards  the  tip  which  is  pointed  ; 
lower  mandible  strongly  angulated  ;  gonys  long,  commencing  near 
the  chin;  bill  slightly  descending  at  first  from  the  chin;  nostrils  oval, 
lateral,  near  the  base,  pervious ;  wings  long,  equal  to  the  tail,  1st 
primary  longest ;  tail  even,  or  barely  rounded  ;  tarsus  very  long,  as 
also  the  bare  portion  of  the  tibia  ;  feet  much  webbed,  especially  the 
outer  and  middle  toe.  Bonaparte  makes  this  a  separate  family 
Dromadidce,  and  places  it  between  the  Chionidce  and  Hcematopodidce. 

Gen.  Dromas,  Paykull. 
Syn.  Erodia,  Stanley,  after  Latham. 

Char. — Those  of  the  sub-family  of  which  it  is  the  only 
representative. 

PART   II.  4   o 


658  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

This  remarkable  genus  is  composed,  as  at  present  known,  of 
a  single  species  found  on  the  shores  of  the  Indian  Ocean,  Bay 
of  Bengal,  Red  Sea,  &c.  ;  its  situation  is  considered  very 
doubtful,  and  many  different  afhnities  have  been  assigned  to  it. 
Cuvier  placed  it  next  Anastomus,  of  which,  says  he,  it  has  the 
feet  and  contour.  Gray  very  unfortunately,  I  consider,  placed 
it  among  the  Scolopacidce,  between  Himantopus  and  the  Tringat ; 
and  Blyth,  from  consideration  of  the  young  plumage,  considered 
it  as  allied  to  the  Terns.  I  have  for  long  thought  its  proper  place 
was  not  far  from  (Edicnemiis,  among  the  Plovers,  and  I  was  glad 
to  find  that  Bonaparte  placed  it  with  the  Oyster-catchers,  which 
this  bird  thus  connects  with  the  true  Plovers,  Blasius  with  great 
judo-ment  considered  it  to  be  an  aberrant  Esacus.  It  is  among 
the  Plovers  what  Himantopus  and  R^curvirosty^a  are  among  the 
Longirost7'es. 

861.    Dromas  ardeola,  Paykull. 

Blyth,  Cat.  1627 — Ammoptila  charadroides,  apud  Jerdon, 
Cat.  372 — Erodia  amphilensis,  Stanley — Temm.  PI.  Col.  362 — 
Salt,  Travels  in  Abyssinia,  pi.  31 — Jard.  and  Selby,  111.  Orn. 
pi.  157. 

The  Crab-plover. 

J)escr. — Whole  head,  neck,  wing-coverts,  lengthened  tertiaries, 
scapulars,  and  lower  parts,  white;  mantle,  interscapular  region, 
greater  wing-coverts  and  primaries  black  ;  some  of  the  tertiaries 
and  the  tail  reddish  ashy,  paling  on  the  inner  Avebs. 

Bill  black;  irides  brown;  legs  plumbeous.  Length  15  inches; 
wing  8| ;  tail  nearly  3  ;  bill  2^ ;  tarsus  3f ;  middle  toe  and  claw  If. 

This  curious  bird  was  first  observed  by  Mr.  Walter  Elliot  on  the 
West  coast  of  India,  and  subsequently  I  found  it  on  the  East  coast 
near  Nellore,  far  from  rare  at  the  mouths  of  rivers  and  along 
back  waters.  It  lives  in  small  Hocks  on  the  banks  of  the  rivers 
or  sea  shore,  feeding,  especially  on  the  parts  that  have  been  left 
bare  by  the  tide,  on  small  crabs  and  other  Crustacea,  and  perhaps 
also  on  shell  fish.  It  doubtless  breeds  in  this  part  of  the  country, 
as  I  observed  it  during  the  hot  weather,  as  Avell  as  at  other  times, 
but  I  was  not  fortunate  enough  to  find  the  nest. 


H^MATOPODIN^.  6^ 

It  runs  actively  about,  and  flies  well.  It  is  stated  to  breed  in 
society  in  rather  deep  holes  in  the  sand  on  some  of  the  islands  of 
the  Red  Sea,  and  Layard  found  it  breeding  in  Ceylon.  The  eggs 
which  he  sent,  to  the  IVIuseum  of  the  Asiatic  Society,  Calcutta,  as  of 
this  bird,  are  quite  Plover-like,  and  of  unusually  large  size.  Latham 
who  figures  it  as  the  Abyssinian  Erody,  G.  H.,  pi.  149,  considers 
it  to  be  Ardea  ponticeriana,  Gmelin,  figured  in  PI.  Enl.  932, 
stating  that  according  to  the  scale  the  bird  there  represented  is 
only  14^  inches  in  length. 

Sub-fam.     HiEMATOPODINiE. 

Bill  lengthened,  strong,  and  truncated ;  tarsus  short.  Plumage 
black  or  pied. 

This  sub-family  contains  only  one  genus. 

Gen.  HiEMATOPUS,  Linnaeus. 

Char. — Bill  straight  or  slightly  bent  upwards,  very  long,  robust, 
compressed,  ending  in  a  truncated  point ;  nostrils  in  the  middle 
of  a  long  and  deep  oblique  cleft ;  wings  moderate  or  long,  nearly 
reaching  the  end  of  the  tail,  pointed,  1  st  quill  longest ;  tail  moder- 
ate, nearly  even,  of  twelve  feathers  ;  tarsi  short,  strong,  reticu- 
lated ;  hind  toe  wanting,  anterior  toes  short,  thick,  edged  with 
callosities,  the  outer  toe  joined  at  the  base  to  the  middle  one 
by  a  web. 

This  genus,  at  first  sight,  perhaps  does  not  look  like  a  Plover, 
but  in  its  general  structure  and  habits,  and  even  in  the  form  of 
its  bill  (though  modified)  it  is  distinctly  allied  to  that  family,  near 
which  indeed,  most  Ornithologists  class  it.  Blyth  in  his  Catalogue 
places  it  among  the  Chionidce. 

The  species  feed  on  various  molluscs,  worms,  and  small 
Crustacea. 

862,  Haematopus  ostraleguS;  Linnaeus. 

Jerdon,  Cat.  320— Blyth,  Cat.  1571— Gould,  Birds  of 
Europe,  pi.  300 — Barya  gajpaon,  H.,  i.  e.,  Sea-Longshanks— Few 
kali  ulanka,  Tel. 

The  Oyster-catcher. 

Desc7\ — Whole  head  and  neck,  upper  back,  wings,  and  tail, 
black  ;  lower  back,  rump,  upper  tail-coverts,  and  lower   plumage 


660 


BIRDS    OF   INDIA. 


from  the  breast,  white  ;  a  broad  wing-band  formed  by  the  greater 

coverts  also  white. 

Bill  orange  yellow,  dusky   anteriorly ;  irides  fine  crimson  red ; 

eyelids    orange,  with  a  small  space  of  the  lower  eyelid  plumed  and 

white;  feet  dull  pinkish-red.     Length    16  to  17  inches;  wing  10; 

tail  4  ;  bill  at  front  4  ;  tarsus  2. 

Young  birds  are  less  pure  black,  with  pale  edges  to  the  feathers ; 

and,  after  the    first  moult,    they   are   said  to   have  a  white  collar 

all  round  the  neck. 

The  Oyster-catcher  is  found  both  on  the  East  and  West  coasts 

of  India,  most  abundant  perhaps  in   the  more    rocky   West  coast, 

and  it  is  only  a  winter  visitant.  I  have  always  found  it  remarkably 
shy  and  difficult  to  procure.  It  is  far  from  rare  near  Tellicherry, 
•where  I  resided  for  some  time.  "  ^ 

It  inhabits  most  of  the  Sea-coasts  of  Europe,  and  is  said  to  feed 
chiefly  on  molluscs,  and  to  be  able  to  open  bivalves  with  its  trun- 
cated bill;  it  feeds  also  on  worms  and  various  sea  insects,  &c.  It 
nidificates  on  the  ground  on  shingly  beaches  by  the  sea  side,  or  on 
the  banks  of  rivers,  hiying  four  rather  large  eggs,  of  a  dull  green- 
ish-yellow, with  dark  brown  and  grey  marks  and  spots.  Some 
American  species  are  recorded  as  not  laying  more  than  two  eggs. 

Several  species  are  recorded,  chiefly  from  America,  one  or  two 
from  Australia,  and  one  from  Africa.  Some  of  the  genus  are 
nearly  all  black,  and  are  separated  as  Melanibyx.  One  of  these  is 
Australian,  l)ut  is  also  found  in  North-eastern  Asia  according  to 
Pallas.  Bonaparte  places  next  this  genus  the  Red-billed  Curlew 
( Ibidorliynchus  Struthersii. ) 

The  family  Chionid^,  Bonap.,  placed  by  Gray  among  the 
Rasores,  certainly  should  be  placed  not  far  from  the  Plovers ;  and, 
as  we  have  seen,  Blyth  even  associates  with  them  the  Oyster- 
catchers.  It  comprises  the  genera  Thinocoris  and  Attagen,  and 
the  still  more  unique  form,  Chionis.  The  two  former  inhabit  the 
Andes,  have  the  bill  short  and  compressed,  somewhat  rasorial 
nares,  pointed  wings,  with  long  tertiaries,  a  short,  ample,  and 
rounded  tail,  the  tarsus  short  and  reticulated.  They  have  a 
very  rasorial  aspect,  it  must  be  confessed,  especially  Attarjen,  but 
the  whole  of  their  character  and  their  mode  of  flight,  show  them 


QRUID^.  661 

to  be  modified  GrallcB.  Blyth  considers  that  they  approximate  to 
the  PteroclidcE  in  appearance  and  habit.  They  frequent  upland 
plains  and  resemble  Ptarmigans  in  their  habits.  Thinocoris, 
according  to  Darwin,  partakes  both  of  the  character  of  the  Snipe 
and  the  Quail.  Chionis  albrr,  the  Kelp-pigeon,  has  a  very  curi- 
ous short  thick  bill,  the  nostrils  concealed  by  a  sort  of  sheath 
that  covers  the  base  of  the  bill,  and  hence  it  is  called  the  Sheath- 
bill  It  is  pure  white,  lives  on  the  Coasts  of  Australia  and  New 
Zealand,  feeding  on  molluscs,  chiefly  limpets,  and  crustaceaj  and 
is  frequently  met  with  far  out  at  sea. 

Fam.  GRUiDiE — Cranes. 

Bill  short,  stout,  straight,  slightly  cleft,  somewhat  like  that  of 
the  Bustards  ;  legs  scutellated  ;  wings  ample  ;  of  large  size,  with 
pale  grey  or  white  plumage,  and  with  a  long  neck. 

The  Cranes  have  usually  been  placed  among  the  CuUirostres, 
(the  Herons  and  Storks)  but  their  totally  different  habits,  anatomy, 
and  nidification,  and  their  young  running  frum  the  egg,  demand 
their  removal.  (Since  the  above  was  jienned,  I  have  seen  the 
abstract  of  a  paper  by  Mr.  W.  K.  Parker,  read  before  the 
Zool.  Society,  which,  I  am  glad  to  see,  corroborates  these  views ; 
he  states  that  "the  Crane  is  a  gigantic  specialized  aberrant  of  the 
Pressirostral  family.")  They  are  externally  somewhat  allied  to 
the  Bustards,  whilst  their  internal  anatomy  may  be  said  to  be 
more  that  of  Plovers.  They  are  birds  of  very  large  size  with 
long  necks  and  legs,  feed  much  on  grain,  a  few  also  on  insects, 
frogs,  and  fish.  The  head  of  several  is  more  or  less  devoid 
of  feathers,  others  are  beautifully  crested.  Their  figure  is  ele- 
gant, and  their  motions  graceful  ;  they  fly  with  outstretched 
necks.  They  have  a  very  loud,  fine,  trumpet-like  call.  Many  are 
migratory,  and  highly  gregarious  ;  and  they  nidificate  on  the 
ground. 

The  sternum  is  something  like  that  of  the  Heron,  with  one  rather 
short  fissure  ;  the  furcula  is  anchylosed  to  the  keel.  The  cseca  are 
highly  developed,  and  the  stomach  is  very  muscular.  The  tracheae 
are  elongated,  enter  the  ridge  of  the  sternum,  and  are  convoluted 
within  it. 


6&2  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

Gen.  Grus,  Lin. 

Char. — Bill  moderately  long,  straight,  somewhat  thick  ;  mandi- 
bles nearly  equal,  compressed,  with  the  tip  subulate  ;  nostrils 
apart,  placed  near  the  middle  of  the  bill  in  a  broad  and  deep 
groove  closed  posteriorly  by  membrane  ;  wings  long,  ample,  3rd 
quill  longest ;  tail  short ;  tibia  much  denuded  ;  tarsi  lengthened, 
scutellated  in  front ;  toes  short,  strong  ;  nails  blunt ;  hallux  short, 
raised. 

The  true  Cranes  have  generally  the  region  about  the  base  of 
the  bill  and  orbits,  and  sometimes  the  whole  head,  nude.  They 
are  birds  of  very  large  size,  of  grey  or  white  plumage,  with  the 
tertiaries  lengthened  and  overhanging.  They  are  divided  into 
three  genera  in  Gray's  List. 

The  first  is  Antigo7ie,  Reichenbach,  distinguished  by  its  huge 
size,  naked  and  papillose  head  and  neck,  and  strong,  elongated  bill. 

863.    Grus  antigone,  Linn^us. 

Ardea,  apud  Linn^us — Blyth,  Cat.  1615— Jerdon,  Cat. 
297— Edwards,  Birds,  pi.  45— G.  torquata,  Vieillot,— G. 
orientalis,  Pallas — P.  E.  865 — Saras^  H.,  sometimes  Sarhans— 
Cyrus  Crane  of  some. 

The  Sarus  Crane. 

Descr. — Head  and  neck  naked  and  covered  for  three  or  four 
inches  with  numerous  crimson  papilla},  clad  with  a  few  scant 
black  hairs,  which  accumulate  into  a  broad  ring  on  the  neck 
and  form  a  sort  of  mane  down  the  nape  of  the  neck  ;  ear-coverts 
white  ;  below  this  the  neck  is  whitish  grey,  which  gradually  passes 
into  the  pale  blue  or  French  grey,  which  is  the  color  of  the  whole 
plumage,  the  quills  and  inner  webs  of  the  tail  feathers  being  dusky 
slaty. 

At  the  breeding  season,  in  the  month  of  April,  they  assume 
a  pure  v^hite  collar,  immediately  below  the  crimson  papillose 
skin  of  the  neck,  which  also  becomes  brighter  in  colour  ;  and  in 
old  birds,  the  tertiaries  and  some  of  the  scapulars  become  white 
and  are  lengthened,  hanging  over  gracefully,  and  exceeding  the 
tail. 


GRUID^.  663 

Bill  pale  sea  green,  brownish  at  the  tip ;  irides  orange  red ; 
legs  and  feet  pale  rosy  red.  Length  about  52  inches  ;  extent 
nearly  8  feet ;  wing  26  inches  ;  tail  9|- ;  bill  at  front  Q^ ;  tarsus 
12i  to  13  ;  weight  17  or  18  lbs. 

The  Sams  is  found  throughout  the  greater  part  of  India 
and  Burmah ;  is  rare  South  of  the  Godavery,  and  also  apparently 
in  the  Punjab,  for  Adams  states  that  he  did  not  see  it  there, 
but  common  in  Central  India,  Bengal,  and  parts  of  the  N.  W. 
Provinces,  and  still  more  so  in  Candeish.  It  is  chiefly  found  in 
pairs,  occasionally  several  together. 

It   feeds   less    exclusively   perhaps   on   grain    than    the    other 
Cranes  met  with  in  India,  and  is  very  generally  found  not  far  from 
water.     It  breeds  on  some  island   or    spot   nearly  surrounded  by 
water,   laying  two  eggs  only,  of  a  very  pale  bluish  green  colour, 
with  a  few  reddish  spots.  The  eggs  are  figured  by  Blyth  in  Jardine's 
Illustrations  of  Ornitholgy,  and  he  states  that  it  has  bred  in  captivity. 
The  nest  is   sometimes    commenced   below   water,    and  is    raised 
some  inches  above  the  surface.     The  young  have  the  head  and  neck 
dull  ferruginous.   The  old  birds,  when  sitting,  or  with  their  young, 
are  very  bold,  facing   an  intruder,    be  it  dog  or   man,    lowering 
their  head  and  spreading  out  their  large  wings  in  a  most  formidable 
looking  manner.     Its  fine  trumpet-like  call,  uttered  when  alarmed 
or  on  the  wing,   can   be  heard  a  couple  of  miles  off.     A  young 
Sarus  is  not  bad  eating,  but  old  birds  are  worthless  for  the  table. 
Some    epicures  assert  the  liver  to  be  peculiarly  fine.     In  most 
parts  of  the  country  it  is  so  confiding  and  fearless  in   its   habits  as 
to  preclude  the  sporstman  from  shooting  it ;    and  in  the  territories 
of  Holkar  it  is,  if  not  venerated,   esteemed  so  highly  as  to  be  held_ 
sacred   from   the    Shikaries,  and   I   have  known  complaints  made 
against  Ofiicers  for  shooting  them. 

The  next  bird  is  placed  by  Bonaparte  in  a  section  Leucogeranus 
of  the  genus  Antigone,  distinguished  by  their  white  plumage,  and 
having  the  head  and  neck  only  partially  nvide. 

864.    Grus  leucogeranus,  Pallas. 

Temminck  PL  Col.  467. 

The  Large  White  Crane. 
Descr.  —  Plumage  wholly  white,  quills  black ;  tertiarles  lengthened. 


664  BIRDS    OF   INDIA. 

Bill  and  naked  skin  of  the  face  red ;  legs  red.  Length  about 
4  feet ;  extent  8  feet. 

This  fine  Crane  appears  to  be  a  rare  winter  visitant  to  several  parts 
of  North- Western  India.  A  figure  of  it  is  among  the  drawings 
of  Sir  A.  Burnes,  and  it  has  been  observed  occasionally  by  sports- 
men in  the  Punjab,  in  Rajasthan,  and  in  the  interior  of  the 
Himalayas.  Mountaineer  particularly  notices  '  a  large  white  Crane.' 
It  is  an  inhabitant  of  Northern  Asia  and  Japan. 

To  the  same  group  belongs  the  beautiful  Grus  montignesia, 
Bonap.,  from  Mantchouria.  Grus  australasiana  of  Australia,  the 
"  native  companion"  of  settlers,  is  exceedingly  close  to  G.  antigone. 

The  next  species  is  the  type  of  restricted  Grus,  having  the  beak 
shorter,  high  and  sloping  at  the  base,  straight  for  its  terminal  half. 
It  comprises  several  species  from  tlie  Old  World  and  Australia, 
and  two  from  America. 

865.    Grus  cinerea,  Bechstein. 

Blyth,  Cat.  1616— Jerdon,  Cat.  298— Gould,  Birds  of 
Europe,  pi.  270 — G.  antigone,  Sykes,  Cat.  168 — Ardea  Grus, 
Linn. — Kulang,  H,  — Kallam,  Mahr. — Kulangi,  Tel. 

The  Common  Crane. 

Descr. — Forehead  and  cheeks  nude,  with  black  bristly  hairs  ; 
crown  nude,  dull  orange  red  ;  occiput,  throat,  and  fore  part  of 
the  neck,  of  a  deep  blackish  grey  ;  between  the  eyes,  sides  of 
the  head  and  upper  part  of  the  neck  white,  as  is  the  greater  part 
of  the  back  of  the  neck,  but  the  colour  impure  and  with  a 
reddish  tinge ;  all  the  upper  part  of  the  body  and  the  lower 
plumage  dark  ashy  blue;  quills  and  greater  coverts  dull  black; 
secondaries  and  tertiaries  grey,  black  tipped,  the  latter  narrowing 
to  a  point  with  the  barbs  of  the  uppermost  feathers  disunited, 
and  all  arching  down  and  forming  an  elegant  tuft  of  floating 
plumes  which  it  is  able  to  erect  at  pleasure. 

Bill  glaucous  green  at  the  base,  blackish  green  in  the  middle, 
the  tip  dark  horny;  irides  yellowish  red,  reddish  brown  in  some  ; 
legs  and  feet  dull  black.  Length  3  to  3i  feet ;  extent  6  feet ;  wing 
21  inches ;  tail  8  ;  tarsus  8^  ;  bill  at  front  4.    Weight  about  12  lbs. 


GRUIDiE.  665 

Young  birds  want  the  naked  patch  on  the  head,  the  neck  is  dingy 
grey  without  any  white,  and  the  colours  generally  are  more  dull. 

The  common  Crane  of  Europe  visits  India  in  numerous  flocks 
during  the  cold  weather.  In  the  Deccan  and  Central  India  it  is 
generally  seen  in  small  flocks  of  from  six  or  eight  to  twenty,  now 
and  then  in  much  larger  numbers,  especially  in  the  Punjab  and  the 
N.  W.  Provinces.  It  feeds  chiefly  on  grain,  committing  great 
havoc  in  the  wheat  fields,  and  in  rice  fields  in  Bengal,  but  it  also 
eats  shoots  of  plants  and  flowers,  and  occasionally,  it  is  said,  insects 
and  reptiles.  On  one  occasion,  I  found  that  the  flowers  of  Carthamus 
tinctorius  had  been  the  only  food  partaken  of ;  it  is  stated 
in  China  to  devour  sweet  potatoes.  It  feeds  chiefly  in  the 
morning,  and  rests  during  the  day  in  some  river  or  tank,  returning 
to  the  fields  for  a  short  time  in  the  afternoon.  It  has  a  fine  loud 
trumpet-like  call  chiefly  heard  during  its  flight.  It  leaves  this 
country  early,  generally  before  the  end  of  March,  and  breeds  in 
Northern  Asia  and  Europe,  in  marshy  ground  generally,  occasion- 
ally it  is  said,  on  the  roofs  of  deserted  houses.  The  eggs  are  two 
in  number,  of  a  greenish  colour,  with  some  brownish  spots ;  and 
Mr.  Wolly,  in  the  1st  vol.  of  the  Ibis,  has  given  an  interesting 
account  of  its  nidification.  In  former  years  it  used  to  visit  Eng- 
land regularly  and  even  to  breed  there. 

This  Crane  is  occasionally  hawked  at  and  killed  by  a  good 
Bhi/ri  (Falco  peregrinvs),  and  gives  a  fine  chase.  It  is  tolerably 
good  eating,  though  not  equal  to  the  next  species ;  it  was  considered 
a  great  delicacy  by  our  ancestors.  It  inhabits  the  greater  part 
of  Europe,  Asia,  and  Northern  Africa,  but  is  replaced  in  North- 
eastern Asia  and  Japan  by  a  species  with  a  longer  bill,  G. 
Jongirostris.  Other  Cranes  are  G.  vipio,  Pallas,  {leucanchen,  Temm.), 
and  G.  monacha,  Temminck,  both  from  North-eastern  Asia  and 
Japan.  There  are  also  two  species  from  North  America,  Grus 
canadensis,  and  G.  americana.  Grus  carunculata  of  Africa  is 
the  type  of   Laomedontia  of  Eeichenbach. 

Gen.  Anthropoides,  Vieillot. 
Syn.  Scops,  apud  Gray. 

Bill  shorter  than  in   Grus,   depressed    at   the  base,   and   slightly 
swollen  at  the   tip ;    tarsus  lengthened ;    head   and  neck    densely 
PART   II.  4   P 


666  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

feathered ;  the  feathers  of  the  neck  and  breast  lanceolate  and 
hackled.  Of  smaller  size,  and  the  neck  less  lengthened  than  in  the 
previous  species. 

866.    Anthropoides  VirgO;  Linnj^us. 

Ardea,  apud  LiNNiE,us — Blyth,  Cat.  1617 — Jeudon,  Cat.  299 
— La  Demoiselle,  Buffon  PI.  Enl.  241. — Karkarra,  H.,  also 
Karronch — Karra,  Beng. — Karkoncha,  Can., —  Wada-koraka,  Tel. 

The  Demoiselle  Crane. 

Descr. — Forehead,  face,  sides  of  head,  neck,  and  the  lengthened 
breast  plumes,  black ;  a  tuft  of  white  decomposed  feathers  extend- 
ing backwards  and  outwards  from  the  eye ;  the  general  plumage 
fine  purplish  grey  ;  quills  black  ;  the  greatly  elongated  tertiaries  and 
scapulars  dusky  slaty,  drooping. 

Bill  greenish  at  the  base,  yellowish  "in  the  middle,  and  inclining 
to  pink  at  the  tip  ;  irides  fine  ruby  red ;  legs  black.  Length  about 
30  inches  ;  extent  5  feet;  wing  19  inches ;  tail  6^  to  7  ;  bill  at 
front  2y^y  ;  tarsus  6^.     Weight  about  6fbs. 

Young  birds  have  no  black,  and  want  the  white  ear-tuft. 

This  beautiful  Crane  is  found  throughout  the  greater  part  of 
India,  is  more  rare  in  the  extreme  South,  and  is  never  seen  in 
Malabar,  nor  in  Lower  Bengal  :  one  writer  says  that  it  is  never 
met  with  below  Dinapore.  It  is  a  cold  weather  visitor  generally, 
only  coming  in  late  in  October,  and  its  arrival,  like  that  of  the 
last,  is  hailed  with  joy  as  a  sure  sign  that  the  cold  weather  is 
indeed  come.  It  associates  in  numerous  flocks,  from  fifty  to  five 
hundred,  and  chiefly  frequents  the  vicinity  of  rivers,  as  it 
invariably,  according  to  ray  own  experience,  betakes  itself  during 
the  heat  of  the  day  to  rivers  to  drink  and  rest,  and  never  to 
tanks  or  jheels,  as  the  Sarus  and  common  Crane  do.  One  writer 
however  states  that  he  has  seen  and  shot  them  in  a  jheel.  It 
is  very  destructive  to  grain  fields,  especially  to  wheat  in  Central 
India,  and  to  chenna  {Cicer  arietinum)  in  the  Deccan.  They 
fly  wuth  great  regularity,  either  in  a  long  continuous  line, 
or  in  a  double  wedge-shaped  line,  and  then  utter  their  fine 
clanging  note  frequently. 

The  Demoiselle  Crane  breeds  on  the  ground  in  Northern 
Asia,   laying   two   olive   grey  eggs  speckled  with   rufous.     The 


Q-RVIDM.  667 

male  bird  watches  whilst  the  female  is  incubating,  and  fights 
boldly  if  attacked.  Tliey  are  said  to  dance  among  themselves, 
and  will  often  seize  hold  of  any  small  article,  toss  it  up  in  the 
air,  and  catch  it  as  it  descends.  It  is  also  stated  that  they 
occasionally  eat  mice,  snakes,  &c.,  lifting  them  up  and  dashing 
them   down  on  the  ground  till  quite  dead. 

The  Karkarra  makes  a  fine  flight  with  a  Bhyri,  occasionally 
two  or  three  miles ;  it  never  uses  its  beak  in  self-defence,  but 
is  very  apt  to  injure  the  falcon  with  its  sharp  inner  claw.  A 
well  trained  Bhyri  therefore  always  strikes  this  Crane  on  the 
back  and  never  on  the  head.  The  mate  of  the  stricken  quarry 
often  turns  and  comes  to  the  rescue  of  its  companion.  It  is  shy 
and  difficult  to  approach  when  resting,  but  less  so  when  feed- 
inf{,  and  it  is  well  worth  a  little  trouble,  as  it  is  one  of  the 
best  birds  in  India  for  the  table,  and  the  praises  of  "roast  coolen" 
are  sung  by  many  sportsmen.  The  name  Kllung,  transformed  into 
Coolen,  is  wrongly  applied  to  this  species  by  many  sporting  writers, 
it  being  always  used  for  the  common  Crane  by  falconers  and  the 
best  shikarees.  The  name  Karkarra  appears  to  be  nearly  the 
same  word  as  is  used  by  the  Mongols  of  Central  Asia  according  to 
Pallas,  viz.,  Karharror,  and  is  evidently  an  imitation  of  its  call. 
This  species  is  common  in  Northern  Africa,  and  is  occasionally 
killed  in  the  South  of  Europe. 

The  Stanley  Crane,  Grus  paradisea  of  Africa,  is  placed  in  this 
genus  by  Gray;  but  Bonaparte  separates  it  as  Tetrapteryx.  Another 
beautiful  species  is  the  crowned  Crane,  Balearica  pavonina  of 
Northern  Africa,  a  rare  visitant  to  the  South  of  Europe ;  and 
a  second  species  of  the  same  group  occurs  in  Southern  Africa,  B. 
regulorum. 

Near  the  Cranes  perhaps  should  be  placed  those  remarkable 
birds,  the  Agami  or  Trumpeter-birds  of  South  America,  forming 
the  family  FsophiidcB  of  Bonaparte.  In  these  birds  the  bill  is 
shorter  than  in  the  true  Cranes,  the  head  and  neck  covered  with 
down,  and  the  orbits  nude.  The  best  known  species  is  Psophia 
crepitans,  Lin.,  about  the  size  of  a  small  Turkey,  the  plumage 
black,  glossed  with  purple  below,  and  with  an  ashy  mantle ;  the 
sternum  narrow  throughout,  with  a  low  keel,  and  entirely  without 


668  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

any  notch,  or  rather,  perhaps,  the  outer  margin  is  deficient. 
The  trachea  is  elongated,  and  descends  under  the  skin  of  the 
abdomen,  which  causes  the  voice,  which  is  a  low  deep  sound,  to 
appear  as  if  it  came  from  the  abdomen.  It  lives  in  the  woods, 
feeds  on  fruit  and  grains,  and  soon  becomes  domesticated.  It  flies 
badly,  but  runs  well,  and  nestles  on  the  ground  at  the  foot  of  a 
tree.  Blyth  states  that  its  port  is  that  of  a  Struthious  bird,  and  he 
is  inclined  to  rank  it,  not  far  from  the  TinamidcB,  as  a  distinct 
group.  If  this  view  is  correct,  it  will  be  another  link  joining  the 
Kasorial  birds  to  the  Grallatores.  Two  additional  species  have 
lately  been  described. 

Tribe  Longirostres,  Cuvier. 

Bill  more  or  less  lengthened,  slender,  and  feeble  ;  wings  usually 
long  and  pointed  ;  tail  short ;  tarsus  moderately  long ;  toes  mode- 
rate, the  exterior  one  generally  joined  to  the  middle  toe  by  a 
short  web,  and  the  hallux  short  and  raised,  absent  in  a  very  few. 

This  tribe  contains  a  number  of  generally  small  wading  birds, 
classed  by  Linnaeus  in  Scolopax  and  Tringo,  and  many  closely 
resembling  each  other  in  colour  and  conformation.  Most  have  a 
double  moult,  and  the  change  of  plumage  is  considerable  in 
many.  All  are  migratory,  and  several  associate  in  winter  in  large 
flocks ;  others  are  more  or  less  solitary.  They  feed  on  small 
molluscs,  worms,  and  Crustacea,  for  which  they  bore  in  the  soft 
mud  of  rivers,  lakes,  or  marshes  ;  and  the  bill  of  some  is  peculiarly 
sensitive  at  the  tip.  They  nidificate  on  the  ground,  laying  usually 
four  somewhat  conical  eggs,  colored  something  like  those  of  the 
Plovers,  and  the  young  run  as  soon  as  they  leave  the  shell. 

The  sternum  has  a  double  emargination,  the  outermost  the 
largest,  and  the  keel  is  high  ;  the  bony  orbit  is  very  deficient. 
The  stomach  is  a  muscular  gizzard,  and  the  intestines  are  long, 
with  small  or  moderate  caeca.  The  females  are,  in  many  cases, 
larger  than  the  males ;  in  a  very  few,  the  males  are  much  larger 
than  the  females,  and,  in  these  cases,  are  polygamous. 

They  are  very  closely  related  to  the  Plovers  in  structure  and 
internal  anatomy,  but  differ  in  their  more  lengthened  bill,  slender 
form,  more  aquatic  habits,  and  mode  of  coloration. 


SCOLOPACIDiS.  669' 

The  Longirostres  comprise  one  large  family,  the  Scolopacidce, 
and  a  very  small  group,  differing  from  them  only  in  external 
conformation  and  colour,  the  HimayitopidcB ;  these  last  may  be 
said  to  bear  the  same  relation  to  the  rest  of  the  tribe,  that  the  Sear- 
plovers  (Hmnatopodidce)  do  to  the  other  Plovers,  and  to  which, 
indeed,  these  birds  have  a  general  similarity  of  colour. 

Fam.     ScoLOPACiD^. 

Bill  typically  long,  slender,  in  many  somewhat  soft  towards  the 
tip,  in  otiiers  hard  throughout ;  wings  lengthened,  as  are  the  ter- 
tials  ;  tail  short ;  tarsus  moderately  long ;  toes  slightly  united  by  a 
very  short  web.  Plumage  brown,  of  various  shades  above,  white, 
more  or  less  #inged  brown  or  ashy  beneath. 

The  Snipes  and  Sand-pipers  form  a  continued  series,  graduating 
into  each  other,  with  various  modifications  of  the  bill,  as  to  lencyth, 
strength,  hardness,  and  form.     The    bill  is    short  in    some,    as   in 
Tringa ;    curved  in    the    Curlews ;    somewhat   turned    upwards  in 
Limosa  and    Terelda ;    soft   in    the    Snipes,  moderately    hard    in 
Totanus.     They  may  be  divided,  according  to  these  modifications, 
(and  in  one  case  from  the  structure  of   the  feet),  into    ScolopacintSj 
True  Snipes  ;  Limosina,  Godwits ;  Numenince,  Curlews;  TVm^iW, 
Stints;   P/ialaropmcB,    and    Totaniiice,  Phalaropes ;  Sand-pipers. 
Sub-fam.     Scolopacin^,  Snipes. 
Bill  long,  straight,  rather  soft,  swollen  at  the  tip,  which  is  gently 
bent  over  the  lower   mandible ;  tarsus   rather   short ;  tail   varying 
in  the  number  of  feathers. 

The  Snipes  have  the  richest  plumage  of  the  family,  the  dorsals 
and  scapular  feathers  being  often  streaked  with  black  and  yellow. 
Their  bills  are  highly  sensitive  and  soft  at  the  tip,  and  in  drying 
shrivel  up  so  as  to  appear  punctured.  They  feed  on  worms  and  soft 
larvae,  are  chiefly  nocturnal  in  their  habits,  and  have  large  eyes 
set  far  backwards,  giving  them  a  peculiar  physiognomy.  They 
mostly  ajffect  concealment,  and  some  of  them  even  frequent  woods. 
Gen.  ScoLOPAx,  Linn.  (  as  restricted.  ) 
Syn.     Rusticola,  Vieillot. 

Cha7'. — Bill  long,  thin,  more   or  less   rounded,   of  soft   texture, 
swollen   at  the  tip,  and  obtuse ;  upper  mandible  channeled  for  the 


670  BIRDS  OP   INDIA. 

greater  part  of  its  length,  slightly  bent  downwards  at  the  tip ; 
lower  mandible  channeled  only  to  the  middle  ;  nostrils  basal, 
longitudinal;  wings  moderately  long,  very  pointed,  1st  quill  long- 
est ;  tail  short,  of  twelve  soft  uniform  feathers  ;  tibia  plumed  to 
the  joint ;  toes  free  to  the  base  ;  tarsus  short,  stout ;  hind  toe  short. 
This  genus,  now  restricted  to  the  true  Wood-cocks,  differs  from 
the  Snipe  chiefly  by  the  tibia  being  feathered  to  the  knee.  It 
comprises  birds  of  larger  size  and  stouter  make  than  the  Snipes, 
and  perfectly  sylvan  in  their  habits,  as  the  English  name  implies. 
The  humerus  is  stated  to  be  without  air-cells. 

867.    Scolopax  rusticola,  Linn^us. 

Jerdon,  Cat.  335 — Blyth,  Cat.  1 605— S.  indicus,  Hodgson. 
— Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  319 — Sim-tifar,  or  Tutatar,  H. 
of  some. — Sim-Kiikra  in  Kumaon, 

The  Wood-cock. 

Descr. — Forehead  and  crown  ash-grey,  tinged  rufous  ;  a  dusky 
streak  from  gape  to  eyes  ;  occiput,  with  four  broad  transverse 
bars  of  blackish  brown ;  the  rest  of  the  upper  part  variegated 
with  chesnut  brown,  ochre  yellow  and  ash-grey,  with  zigzag  lines 
and  irregular  spots  of  black  ;  throat  white ;  rest  of  under  parts 
yellowish  white,  passing  into  rufous  on  the  breast  and  forepart 
of  neck  with  cross  wavy  bars  of  dusky  brown ;  quills  barred 
ferruginous  and  black  ;  tail  black,  the  outer  webs  edged  rufous, 
tips  ash-grey  above,  silvery  white  beneath ;  bill  fleshy-grey ; 
legs   livid  ;  irides  dark  brown. 

Length  14  to  nearly  16  inches  ;  wing  8  to  8;^  ;  tail  3^.  Bill 
(front)  3  to  3y^^ ;  tarsus  1^  to  ly^^  ;  extent  of  wing  24  to  26  inches; 
mid-toe  1|.  Average  weight  9  to  10  ounces,  varies  from  7  to  14 
ounces  and  more.  The  female  is  larger,  with  the  colours  more 
dull.    The  wings  reach  to  about  1;^  inches  from  the  end  of  the  tail. 

The  Wood-cock  is  a  winter  visitant  to  the  more  elevated  wooded 
regions  of  India,  the  Himalayas,  the  Neilgherries,  the  Pulneys, 
Shervaroys,  Coorg,  and  doubtless  all  the  higher  ranges  of  Southern 
India.  During  its  periodical  migrations  north  and  south,  indivi- 
duals  are   occasionally   killed   in   various  parts    of  the   country. 


SCOLOPACIN^.  671 

Several  were  procured  in  the  Calcutta  market  by  Mr.  Blyth ; 
I  have  heard  of  its  having  been  at  least  once  obtained  in  the 
Madras  market ;  and  various  other  instances  of  its  having  been 
procured  in  diflferent  parts  of  the  country  have  come  to  my  know- 
ledge, viz.,  at  Chittagong,  Berhampore,  Noacolly,  Tipperah,  Dacca, 
Masulipatam,  &c.  The  Wood-cock  is  late  in  arriving,  generally  not 
appearing  before  the  middle  of  October  and  usually  later ;  it  leaves 
in  February.  It  frequents  damp  woods,  especially  if  there  is  a 
stream  running  through,  or  boggy  and  swampy  spots  either  in 
the  wood  or  just  at  the  edge,  and  the  holes  made  by  its  bill  when 
probing  the  soft  soil  for  worms  may  often  be  noticed,  if  carefully 
looked  for.  On  the  Himalayas,  in  general,  it  is  difficult  to 
procure,  owing  to  the  extent  of  the  woods  and  the  steepness  of  the 
ground ;  but  on  the  Neilgherries  and  other  hill  ranges  of  Southern 
India,  the  woods  are  small,  well  defined,  and  easily  beaten  by  men 
and  dogs,  and  Wood-cock  shooting  is  a  favorite  pastime  with  sports- 
men. I  have  killed  eight  in  a  forenoon,  and  have  known  16  and  20 
killed  by  two  or  three  guns.  In  Coorg,  where  the  woods  are  very 
extensive,  the  sportsman  walks  up  some  likely-looking  wet  nullah, 
with  one  or  two  men  on  each  side,  and  gets  a  snap  shot  now  and 
then.  Mountaineer  states  that  they  breed  in  the  hills  near  the 
snows,  in  considerable  numbers.  At  this  season  they  are  seen 
towards  dusk,  about  the  open  glades  and  borders  of  the  forest  on 
the  higher  ridges,  flying  rather  high  in  the  air,  in  various  directions, 
and  uttering  a  loud  wailing  cry.  Major  Walter  Sherwill  observed 
the  same  in  the  interior  of   Sikim. 

The  only  other  true  Wood-cocks  are  S.  satiirata,  Horsfield, 
from  Java  ;  and  S.  minor,  Gmelin,  (Americana,  Audub. )  separated 
by  Bonaparte  as  Rusticola. 

Gen.  Gallinago,  Stephens. 

Char. — Tibia  bare  for  a  small  space  above  the  joint ;  tail  with 
from  16  to  28  feathers,  the  outer  ones  often  narrowed ;  otherwise 
as  in  Scolopax. 

This  genus  comprises  the  various  Snipes,  which  dijBTer  con- 
siderably in  the  form  and  structure  of  the  tail,  and  also  slightly  in 
the  wings ;  they  have  been  considerably  sub-divided  by  Bonaparte. 


672  BIRDS   OF    INDIA. 

1st.  Of  rather  large  size,  wings  broad,  full,  and  soft ;  tail  of  16 
or  18  feathers  ;  the  laterals  slightly  narrowed,  Gen.  Nemoricola, 
Hodgson  and  Bonap. 

868.    Gallinago  nemoricola,  Hodgson. 

Jeedon,  Cat.  336— Blyth,  Cat.  1606— Jerdon,  111.  Ind. 
Orn.  pi.  9 — Neraoricola  nipalensis,  Hodgson. 

The  Wood  Snipe. 

Descr. — To[)  of  the  head  black,  with  rufous-yellow  longish  mark- 
ings ;  upper  part  of  back  black,  the  feathers  margined  with  pale 
rufous-yellow,  and  often  smeared  bluish ;  scapulars  the  same, 
some  of  them  with  zig-zag  markings  ;  long  dorsal  plumes  black 
with  zig-zag  marks  of  rufous  grey,  as  are  most  of  the  wing- 
coverts  ;  winglet  and  primary-coverts  dusky-black,  faintly  edged 
whitish ;  quills  dusky  ;  lower  back  and  upper  tail-coverts  barred 
reddish  and  dusky  ;  tail  with  the  central  feathers  black  at  the 
base,  chesnut  with  dusky  bars  towards  the  tip  ;  laterals  dusky  with 
whitish  bars ;  beneath,  the  chin  white,  the  sides  of  the  neck 
ashy,  smeared  with  buff  and  blackish,  breast  ashy,  smeared  with 
buff  and  obscurely  barred  ;  the  rest  of  the  lower  plumage,  Avith 
the  thigh-coverts,  whitish  with  numerous  dusky  bars  ;  lower  tail- 
coverts  rufescent,  with  dusky  marks,  and  the  under  wing-coverts 
barred  black  and  whitish. 

Bill  reddish  brown,  paler  at  the  base  beneath ;  irides  dusky 
brown;  legs  plumbeous-green.  Length  12^  to  13  inches;  extent 
18;  wing  5| ;  tail  2| ;  bill  at  front  2| ;  tarsus  If;  middle  toe 
1\^.     Average  weight  5j  to  7  ozs. 

This  solitary  Snipe  or  Wood-snipe  is  found  in  the  Himalayas, 
the  Neilgherries,  Coorg,  and  occasionally  in  Wynaad  and  other 
elevated  regions  of  Southern  India  and  Ceylon ;  it  is  q,lso  said 
to  occur  in  considerable  numbers  in  the  Saharunpoor  district,  below 
Hurdwar,  and  generally  in  the  extensive  swamps  at  the  foot  of 
the  Himalayas.  It  frequents  the  edges  of  woods  near  swamps, 
and  patches  of  brushwood  in  swampy  ground.  It  is  by  no  means 
either  common  or  abundant  any  where,  and  on  the  Neilgherries, 
but  few  couples  are  shot  in  general  in  one  season.  It 
flies     heavily,     and   having    a    large  expanse   of    wing    is    not 


SCOLOPACIN^.  673 

unfrequentlj  taken  for  a  Wood-cock.  One  from  the  Neilgherries 
is  recorded  in  the  Bengal  Sportini)  Ma/jazine  for  1833  as  having 
weighed   13^  oz.     Was  it  not  a  Woodcock? 

2nd.  Of  large  or  moderate  size ;  the  tail  Avith  from  20  to  28 
feathers ;  the  laterals  (five  to  ten  on  each  side)  highly  attenuated 
and  stifl';  in  some  cases  increasing  gradually  in  width.  Leo^s  and 
feet  slightly  smaller.     Gen.    Spilura,  Bonap. 

869.     Gallinago  solitaria,  Hodgson. 

J.  A.  S.  VI.  491.— Blyth,  Cat.  1607. 

The  Himalayan  Solitary  Snipe. 

Descr. — Head  above  brown,  with  pale  mesial  and  superciliary 
lines ;  a  dark  band  from  the  base  of  the  bill  gradually  lost  in  the 
ear-coverts ;  upper  plumage  much  as  in  the  common  Snipe,  but 
the  whole  of  the  feathers  more  spotted  and  barred  with  rufous  ; 
a  conspicuous  pale  bufF  stripe  along  the  scapulars  and  inner  edge 
of  the  wing ;  primaries  brown,  with  a  narrow  pale  edging  exter- 
nally, and  the  innermost  tipped  with  white ;  secondaries  and 
tertiaries  broadly  barred  with  dark  brown  and  pale  rufous ;  tail 
deep  black  at  the  base  with  a  broad  subterminal  band  of  bright 
ashy-rufous,  tipped  brown,  and  the  extreme  tip  pale ;  outermost 
rectrices  finely  barred  ;  breast  olive  brown  with  white  dashes,  or 
white  and  brown  bars,  passing  into  white  on  the  abdomen  and 
vent,  with  some  olivaceous  bands  on  the  upper  belly  and  flanks,  and 
the  sides  of  the  vent  and  under  tail-coverts  whitish. 

Bill  reddish  brown  ;  irides  dark ;  feet  greenish  yellow.  Length 
12^  inches ;  extent  20  ;  wing  6^  ;  tail  3^  ;  bill  at  front  2^  ;  tarsus 
1^;  middle-toe  1^.    Weight  6^  ozs. 

The  Himalayan  Solitary  Snipe  has  hitherto  only  been  found  in 
the  Himalayas,  and  no  details  of  its  peculiar  haunts  are  recorded. 
It  inhabits  thin  forests,  near  swampy  ground,  and  in  winter  has 
been  killed  at  from  3,000  to  6,000  feet  of  elevation.  I  am  not  aware 
if  it  occurs  elsewhere,  but  it  will  most  probably  be  found  in 
summer  in  Thibet  and  Central  Asia ;  indeed  Bonaparte  states 
that  there  is  a  species  from  Japan  which  scarcely  differs,  having 
20  to  24  rectrices,  the  outer  ones  narrow ;  it  is  very  probably 
Swinhoe's  Gallin.  megahy  from  China. 

PART   II.  4   « 


674  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

870.    Gallinago  stenura,  Temminck. 

Scolopax,  apud  Temminck. — Blyth,  Cat.  1609 — S.  gallinago 
apud  Jerdon,  Cat.  337  (in  part) — S.  heterura,  and  S.  biclavus, 
Hodgson — S.  Horsfieldii,  Gray— Hakdwicke,  111.  Ind.  Zool.  2, 
pi.  54.— 

The  Pin-tailed  Snipe. 

Uescr. — Very  similar  to  the  Common  Snipe  in  colour;  but  the 
under  wing-coverts  and  axillaries  richly  barred  with  dusky  and 
white. 

Of  slightly  smaller  size  than  the  Common  Snipe  ;  length  9  to  10 
inches  ;  wing  5^  ;  bill  barely  [in  general)  2^  inches  ;  tail  2  to  2^  ; 
tarsus  and  feet  slightly  shorter. 

The  Pin-tailed  Snipe  resembles  the  Cftmmon  Snipe  so  closely  that 
it  is  very  seldom  discriminated  by  sportsmen,  and  often  passed 
over  by  the  Naturalist.  It  can,  however,  be  recognised  at  once  by 
the  richly  barred  lower  wing-coverts,  by  its  shorter  beak,  and  most 
conspicuously  by  its  remarkable  tail,  the  lateral  feathers  of  which 
are  very  narrow,  rigid,  and  pointed. 

I  regret  that  I  have  no  information  of  its  habits,  or  of  its  times  of 
appearance  and  departure,  as  distinguished  from  the  Common  Snipe. 

3rd.  With  from  14  to  16  tail-feathers,  of  nearly  uniform 
width ;  restricted  Gallinago,  Bonap. 

871.    Gallinago  scolopacinus,  Bonap. 

Blyth,  ('at.  1610— S.  gallinago,  Linn. — Sykes,  Cat.  197— 
Jerdon,  Cat,  337  (in  part) — S.  uniclavus,  Hodgson— Gould, 
Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  321-2, — S.  burka,  Latham  and  Bonaparte — 
Bharka  Bharak,  H. — {Chaha,  Chahar,  H.  in  various  parts*) — 
Soorkhab,  of  some  Shikaries,  i.  e.,  the  Sucker  of  water — Mukupuredi, 
Tel.,  ^.  e.,  the  long-billed  Txirnix — More-ulan,  Tam. — Chegga,  Beng. 

The  Common  Snipe. 

Descr. — Crown  black,  divided  longitudinally  by  a  yellowish 
white  line ;  a  dusky  brown  eyestreak,  and  a  yellowish  superciliary 

*  AccordinjT  to  Buclianan  Chaha  is  applied  to  various  small  "Waders,  but  not 
correctly  to  the  Snipe. 


SCOLOPACIN^.  675 

one;  back  and  scapulars  velvet  black,  crossed  with  chesnut 
brown  bars,  and  with  longitudinal  streaks  of  ochre  yellow ;  wing- 
coverts  dusky  brown,  edged  with  reddish  white  ;  quills  blackish ; 
chin  and  throat  white  ;  cheeks,  neck,  and  breast  above  mottled 
black  and  ferruginous ;  flanks  barred  white  and  dusky  ;  the  lower 
part  of  the  breast  and  abdomen  pure  white ;  tail  black,  with  the 
terminal  third  red-brown,  barred  black  and  tipped  whitish ;  lower 
wing-coverts  white,  very  faintly  barred. 

Bill  reddish  brown,  paler  at  the  base;  irides  deep  brown;  legs 
greyish  green.  Lengtli  11  to  12  inches ;  extent  17  to  18 ;  wing  5  to 
5|,  about  1  or  1;^  inches  shorter  than  tail;  tail  2^;  bill  at  front  2f 
to  3 ;  tarsus  1^ ;  middle  toe  1;^^.  Weight  3|  to  5  ozs. 

Both  this  and  the  last  species  of  Snipe  are  very  abundant  in 
India  during  the  cold  weather,  and  are  not,  in  general,  discriminat- 
ed by  sportsmen.  Snipe  arrive  in  the  North  of  India  in  small 
numbers  early  in  August,  but  not  in  any  quantity  till  the  end 
of  September  and  October.  A  few  are  generally  found  in  the 
Calcutta  market  early  in  August,  and  in  the  Madras  market  by 
the  25th  of  the  same  month ;  the  last  birds  do  not  leave  before 
the  first  week  of  May.  In  Upper  Burmah,  where  I  noticed 
the  very  early  appearance  of  the  Common  Swallow,  Snipe  come  in 
small  numbers  towards  the  middle  or  latter  end  of  July ;  but  I 
very  much  doubt  their  breeding  there,  or  in  the  marshes  of  Bengal, 
as  Adams  states  that  they  do.  They  frequent  marshes,  inundated 
paddy  fields,  rice  stubble  fields,  edges  of  j heels,  tanks,  and  river 
courses,  feeding,  chiefly  at  night,  on  worms  and  various  aquatic 
insects.  Their  pursuit  is  a  favorite  sport  throughout  India,  and 
vast  numbers  are  occasionally  killed.  I  have  heard  of  100  couples 
having  been  killed  to  one  gun  in  the  South  of  India ;  and  sixty 
or  seventy  brace  is  no  very  uncommon  bag  for  a  first-rate  shot 
in  some  parts  of  the  country.  Snipe  always  rise  with  a  piping 
call,  and  fly  against  the  wind ;  occasionally  they  alight  on  bare 
or  ploughed  land,  and  not  unfrequently  take  refuge  in  some 
neighbouring  low  jungle. 

Snipe  breed  in  Northern  Europe  and  Asia,  laying  four  eggs 
yellowish  white,  spotted  with  brown,  chiefly  at  the  large  end.  The 
peculiar  humming  noise  made  by  some  Snipe  during  their  flight 


676  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

at  the  breeding  season,  was  sliown  by  Meves  of  Stockholm  to 
depend  on  the  outer  tail-feathers ;  and  the  noise  can  be  imitated 
by  drawing-  these  feathers  attaclied  to  a  wire  rapidly  through  the 
air.  The  particular  sound  varies  in  each  species  according  to 
the  structure  of  the  tail. 

4th.  Tail  of  12  uniform  feathers  ;  of  small  size.  Lymnocryptes, 
Kaup. 

872.     Gallinago  gallinula,  Linnaeus. 

Sykes,  Cat.  198— Jerdon,  Cat.  ?)38— Bltth,  Cat.  1611— 
Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  319. 

The  Jack  Snipe.    . 

Descr. — Crown  divided  by  a  black  band  slightly  edged  with 
reddish  brown,  extending  from  the  forehead  to  the  nape  ;  beneath 
this  and  parallel  to  it  are  two  streaks  of  yellowish  white,  separated 
by  another  of  black  ;  a  dusky  line  between  the  gape  and  the  eye  ; 
back  and  scapulars  black,  glossed  with  green,  and  with  purple 
reflections ;  the  scapulars  with  the  outer  webs  creamy  yellow, 
forming  two  conspicuous  longitudinal  bands  extending  from 
the  shoulders  to  the  tail ;  quills  dusky  ;  wing-coverts  black,  edged 
with  pale  brown  and  white  ;  throat  white ;  neck  in  front  and  upper 
breast  pale  yellow  brown  tinged  with  ashy,  and  with  dark  longitu- 
dinal spots ;  lower  breast  and  belly  pure  white ;  tail  dusky,  edged 
with  pale  ferruginous. 

Bill  bluish  at  the  base,  black  towards  the  tip  ;  irides  deep 
brown ;  legs  and  feet  greenish  grey.  Length  8^  inches ; 
extent  14  ;  wing  4| ;  tail  not  quite  2  ;  bill  at  front  If  ;  tarsus  1. 
Weight  If  ozs. 

The  Jack  Snipe  is  generally  diffused  throughout  India,  pre- 
ferring thicker  coverts  than  the  Common  Snipe,  lying  very  close, 
and  difficult  to  flush.  Now  and  then  considerable  numbers  will 
be  met  with  ;  in  other  places  it  is  rarely  seen.  It  makes  its  ap- 
pearance later  than  the  Common  Snipe,  and  departs  earlier, 
breedins;  in  the  Northern  parts  of  Europe  and  Asia. 

Various  other  Snipes  are  found  all  over  the  world.  A  group 
from  South  America  is  separated  by  Bonaparte  as   Xylocola. 


SCOLOPACIN^.  '  677 

Gen.  Rhynch^a,  Cuvier. 

Char. — Bill  shorter  than  in  Gallinago,  slightly  curved  downwards 
at  the  tip ;  wings  rather  short,  broad,  slightly  rounded,  beautifully 
ocellated,  2nd  quill  longest,  1st  and  3rd  sub-equal;  tail  of  14  or  16 
feathers,  slightly  rounded,  short ;  tarsus  long ;  tibia  much  denuded. 

In  this  genus  the  females  are  not  only  larger  than  the  males 
but  they  are  also  much  more  richly  colored.  It  contains  three 
very  closely  allied  species.  Blyth  considers  it  to  have  some  affini- 
ties for  Eurypygn,  a  South  American  bird  of  rather  large  size  with 
ocellated   wings,  usually  placed  among  the  Herons. 

873.    Rhynchaea  bengalensis,  Linn^us. 

Scolopax,  apud  LInn^us — Sykes,  Cat.  199 — Jerdon,  Cat. 
334 — Blyth,  Cat.  1612 — R.  capensis,  Linn. — R.  picta,  Gray — 
R.  orientalis,  Horsfield — Hardwicke,  111.  Ind.  Zool. 

The  Painted  Snipe. 

Descr. — Upper  plumage  more  or  less  olivaceous,  the  feathers 
finely  marked  with  zig-zag  dark  lines,  and  the  scapulars  and  inner 
wing-coverts  with  broad  bars  of  black,  edged  with  white ;  a  me- 
dian pale  bufF  line  on  the  head,  and  another  behind  and  round 
the  eye  ;  scapulars  with  a  pale  bufi"  stripe  as  in  the  Snipe  ;  wino- 
coverts  mottled  and  barred  with  pale  olive  and  buff;  quills  oliva- 
ceous grey,  with  dark,  narrow,  cross  lines,  blackish  towards  the 
base  on  the  outer  web,  and  with  a  series  of  five  or  more  bufF 
ocelli  on  the  outer  web ;  the  inner  web  with  white  cross  bands 
alternating  with  the  ocelli,  and  gradually  changing  to  bufi*  on 
the  tertials ;  tail  olivaceous  grey,  w^ith  four  or  five  rows  of  buff 
ocelli  on  both  webs,  and  tipped  with  buff;  chin  whitish;  neck, 
throat,  and  breast  olivaceous  brown,  with  whitish  spots  or  bars ; 
the  lower  parts  from  the  breast,  white,  passing  on  the  sides  of  the 
breast  towards  the  shoulder,  and  becoming  continuous  with  the 
pale  scapulary  stripe. 

The  female  is  darker  and  plainer  colo\ired  above ;  the  wino-- 
coverts  and  tertials  dark  olive  with  narrow  black  cross  lines,  the 
outermost  tertiaries  white,  forming  a  conspicuous  white  stripe;  lores, 
sides  of  the  face,  and  whole  neck,  deep  ferruginous  chesnut, 
gradually  changing  on  the  breast   into    dark    olive,    almost  black 


678  BIRDS   OF  INDIA. 

beneath,  this  is  bordered  on  the  sides  (as  in  the  male)  by  a 
pure  white  line  passing  up  to  the  scapular  region ;  lower  part 
white,  a  dark  band  on  the  flanks  bordering  the  white  ascending 
line  posteriorly. 

Bill  reddish  brown  ;  irides  deep  bruwn;  legs  greenish.  Length 
of  the  female  9^  inches ;  wing  5f  ;  tail  nearly  2  ;  bill  at  front  1 1 ; 
tarsus  1| ;  mid-toe  If.  The  male  is  a  little  smaller;  length  9 ; 
wing  5;^. 

The  African  species  is  generally  considered  distinct,  and  is  stated 
to  differ  in  its  narrower  quills  and  some  slight  variations  in  the  color- 
ing of  the  wings,  tail,  &c. ;  I  can  see  no  such  difference  however  in 
a  Cape  specimen  in  the  Museum  of  the  Asiatic  Society,  and  I  note 
that  Gurney  in  a  late  paper  in  the  *  Ibis, '  pronounces  them  to  be 
identical.  R.  australis,  Gould,  from  Australia,  is  also  very  closely 
allied,  but  the  female  (only)  possesses  a  peculiar  conformation  of 
the  trachea,  which  is  wanting  in  the  Indian  bird,  this  organ  passing 
down  between  the  skin  and  the  muscles  for  the  whole  length  of 
the  body,  and  making  four  distinct  convolutions  before  entering 
the  lungs.  It  has  shorter  toes  also  than  the  Indian  species.  A 
species  from  South  America,  R.  semicollaris,  V.  is  very  distinct. 

The  Painted  Snipe  is  a  permanent  resident  in  some  parts 
of  India,  breeding  in  June  and  July  in  thick  marshy  ground,  and 
laying  four  eggs  which  are  greenish  with  large  brown  blotches  and 
very  large  for  the  size  of  the  bird.  It  wanders  about  a  good  deal 
according  to  the  season,  and  many  will  be  found  in  paddy  fields,  in 
the  south  of  India,  in  October  and  November,  leading  the  observer 
to  conclude  that  they  are  as  migratory  as  the  true  Snipe.  I  have 
found  them  breeding  in  Malabar,  the  Deccan,  and  Bengal;  after 
the  young  are  fully  grown,  they  disperse  over  the  country. 

The  Painted  Snipe  flies  heavily  and  but  a  short  distance,  and  is 
difficult  to  flush  a  second  time  in  thick  grass.  The  flesh  is  very 
inferior  to  that  of  the  Snipe;  and,  indeed,  is  pronounced  'nasty' 
by  some  late  writer.  Blyth  remarks  that  when  surprised,  it  has  the 
habit  of  spreading  out  its  wings  and  tail,  and  so  forming  a  sort  of 
radiated  disk  which  sho^ys  off  its  spotted  markings,  menacing  the 
while  with  a  hissing  sound  and  contracted  neck,  and  then  suddenly 
darting  off.     The  young  and   the   eggs    are   figured   in  Jardine's 


LUttosiN^.  679 

contributions  to  Ornithology.  It  is  found  throughout  India, 
Ceylon,  Burmah,  parts  of  Malayana,  and  Southern  China,  and  also 
throughout  Africa. 

The  remalnin<T  Longirostres  are   mostly  diurnal  in  their    habits. 

Sub-fam.  LiMOSiN^,  Godwits. 

Bill  much  lengthened,  soft  at  the  tip,  straight  or  slightly 
turned  upwards  ;  mostly  of  somewhat  large  size  ;  plumage  plain  ; 
a  distinct  web  between  the  outer  toes. 

The  Godwits  approach  the  Snipes  in  the  form  of  their  bill  and 
the  softness  of  its  tip,  but  differ  much  in  coloration,  wanting  their 
rich  plumage.  In  this  respect  they  more  closely  resemble  the  Tringce, 
having  a  vernal  change  to  rufous  as  in  many  of  that  group,  from 
which  they  differ  chiefly  by  their  longer  bills,  and  slightly  webbed 
feet.  They  also  frequent  open  ground,  not  affecting  concealment 
at  all ;  are  diurnal,  and  the  eye  is  less  remote  from  the  bill.  The  first 
has  almost  the  bill  of  Scolopax,  and  has  usually  been  called  a  Snipe. 

Gen.     Macroramphus,   Leach. 

Char. — Bill  very  long,  straight,  higher  than  wide,  dilated  at 
the  tip  and  reticulated  like  that  of  Gallinago ;  lower  part  of  the 
tibia  bare  ;  middle  toe  joined  by  web  to  the  outer  one,  and 
partially  also  to  the  inner  one  ;  wings  long,  reaching  to  the  end  of 
the  tail,  1st  and  2nd  quills  longest ;  scapulars  long  ;  tail  moderate. 
Plumage  between  that  of    Tringa  and  Numenius. 

This  genus  differs  from  Gallinago  by  the  partially  webbed  feet, 
longer  legs  and  plumage.  It  forms  a  complete  transition  between 
the  Scolopacince  and  the  Limosince,  and  is  generally  classed  with 
the  former,  but  its  plumage  and  diurnal  habits  are  those  of  the 
Godwits  or  Curlews.  The  Indian  species  differs  slightly  from  the 
American  form  by  having  the  inner  toe  connected  to  the  middle 
one  by  a  web  nearly  as  large  as  that  of  the  outer  toe,  and  has 
been  named  Pseudoscolopax  by  Blyth,  Micropabna  by  Verreaux. 

874.    Macrorhamphus  semipalmatus,  Jerdon. 

Blyth,  J.  A.  S.  XVII.  252— Blyth,  Cat.  1604— Micropalma 
Tacksanowskii,  Verreaux,  Mag.  Zool.  18G0,  pi.  14 — Macrorham- 
phus griseus,  var.  A.,  Bonaparte. 


680  BIRDS    or   INDIA. 

The  Snipe-billed  Godwit. 

Descr. — In  winter  plumage,  ashy-brown  above,  with  whitish 
grey  margins  to  the  feathers ;  crown  and  lores  dusky,  the  feathers 
but  slis^htly  margined  paler,  and  divided  apart  by  a  whitish 
supercilium  ;  throat,  neck,  and  breast,  having  each  feather  somewhat 
indistinctly  pencilled  with  a  zig-zag  sub-terminal  dusky  marking 
on  a  dull  white  ground,  increasing  to  three  or  four  dusky  bars  on 
those  of  the  flanks  and  on  the  lower  tail-coverts  ;  belly  and  vent 
white ;  rump  and  upper  tail-coverts  white,  banded  with  dusky- 
black  ;  tail-feathers  also  banded  with  dusky-black,  the  dark  bars 
beino-  broader  than  the  white  ground  ;  in  the  uropygials  or  middle 
pair  of  tail-feathers,  the  white  disappears  on  the  inner  web,  and 
is  reduced  to  a  series  of  spots  on  the  outer  ;  the  primaries  and 
their  coverts,  and  the  winglet,  are  dusky  ;  the  shorter  primaries,  to 
a  partial  extent,  and  the  secondaries,  and  their  coverts  are  edged 
with  white  ;  the  first  i>rimary  a  little  exceeds  the  second  in  length, 
and  has  the  usual  stout  and  white  stem ;  under  surface  of  wing 
chiefly  white,  except  along  its  anterior  borders. 

Bill  dusky,  carneous  towards  the  base  of  the  lower  mandible ; 
irides  dark  brown;  legs  plumbeous  green.  Length  13  inches; 
extent  20;  wing  6i  ;  tail  2^;  bill  at  front  2| ;  tarsus  If; 
middle  toe  1^. 

This  bird  appears  to  be  a  rare  winter  visitant  to  the  Coasts  of 
India.  I  procured  one  specimen  in  the  Madras  market;  Mr. 
Blyth  some  years  subsequently  got  another  at  Calcutta,  and  there 
is  no  other  record  of  its  occurrence  in  India.  It  has  lately  been 
obtained  in  its  breeding  plumage  in  Northern  Asia,  and  described 
and  figured  in  the  Mag.  de  Zool.  as  new,  by  M.  Verreaux.  In  this 
state  it  is  rufous,  the  wings  brown,  edged  with  white,  and  the  tail 
banded  black  and  white.  It  was  stated  not  to  affect  concealment, 
and  the  male  is  said  to  have  the  neck  dilated.  It  probably  is, 
like  M.  griseus,  chiefly  a  sea-coast  bird,  and  may  be  procured 
hereafter  more  abundantly. 

M.  griseus  of  Europe  and  America  occurs  in  the  latter  country 
in  vast  numbers,  frequents  the  sand-banks  and  mud-banks,  at 
low  water,  and  has  a  loud  and  shrill  whistle. 


LIMOSIN^.  681 

Gen.  LiMOSA,  Brisson. 
Char.— BWl  very  long,  slender,  soft,  straight  or  slightly  sub- 
recurved  at  the  tip,  cylindrical  at  the  base,  obtuse  at  the  point ; 
nostrils  basal ;  wings  moderately  long,  the  1st  quill  longest ;  tail 
short,  even ;  tibia  bare  for  a  considerable  extent ;  tarsiis  long, 
slender,  scutellate  in  front ;  feet  with  the  middle  toe  very  long ; 
a  web  between  the  outer  and  middle  toes ;  hind  toe  short ;  nail 
of  middle  toe  dilated  internally,  with  a  cutting  or  finely 
toothed   edge. 

875.    Limosa  segocephala,  Linn^us. 

Scolopax,  apud  LiNNiEUS — L.  melanura,  Leisler — L.  mela- 
nuroides,  Gould — L.  leucophaja,  apud  Jeedon,  Cat.  339  also  340 
— Bltth,  Cat.  1589. — Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi. — Gairiya, 
H.,  sometimes  Burr  a  chalia — Jaurali,  Beng.  —  Tondu  ulanha,  Tel. 

The  Small  Godwit. 

Descr. — Winter  plumage  ;  all  the  upper  parts  uniform  ashy 
brown,  with  the  shafts  of  the  feathers  of  a  somewhat  deeper 
tint  ;  superciliary  stripe,  and  rump  Avhite  ;  quills  dusky,  the  basal 
part  of  some  of  the  primaries  white  ;  greater  wing-coverts  ashy- 
grey,  broadly  edged  with  white  ;  tail  white  at  the  base,  the  terminal 
two-thirds  black  ;  the  two  middle  feathers  tipped  with  white  ; 
beneath,  the  throat,  neck,  breast,  and  flanks  greyish  white  ;  the 
abdomen  and  under  tail-coverts  white. 

Bill  dull  orange-reddish  at  the  base,  dusky  at  the  tip  ;  irides 
dark  brown  ;  legs  dusky  greyish  green.  Length  from  17  to  21 
inches  ;  wing  8  to  9  ;  tail  2|  to  3j  ;  bill  at  front  3^  to  5  ;  tarsus 
21  to  4. 

In  summer  the  head  becomes  black,  the  back  and  scapulars 
black,  edged  and  tipped  with  ferruginous,  and  the  lower  parts 
bright  ferruginous,  the  middle  of  the  abdomen  alone  being  white. 
The  bill  becomes  bright  orange  at  the  base,  and  the  legs  black. 
Young  birds  have  the  feathers  edged  with  reddish,  and  the  tail 
tipped  with  white. 

This  Godwit  is  found  throughout  India  during  the  cold 
weather,   generally  in  large  flocks  at  the  edge  of  water.     It  is 

PART    IL  4   R 


682  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

excellent  eating.  It  varies  very  much  in  size,  and  in  the  length 
of  the  bill,  the  female  being  much  larger  than  the  male.  It 
breeds  in  Northern  Eur(5pe  and  Asia.  Pallas  remarks  that  in 
summer  it  is  very  clamorous^  having  a  whistling  call  something 
like  the  hinny  of  a  foal. 

Other  Godwits  are  L.  lapponica,  L.,  the  large  Godwit  of 
Europe,  stated  to  have  occurred  in  Nepal  ;  two  or  three  species 
are  recorded  from  Australia  and  New  Zealand,  and  two  from 
America  ;  all  very  closely  related  to  each  other. 

Gen.     Terekia,  Bonaparte. 

Syn.     Fedoa,  Stephens — Xennas,  Kaup. — Limicola,  Vieillot. 

Char.— Bill  very  long,  slender,  recurved;  tarsus  rather  short;  feet 
with  the  front  toes  joined  by  a  web,  i^rrow  and  short  between  the 
inner  and  mid-toes.     Of  small  size. 

This  genus  is  united  by  some  Ornithologists  to  Limosa,  but 
seems  distinct  enough  in  form  to  allow  of  its  separation  :  it  tends 
towards  the  Totanince. 

876.    Terekia  cinerea,  Gmelin. 

Scolopax,  apud  Gmelin — Blyth,  Cat.  1587 — Scol.  terek, 
Latham — Limosa  terek,  Jerdon,  Cat.  341 — Tetanus  Javanicus, 
HoRSFiELD — Lim.  recurvirostra,  Pallas — Limicola  Indiana, 
Vieillot — Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pl.  307. 

The  Avoset  Sandpiper. 

Descr. — Upper  plumage  bluish-ashy,  the  stems  of  the  feathers 
dark,  with  some  broadish  dark  streaks  ;  forehead  and  cheeks 
white,  with  ashy  strise ;  shoulder  of  wings,  edge  of  wing,  and  quills 
blackish  brown,  the  1st  primary  with  a  white  stem  ;  secondaries 
tipped  with  white  ;  tail  ashy,  with  the  lateral  feathers  paler  and 
bordered  with  white ;  throat  whitish ;  neck  in  front  and  top  of 
breast  pale  ashy,  with  streaks  of  reddish  brown ;  lower  breast, 
belly,  and  under  tail-coverts  white. 

Bill  orange-yellow  at  the  base,  with  a  dusky  tip  ;  irides  brown  ; 
legs  pale  orange.  Length  nearly  9  inches  ;  extent  1 6|- ;  wing  5  ; 
tiil  2  ;  bill  at  front  Ij''^  ;  tarsus  Ij^;  mid-toe  nearly  1. 


NUMENIN^.  683 

This  neat  plumaged  little  Sandpiper  is  not  very  abundant  in 
the  South  of  India,  but  is  met  with  more  frequently  towards  the 
North ;  it  frequents  the  shores  of  seas,  back  waters,  tanks  and 
rivers,  in  small  flocks.  In  summer  plumage  the  scapulars  become 
black,  edged  with  brown.  It  breeds  in  Northern  Asia,  laying 
four  pale  olive-yellow  eggs  with  brown  spots.  It  is  extensively 
distributed  over  Europe,  and  Asia  to  Australia. 

Bonaparte  places  next  TereMa.,  Anarhynchus  frontalis^  Q.  and 
G.,  a  very  curious  small  bird  with  a  short  slightly  up-turned  bill ; 
but,  as  previously  noticed,  I  am  inclined,  (  simply  however,  from 
inspection  of  a  drawing,  )  to  refer  this  bird  to  the  group  of  Plovers 
comprising  the  Tumstone,  vide  page  656. 

Sub-fam.  NuMENiN^,  Curlews. 

Bill  very  long,  curved  downwards. 

The  Curlews  differ  from  the  Godwits,  and  also  from  the 
Tringince,  in  their  curved  beaks,  and  the  summer  plumage  not 
varying  from  the  winter  garb. 

Gen.  NuMENius,  Linnaeus. 

Char. — Bill  very  long,  moderately  slender,  curved,  almost 
round ;  upper  mandible  channeled,  the  tip  hard,  obtuse,  slightly 
produced  beyond  the  lower  ;  nostrils  basal,  linear,  apert  ;  wings 
moderately  long,  the  1st  quill  longest  ;  tail  short,  even,  or  slightly 
rounded  ;  tarsus  moderately  long,  scutate  inferiorly  ;  anterior 
toes  short,  basally  connected  by  web,  and  bordered  by  a  narrow 
membrane  ;  hind  toe  short,  with  the  nail  rudimentary. 

877.    Numenius  arquata,  Linn^us. 

Jerdon,  Cat.  357 — Blyth,  Cat.  1590-— Gould,  Birds  of 
Europe,  pi. — Goar  or  Goungh,  H. — Choppa,  Beng. — also  Sada 
kastachura,  Beng. 

The  Curlew. 

Descr. — Head,  neck,  and  breast  pale  ashy,  tinged  with  rufous, 
the   shafts- and   middle   of  the   feathers  dusky;  upper  back  and 


684  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

scapulars  blackish  brovrn,  the  feathers  broadly  edged  with  rufous 
brown ;  lower  back  white,  with  dusky  spots  ;  tail  yellowish  white, 
with  transverse  brown  bars ;  abdomen  white  with  dusky  spots. 

Bill  dusky  brown  above,  fleshy  below  ;  irides  dark  brown  ;  legs 
and  feet  pale  bluish  grey.  Length  varies  according  to  sex  from 
21  to  26  inches;  extent  34  to  38  ;  wing  11  to  12^;  tail  4^ ;  bill 
at  front  4  to  6^  inches  ;  tarsus  3  j. 

The  Curlew  is  found  throughout  India,  most  abundantly  per- 
haps near  the  sea  coast,  but  also  far  inland,  frequenting  marshes, 
lakes,  and  rivers.  It  is  generally  seen  in  small  flocks,  often  alone, 
but  at  the  times  of  its  arrival  or  departure  sometimes  in  great 
numbers.  It  arrives  in  September  and  leaves  in  March  or  April. 
It  is  a  very  v/ary  bird,  and  has  a  fine  wild  whistle.  It  is  excel- 
lent eating.  It  breeds  in  Northern  Europe  and  Asia  (spreading  in 
winter  into  Africa  and  Southern  Asia,)  laying  four  eggs  of  the 
usual  blotched  green  colour.  The  Curlew  is  stated  to  perch  on 
trees  occasionally  in  Northern  Europe. 

An  allied,  but  larger  species,  is  separated  by  Schlegel  as  iV. 
major ;  Swinhoe  obtained  this  large  race  in  China,  so  it  may  be 
looked  for  here.  Certainly  specimens  vary  greatly  in  size  and 
in  length  of  bill. 

The  next  species  has  been  most  unnecessarily  separated  as 
Phceopus,  Cuv. 

878.    Numenius  phaeopus,  Linn^us. 

Blyth,  Cat.  1591 — Jerdon,  Cat.  358 — Gould,  Birds  of 
Europe,  pi. — Chota  Goungh,  H. 

The  Whimbrel. 

Descr. — Forehead  and  croAvn  cinereous  broAvn,  the  latter  divi- 
ded by  a  longitudinal  pale  streak  ;  over  each  eye  a  broad  streak 
of  white  mixed  with  brown  ;  sides  of  the  head,  neck,  and  breast 
pale  ashy  with  brown  streaks  ;  upper  back,  scapulars,  and  wing- 
coverts  deep  brown,  the  feathers  with  pale  edgings ;  lower  back 
white ;  rump  white,  barred  with  ashy  brown  ;  tail  cinereous  brown 
with  dark  oblique  bars ;  abdomen  and  under  tail-coverts  white, 
the  flanks  barred  with  brown. 


NUMENINiF..  685 

Bill  dusky,  reddish  at  tlie  base  ;  irides  brown  ;  legs  dark  bluish 
grey.  Length  16  to  18  inches ;  extent  29  ;  wing  9i  to  10  ;  tall 
3| ;  bill  at  front  3  to  3^ ;  tarsus 

The  Whimbrel  is  found  throughout  India,  and  is  more  abundant 
than  the  Curlew.  It  frequents  similar  localities,  and,  is  always 
found  in  flocks,  in  marshy  ground,  near  lakes  and  rivers,  and 
like  the  last,  is  more  numerous  in  the  vicinity  of  the"  sea-coast 
than  inland.  It  is  excellent  eating,  perhaps  better  than  the 
Curlew,  and  has  been  called  the  '  Wood-cock'  of  Bengal.  It  has 
a  similar  geographical  distribution  to  the  Curlew,  but  breeds 
further  North. 

There  are  many  species  of  Curlew  recorded  from  all  parts  of 
the  world,  very  similar  in  plumage,  and  some  doubtfully  distinct 
as  species.  One,  said  to  be  well  marked,  N.  temiirostris,  is  stated 
to  have  been  met  with  in  Burmah. 

Gen.     Ibidorhynchus,  Vigors. 

Syn.      Clorhynchus,  Hodgson — Erolia,  Hodgson. 

Char. — Bill  long,  slender,  beak  well  curved,  scarcely  dilated  at 
the  tip,  upper  mandible  grooved;  tomiae  inflexed  and  denticulated; 
nostrils  wide,  linear,  basal;  wings  long,  with  the  1st  quill  longest; 
tertiaries  lengthened ;  tail  rather  short,  even,  of  12  feathers;  tarsi 
short,  stout ;  tibia  bare  for  a  very  small  space ;  anterior  toes  short ; 
outer  toe  free  or  nearly  so ;  hind  toe  wanting ;  nails  short,  obtuse. 

This  remarkable  form  is,  says  Hodgson,  *  a  curlew  with  short  legs 
and  the  feet  of  a  Plover.'  Gould  remarks  that  its  feet  are  like 
those  of  Hcematopus,  and  its  bill  that  of  an  Ibis. 

879.    Ibidorhynchus  Struthersii,  Vigors. 

Gould,  Cent.  Him.  Birds,  pi.  19— Blyth,  Cat.  1577 — Erolia 
(red  billed,)  Hodgson,  J.  A.  S.,  IV.  459 — Clorhynchus  strophia- 
tus,  Hodgson,  1.  c,  p.  761. 

The  Red-billed  Curlew. 

Deser. — Whole  head,  as  far  as  the  eyes,  black,  mixed  in  some, 
(query  females,)  with  grey  about  the  base  of  the  bill,  and  margined 
with  white  towards  the  body;  the  rest  of  the  plumage  olive,   with 


686  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

the  nape,  wings,  and  tail  bluish-ashy ;  winglet  and  primaries  slaty- 
blue  ;  an  irregular  bar  of  white  across  the  wings ;  upper  tail- 
coverts  black  powdered  with  ashy  ;  tail-feathers  cross-barred  with 
brownish  black,  and  all  the  feathers,  except  the  two  central  ones, 
largely  tipped  with  black,  the  outermost  feather  with  a  white 
outer-web ;  chin  and  throat  black,  the  neck  ashy,  and  a  broad 
gorget  of  black  on  the  breast  edged  with  white  anteriorly ;  the 
rest  beneath,  including  the  under  surface  of  the  wings  and  under 
tail-coverts  pure  white. 

Bill  deep  crimson ;  irides  red  ;  legs  blood  red. ,  Length  16|- 
inches ;  extent  nearly  30  ;  wing  9^ ;  tail  4^  ;  bill  3|  ;  tarsus  2|-. 
Weight  9i  to  10  ozs. 

This  remarkable  bird  has  only  been  found  in  the  Himalayas. 
Hodgson  first  found  it  on  the  banl^s  of  sandy  streams  in  Nepal 
in  October,  he  described  it  as  not  being  gregarious,  and  observed 
its  food  to  consist  of  minute  univalves.  I  met  with  it  on  the 
banks  of  the  Great  Rungeet,  in  Sikim,  occasionally  single, 
generally  in  small  parties  of  five  or  six.  It  runs  along  the  pebbly 
edge  of  the  river,  and  is  exceedingly  wary.  Mountaineer  mentions 
that  the  Red-billed  Curlew  is  found  in  all  large  rivers  which  rise 
from  the  snow  and  have  a  broad  sandy  channel ;  Adams  observed  it 
on  a  river  in  Ladakh,  but  by  no  means  common, 

Hodsfson  found  the  stomach  to  be  small  and  muscular,  and  the 
intestines  moderately  long,  with  two  long  ceeca. 

Sub-fam.  Tringin^,  Stints,  &c. 

Bill  short  or  moderate,  soft,  and  somewhat  flexible,  occasionally 
dilated  or  curved  ;  wings  long  ;  tail  short ;  legs  moderately  short ; 
the  toes  usually  divided  to  the  base,  or  with  a  very  rudimentary 
web. 

The  Stints  differ  from  the  God  wits  by  their  shorter  bill  and  legs  ; 
and  from  the  Sandpipers  by  their  shorter  and  softer  bills,  combined 
with  a  greater  delicacy  of  tact,  which  is  equal  to  that  of  the 
Godwits,  but  less  than  that  of  the  Snipes.  They  have  also  a  greater 
tendency  to  associate  in  flocks  than  many  of  the  TotanincB.  They 
feed  in  marshes,  paddy  fields,  edges  of  tanks,  rivers,  &c.,  but 
affect  concealment  or  cover  more  perhaps  than  the  Sandpipers.  They 


TRINGIN^.  687 

live  on  soft  insects,  worms,  larvse,  small  Crustacea  and  molluscs. 
Most  of  them  have  a  marked  change  of  plumage  in  summer, 
becoming  darker  above  and  rufous  beneath ;  and  in  one  species 
the  male,  which  is  larger  than  the  female  is  ornamented  with  a 
fine  ruff. 

Gen.  Philomachus,  Mcehring. 

Syn.     Machetes,    Cuvier — Pavoncello,  Leach. 

Char. — Bill,  wings,  and  tail  as  in  Tringa;  tarsus  somewhat 
more  lengthened ;  the  outer  toe  joined  to  the  middle  one  by  a 
short  web. 

This  form  differs  structurally  from  Tringa  only  in  having  a  web 
between  the  outer  toe  and  the  middle  one  ;  but  the  males  are  much 
larger  than  the  females,  assume  a  rich  and  very  varied  coloration 
in  summer,  with  the  addition  of  a  large  ruff  of  long  feathers, 
and  fight  furiously  for  the  possession  of  the  females. 

880.    Philomachus  pugnax,  Linn^us. 

Tringa,  apud  Linn^us — Blyth,  Cat.  1601 — Gould,  Birds  of 
Europe,  pi.  328 — Limosa  Hardwickii,  Gray,  Hardw.  111.  Ind. 
Zool.  2  pi.  52,  f.  2  (the  male  in  winter  dress) — Tot.  indicus,  Gray, 
Hardw.  111.  Ind.  Zool.  2  pi.  52,  f.  1  (the  female  in  winter  dress) 
— Jerdon,  Cat.  342  and  343 — Geh-icala,  H. 

The  Ruff. 

Descr. — In  winter  plumage,  the  male  has  the  upper  plumage 
variable,  generally  rich  brown,  with  black  central  spots,  and 
reddish  or  wliitish  edges,  the  head  and  neck  usually  somewhat 
paler ;  the  greater-coverts  barred  black  and  reddish  brown ;  pri- 
maries dusky  ;  tail  with  the  middle  feathers  barred  black  and  red- 
brown;  the  throat,  forepart  of  the  neck,  and  the  lower  parts 
pure  white,  sometimes  mottled  with  blackish  ;  the  breast  reddish 
or  ashy  brown,  with  or  without  darker  spots. 

Bill  dusky  brown  ;  irides  brown ;  legs  fleshy  yellow.  Length 
12  to  13  inches ;  wing  7^ ;  extent  22^  ;  tail  2^  ;  bill  at  front  ly'„  ; 
tarsus  2.      Weight  6  ounces  or  rather  more. 

The  female  is  much  smaller,  has  more  of  an  ashy  tint  through- 
out, and  the  feathers  more  or  less  dark-centered. 


688  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

Length  9^  to  10^  inches  ;  wing  6  ;  tail  2y-^  ;  tarsus  ly^^j.  Weight 
3^  to  4  ounces. 

In  summer  plumage  the  male  is  richly  colored  with  black, 
deep  rufous,  and  ashy ;  the  face  covered  with  yellow  or  reddisli 
papillae,  the  ruff  composed  of  strong  feathers,  richly  variegated, 
and  the  breast  mixed  with  white  and  blue-black.  The  female 
has  no  ruff,  and  is  paler  than  the  male. 

The  RufF  and  Reeve  are  found  in  large  numbers  in  India 
during  the  cold  season,  sometimes  assembling  in  vast  flocks. 
They  are  frequently  found  in  grass  land  and  damp  meadows  at 
some  distance  from  water  ;  at  other  times  on  the  edges  of  tanks. 
They  feed  greedily  on  rice,  and  are  most  excellent  eating.  This 
bird  breeds  in  Northern  and  Central  Europe  and  Asia.  The  males 
select  some  particular  spot  on  a  rising  ground,  where,  being 
polygamous,  they  have  regular  battles  for  the  possession  of 
the  females ;  they  are  very  quarrelsome  and  pugnacious  at  all 
times. 

Between  Pldlomachus  and  Tringa,  Gray  places  the  genus  Hemi- 
palama,  Bon.,  formed  from  Trijiga  multistriata  of  Lichtenstein ; 
and  closely  following  Tringa,  T.  leucoptera,  Gmelin,  ranged  by 
Bonaparte  under  Prosobonia,  among  the  Rails. 

Gen.     Tringa,  Linna3us  (as  restricted.) 

Syn.  Schceniclus,  Moehring. 

Bill  moderate  or  short,  soft,  flexible,  straight,  or  bent  down  at  the 
tip  which  is  depressed  and  obtuse,  channeled  throughout  almost 
to  the  tip ;  wings  long  with  the  1st  quill  longest ;  tail  short,  even  ; 
tarsus  rather  short,  scutellate  anteriorly  ;  toes  free,  or  barely  united 
by  a  small  web. 

The  first  species  has  the  bill  somewhat  shorter  than  the  others, 
and  perfectly  straight,  and  has  been  placed  in  Colidris  by  Cuvier. 

881.    Tringa  canutus,  Linnaeus. 

Blyth,  Cat.  1592— Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  324. 

The  Knot. 
J)escr. — Winter  plumage  uniform  ash-grey  above,  the  primaries 
blackish  with  white  shafts ;  beneath,  white,  slightly  streaked  with 


TRINGIN^.  689 

Bill  black ;  irldes  hazel ;  legs  blnisli  black.  Length  10  inches  ; 
wing  6^  ;  tail  2| ;  bill  1^ ;  tarsus 

In  summer  the  upper  plumage  becomes  very  dark-black,  edged 
with  reddish  brown  and  white  ;  the  head  and  neck  is  streaked 
brown ;  the  greater  wing-coverts  ashy ;  the  rump  and  upper  tail- 
coverts  white-barred  ;  and  the  whole  lower  parts  rich  chesnut. 

The  Knot  is  of  rare  occurrence  in  India.  I  procured  one  speci- 
men at  Madras,  which  I  believe  is  the  only  one  recorded.  It  is 
found  throughout  the  northern  portion  of  both  Continents.  Tringa 
lomatina,  Licht.,  from  Southern  Asia,  is  recorded  by  Bonaparte 
as  near  the  Knot,  and  is  perhaps  the  same  ;  and  Schceniclus  magnus, 
Gould,  the  same  bird  as  Tot.  tenuirostris,  Horsfield,  according  to 
Blyth  (in  Uteris),  is  closely  allied. 

The  remaining  species,  Pelidna,  Cuvier,  have  the  bill  somewhat 
longer,  distinctly  turned  down  at  the  tip,  and  the  toes  perfectly 
free.  The  first  of  these  has  the  bill  more  distinctly  arched,  and 
is  separated  by  Kaup  as  Ancylocheihis ;  it  had  previously,  indeed, 
been  separated  by  Cuvier  as  Falcinellus. 

882.    Tringa  subarquata,  Gmelin. 

Blyth,  Cat.  1594 — Jerdon,  Cat.  344 — Gould,  Birds  of 
Europe,  pi.  328 — T.  chinensis,  Gray — T.  falcinella,  Pallas — 
Erolia  varia,  A^ieillot — Falcinellus  Cuvieri,  Bonap. 

The  Curlew  Stint. 

Descr. — In  winter  plumage,  the  face  and  supercilium  white ; 
a  brown  streak  from  the  gape  to  the  eye  ;  upper  part  of  head, 
back,  scapulars,  and  wing-coverts,  ashy-brown,  the  shafts  of  the 
feathers  somewhat  darker;  feathers  of  the  nape  streaked  with 
brown,  and  edged  whitish ;  upper  tail-coverts  white ;  tail  ashy- 
grey,  edged  with  white ;  throat  and  beneath  pure  white ;  the 
feathers  of  the  neck  in  front  and  of  the  breast  streaked  with 
pale  brown. 

Bill  black  ;  irides  brown  ;  legs  dusky  grey.  Length  8  inches ; 
wing  5  ;  tail  If  ;  bill  at  front  l/^- ;  tarsus  1^. 

The  Curlew  Stint  is  found  throughout  India,  is  rare  towards 
the  South,  common  about  Calcutta,  and  in  the  North  of  India  gener  - 

part  IL  4  S 


BIRDS     OF    INDIA. 

ally.  It  associates  In  considerable  flocks,  and  prefers  large  sand 
banks  or  mud  banks  on  the  sea-coast,  or  in  large  riA^ers.  It  has 
been  found  throughout  the  Indian  Archipelago,  and  breeds  in  the 
North  of  Europe  and  Asia.  It  is  considered  most  excellent  food. 
The  next  species  belongs  to  restricted  Pelidna,  apud  Bonap., 
Schceniclus,  apud  Gray. 

883.    Tringa  cinclus,  Linnjsus. 

Blyth,  Cat.  1595— Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  329— T.  alpina, 
Linn.  — Scol.  salina,  Pallas— Numenius  variabilis,  Bechstein. 

The  Dunlin. 
Descr. — In  winter  plumage,  above,  with  the  lores  and  cheeks 
ashy-brown,  the  shafts  of  the  feathers  dark,  and  those  of  the  upper 
plumage  edged  paler ;  supercilia  and  sides  of  the  forehead  whitish- 
ashy  ;  lesser  and  median  coverts  brown,  edged  with  ashy ;  quilla 
deep  brown,  with  a  pale  edging  ;  middle  tail  feathers  dark  brown, 
the  laterals  ashy  and  edged  with  white ;  throat  white ;  breast 
whitish-ashy  with  a  few  brown  streaks ;  abdomen  and  under 
tail-coverts  pure  white. 

Bill  black;  irides  deep  brown.  Length  7^  inches;  wing  4^; 
tail  1| ;  bill  at  front  \\  ;  tarsus  1. 

In  summer  the  head  is  black,  the  upper  plumage  much  mixed 
with  ferruginous  and  brown  ;  the  abdomen  pure  black  ;  and  the 
breast  white  and  spotted. 

The  Dunlin  is  a  somewhat  rare  visitant  to  India,  and  I  have 
not  seen  it  in  the  South.  It  is  occasionally  brought  to  the 
Calcutta  market.  It  is  an  inhabitant  of  both  Continents,  breeding 
in  the  North. 

T.  maculata,  V.  (pectoralis,  Say,)  of  N.  America,  and  occa- 
sionally killed  in  Britain,  is  also  placed  here. 

The  next  species,  of  small  size,  is  separated  as  ActodrGmus, 
Kaup. 

884.    Tringa  minuta,  Leisler. 

Blyth,  Cat.  1597— T.  pusilla,  Meyer— Jerdon,  Cat.  345— 
Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  332~T.  cinclus,  Pallas— CAo^a 
pan-hha,  H. 


TRINGINJi.  691 

The  Little  Stint, 

Descr. — All  the  upper  parts  ashy-brown,  the  shafts  dusky ;  a 
brown  streak  from  the  gape  to  the  eye,  and  a  whitish  supercilium ; 
the  two  central  tail-feathers  brown,  the  outer  ones  ashy-brown, 
edued  with  whitish ;  throat,  foreneck,  middle  of  the  breast,  and 
all  the  under  parts  pure  white ;  the  sides  of  the  breast  ashy- 
brown. 

Bill  black  ;  irides  deep  brown  ;  legs  black.  Length  6  inches  ; 
wing  Sy^y  ;  tail  1^  ;  bill  at  front  -^^  ;  tarsus  j^y. 

In  summer  the  head,  and  upper  parts,  with  the  two  central 
tall-feathers,  become  black,  broadly  edged  and  tipped  with  rufous 
brown ;   and  the  cheeks,  sides  of  neck,  and  breast  reddish. 

The  Little  Stint  is  very  abundant  throughout  India  in  winter, 
associating  in  large  flocks,  and  feeding  on  marshy  ground,  rice 
fields,  and  the  edges  of  tanks  and  rivers.  It  is  very  excellent 
eating. 

This  species  is  found  throughout  the  Old  World,  breeding  chiefly 
in  the  North.  A  nearly  allied  species  is  T.  suhminuta,  Mid- 
dendorf,  found  in  Japan  and  North-Eastern  Asia,  and  in  China, 
and  very  possibly  confounded  with  the  common  species,  it  occurs 
at  all  events,  in  the  more  Eastern  parts  of  India  and  Burmah.  It 
is  said  to  difier  chiefly  by  its  longer  toes. 

The  following  species  has  been  again  separated  as  Leimonites, 
Kaup. 

885.    Tringa  Temminckii,  Leisler. 

Bltth,  Cat.  1598— Jerdon,  Cat.  346— Sykes,  Cat.  200— 
Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  333— T.  pusilla,  Bechstein. 

The  White-tailed  Stint. 

Descr. — In  winter  plumage,  all  the  upper  parts  brown,  with 
dusky  streaks  in  the  centres  of  the  feathers;  the  four  central 
tail-feathers  ashy-brown,  the  others  Avhitish,  and  the  two  outer- 
most ones  pure  white;  throat  white;  front  of  neck  and  breast  ashy- 
brown  ;  belly  and  under  tail-coverts  pure  white. 

Bill  black;  irides  deep  brown.  Length  6  to  Q\  inches;  wing 
3y^^;  tail  l/^y ;   bill  at  front  y^^  ;  tarsus  4-^. 


692  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

The  White-tailed  Stint  is  less  numerous  in  India  than  the  last 
species  ;  it  has  similar  habits,  and  a  like  geographical  distribution. 

A  few  other  species  of  little  Stints  are  recorded  from  various 
parts  of  the  world.  From  the  Indian  isles,  we  have  T.  albescens, 
Terara.,  {T.  damacensis,  Horsf. ;  pusilta,  apud  S.  Miiller);  and 
S.  aicstralis,  Gould,  (T.  acuminata,  Horsf.) 

The  next  species  has  the  bill  broad  and  depressed,  and  is  separated 
as  Limicola,  Kaup  ;  it  is  perhaps  worthy  of  separation,  as  it  leads 
towards  the  next  form,  Eurinorhynckns.  There  is  only  one  species 
in  this  division. 

886.    Tringa  platyrhyncha,  Temminck. 

Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  331— Blyth,  Cat.  1596— T. 
cloroides,  Yirillot — Limicola  py^maea,  Kaup — Gray,  111. 
Genera  of  Birds,  pi.  152,  f.  2. 

The  Broad-billed  Stint. 

Bescr. — In  winter  plumage,  above  ashy-brown,  with  a  rufous 
tint ;  cheeks  white,  spotted  with  brown  ;  quills  brown  ;  tail  brown, 
edged  with  pale  reddish  ashy ;  neck  white  with  brown  spots  ;  the 
rest  of  the  lower  parts  white,  tinged  with  rufous  on  the  sides  of 
the  breast,  the  flanks,  and  under  tail-coverts. 

Bill  blackish  ;    irides    deep  brown  ;   legs   dusky.     Length    6^ 
inches;  wing  3|  ;  tail  If  ;  bill  at  front  ly^  ;  tarsus  |. 
,.   The  bill  is  rather  long,  broad,  flattened,  and  slightly  bent  down 
at  the  tip. 

In  summer,  the  upper  plumage  is  more  or  less  black,  edged  with 
rufous  and  bufFy  white,  the  quills  black  with  white  shafts,  the 
breast  whitish  with  black  spots  and  tinged  with  rufous,  the  rest  of 
the  lower  surface  white. 

The  Broad-billed  Stint  is  tolerably  common  towards  the  North  of 
India,  rare  in  the  South.  It  perhaps  abounds  more  on  the  sea-coasts 
and  on  tidal  rivers  than  far  inland.  It  has  a  similar  distribution  to 
the  other  members  of  this  group. 

Gen.  EuRiNORHYNCHUS,  Nilsson. 

Char. — Bill  much  depressed,  broad,  flat,  with  a  ridge  in  the  centre 
at    the    base,    ending   in    a   flat,    somewhat  obcordate,  expanded 


TKINGIN^.  693 

tip  which  terminates  in  a  minute  point  slightly  turned  down ;  nostrib 

at  the  basal  end  of  a  moderate  groove  ;  feet  moderate  ;  toes  well 
cleft,  with  a  very  small  web  between  the  outer  and  middle  toes. 
Plumage,  wings,  and  general  form,  as  in  Tringa. 

887.    Eurinorhynchus  griseus,  Linn^us. 

Platalea,  apud  LiNN^us— Trans.  Asiat.  Soc.  pi. — Blyth, 
Cat.  1599— E.  orientalis,  Blyth,  Ann.  Mag.  N.  H.  1843— E. 
griseus,  Nilsson—Gray,  111.  Genera  of  Birds,  pi  152,  f.  1. 

The  Spoon-billed  Stint. 

Descr. — Ashy-grey  above,  more  or  less  shaded  with  brown,  and 
the  feathers  tipped  whitish ;  the  feathers  of  the  head,  back  of 
neck,  upper  back,  and  wing- coverts  dark  in  the  centre  with 
whitish  tips ;  forehead  white  ;  upper  tail-coverts  dark  with  the 
shafts  white,  except  at  the  tip,  which  is  black ;  tail  with  the 
medial  feathers  dark  on  the  inner  web,  paler  on  the  outer  web,  and 
gradually  becoming  paler  to  the  outermost  feather,  which  is  almost 
white ;  quills  dark  brown  with  white  shafts,  lighter  on  the  inner 
webs,  and  white  at  the  base  for  one-third  on  the  outside,  and 
two-thirds  of  the  inner  webs  of  the  primaries,  and  for  two-thirds  of 
the  inner  margin  only  of  the  inner  web  of  the  secondaries, 
the  rest  being  dark  brown,  with  a  narrow  border  of  white ; 
tertiaries  with  some  of  the  feathers  altogether  white  on  the 
inner  web  and  tip  ;  lower  parts,  including  the  cheeks,  entirely 
snow-white,  some  of  the  smaller  under-coverts  of  tiie  wing  alone 
being  mottled  with  ashy. 

Bill  black  ;  irides  deep  brown  ;  legs  black.  Length  6^  inches  ; 
extent  12^  ;  wing  3| ;  tail- 1|;  bill  |  to  1 ;  tarsus  |. 

This  very  curious  little  bird  has  hitherto  only  been  found  on 
the  mouths  of  the  Gano-es  and  on  the  coast  of  Chittaojono:  and 
Arrakan.  It  frequents  the  mud-banks  and  sand-banks  of  the 
sea  shore  and  tidal  rivers,  and  feeds  in  company  with  various  small 
Tring<B.  It  was  erroneously  described  by  Linngeus  as  from  Suri- 
nam. 


694  BIRDS   OF    INDIA. 

Gen.     Calidris,  Cuvler. 

Syn.     Arenaria,  Meyer. 

Hind  toe  Avanting,  otherwise  as  in  Tringa ;  the  web  at  the  base 
of  the  toes  very  smalL 

The  absence  of  the  hind  toe  has  caused  some  Ornithologists  to 
place  this  bird  among  the  Plovers. 

888.    Calidris  arenaria,  Temminck. 

Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  335 — Charadrius  calidris,  LiNNiEDS 
— Blyth,  Cat.  1600 — Tringa  tridactyla,  Pallas. 

The  Sanderling. 

Descr. — In  winter  plumage,  all  the  upper  parts  cinereous,  with 
the  shafts  of  the  feathers  blackish  brown ;  forehead  and  cheeks 
pure  white;  head  and  edge  of  the  wing  Idackish  grey;  wing- 
coverts  broadly  edged  with  white ;  primaries  dusky,  with  the 
edges  and  tips  brownish ;  tail  deep  grey,  the  feathers  edged  with 
white,  the  two  middle  ones  the  darkest ;  all  the  lower  parts  pure 
white. 

Bill  black  ;  irides  deep  brown;  legs  black.  Length  8  inches ; 
wing  4| ;  tail  2 ;  bill  at  front  rather  more  than  1  ;  tarsus  nearly  1. 

In  summer  plumage,  the  head  and  cheeks  become  black,  the 
back  and  scapulars  ferruginous  with  black  spots,  and  the  throat, 
neck,  and  breast  reddish-ash,  with  black  spots. 

The  Sanderling  appears  to  be  rare  in  India.  I  obtained  it  on  the 
sea-coast  at  Nellore,  but  no  other  instance  of  its  occurrence  is 
recorded.  It  appeared  to  me  tolerably  abundant,  and  not  being 
aware  at  the  time  of  its  rarity  in  this  country,  I  only  preserved  one 
specimen.  It  is  found  throughout  the  Northern  part  of  both 
Continents,  spreading  South  in  winter. 

It  is  the  only  species  of  the  genus. 

Sub-fara.   PHALAROPlNJi,  Gray. 

Feet  with  the  toes  bordered  b}'-  a  free  membrane  cut  into  lobes 
as  in  the  Coots ;  otherwise  much  as  in  Tringa. 

The  Phalaropes  or  Lobefoots  are  placed  by  Bonaparte  in  a 
separate  family,  PhalaropidcB,  which  he   unaccountably  separates 


PHALAROPINiE,  695 

from  the  nearly  allied  TnngiiKP,  placing  them  bet^'een  Renirvi- 
rostra  and  Scolopacmce.  Yarrell  classes  them  with  the  Coots.  They 
have  dense  plumage,  are  said  to  swim  well  and  even  dive,  and 
frequent  lakes  and  rivers  as  well  as  sea-coasts.  They  have  the 
extraordinary  habit  of  the  males  alone  incubating,  the  females 
forsaking  their  nests  and  leading  a  wandering  life.  They  are 
very  Northern  birds,  and  their  occasional  occurrence  in  India 
appears  almost  accidental.  Only  two  species  are  known,  both  of 
which  have  been  procured  in  India. 

Gen.  Phalaropus,  Brisson. 
Char. — Bill  somewhat  broad  and  depressed  ;  the  feet  lobed  ; 
otherwise  as  in  Tringa. 

889.    Phalaropus  fulicarius,  LmNiEus. 

Tringa,  apud  LiNN^us — Blyth,  Cat.  1603 — Gould,  Birds  of 
Europe,  pi.  337 — Phal.  platyrhynchus,  Temminck. 

The  Coot-footed  Stint. 

Descr. — In  winter  plumage,  the  forehead  "and  crown  white  ; 
occiput,  ear-coverts,  and  a  streak  down  the  nape  of  the  neck, 
dusky  grey  ;  back,  scapvilars,  and  rump,  bluish-ashy,  with  the 
shafts  dusky,  some  of  the  scapulars  edged  with  white  ;  wing- 
coverts  tipped  with  white,  forming  a  transverse  bar  on  the  wing  ; 
tail  dusky  grey,  the  feathers  edged  witli  cinereous  ;  throat,  sides 
of  the  neck,  middle  of  the  breast,  and  all  the  under  parts  pure 
white,  the  sides  of  the  breast  ashy. 

Bill  yellowish  red  at  the  base,  dusky  brown  at  the  tip  ;  irides 
reddish-yellow  ;  legs  greenish  grey.  Length  8^  inches  ;  wing 
5  ;  tail  2\  ;  bill  at  front  | ;  tarsus  |. 

This  species  has  only  been  obtained  once,  I  believe,  by 
Mr.  Blyth,  in  the  Calcutta  mai'ket,  and  is  not  recorded  by  any 
other  observer.  It  chiefly  inhabits  high  Northern  latitudes  in 
both  Continents,  is  somewhat  rare  in  England  and  the  South 
of  Europe,  and  breeds  very  far  North.  The  eggs  of  both  this 
and  the  next  species  are  described  as  being  stone-green,  thickly 
spotted  with  dark  green  or  black. 

The  next  species  has  the  bill  slender  and  pointed,  and  has  been 
separated  generically  as  Lobipes. 


696  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

890.    Phalaropus  hyperboreus,  Linn^us. 

Tringa,  apud  LiNNiEUS— Blyth,  Cat.  1926 — Gould,  Birds  of 
Europe,  pi.  336. 

The  Lesser  Coot-footed  Stint. 

Descr. — Forehead  white  ;  crown,  occiput,  and  nape  dusky  broAvn; 
the  back,  scapulars,  and  two  middle  tail  feathers  the  same,  but 
the  feathers  broadly  edged  with  pale  red  :  wing-coverts  and 
primaries  dusky,  edged  with  whitish  ;  all  the  lower  parts  white, 
passing  into  pale  ashy  on  the  sides  of  the  breast  and  flanks. 

Bill  dusky;  irides  brown;  feet  yellowish  green.  Length  6^ 
inches  or  more  ;  wing  4| ;  tail  2^  ;  bill  y| ;  tarsus  |. 

In  summer  plumage  the  back  and  scapulars  are  deep  black, 
with  reddish  edges ;  the  wing-coverts  black  with  a  white  band, 
and  the  neck  ferruginous. 

A  single  instance  is  on  recoid  of  the  occurrence  of  this  bird 
in  India.  It  was  obtained  by  Dr.  Stewart  at  Madras.  Possibly 
this  and  the  last  species  may  be  found  to  be  more  common  when 
our  sea-coasts  have  been  well  examined.  This  species  has  a  similar 
geographical  distribution  with  the  last,  but  is  also  recorded  from 
New  Guinea,  and  is  probably  Bonaparte's  P.  australis. 

The  only  other  member  of  this  sub-family  is  Phal.  Wilsonii, 
Sabine,  (Jimbriatiis,  Temminck,  Lubipes  incanus,  J.  &  S.),  from 
North  America,  separated  under  the  name  of  Stefjanopus,  Vieillot, 
{Holopodius,  Bouap). 

Sub-fam.  TotaninvE. 

Bill  moderately  long,  slender,  wdth  the  tip  hard  and  pointed, 
slightly  ascending  in  some ;  tarsi  slender,  rather  long ;  feet 
elongate  ;  outer  toe  joined  by  web  to  the  middle  one.  Change 
of  plumage  in  summer  slight  in  some,  in  others  to  black  or  dusky 
beneath  and  not  to  rufous. 

Sandpipers  run  along  the  muddy  and  pebbly  banks  of  rivers  or 
lakes,  and  seas,  and  pick  up  various  small  Crustacea  and  molluscs 
generally  from  the  surface  of  the  ground,  not  inserting  their  bills 
deeply  like  Snipes  and  Stints.  Several  are  solitary  in  their  habits,  a 
few  inclined  to  be  gregarious.     They  are    all  winter    visitants    to 


TOTANINiE.  6^7^ 

India,    breeding  in  Northern   and  Central   Europe   and  Asia,   and 
laying  four  eggs,  green  or  greenish-white  with  numerous  spots. 

Gen.   ACTITIS,  Illiffer. 

Syn.     Tringoides,  Bonap.   (partly.) 

Char. — Bill  moderate  or  rather  long,  slender,  straight,  com- 
pressed, and  accuminate,  with  the  tip  liard  ;  the  groove  of  the  bill 
extending  quite  to  the  tip;  wings  moderately  long,  -with  1st 
quill  longest ;  tail  slightly  lengthened ;  tarsus  rather  short  or 
moderate  ;  toes  rather  long. 

This  genus  comprises  some  small  Sandpipers  of  more  or  less 
solitary  habits,  and  universal  distribution,  which  do  not  greatly 
change  their   plumage  in  summer. 

The  first  species  is  separated  as  Rhyachophilus,  Kaup. 

891.    Actitis  glareola,  Gmelin. 

Trlnga,  apud  Gmelin— Blyth,  Cat.  1583 — Jerdon,  Cat.  353 
— Stkes,  Cat.  193 — Haudwicke,  III.  Ind.  Zool.,  2,  pi.  51,  f.  2 — 
T.  affinis.  Horsf. — T.  glareoloides,  Hodgson — Gould,  Birds  of 
Europe,  pi.  315,  f.  2. — Chitpka,  or  Chopka,  or  Chobaha,  H. — 
Chinna  ulanka,  Tel. 

The  Spotted  Sandpiper. 

Descr. — In  winter,  the  plumage  is  deep  brown  on  the  forehead, 
crown,  back,  and  wings,  with  white  and  greyish  spots  on  the  back ; 
a  dusky  streak  between  the  gape  and  the  eye,  and  a  white 
supercilium  ;  cheeks  and  nape  dirty  white  with  ashy-brown  spots  ; 
up[)er  tail-coverts  pure  whiti- ;  tail  narrowly  barred  black  and 
white,  the  two  outer  feathers  on  each  side  entirely  white  ;  throat 
white ;  foreneck  and  breast  dirty  white,  with  spots  and  streaks 
of  ashy-brown ;  flanks  barred  with  the  same ;  abdomen  and  under 
tail-coverts  pure  white. 

Bill  greenish  at  the  base,  dusky  black  at  the  tip  ;  Irides  deep 
brown  ;  legs  pale  greenish.  Length  8^  to  9  inches  ;  extent  16^  ; 
wing  5 ;  tail  2  ;   bill  at  front  1  j%  ;  tarsus  1^. 

In  summer,  the  feathers  of  the  crown  and  nape  are  distinctly 
streaked  brown  and  white  ;  the  feathers  of  the  back  have  a  large 

PART   II.  4   T 


698  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

black  spot,  as  well  as  the  white  spots,  and  the   white  of  the  lower 
parts  is  purer. 

The  Spotted  Sandpiper  is  very  common  throughout  all  India 
in  the  cold  season,  is  sometimes  seen  alone,  frequently  in  very 
small  parties,  by  the  grassy  sides  of  tanks  and  in  paddy  fields, 
or  damp  meadows,  being,  as  Irby  correctly  observes,  more  a 
marsh  Sandpiper  than  the  other  two  species.  One  or  two  closely 
allied  races  from  America  are  distinguished  by  Systematists. 

The  next  species  is  classed  as  liehdromus  by  Koch.,  and  is  the 
only  one  of  the  group. 

892.  Actitis  ochropus,  Linn^us. 

Tringa,  apud  Linn^us — Blyth,  Cat.  1584 — Jerdon,  Cat. 
354 — Sykes,  Cat.  192 — Tot.  leucurus;'  Gray,  Hardw.,  111.  Ind. 
Zool.  2,  pi.  51,  f.  1 — Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  315,  f.  1 — 
Nella  ulanka,  Tel. 

The  Green  Sandpiper. 

Descr. — Crown,  nape,  and  upper  parts  ashy-brown,  tinged  with 
olive-green,  all  the  feathers  of  the  back,  scapulars,  and  wing- 
coverts,  with  an  edging  of  small  white  spots  ;  quills  deep  brown ; 
upper  tail-coverts  pure  white  ;  tail  with  the  basal  third  white,  the 
rest  white  with  brown  bars,  the  two  outermost  feathers  entirely 
white  ;  a  brown  streak  from  the  gape  to  the  eye,  and  a  white 
supercilium  ;  all  beneath  pure  white,  a  few  of  the  feathers  on  the 
neck  and  breast  with  dusky  streaks. 

Bill  dusky  green,  blackish  at  the  tip ;  irides  brown ;  legs 
dingy  green.  Length  9|  to  10^  inches ;  wing  5^  to  6 ;  extent 
18  to  19  ;  tail  3 ;  bill  at  front  \^q  ;  tarsus  1^. 

In  summer,  the  upper  parts  are  darker,  greener,  and  more  spot- 
ted, and  the  streaks  on  the  neck  more  distinct. 

The  green  Sandpiper  is  equally,  if  not  more  common  than,  the 
last  species  ;  it  is  to  be  seen  near  every  tank,  or  river  side,  and  even 
by  most  pools  of  water ;  also  in  rice  fields  and  bare  swampy  spots. 
It  is  one  of  the  earliest  of  the  tribe  to  come  in,  and  I  have 
seen  it  in  Northern  India  towards  the  end  of  July.  It  is  gener- 
ally sohtary.     It  is  possible   that  some  few  couples  may  breed  in 


TOTANINiE.  699 

Northern  India,  among  the  hills,   as  Capt.  Irby  mentions  having 
seen  them  in  May,  June,  and  July. 

The  next  species  is  kept  under  restricted  Actitis,  {Tringoides, 
Bonap.  apud  Gray — and  Guinetta,  Gray.) 

893.  Actitis  hypoleucos,  Linn^us. 

Tringa,  apud  Ltnn^us — Blyth,  Cat.  1586 — Sykes,  Cat.  194 — 
Jerdon,  Cat.  355 — A.  empusa,  Gould — Gould,  Birds  of 
Europe,  pi.  318 — Potti  ulanka,  Tel. 

The  Common  Sandpiper. 

Descr. — All  the  upper  parts  ashy-brown  glossed  with  green,  and 
the  shafts  darker  ;  back  and  wing-coverts  with  fine  transverse  brown 
lines ;  a  white  superciliura ;  quills  brown  with  a  large  white  spot 
on  the  inner  webs  of  all  except  the  first  two ;  the  four  central 
tail  feathers  like  the  back ;  the  two  next  tipped  with  white,  the 
outer  one  tipped  white,  and  barred  on  the  outer  web  with  brown 
and  white ;  beneath  pure  white,  streaked  with  brown  on  the  neck 
and  breast. 

Bill  dusky ;  irides  brown  ;  legs  pale  green.  Length  7|  to  8;^ 
inches ;  extent  13^  ;  wing  4|-  to  4^  ;  tail  2^^ ;  bill  at  front  1 ; 
tarsus  1. 

In  summer,  the  green  reflections  are  said  to  be  stronger,  but 
there  is  no  other  change. 

The  common  Sandpiper  of  Europe  is  perhaps  in  India  the  least 
common  of  the  three  species  of  Actitis,  it  is  usually  to  be  met  with 
about  the  muddy  shores  of  tidal  rivers,  canals,  &c.,  more  plentifully 
than  elsewhere,  also  on  the  pebbly  banks  of  rivers.  Like  the 
last  two  species  it  is  generally  solitary.  Its  flight  is  somewhat 
jerking,  with  intervals  of  rest,  when  the  wings  are  slightly  bent 
downwards.  This  Sandpiper  and  the  last  are  almost  universally 
distributed,  and  breed  in  Northern  and  temperate  regions. 

Tot.  macularia,  L.,  is  placed  in  this  genus  as   restricted,  and  is 
occasionally  killed  in  Britain. 

Gen.  ToTANUS,  Bechstein,    (after  Kay). 
Char. — Bill    straight    or    slightly    ascending,    stouter   than   in 
Actitis,   the  tip  distinctly  curved  ;  otherwise  as  in  Actitis,  but  the 


700  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

tail  somewhat  shorter,  and  the   groove  of  the   bill  not  extending 
quite  to  the  tip. 

There  are  two  types  in  tliis  genus,  even  as  restricted,  the  one 
witli  the  plumage  more  like  that  of  Actitis,  and  barely  changing  in 
summer ;  the  other  changing  in  summer,  and  becoming  more  or 
less  dusky  black. 

l^^.   With  the  bill  slightly  ascending,   (Glottis,  Nilsson.) 

894.    Totanus  glottis,  Linn^us. 

Scolopax,  apud  LinnJsUS — Blyth,  Cat.  1578 — T.  glottoides, 
ViQons — T.  nivigula,  HoDGSON — Stkes,  Cat.  195— Jerdon 
Cat.  349— Gould,  Cent.  Him.  Birds,  pi.  76— Gould,  Birds  of 
Europe,  pi.  312 — Timtimma  or  Tuntuna,  H.  from  its  call — Gotra, 
Beng. 

The  Greenshanks. 

Descr. — In  winter  plumage,  the  head,  cheeks,  sides,  and  back  of 
neck,  cinereous  white  with  brown  streaks;  upper  back,  scapulars, 
and  wing-coverts,  dusky  brown,  the  feathers  edged  with  yellowish 
white  ;  the  lower  back  "and  upper  tail-coverts  pure  white  ;  quills 
dusky,  some  of  them  spotted  with  white  on  their  inner  webs;  tail 
white  with  cross  bars  of  brown,  the  outer  feathers  entirely  white 
with  the  exception  of  a  narrow  streak  on  the  outer  web  ;  throat, 
foreneck,  middle  of  the  breast,  and  lower  parts  pure  white  ;  the 
sides  of  the  breast  streaked  with  brown,  and  somewhat  ashy. 

Bill  dusky  greenish ;  irides  brown ;  legs  yellowish-green. 
Length  14  to  15  inches  ;  extent  25  ;  wing  8  ;  tail  3| ;  bill  at  front 
2y\j  ;  tarsus  2|. 

The  Greenshanks  is  to  be  seen  in  every  part  of  India,  usually 
alone,  now  and  then  in  small  parties.  It  chiefly  frequents  the  edges 
of  rivers,  tanks,  or  pools,  but  is  now  and  then  put  up  from  an 
inundated  rice  field,  or  low  swamp.  It  rises  with  a  loud  shrill 
cry,  which  the  native  name  attempts  to  imitate.  It  is  excellent 
eating  ;  as  Pallas  I'emarked,  '  Sapidlssima  avis  in  patina.'  It 
reaches  this  country  towards  the  middle  or  end  of  September, 
and  leaves  for  the  North  in  April. 

The  next  species  is  closely  related  to  the  Greenshanks,  of  which 
4t  may  be  said  to  be  a  diminutive  form,  but  its  summer  change  of 


TOTANIN^.  701 

plumage    is    greater  ;    it    is   kept    by   some  Systematista    under 
Totonus  as  restricted. 

895.     Totanus  stagnatilis,  Bechstein. 

Blyth,  Cat.  1579 — Limosa  Horsfieldii,  Sykes,  Cat.  196 — 
Jerdon,  Cat.  350 — S.  totanus,  Linn. — T.  Lathami,  Gray, 
Hardw.,  111.  Ind.  Zool.  pi.— Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  314 
—  Chota  gotra,  Beng. 

The  Little  Green-shanks. 

Descr. — Above  pale  ashy-brown,  the  nape  streaked  with  dark- 
brown,  the  top  of  the  head  and  neck,  and  the  scapulars  edged 
with  whitish  ;  eyebrows  and  cheeks  white,  spotted  with  brown  ; 
•greater  wing-coverts  pale  ashy,  edged  whitish  ;  the  lesser  coverts 
ashy-brown,  with  paler  edges,  and  the  stem  black  ;  quills  brown 
black,  the  shafts  white  ;  lower  back  white  ;  tail  white,  with  brown 
bands  ;  beneath  pure  white  ;  the  sides  of  the  neck,  of  the  breast, 
and  the  flanks  spotted  with  brown. 

Bill  dusky-green  ;  irides  brovvn  ;  legs  pale  green.  Length  lOi 
•inches  ;  wing  h\  ;  tail  2  ;   bill  at  front  If  ;  tarsus  2^. 

In  summer,  the  plumage  becomes  very  dark  above,  mixed  black, 
tfufous  and  ashy,  and  the  lower  parts  are  marked  throughout  with 
^^mall  round  black  spots. 

This  pretty  little  Sandpiper  is  less  generally  spread  perhaps  tha,n 
any  of  the  preceding  species,  but  is  now  and  then  met  with  in  large 
numbers.  It  frequents  young  rice  fields,  and  open  marshy  spots, 
but  is  also  seen  on  the  bare  edges  of  tanks.  I  saw  it  in  large 
flocks  on  the  banks  of  the  Trichoor  Lake  in  South  Malabar,  and 
have  obtained  it  occasionally  in  various  parts  of  the  country.  It  is 
found  generally  throughout  the  Old  Woi-ld,  extends  as  far  as 
Australia,  and  breeds,  as  usual,  in  the  North. 

The  two  next  species  have  red  legs,  a  peculiar  coloration,  the 
wings  with  much  white,  and  the  change  of  plumage  very  great. 
They  are  more  social  than  the  other  Totanince.  They  constitute 
the  Gen.  Totanus  as  restricted  of  some,  Gumbetta  and  Erythro- 
scelis  of  Kaup.  The  first  is  very  unnecessarily  separated  as 
^rythroscelis,  of  which  it  is  the  only  species. 


702  BIRDS  OF    INDIA. 

896.  Totanus  fuscus,  LiNNiEus. 

Scolopax,  apud  Linn^us — Jerdon,  Cat.  351 — Blyth,  Cat. 
1581 — Hardwicke,  111.  Ind.  Zool.  2,  pi.  53. — Scol.  nigra, 
Gmelin — Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  309 — T.  ocellatus,  Bonap. 
— Batan,  H. — •  Yerra  kal  ulanka,  Tel. 

The  Spotted  Ked-shanks. 
Descr. — In  winter  plumage,  the  crown,  nape,  and  back  ashy- 
grey,  with  fine  dusky  streaks ;  a  blackish  patch  between  the  bill 
and  the  eyes,  and  a  white  streak  above ;  cheeks  and  neck  varie- 
gated white  and  ashy;  wing-coverts  and  scapulars  grey,  edged 
with  white  ;  rump  pure  white  ;  central  tail-feathers  uniform  ash- 
grey,  narrowly  edged  with  white ;  outer  tail-feathers  with  white 
and  brown  bars ;  throat,  breast,    abdoanen    and   under   tail-coverts 

pure  white. 

Bill  blackish,  orange  at  the  base  beneath  ;  irides  brown ;  legs 
orange  red.  Length  13  inches;  extent  22^  ;  wing  6| ;  tail  2^; 
bill  at  front  2y%  ;  tarsus  2f  q. 

In  summer,  the  head,  neck,  and  under  parts  become  dusky  or 
blackish  grey,  and  the  vent  and  lower  tail-coverts  are  barred  white 
and  brown. 

The  lar^e  or  spotted  Red-shank  is  found  throughout  India  in 
the  cold  season,  either  solitary  or  in  moderate  parties.  Specimens 
killed  in  April  have  generally  assumed  more  or  less  the  dusky 
plumage  of  summer. 

The  next  species,  with  many  others,  is  placed  under  Gambetta, 
Kaup. 

897.  Tetanus  calidris,  Linn^us. 

Scolopax,  apud  Linnaeus — Blyth,  Cat.  1582 — Jerdon,  Cat. 
352 — Tring.  gambetta,  Gmelin — Chota  batan,  H. — GoULD,  Birds 
of  Europe,  pi.  310. 

The   Red-shanks. 
Descr. — In  winter,  the   crown,  lores,  back  of  neck,  upper  back, 
scapulars  and  wing-coverts  cinereous-brown,  darker  on  the  shafts; 
superciliura  white  ;   sides  of  the  head  greyish-white  ;    lower  back 


HIMANTOPID^.  70$ 

white  ;  primaries  and  their  coverts  dusky  brown  ;  the  secondaries 
white  for  the  greater  portion  of  their  length  ;  upper  tail-coverts 
and  tail  barred  with  white  and  dark  brown ;  throat  white  ;  fore-neck 
and  breast  greyish  white ;  abdomen  and  lower  tail-coverts  white. 

Bill  reddish  at  the  base,  dusky  at  the  tip  ;  irides  brown ;  legs 
and  feet  pale  red.  Length  about  10^  to  11^  inches;  wing  6; 
tail  2y*Q  ;  bill  at  front  1  — ;  tarsus  ly^^. 

The  common  Red-shanks  is  found  throughout  the  greater  part  of 
India  in  the  cold  season,  and  often  in  large  flocks.  It  is  generally 
recognised  during  flight  by  the  extent  of  white  on  the  wing.  It  is 
noisy  and  watchful,  and  is  supposed  to  be  the  Martyros  or  Tell- 
tale of  the  Greeks.  Irby  mentions  that  he  has  seen  a  flock  of 
thirty  or  forty,  each  one  a  little  in  rear  of  another,  forming  a  sort 
of  oblique  line,  and  advancing  across  a  shallow  jheel,  all  with 
their  heads  half  immersed  in  the  water,  and  moving  them  from 
right  to  left  with  great  rapidity.  Both  species  of  Red-shanks  are 
inhabitants  of  the  greater  part  of  Europe  and  Asia,  breeding  in 
the  North. 

Several  other  species  of  Gamhetta  are  recorded  from  the  Oceanic 
region  and  America.  The  Willet  of  Europe,  Tot.  semipahnatus, 
Linn.,  is  classed  under  Symphemia,  apud  Gray,  {Catoptrophorus, 
Bonap.);  B.nd  T.  hartramhts,  Wilson,  of  North  America,  with  T. 
australis,  J.  and  S.,  are  placed  imder  Bartramia,  Lesson,  (^Actiturus, 
Bonap.  which  he  states  to  be  closely  related  to  Oreophilus). 

Oreophilus  rujicollis,  {totanirostris,  Jard.,  Dromicus  Lessoni) 
is  a  doubtful  member  of  this  family,  and  perhaps  belongs  to  the 
Plovers,  as  placed  by  Gray.  Phegornis  MitchelU,  Eraser,  is  the  only 
other  type  given  by  Bonaparte  among  the  Totanince,  and  this  is 
also  by  some  looked    upon  as  a  Plover. 

Fam.    HiMANTOPIDiE. 

Syn.     ReciirvirostridcB,  Bonap. 

Of  black  and  white  plumage,  not  changing  in  summer ;  the 
legs  very  much  lengthened  ;  bill  long  and  very  thin,  and,  in  one 
genus,  recurved. 

The  two  genera  placed  in  this  family  difler  from  all  the  Snipes 
and  their  allies  in  their  remarkably  slender  bills,  and  length  of  leg, 


TfOi  BIRDS    OF   INDIA. 

as  well  as  in  their  mode  of  coloration  ;  but  they  resemble  them 
in  all  essential  points  of  structure ;  and  are  merely  two  exag- 
gerated forms  of  the  family.  Bonaparte  formerly  divided  this 
group  into  two  sub-families,  but  subsequently  re-vmited  them,  stat- 
ing that  they  were  completely  joined  by  Cladorkynclms. 
Gen.  HiMANTOPUS,   Brisson. 

Char. — Bill  long,  tA^ice  the  length  of  the  head,  very  slender, 
somewhat  rounded,  pointed,  channeled  on  the  sides  as  far  as  the 
middle  ;  tip  of  the  upper  mandible  very  slightly  bent  over  the 
under  one  ;  nostrils  linear;  wings  long,  pointed,  1st  quill  longest; 
tail  short,  even,  of  twelve  feathers ;  tibia  bare  for  the  greater 
part  of  its  length  ;  legs  very  long,  thin,  reticulaied  ;  toes  short ; 
outer  toe  joined  to  the  middle  one  by  a  broad  web ;  inner  one 
with  a  very  small  web  ;  nails  short,  flat ;  hind  toe  wanting. 

898.    Himantopus  candidus,  Bonnaterre. 

P.  E.  878— Jeedon,  Cat.  348— Stkes,  Cat.  211— Blyth, 
Cat.  1572 — H.  asiaticus.  Lesson — H.  intermedins,  Blyth,  Cat. 
1573 — Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  289 — Gaj-paun,  H. — Lal-gori, 
in  Bengal,  or  Lam-gora. 

The  Stilt  or  Long-legs. 

Descr, — Back  of  the  head  black  or  dusky,  more  or  less  mixed 
with  whitish,  in  some  nearly  all  white,  in  others  with  only  the 
nape  black  ;  back  and  sides  of  neck  grey ;  interscapulars  and 
wintis  glossy  green  black  ;  tail  pale  ash-grey  ;  rest  of  the  plumage 
including  the  back  and  rump  pure  white,  sometimes  tinged  with 
rosy  on  the  breast. 

Bill  black,  reddish  at  the  base  ;  feet  lake-red  ;  irides  blood-red. 
Length  1 5^  inches  ;  wing  9  ;  extent  30 ;  tail  3  ;  bill  at  front  2| ; 
tarsus  4^  to  5^. 

Old  birds,  according  to  Temminck,  have  often  the  head 
pure  white  throughout ;  and  yoving  birds  have  the  black  less 
pure,  edged  with  whitish,  and  the  head  dingy  white.  Blyth 
at  one  time  considered  that  certain  specimens  with  the  head 
white,  or  nearly  so,  differed  from  the  common  species ;  these  he 
named  H.  hUerniedius,  as  being  intermediate  between  H.  candidut 


HlMANTOPIDiE.  705 

and  Gould's  H.  lencocephahts,  figuied  in  pi.  24  of  the  (3th  Volume  of 
his  Birds  of  Australia  :  latterly  he  doubted  their  being  distinct ;  and 
he  has  since  written  me  from  England,  that  many  European  speci- 
mens are  colored  exactly  like  the  Indian  white-headed  specimens. 

The  Stih  is  found  in  numerous  flocks  throughout  all  India  in 
the  cold  weather,  frequenting  the  edges  of  tanks  and  rivers,  and 
occasionally  inundated  paddy  fields,  and  feeding  on  various  small 
molluscs,  worms,  and  insects.  A  late  observer  in  England  records 
that  he  found  it  feeding  on  the  minute  diptera  and  beetles  which 
nestle  in  the  flowers  of  aquatic  plants  :  for  capturing  insects  under 
such  circumstances  its  delicate  bill  seems  well  adapted.  When 
flying  it  has  a  peculiar  Tern-like  call.  It  is  stated  that  it  swims 
well,  but  I  have  never  seen  any  but  a  wounded  bird  attempt 
to  do  so.  It  breeds  chiefly  in  Northern  regions,  but  also  in 
Northern  Africa,  laying  four  eggs  in  a  tuft  of  grass.  Pallas 
states  that  it  frequents  the  salt  lakes  in  Central  Asia,  coming  in 
very  late,  and  that  he  has  seen  several  dancing  together,  jumping 
up  with  expanded  wings,  and  at  the  same   time  calling  out. 

H.  leucoceplu'his,  Gould,  from  new  Holland,  is  probably  a  dis- 
tinct species  ;  and  another  is  //.  novce  zealandioe,  Gould,  entirely 
black. 

The  onlyother  recorded  species,  if  really  distinct,  is  II.  mexicanus, 
(Jiimantopus,  apud  Wilson).  Cladorliynclms  orienta/is,  (Him.  pal- 
matiis,  Gould)  from  Australia,  is  exactly  intermediate  in  form 
between  Himantopus   and   Recurvirostra. 

Gen.  Recurvirostra,  Linngeus. 

Char. — Bill  very  long,  thin,  flexible,  turned  up  towards  the  tip, 
which  is  very  thin  and  pointed,  channeled  both  above  and  below; 
nostrils  long,  linear;  wings  long,  pointed;  tail  somewhat  wedged; 
tarsi  moderately  long,  and  slender;  front  toc^  unite  1  by  a  web 
which  is  notclied  in  the  middle;  hind  toe  very  minute;  nails 
short,  curved. 

The  Avosets  from  their  strongly  Avebbcd  feet  \Vere  classed  by 
Temminck  and  others  near  the  Flamingo;  but  Cuvier  rightly  re- 
Stored  them  to  their  proper  place  near  Himantopus,  which  they 
resemble  in  their  mode  of  life. 

PART   II.  4   U 


706  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

899.    Recurvirostra  avjcetta,  Linn^us. 

Jerdon,  Cat.  347— Blyth,  Cat.  1575— Gould,  Birds  of 
Europe,  pi.  368 — Kusya  chaha,  in  Behar. 

The  Avoset. 

Descr. — Crown  of  the  head,  nape,  most  of  the  hind  neck, 
scapulars,  lesser  wing-coverts,  and  primary  quills,  deep  black ;  all 
the  rest  of  the  plumage  pure  white. 

Bill  black ;  irides  red  brown ;  legs  pale  bluish-gray.  Length 
18  inches ;  wing  8^  ;  tail  3  ;  bill  at  front  3^  ;  tarsus  3|. 

The  Avoset  is  not  a  very  common  bird  in  India,  but  is  met 
with  occasionally  throughout  the  whole  country,  frequenting  the 
edges  of  tanks  and  rivers,  generally  in  small  flocks.  It  feeds 
both  on  the  muddy  edges  of  tanks,  ajid  in  the  water,  chiefly  on 
small  worms,  young  molluscs,  and  the  larvaa  of  water  insects.  A 
writer  in  the  Bengal  Sporting  Magazine  states  that,  "  their  feeding 
ground  may  be  traced  out  from  the  semi-circular  mark  made  in 
the  mud  by  their  bills  when  scooping  for  their  food."  Pallas  states 
that  it  chiefly  frequents  the  salt  lakes  in  Central  Asia,  extracting 
small  worms,  insects,  and  saline  Crustacea  from  the  salt  soil. 
Like  the  bird  last  described  it  is  stated  to  be  able  to  swim  well. 
One  which  was  kept  in  confinement  is  recorded  to  have  scooped  up 
the  fry  of  fish  very  readily. 

Other  species  of  Avoset  are  R.  orientalis,  Cuvier,  {leiicocephala, 
Vieill.),  and  i?.  rubricollis,  Temminck,  from  Australia ;  and  H. 
americana,  and  H.  occidentalism  from  America. 

Tribe  Latitores. 

Syn. — Macrodactyli,  Cuvier,  Alectorides,  Bonap. 

Feet  very  large ;  anterior  toes  usually  free  to  the  base,  edged  by 
a  web  in  a  few ;  hind  toe  large  ;  beak  usually  short  or  moderate, 
stout,  compressed;  wings  short  or  moderate,  generally  armed  with 
spurs    or  tubercles  near  the   flexure ;    tail    generally   short. 

The  Latitores  or  Skulkers,  as  Blyth  named  them,  include  the 
Rails,  Water-hens,  Coots,  and  Jacanas.  This  tribe  comprises  a 
number  of  small  or  moderate  sized  birds,  whose  stout  legs  and 
long  feet  enable  them  to  walk  easily  on  soft  and  marshy  ground, 
or  even   on  aquatic   plants.     They  run  swiftly,  but   fly  badly,   and 


PARRIDJ!;.  707 

feed  on  seeds  and  vegetable  matter  as  well  as  insects.  The  females 
are  usually  larger  than  the  males  ;  they  nidificate  on  the  ground 
among  reeds  and  grass,  or  in  flojiting  nests,  lay  several  eggs,  and 
the  young  run  soon  after  they  are  hatched.  A  few  are  migratory. 
They  have  often  loud  and  peculiar  calls. 

The  body  is  usually  much  compressed  ;  the  sternum  very  narrow 
with  one  fissure,  the  stomach  muscular,  and  the  intestines  long, 
with  one  or  two  cseca.  As  previously  stated  (vide  p.  604),  some 
of  them  are  not  very  distantly  removed  from  the  Ostriches  and 
Cassowaries,  and  they  have  also  some  resemblance  to  Megapodius. 
They  are  divided  into  two  families,  Parridce  and  Rallida. 

Fam.    PARRIDiE. 

Syn.     PalamedeidcB,   Gray. 

Feet  enormous;  claws  much  lengthened ;  bill  moderate,  com- 
pressed ;  wings  spurred  or  tubercled. 

There  are  two  groups  in  this  family,  the  one  PaJamedeince 
confined  to  the  warmer  regions  of  America ;  and  the  other  Parrince 
or  Jacanas,  found  in  all  tropical  and  sub-tropical  regions. 

Sub-fam.  Parrin^. 

Of  small  or  moderate  size ;  feet  and  claws  enormously  long,  thin. 

The  Jacanas,  as  these  birds  are  called  in  America,  (by 
which  name  they  are  also  tolerably  well  known  in  India,)  are 
birds  frequenting  weedy  tanks  and  jheels ;  their  long  toes 
enable  them  to  walk  with  ease  on  the  floating  plants.  They  have 
a  double  moult,  the  breeding  plumage  being  rich  and  shining  ;  in 
one  genus  the  tail  feathers  also  become  excessively  elongated  at 
this  season.  They  make  a  floating  nest  of  herbage,  and  their 
etrgs  are  of  a  rich  olive  brown  with  or  without  dark  lines. 
Their  flight  is  strong,  but  somewhat  irregular  and  flapjjing,  not 
hurried  and  regular  as  tliat  of  the  Rails  in  general.  They  differ 
considerably  from  the  R/illidcB  in  structure,  in  the  more  plump  form 
of  the  body,  the  colour  of  the  eggs,  and  the  general  appearance 
and  gait,  and  Blyth  at  one  time  considered  them  allied  to  the  Plo- 
yers ;  their  huge  feet  however  bring  them  into  the  present  tribe,  of 


708  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

whicTi  they  may  be  said  to  form  a  well  characterized  family :  the 
fact  of  the  females  beino;  much  larger  than  the  males  militates 
against  their  association  with  the  Plovers. 

Gen.  Metopidius,  Wagler. 

Bill  moderate,  stout,  compressed,  thick  at  the  base,  culmen 
curved  at  the  lip  ;  forehead  with  a  lap[)et  or  caruncle  of  skin  ; 
tail  short ;  nostrils  small,  ovate,  in  the  middle  of  the  bill ;  wings 
moderate  or  short,  2nd  and  3rd  quills  longest,  1st  sub-equal, 
spurred,  or  tuberculate  at  the  shoulder  ;  tarsus  long  ;  feet  enormous, 
the  toes  long  and  thin,  and  the  claws  veiy  long  and  pointed ; 
hind  claw  especially  long. 

900.  Metopidius  incjicus,  Latham. 

Parra,  apud  Latham — Blyth,  Cat.  1613 — P.  senea,  Cuvier — 
P.  superciliosa,  Hoksfield,  Zool.  Res.  Java,  pi. — JiiRDoN  Cat. 
o26--Hai:dwicke,  111.  Ind.  Zool.  pi. — P.  atrata,  Tickkll,  (the 
young) — Dal-pijii,  and  Jol-pipi,  also  Karatiya,  Beng. — Kattoi,  in 
I'urneah. 

The  bronze-winged  Jacana. 

Vescr. — Head,  neck,  and  all  the  under  parts  rich  dark  green, 
glossed  on  the  head,  neck,  and  breast,  and  with  purple  reflections 
on  the  back  of  the  neck  and  upper  back;  a  broad  white  super- 
ciliurn  beginning  just  over  the  eye;  interscapidars,  wing  coverts, 
(except  the  primary),  scapulars,  and  tertiaries,  pale  shining 
bronze;  the  lower  back  maroon,  with  a  beautiful  purple  gloss; 
tail  dark  cinereous,  the  lateral  feathers  bordered  with  black,  tipped 
white,  and  with  a  whitt-  shaft;  primary  coverts  and  quills  black, 
faintly  glossed  with  green ;  lower  abdomen  and  thigh-coverts 
dull  blackish  gr.-en ;  under  tall-coverts  deep  chesnut. 

Bill  greenish  yellow,  tinged  with  red  at  the  ba^e,  and  the  frontal 
lappet  livid ;  irides  brown ;  legs   dull  green.     Female,  length   12 
inches;  extent  24;  wing   7^;  tail  If;  bill  at  front  l\  ;  tarsus  3 
middle  toe  and  claw  4;  hind  toe  and  claw  3^.     Male,  length  10 
extent  20^  ;  wing  6;  tail  If;  bill  1^  ;  tarsus  2| ;  middle  toe  3^ 
hind  toe  o^  ;  claw  alone  2^. 


PARKING.  709 

The  young  bird  fand  I  believe  also  the  adult  in  winter  plumage) 
has  the  crown  chesnut,  with  a  pale  eyebrow  ;  the  face  white  ; 
back  of  the  head  and  hind  neck  purple,  with  a  lake  and  coppery 
gloss ;  the  back  cupreous  olive  green ;  the  upper  tail-coverts  and 
tail  dull  coppery ;  quills  and  primary  coverts  black  ;  tertials  as  the 
back,  partly  edged  with  white  ;  throat  white ;  neck  and  breast 
pale  buff  with  a  median  white  stripe,  and  the  belly  white  with  the 
flanks  blackisli  ;  thigh-coverts  mixed  black  and  white. 

Bill  yellowish  green,  darker  on  the  upper  mandible,  the  front 
lappet  is  also  wanting,  and  this  ap[)ears  to  be  developed  at  the 
breeding  season  only. 

Blyth  states  that  this  species  does  not  moult  in  spring,  but  my 
observations  tend  to  show  that  it  has  a  dou'hle  moult,  although  a 
few  birds  appear  to  retain  their  breeding  dress  throughout  the  year. 

This  handsome  Jacana  is  found  throughout  India,  in  jheels, 
marshes,  and  weedy  tanks,  running  with  great  ease  over  the 
floating  grass  and  vegetation.  It  has  a  harsh  loud  cry,  and  it  breeds 
during  the  rains,  making  a  floating  nest  of  weeds  in  some  sheltered 
part  of  a  jheel,  and  laying  several  eggs  dark  olive-brown,  lined 
and  streaked  with  black.  It  feeds  chiefly  on  vegetable  matter, 
seeds  and  roots,  or  the  bulbs  of  some  floating  plants,  also  partially  on 
insects.      It  extends  over  Burraah  and  many  of  the  Malayan    isles. 

Other  species  of  Metopidius  are  found  in  Africa. 

Gen.  Hydrophasiantjs,  Waaler. 
Char. — Bill  more  slender  than  in  Metopidius,  forehead  without 
a  lappet ;  tail  very  long,  the  four  central  feathers  especially 
greatly  lengthened  at  the  breedinoj  season:  winos  lono-,  with  the 
1st  and  2nd  quills  equal,  and  longer  than  the  3rd  ;  the  1st  and  4th 
piimaries  with  a  lancet  sliaped  portion  of  web,  as  it  were,  appended 
to  the  tip ;  hind  claw  not  so  long  as  in  Metopidius,  otherwise 
similar  to  that  genus.     Peculiar  to  South  Eastern  Asia. 

901.    Hydrophasianus  chirurgus,  Scopoli. 

Tringa,  apud  Scopoli — Parra  sinensis,  Gmelin — Bltth,  Cat. 
1614-Jerdon,  Cat.  327— Sykes  Cat.  201— Gould,  Cent. 
Ilim.  Birds,  pi.  77 — Hardwicke,  III.  Ind.  Zool.  2,  pi.  55 — 
Gould,   Birds   of    Asia,   pt.   VII,    pi.    3 — Piho,    or   Pihuya,  H — 


710  BIRDS    OP   INDIA. 

Dal-knhrn,  also  Dnl-pipi,  Jal-manjor,  and  Chittra  billai,  in  Bengal 
and  Behar — Surdal  or  Suldal,    in  some  parts,  also  Mixoa. 

The  Pheasant-tailed  Jacana. 

Descr. — In  summer  plumage,  the  forehead,  top  of  the  head, 
face,  chin,  throat,  and  neck  white,  a  broad  blaclc  mark  on  the  top 
of  the  head ;  hind  neck  pale  shining  yellow,  edged  by  a  dark  line ; 
upper  plumage,  including  the  scapulars  and  tertiaries,  shining  dark 
olive  brown  with  purple  reflections;  wings  with  the  coverts  white, 
1st  primary  black,  the  2nd  nearly  so,  and  the  3rd  black  on  the 
outer  web  and  a  broad  tip,  the  rest  white,  all  tippe^l  with  black,  as 
are  the  greater  wing-coverts  ;  upper  tail-coverts  bronzed  black,  tail 
black  ;  beneath,  from  the  breast,  deep  brownish  black,  dull  on  the 
thigh-coverts ;  the  under  tail-coverts  ^eep  chesnut. 

Bill  pale  leaden  blue  at  the  base,  greenish  at  the  tip  ;  irides 
dark  brown;  legs  pale  bluish  green.  Male,  length  18  inches; 
extent  24;  wing  8;  tail  10;  tarsus  2 1- ;  bill  at  front  1^  ;  middle 
toe  3 ;  hind  toe  and  claw-  2,  of  which  the  claw  is  \\.  The 
female  is  a  larijer  bird.  One  measured  above  20  inches  ;  extent 
30  ;  wing  9.3  ;  tail  11 ;  tarsus  2| ;  middle  toe  and  claw  3^  ;  bill  at 
front  1^. 

The  primaries  from  the  4th  are  all  much  pointed,  and  the  tip 
of  the  Ipt  and  4th  have  a  narrow  appendage  of  web,  as  it  were 
fixed  on  to  the  point. 

In  winter  plumage,  the  upper  parts,  including  the  lesser  wing- 
coverts  and  tertiaries,  are  pale  hair  brown,  the  former  more  or  less 
barred  with  white,  and  the  greater  coverts  pure  white ;  the  top 
of  the  head  and  back  of  the  neck  brown  with  a  white  super- 
cilium,  and  the  feathers  of  the  forehead  white-spotted  ;  a  pale 
golden  yellow  line  from  behind  the  eye,  down  the  sides  of  the 
neck  bordered  by  a  black  line  from  the  gape,  which  crosses  the 
lower  part  of  the  breast  forming  a  more  or  less  broad  pectoral 
gorget,  1st  primary  (only)  with  an  appendage,  4th  attenuated  and 
prolonged ;  tail  with  the  central  feathers  as  the  back,  pale  brown, 
slightly  lengthened. 

Length  12  to  13  inches  ;  wing  8  to  end  of  second  primary  ;  tail  3 
to  4.     Tn  young  birds  the  superciliary  line  is  ferruginous,  passing 


PARKING.  711 

into  a  less  marked  yellow  neck  stripe,  and  the  brown  band  is  also 
less  distinct. 

This  handsome  bird,  like  the  last,  is  spread  throughout  India  and 
Ceylon,  in  similar  localities,  but  it  perhaps  less  affects  conceal- 
ment, exposing  itself  on  the  top  of  some  Lotus  or  floating  plants, 
and  when  approached  generally  flying  off  and  not  endeavouring 
to  conceal  itself  in  the  herbage.  Some  of  the  males  appear  to  get 
the  breeding  plumage  very  early,  or  not  to  lose  it,  for  1  have  seen 
it  in  February  with  its  summer  vesture,  long  tail,  &c. :  most  of  the 
birds  however  do  not  change  till  from  April  to  June.  It  makes  a 
large  floating  nest  of  dried  pieces  of  grass  and  herbage,  sometimes, 
according  to  some  accounts,  of  the  stalks  of  growing  rice  which 
it  bends  downwards  and  intertwines,  and  it  lays,  in  July  or  August, 
from  four  to  seven  eggs,  sometimes  more,  of  a  fine  bronze 
brown  or  green.  It  has  a  loud  call,  likened  by  some  to  the 
mewing  of  a  cat,  or  a  kitten  in  distress,  by  others  to  the  distiint 
cry  of  a  hound;  an  imitation  of  the  sound  is  attempted  in  the 
Hindustani  names,  Filio,  and  Meeioah.  'The  Cingalese,  also,  accord- 
ing to  Layard,  call  it  the  Cat-teal.  Like  the  last  species,  it  feeds 
chiefly  on  vegetable  matter  but  also  on  shells  and  water  insects. 

In  Purneah  the  natives  say  that  before  the  inundation,  i.  e., 
during  the  breeding  season,  it  calls  dub  dab,  i.  e.,  go  under  water ; 
and  afterwards,  in  the  cold  weather,  powar,  poioar,  which,  in 
Purneah  dialect,  means  next  year. 

Gould,  in  his  birds  of  Asia,  states  that  the  filamentous  appen- 
dages of  this  bird  militate  against  its  flight :  this  certainly  does 
not  appear  to  be  the  case,  and  he  further  says,  fprobably  from 
imperfect  information)  that  the  seasonal  changes  have  not  been 
fully  ascertained.  In  winter  this  species  is  gregarious,  though 
perhaps  less  so  than  the  last  bird.  If  only  wounded  it  is  difficult 
to  find,  as  it  dives  at  once  and  remains  with  Its  bill  only  out  of  the 
water.  The  flesh  Is  said  to  be  excellent.  Hlyth  states  that  he 
has  kept  both  this  and  the  previous  species  in  confinement,  and 
that  they  thrive  well  on  shrimps.  The  present  bird  was.  In  the 
aviary,  rather  quarrelsome  with  Its  kind. 

The  genus  Parra  is  restricted  to  some  American  birds,  and  one 
of  the  best  known   Is   P.  Jacana,  Lin.,  from  Brazil.     In  this  group 


712  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

the  base  of  the  bill  is  furnished  with  a  large,  free  dilated  plate,  as 
indeed  it  is  in  P.  (jallinacea,  Temminck,  from  Australia  and  New 
Guinea  :  P.  cristata,  Vieill.,  has  been  separated  as  Hydralector  ; 
it  has  a  crest,  and  the  spurs  on  th  *  wings  are  wanting. 

The  sub-family  Falamedeince  or  Screamers,  may  be  said  to  consist 
of  Jacanas  of  a  large  size.  Palcnneden  cormnta  or  the  Horned  Screa- 
mer, is  as  large  as  a  goose,  and  has  a  very  loud  voice  :  it  has  two 
spurs  on  each  wing,  the  legs  reticulated,  and  a  long  slender  sort 
of  horn  on  its  forehead.  Cliauna  rliavaria^  (Linn.)  has  the  occiput 
furnished  with  an  erectile  crest,  the  neck  downy,  and  the  outer 
toe  joined  to  the  middle  one  by  a  web  :  it  is  domesticated  by 
some  of  the  South-American  Indians.  A  second  species  has  been 
separated  as  It^chyornis  Derbianns. 

Fam.  PtALLit)^. 

Bill  more  or  less  compressed,  short,  pointed,  and  wedge  shaped  ; 
nostrils  median,  in  a  short  groove,  pervious;  legs  stout;  tarsus  short, 
or  moderatelv  long;  feet  large;  wings  moderate  or  short,  and 
rounded,  usually  with  a  tubercle  or  small  spur  on  the  flexure  ;  tail 
short  or  almost  wanting. 

The  most  characteristic  points  of  this  family,  (which  includes 
the  Water-hens,  Coots,  and  Rails,)  are  the  large  feet,  and  the  short 
stout  and  compressed  beak.  The  head  is  small  and  compressed, 
the  neck  short,  and  the  body  also  compressed.  Their  general 
aspect,  and  their  partially  vegetable  diet,  give  them  the  appear- 
ance of  Gallinaceous  birds,  and  several  have  in  consequence 
received  popular  names  significative  of  this  resemblance.  Some 
are  furnished  with  membranes  or  webs  on  their  toes,  and  swim  well, 
as  indeed  do  others  which  are  not  thus  provided. 

The  sternum  is  peculiarly  narrow,  with  one  long  emargination, 
and  the  furcula  is  thin  and  feeble.  The  stomach  is  a  muscular 
(^izzard,  the  intestines  rather  long,  and  the  cjeca  also  large.  The 
females  of  some  are  larger  than  the  males;  they  are  rather  noisy  and 
pugnacious  birds  ;  and  all  frequent  the  neighbourhood  of  water  or 
marshy  ground.  This  family  appears  to  be  extensively  represented 
in  Australia  and  Oceanica,  less  so  in  the  Malayan  islands. 

It  is  divided  into  two  sub-families,  Gallinulin(S,  the  Coots  and 
Water-hens  ;  and  RallincB,  the  true  Rails. 


GALLINULINiE.  713 

Sub-fam.    GALLINULINiE. 

These  birds  are  generally  of  larger  size  and  stouter  make  than 
the  Rails,  and  the  base  of  the  bill,  (in  many),  is  expanded  into  a 
plate  occupying  more  or  less  of  the  forehead  ;  the  toes  are  bor- 
dered by  a  narrow  Aveb,  which  in  one  genus  expands  into  large 
scolloped  lobes;  they  are  more  aquatic  than  the  Rails,  mostly 
living  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  water,  and  many  swimming 
and  diving  with  ease.  They  feed  chiefly  on  vegetable  matter, 
seeds,  &c. 

The  first  genus  is  peculiar  to  the  warmer  regions  of  the  world. 

Gen.  PoKPHYRio,  Brisson. 

Char. — Bill  very  strong,  thick,  conic,  compressed,  base  prolong- 
ed into  a  thick  horny  casque  covering  the  forehead  and  the  top  of 
the  head  ;  upper  mandible  very  thick,  curving  from  the  base, 
pointed ;  lower  mandible  less  thick ;  gonys  ascending  ;  gape  gently 
curving ;  nares  apert,  oval,  in  the  middle  of  the  bill ;  wings 
moderate,  ample,  the  3rd  and  4th  quills  the  longest;  tail  short, 
tarsus  lengthened,  strong ;  toes  very  long,  free,  bordered  by  a 
narrow  web ;  claws  long,  very  slightly  curved. 

The  stomach  is  a  strong,  tendinous  gizzard ;  the  intestines  and 
caeca  are  long.  The  tongue  is  thick  and  somwhat  fleshy,  horny  at 
the  tip  and  brushed. 

This  genus  has  of  late  been  sub-divided  ;  the  Indian  species  is 
the  type  of  Coesariornis  of  Reichenbach. 

902.     Porphyrio  poliocephalus,  Latham. 

Jerdon,  Cat.  328— Blyth,  Cat.  1657— Stkes,  Cat.  204— 
Keim,  Kaima,  Kalim,  and  Kharim,  H. — Ketn,  Beng. — A7/a  bola- 
kodi,  Tel. 

The  Purple  Coot. 

Descr. — Lores,  round  the  eyes,  cheeks,  hind  liead  and  nape, 
purple  tinged  with  grey  on  the  sides,  and  gradually  passing 
into  the  purer  purple  of  the  hind  neck,  back,  and  upper  tail- 
coverts;  wing-coverts  pale  blue;  the  quills  dull  antwerp-blue,  dusky 
on  their  itmer  webs  ;  tail   black,   the  feathers  slightly  edged  dull 

PART    II.  4    X 


714  EIKDS    OF   INDIA. 

blue  ;  beneath,  the  loAver  part  of  the  cheeks,  chin,  and  throat 
pale  coerulean  blue,  more  or  less  edged  with  purplish  grey,  and 
passing  into  the  purer  blue  of  the  lower  neck  and  breast ;  abdomen, 
sides  of  the  body  and  vent,  abruptly  deep  purple,  the  thigh-coverts 
dull  blue  ;  under  tail-ooverts  pure  white ;  lower  wing-coverts  dull 
pale  blue,    quills  and  tail  beneath  glossy  blackish. 

Bill  red,  darker  on  the  culmen,  and  with  a  blood-red  spot  at 
the  base  of  each  mandible  ;  the  casque  cherry  red  ;  irides  brick- 
red  ;  legs  dull  pale  brick-red.  Length  18  to  19  inches;  extent 
30  to  32;  wing  10;  tail  4  ;  tarsus  3^  ;  middle  toe  and  claw  4| ;  hind 
toe  and  claw  2^. 

The  Purple  Coot  is  found  throughout  all  India  and  Ceylon, 
wherever  there  are  weedy  lakes,  extensive  marshes,  or  reedy 
rivers.  It  is  social,  and  prefers  those' lakes  and  jheels  where  there 
are  clumps  of  bushes  here  and  there,  on  which  it  can  perch,  which 
it  does  very  readily.  It  walks  and  runs  rapidly  over  the  surface 
of  weedy  lakes,  and  makes  its  way  easily  through  thick  reeds.  Its 
flight  is  rather  heavy  and  never  prolonged  far.  It  has  a  loud 
and  somewhat  fowl-like  call.  It  feeds  chiefly  on  seeds  and  vege- 
table matter,  committing  much  havoc  on  the  rice  fields.  It  makes 
a  large  nest  of  grass,  rice  stalks,  and  the  like,  at  the  edge  of  the 
water,  and'  lays  six  to  eight  eggs  of  a  reddish  or  buff  ground,  with 
numerous  small  dark  red  and  purplish  spots.  One  writer  in  an  Indian 
Periodical  states  that  it  makes  its  nest  by  excavating  the  ground 
under  a  bank  of  earth,  among  grass  jungle  ;  and  he  adds  that 
the  Natives  assert  that  when  a  bird  is  wounded  or  killed,  the  body 
is  conveyed  by  its  comrades  to  one  of  these  retreats,  but  this  of 
course  is  unfounded. 

The  eggs  are  occasionally  taken  and  set  to  fowls,  and  the  young 
reared.  It  thrives  well  in  confinement,  and  has  then  been  observed 
laying  hold  of  stalks  of  grain  or  other  food  with  one  of  its  feet.  I 
am  not  aware  that  ovivorous  propensities  have  been  exhibited  by  this 
species,  but  an  African  bird,  Forph.  veterum,  Gmel.,  (Jiyacinthinus, 
Temm.)  found  in  several  of  the  ]\Iediterranean  Islands,  is  said  to 
destroy  large  numbers  of  wild  ducks'  eggs,  by  sucking  them  ;  one 
was  seen  to  seize  a  duckling  in  its  huge  foot,  crush  its  liead  and 
eat  the  brains,  leaving  the  rest  untouched. 


GALLINULTNiE.  715 

There  are  several  other  species  of  this  genus  from  all  parts  of 
the  world.  Perhaps,  near  Porphijrio,  should  be  placed  the 
remarkable  Notornis  Mantelli,  Owen,  of  New  Zealand,  long 
supposed  to  be  extinct. 

The  next  genus  has  the  feet  with  a  free  web  in  lobes  along 
the  anterior  toes  and,  from  this  structure,  it  was  erroneously  classed 
by  Temminck  and  others  with  the  Grebes,  under  the  title  of 
PiiiHcUipedes. 

Gen.  FuLiCA,  Linn. 

Bill  moderate  or  short,  thick  ;  the  upper  mandible  gradually 
deflected,  compressed,  extending  backwards  into  a  horny  shield 
on  the  forehead ;  nostrils  small,  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  bill ; 
wings  short,  concave,  with  a  tubercle  at  the  flexure ;  the  2nd  and 
3rd  quills  longest ;  tail  very  short ;  tarsus  moderate,  compressed  ; 
toes  very  long,  bordered  by  a  wide  lobed  membrane,  claws  short, 
curved,  and  sharp. 

The  Coots  constitute  a  well  known  group  of  birds,  the  most  aquatic 
of  this  tribe,  swimming  freely  and  diving  with  ease.  The  common 
Coot  has  very  long  intestines  and  one  long  and  narrow  caicum. 
The  plumage  is  dense  and  soft,  but  open  in  texture. 

903.    Fulica  atra,  Linn^us. 

Blyth,  Cat.  1677— Sykes,  Cat.  205— Jerdon,  Cat.  329— 
Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  338 — Dasari,  Dasarni,  H. — Barra 
Godan  or  Godhan,  H.  at  Purneah — Boli-kodi,  Tel. 

The  Bald  Coot. 

Descr. — Head  and  neck  deep  black  ;  upper  plumage  greyish 
black ;  below,  the  same,  with  an  ashy  tinge ;  bill  dead  white  in 
the  cold  season,  slightly  tinged  with  rosy  at  the  breeding  season ; 
frontal  disk  white  ;  irides  blood  red;  feet  didl  green,  with  a  garter 
of  yellow,  green,  and  red  above  the  joint,  in  summer. 

In  the  young  bird  the  frontal  disk  is  small,  and  the  under  parts 
pale  greyish. 

Length  15  to  16  inches  ;  wing  7|  ;  tail  2  ;  bill  to  base  of  disk 
If,  at  gapo  I^V. 


716  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

The  Coot  is  common  in  most  parts  of  India,  rare  or  wanting 
in  some  localities  which  seem  perfectly  adapted  for  it.  It  is  found 
throughout  Europe,  Asia,  and  Northern  Africa.  It  prefers 
weedy  tanks,  is  found  in  considerable  flocks,  and  is  often  seen  in 
the  middle  of  the  day  resting  on  the  water  in  the  middle  of  some 
large  tank,  far  away  from  any  weeds  or  cover.  When  first 
raised  it  appears  to  fly  with  difficulty,  striking  the  surface  of 
the  water  for  many  yards,  but  when  fairly  on  the  wing,  it  can  fly 
tolerably  well.  It  sometimes  travels  great  distances,  for  it  is  often 
found  on  tanks  that  dry  up  during  the  hot  weather.  It  dives  well. 

The  Coot  feeds  chiefly  on  vegetable  matter,  seeds,  and  shoots  of 
aquatic  plants.  It  is  a  noisy  bird  at  times,  having  a  peculiar  call. 
It  makes  a  large  nest,  occasionally  fixed,  at  other  times  of  floating 
weeds,  and  lays  six  to  eight  eggs,  of  sjjone  or  reddish-grey  color, 
with  small  red  and  dark  brown  speckles.  Burgess  states  that 
some  young  birds  he  procured  had  brii^ht  orange  hair-like  feathers 
over  part  of  their  bodies. 

Several  species  of  Coots  are  recorded  from  all  parts  of  the 
world.  One,  Fidica  cristata,  is  furnished  with  a  fleshy  crest,  and 
has  been  separated  as  Lupha,  Reichenbach. 

Gen.  Galliceex,  Blyth. 

Char. — Bill  much  as  in  Gallinula,  but  with  the  base  (in  the  male) 
prolonged  over  the  forehead,  and  rising  into  a  fleshy  caruncle  or 
horn  on  the  top  of  the  head,  which  is  only  developed  at  the  time  of 
breeding;  feet  large  ;  hind  toe  with  the  claw  short,  more  curved 
than  the  others  ;  otherwise  as  in  Gallinula.  Males  larger  than  the 
females. 

This  is  merely  a  large  form  of  Gallinula,  with  a  fleshy  crest 
developed  at  the  breeding  season  in  the  male,  which  moreover, 
unlike  the  Water-hens,  is  larger  than  the  female.  It  appears  to  bear 
the  same  relation  to  Gallinula  that  Fulica  cristata  does  to  the 
common  Coot. 

904.    Gallicrex  cristatus,  Latham. 

Gallinula,  apud  Latham — Blyth,  Cat.  1660— Rallus  rufes- 
cens,  apud  Jerdon,  Gat.  331 — G.  lugubris,  and  G.  gularis,  Hoks- 
FIKLD,  (male  and  female) — Kora  or  Kliora,  H.  also  A'on^ra  of  some. 


GALLINULINiE.  717 

The  Water-cock. 

Desijfi. — Male,  in  breeding  plumasre  dull  black,  the  feathers  of  the 
back,  wing-coverts,  rump,  and  upper  tail-coverts  more  or  less  edged 
witli  light  brown;  tertials  dark  brown,  edged  with  pale  whity- 
brown;  edge  of  the  wing  white;  quills  dusky,  the  shaft  of  the 
1st  quill  thick,  white  ;  tail  blackish-brown,  the  outer  feathers  edged 
pale  brown ;  lower  wing-coverts  dusky,  with  whitish  edges. 

Bill  greenish-yelloWj  fine  red  at  the  base  ;  the  crest  above  one 
inch  long,  fleshy  red  ;  irides  red  ;  legs  dull  red.  Length  16  to  17 
inches ;  extent  23";  wing  8^ ;  tail  3^  ;  tarsus  3 ;  mid-toe  3f. 

The  female  has  the  crown  of  the  head  and  a  pale  streak  over 
the  eye  unspotted  brown,  the  rest  of  the  body  above  dark  brown, 
all  the  feathers  edged  with  pale  fulvous,  most  broadly  so  on  the 
back,  scapulars,  and  wing-coverts  ;  edge  of  the  wing  and  outer 
web  of  1st  quill  white;  quills  dusky  brown  ;  lores,  cheeks,  and 
sides  of  the  neck  plain  brownish  fulvous ;  the  chin  and  throat 
whitish  ;  the  rest  of  the  lower  parts  pale  brownish-fulvous,  the 
feathers  barred  transversely  with  brown,  darkest  on  the  flanks, 
outer  thigh-coverts, anil  under  tail-coverts,  and  whitish  on  the  belly; 
wings  beneath  dark  cinereous. 

Bill  red  at  the  base,  greenish  yellow  at  the  tip  ;  irides  brown  ; 
legs  dull  green.  Length  14  inches  ;  extent  22  ;  wing  7  ;  tail  2f  ; 
bill  at  gape  1^  ;  tarsus  2| ;  middle  toe  nearly  3. 

The  Kora,  or  Water-cock  as  it  may  well  be  termed  from  its  large 
fleshy  horn,  is  found  in  those  parts  of  the  country  that  are  well 
watered,  and  abound  in  swamps  and  thick  grassy  tanks.  In 
the  South  of  India  and  in  Central  India  it  is  far  from  common,  and 
I  have  only  myself  obtained  it  there  in  South  Malabar ;  it  is  however 
found  in  Ceylon,  is  very  com^mon  in  Lower  Bengal,  and  still 
more  so  in  the  provinces  to  the  eastwards,  Sylhet,  Chittagong, 
all  through  Burmah  and,  also  in  Malayana.  It  affects  conceal- 
ment much  more  than  the  Water-hens,  running  with  activity 
through  the  thick  grass  or  tangled  paddy,  or  on  the  surface  of 
weedy  tanks.  It  feeds  on  rice  and  other  grains,  or  shoots  of 
various  water  plants,  and  also  on  small  molluscs  and  insects.  It 
is  a  very  noisy  bird,  and  its  loud  sonorous  booming  cries, 
especially  during  the  breeding  season,  must  be  familiar  to  many. 


718  BIRDS    OF   INDIA. 

Taylor  in  his  'Topography  of  Dacca',  states  that  the  voice  of  this 
bird,  before  engaging  in  combat,  is  peculiar ;  the  throat  sw^ls  out 
and  emits  a  deep  hollow  sound  which  is  continued  for  several 
seconds,  and  is  suddenly  followed  by  a  shrill,  vibratory  cry  like 
that  of  the  Trumpeter  birds,  [Psophia)  of  South  America. 
Like  many  of  the  Rails  it  is  partially  nocturnal  in  its  habits. 
The  male  birds  are  said  to  fight  furiously,  and  are  much  prized  by 
the  natives,  who  keep  them  for  that  purpose,  especially  in  Dacca, 
Sylhet,  &c.  where  they  sell  for  a  high  price.  It  is  excellent  eating, 
and  according  to  a  writer  in  the  Indian  Sportiyig  Bevieiv,  "  the 
flesh,  feather,  and  courage  of  the  Khorah  are  all  game." 

Gen.  Gallinula,  Brisson. 

Syn.      Stagnicola,  Brehm. 

Char. — Bill  moderate,  compressed,  rather  thick  at  the  base, 
slightly  curved  at  the  tip,  expanding  into  a  small  shield  on  the 
forehead  ;  nostrils  longitudinal,  in  a  groove  in  the  middle  of  the 
bill ;  wings  moderate,  2nd,  3rd,  and  4th  quills  sub-equal,  with  a 
small,  sharp  tubercle  or  spur  ;  tail  short ;  tarsus  moderately  long  ; 
the  toes  rather  long,   narrow,  edged  by  a  very  narrow  membrane. 

Water-hens  are  found  all  over  the  world.  The  females  are 
larger  than  the  males. 

905.    Gallinula  chloropus,  LiNNiEus. 

FuHca,  apud  Linnaeus — Blyth,  Cat.  1675 — G.  akool,  apud 
Jeudox,  Cat.  332 — G.  parvifrons,  Blytfi — Godha7i,  H.  in  Behar 
— Jumhu  kodi,  or  BoH-kodi,  Tel. — Jal-murghi,  H.,  popularly — 
DaJcak  paira,  Beng. 

The  Water-hen. 

Descr. — Head  dusky  grey;  the  upper  plumage  deep  olive;  the 
wing  dusky  ;  edge  of  the  wing  white  ;  throat,  neck,  and  breast 
dusky  grey,  the  rest  of  the  under  parts  deep  bluisli-grey ;  the 
feathers  edged  with  whitish,  and  the  flanks  with  large  streaks 
of  white ;  under  tail-coverts  pure  white,  with  a  few  black  feathers 
intermixed. 

Bill  red  at  the  base,  yellow  at  the  tip ;  irides  red ;  legs  and 
feet  pale    olive   green,    with    an    orange   garter    above  the   knee. 


GALLINULINiE.  719 

Length  12  to  13  inches;  extent  20  ;  wing  6| ;  tail  nearly  3;  bill 
at  gape  Ij'^j ;  tarsns  ly^jj;  "middle  toe  and  claw  2j^.  The  female 
is  laro-er  and  somewhat  richer  colored  than  the  male.  The 
young  has  the  head  and  upper  parts  olivaceous  brown  ;  the  throat, 
neck  in  front,  and  a  spot  beneath  the  eye  whitish  ;  breast  and 
beneath,  pale  grey. 

The  Water-hen  is  generally  diflfused  throughout  India  and  the 
whole  of  the  Old  Continent,  preferring  small  rivers,  jheels,  and 
tanks  bordered  by  a  belt  of  shrubs  and  trees.  It  swims  freely,  but 
when  approached  always  retreats  to  the  shore,  and  conceals  itself 
amono-  the  branches  of  trees  or  shrubs,  which  it  climbs  with  ijreat 
facility,  or  among  thick  reeds.  It  runs  with  the  tail  erect.  The 
food  of  theWater-hen  is  chiefly  vegetable,  but  it  also  takes  aquatic 
insects,  larvas,  and  even  it  is  said,  small  fish.  It  is  considered  good 
eating  by  many.  It  generally  makes  a  large  nest  of  weeds  either 
floating  or  fixed  to  reeds  and  branches,  and  lays  six  to  eight  pink- 
ish-cream or  grey  eggs,  spotted  and  ringed  with  red-brown. 

906.    Gallinula  Burnesii,  Blyth. 

J.  A.  S.  XIII.  lU—Gajra,  Sindh. 

Small  Water-hen. 

Descr. — Similar  to  G.  cliloropus,  or  intermediate  to  it  and 
Porzana  akool;  the  head  and  neck  are  like  those  of  the  common 
Water-hen,  but  the  frontal  plate  is  small  or  wanting;  the  outer  web 
of  the  1st  primary  is  white,  and  the  outermost  feather  of  the 
winglet  is  also  bordered  with  white;  the  wing-coverts  are  dark 
slaty  ash  ;  and  the  under  tail-coverts  are  white.  It  is  smaller  than 
G.  chloropus ;  extent  1 8  inches ;  tarsus  2^ ;  mid-toe  2|  ;  claws 
also  shorter  ;  irides  bright  pale  crimson  ;  legs  and  feet  as  in 
chloropus,  but  the  orange  garter  less  developed. 

This  species  was  discriminated  by  Mr.  Blyth  from  a  drawing  and 
some  fragments  of  a  specimen  sent  by  Sir  A.  Burnes,  from  the 
Munchur  lake  in  Sindh.  It  appears  to  me  rather  a  doubtful 
species,  but  I  shall  retain  it  in  the  hopes  of  other  specimens 
turning  up. 


720  BIRDS    OF   INDIA. 

The  next  species  (with  one  or  two  other  allied  ones)  differs  slightly 
in  type  and  habits,  and  has  been  separated  as  Err/thra,  Reichenbach. 

907.     Gallinula  phcenicura,  Pennant. 

Rallus,  apud  Pennant — Blyth,  Cat.  1661 — Jerdon,  Cat. 
333 — Stkes,  Cat.  202 — G.  Javanica,  Horsfield,  Zool.  Res. 
Java,  pi. — Daivak,  or  Dahak,  or  Dauk,  H. — Boli-kodi,  Tel. — 
Kureyn  of  Gonds — Kurayi,  in  Sindh. 

The  White-beeasted  Water-hen. 

Descr. — Above  black  with  greenish  reflections  especially  on 
the  wing-coverts  ;  chin,  throat,  and  breast  pure  white  ;  lower  abdo- 
men, vent,  and  under  tail-coverts  deep^  chesnut. 

Bill  greenish  yellow,  orange  on  the  ridge  ;  irides  blood-red  ; 
legs  green.  Length  12|  inches ;  extent  21 ;  wing  6^  ;  tail  2| ;  bill 
at  front  l-g ;  tarsus  2| ;  raid-toe  and  claw  2f . 

The  White-breasted  Water-hen  which  is  placed  by  Blyth,  as  a 
Porzana,  is  quite  intermediate  to  the  Gallinules  and  Rails  ;  but 
its  size  and  mode  of  coloration  ally  it  more  closely  to  the  former 
than  to  the  latter.  Unlike  the  others  of  its  kind,  however,  this 
species  prefers  thickets,  hedge-rows,  and  patches  of  thick  jungle, 
often  at  some  distance  from  water  ;  and  it  is  often  seen  in  gardens 
and  close  to  villages.  It  comes  out  into  fields,  gardens,  &c.,  to 
'feed,  and  when  approached  runs  to  its  covert,  with  great  rapidity 
and  erect  tail ;  it  climbs  with  facility  through  the  thick  shrubs  and 
reeds,  and  is  dislodged  with  difficulty.  Near  villages  it  is  often 
very  tame.  It  feeds  both  on  grain  and  insects,  and  has  a  loud 
call. 

Theobald  found  the  nest,  in  a  jheel,  made  of  weeds,  containing 
seven  eggs  of  a  brownish-cream  colour,  spotted  and  blotched  with 
brownish  red.  It  is  found  throughout  India  and  Ceylon,  extending 
through  Burniah  into  the  Malayan  isles. 

Three  or  four  species  of  this  genus  are  recorded,  all  from  the 
Eastern  Archipelago.  Gray  admits  three  other  genera  of  Gallinules, 
Lim7WC07'aw,  Amaurornis,  and  Porphyriops,  the  latter  remarkable 
for  its  thick  bill ;  Habroptiln,  from  Africa,  is  also  closely  allied. 
Ocydromus,  Wagler,  (GalliraUus,    Lafr.)    an    Australian  group,  is 


RALLINyE.  721 

placed  by  Gray  among  the  true  Rail?,  but  appears  to  approacb  the 
Water-liens  more  nearly,  and  Bonaparte  makes  it  the  type  of  a 
separate  family,  in  which  he  places  Tnhonyx,  Dubus,  {Brachyp- 
trallus,  Lafr. ),  which  appears  to  me  to  be  simply  a  gigantic  Water- 
hen.  Not  far  from  the  Coots  and  Gallinules  should  be  placed  the 
remarkable  genus,  Podoa,  lUiger,  ( Helwrnis,  Gray  with  the  closely 
allied  Podica,  Gray.  The  birds  compi^sing  this  izroup  have  the  toes 
lengthened  and  webbed  like  the  Coots,  or  rather  like  Pocliceps ;  a 
long  neck  and  a  Rail-like  bill.  They  were  formerly  classed  with 
the  Grebes,  but  the  skeleton  is  quite  that  of  the  present  family. 
There  is  one  American  species,  Podica  surinamensis  ;  another  from 
Africa,  Podica  Senegalensis ;  and  a  third  Podica  j>ersonata,  Gray, 
from  iUirmah  and  Malacca,  extending  into  (^acliar,  where  I  saw 
a  specimen  that  had  been  killed  by  Dr.  White.  This  bird  will 
probably  be  found  to  extend  so  far  west  as  to  demand  a  place 
among  the  Birds  of  India.  The  African  species  is  said  to  have  a 
peculiar  growling  note. 

Sub-fam.  Rallin^. 

Base  of  the  bill  not  prolonged  over  the  forehead  ;  beak  much 
compressed;  feet  somewhat  shorter  than  in  the  Gallinules;  body 
still  more  compressed. 

The  Rails  are  for  the  most  part  birds  of  small  or  moderate  size, 
and  more  or  less  brown  plumage,  occasionally  streaked,  and  often 
banded  beneath,  frequenting  thick  corn-fields,  invindated  rice-fields, 
swamps,  marshes,  and  wet  meadow  land.  They  are  partially 
nocturnal  in  their  habits,  shun  observation,  and  feed  much  on 
small  molluscs,  insects,  and  their  larvse,  occasionally  on  grain  and 
vegetable  matter.  They  have  the  body  more  compressed  than  the 
Gallinules,  the  stern nm  being  very  narrow,  and  this  enables  them 
to  make  their  way  with  facility  thronoh  the  densest  reeds  and 
herbage.  They  swim  with  ease,  but  take  wing  unwillingly  and 
flv  badly.  'I'he  plumage  is  soft  and  loose,  and  the  wings  have 
generally  a  short  spur  or  tubercle  at  the  flexure.     They  are  for  the 

most  part  solitary,  whilst   the  Gallinules  are  more  or   less   social. 

They  liang  their  legs  on  first  taking  wing,  and  during  short  flights. 

The  sexes  are  alike  in  colour,  or  nearly  so. 

PART   II.  4   Y 


722  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

Gen.   PoEZANA,   Vieillot. 

Syn.  Ortygometra  and  Zapornia. 

Bill  about  the  length  of  the  head,  compressed  throughout, 
moderately  slender,  very  slightly  deeper  at  the  base,  and  somewhat 
narrowed  in  the  middle  ;  wings  moderate,  rounded  ;  tail  very  short; 
tarsus  moderate  ;  toes  rather  long,  slender,  smooth  ;  claws  com- 
pressed, sharp. 

The  birds  of  ^this  genus  frequent  marshy  ground,  are  mostly 
solitary  birds,  and  are  very  difficult  to  flush.  The  first  by  its 
plumage,  forms  a  sort  of  link  with  the  Water-hens,  and  has  been 
badly  placed  by  Bonaparte  with  the  group  named  Hypotcenidia. 

908.  Porzana  akool,  Sykes. 

Gallinula,  apud  Sykes,  Cat.  203 — ^Blyth,  Cat.  1662 — G.  mo- 
desta,  SwAiNSON. 

The  Brown-rail. 

Descr. — Above  olive  brown,  ashy  brown  on  the  rump ;  wings 
and  tail  dusky ;  wing-coverts  deep  brown  ;  chin  white ;  throat, 
breast,  and  belly  ashy-brown ;  flanks  olive-brown  ;  lower  tail- 
coverts  deep   brown. 

Bill  greenish ;  irides  red-browu  ;  legs  and  feet  fleshy  brown 
or  livid  purple.  Length  11  inches  ;  wing  7  ;  tail  3^  ;  bill  at  front 
If  ;  tarsus  2. 

This  is  comparatively  a  rare  bird  in  most  parts  of  the  country, 
although  it  appears  generally  distributed.  It  has  been  found  in 
the  Deccan,  in  Central  India,  and  is  rather  common  in  Lower 
Bengal.  It  frequents  grassy  swamps,  and  the  edges  of  tanks  and 
rivers,  runs  well,  and  is  flushed  with  difficulty. 

Porz.  immaoulata,  Swain  son,  from  Australia,  is  a  similarly 
coloured  species,  but  much  smaller. 

The  next  group  comprises  several  small  Rails  of  more  or  less 
spotted  plumage,  spread  through  the  temperate  regions  of  the  Old 
AVorld,  migrating  in  winter  to  tropical  countries. 

909.    Porzana  mametta,  Beisson. 

Eallus,  apud  Brisson — Blyth,  Cat.  1663 — Jerdon,  Suppl. 
Cat.  330  bis — Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  343 — Rail,  porzana, 
Linn. — Khairi,  Beng.  or  Gurguri  hliairi — Venna  mudi-kodi,  Tel. 


RALLINuE.  723 

The  SroTTED  Rail. 

Descr. —  Crown,  back,  scapulars,  and  rump  olive  brown,  blotched 
with  dusky,  and  all  the  feathers  except  those  of  the  head  elegantly 
spotted  and  streaked  with  white ;  forehead  and  eyestreak  ash- 
grey,  the  latter  speckled  with  white ;  nape  thickly  spotted  with 
black  and  white ;  cheeks  cinereous,  speckled  with  black ;  wing- 
coverts  olive  brown,  sparingly  spotted  with  white  ;  quills  brown ; 
throat  ashy  grey ;  fore  part  of  the  neck  and  breast  pale  olivaceous, 
tinged  with  ashy  grey  and  spotted  with  white  ;  belly  and  vent  ashy 
white ;  flanks  with  transverse  bars  of  white,  black,  and  olivaceous 
brown. 

Bill  greenish  yellow,  orange  at  the  base ;  irides  red  brown ; 
legs  and  feet  bright  yellowish  green.  Length  9  inches  ;  extent  15^  ; 
wing  4i  ;  tail  2 ;  bill  at  front  | ;  tarsus  ly'L  ;  middle  toe  and 
claw  ly^Q. 

The  spotted  Rail  of  England  is  found  over  all  India,  in  the  cold 
season,  and  frequents  marshes,  rice  fields,  and  moist  meadows  near 
rivers  and  tanks.  It  is  found  throughout  Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa, 
breeding  in  temperate  regions  ;  it  is  stated  to  make  a  floating  nest 
of  rushes,  and  to  lay  eight  to  twelve  reddish- white  eggs  spotted 
with  brown.  It  becomes  very  fat  at  certain  seasons,  and  is  said 
to  be  excellent  eating. 

The  smaller  Rails  have  been  separated  as  Zapornia,  Leach. 

910.    Porzana  pygmsea,  Naumann. 

Crex,  apud  Naumann — Blyth,  Cat.  1664 — Gallin.  Bailloni, 
ViEiLLOT — Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  344. 

The  Pigmy  Rail. 

Descr. — Crown  and  neck  above  wood-brown ;  back,  scapulars, 
and  winD--coverts  yellow-brown,  tinged  with  olive,  and  with 
numerous  white,  black-edged,  irregular  spots ;  cheeks,  throat,  neck 
and  under  parts  bluish  grey,  the  sides  of  the  abdomen  and  under 
tail-coverts  black  with  white  cross-bars. 

Bill  dark  green ;  irides  reddish  ;  legs  and  feet  fleshy  brown. 
Length  7  to  7^  inches  ;  extent  12  ;  wing  3|^ ;  tail  1^^  ;  bill  at 
front  f ;  tarsus  1  ;  middle  toe  and  claw  1|. 


724  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

The  female  is  said  to  1)6  a  little  l-rig-hter  in  plumage,  and  the 
young  to  have  the  upper  parts  less  spotted,  and  the  lower  parts 
whitish  with  cross  bands. 

The  Pio-my  Rail  is  still  more  common  than  the  last  species,  fre- 
quents similar  places,  and  has  a  like  geographical  distribution.  I 
have  killed  it  in  every  part  of  the  country,  chiefly  in  the  cold 
season  ;  some  pairs  however,  may  breed  in  this  country,  as  I  have 
killed  it  in  Eastern  Bengal  in  May. 

The  next  two  species  are  classed  under  Rullino,  {Euryzona  of 
Ikcichenbach  >  from  which  the  first  of  them  differs  in  having  longer 
toes  and  also  in  its  mode  of  coloration,  not  being  banded  beneath ; 
it  ought  perhaps  to  be  placed  apart. 

911.     Porzana  fusCa,  Linn^us. 

Rallus,  apud  Linn^us — Blyth,  Cat.  1666 — Gall,  rubiginosa, 
Temm.,  Ph  Col.  387. 

The  Ruddy  Rail. 

Forehead,  cheeks,  and  sides  of  the  head,  neck,  throat,  breast, 
and  abdomen,  deep  ferruginous,  albescent  on  the  chin  and 
throat  ;  upper  plumage  dull  olive  brown,  darker  on  the  wings  and 
tail;  lower  abdomen,  vent,  and  under  lail-coverts  dark  olivaceous, 
with  white  bars. 

Bill  gi-een,  reddish  at  the  base  ;  irides  red  ;  legs  and  feet  pale 
green.  Length  1\  inches;  wing  3|  ;  tail  1^;  bill  at  front  | ;  tarsus 
H;  mid-toe  and  claw  1-|. 

This  is  a  miniature  of  the  next  species,  but  with  less  banded 
plumage,  and  longer  toes. 

The  Ruddy  Rail  is  found  throughout  India,  is  not  very  common 
in  the  South,  but  more  abundant  in  the  North,  especially  in  the  well 
watered  province  of  Bengal.  It  frequents  thick  swamps,  marshes, 
and  the  like,  but  cannot  be  said  to  be  common  anywhere.  It 
extends  through  Burmah  to  the  islands  of  Malayana. 

Gallinula  erythrothorax,  Tern,  and  Schleg.,  F.  Japon.,  is  some- 
what allied  to  this  species  ;  it  was  found  by  Swinhoe  at  Canton. 

The  next  species  is  clearly  a  Rallina,  distinguished  by  the 
banded  abdomen. 


KALLlNiE.  725 

912.    Porzana  ceylonica,  Gmklin. 

R alius,  apiul  Gmelin — Blyth,  Cat.  1668 — Brown,  111.  Zool., 
[il.  37 — Gall,  euryzonoides,  Lesson  ? 

The  Banded  Kail. 

Descr. — Whole  head,  neck  and  breast  bright  ferruginous- 
chesnut,  albescent  on  the  chin  ;  upper  plumage  dull  oliva- 
ceous ;  wing-coverts  slightly  tinged  with  chesnut  ;  quills  brown, 
Avith  a  few  whitish  spots  and  bars  internally;  abdomen,  vent, 
and  under  tail-coverts  rich  dark  olive,  banded  broadly  with 
white. 

Bill  green  ;  irides  red-brown;  legs  pale  green.  Length  about 
10  inches ;  wings  5§- ;  tail  2|- ;  bill  nearly  1  ;  tarsus  If  ;  mid-toe 
and  claw  \\. 

Latterly  Mr.  Blyth  separated  the  race  from  Northern  India 
under  the  name  of  P.  timauroptera,  distinguished  by  having  less 
rufous  on  the  nape,  and  by  having  the  wings  and  tail  brown, 
barely  tinged  with  rufous. 

The  Banded  Pvail  resembles  the  last  species  in  haunts,  habits, 
and  distribution  in  India.  It  appears  to  be  replaceil  in  the  greater 
part  of  Malay  ana  by  the  more  riclily-plumaged  P.  fosciata.  Raffles, 
{euryzona,  Temra.) ;  but  Mr.  Biyth  writes  me  that  a  race  bare- 
ly   distinguishable  from    ceylonica    is    found  in     the    Philippines. 

Another  beautifvd  species  has  been  lately  sent  from  the  Andamans 
by  Col.  Tytler,  and  named  by  him  Enryzona  Canningi.  It  is  deep 
bright  ferruginous  above,  banded  beneath,  and  much  larger  than 
ceylonica.  Rallina  tricolor,  Gray,  from  New  Guinea,  is  also  some- 
what allied  to  this  group,  d^id  there  are  many  others  scattered 
through  the  Malayan  islands,  and  especially  throughout  Oceanica 
and  the  Pacific  islands. 

Gen.  Rallus,  Linnaeus  (as  restricted.) 
Bill  more  lengthened,  straight,  or  slightly  curved  down  at  the 
tip,  slender,  grooved  for  two-thirds  of  its  length ;  nostrils  linear ; 
wings  with  the  1st  quill  much  shorter  than  the  2nd  and  3rd,  and  a 
small  spur  on  tlie  shoulder  ;  tarsus  and  toes  as  in  Porzana.  The 
feathers  of  the  forehead  somewhat  spiny. 


726  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

The  Water-rails  differ  from  the  last  group  chiefly  by  their  more 
lengthened  bills.     They  are  divisible  however  into  two  groups. 

1st. — With  shorter  bills, — Hypotanidia,  Reichenbach. 

913.    Rallus  striatus,  Linn^us. 

Blyth,  Cat.  1671— Jerdon,  Cat.  330~K.  gularis,  HoRS- 
FIELD — Wade-kodi,  Tel. 

The   BLUE-BREASTED    RaIL. 

Descr. — Top  of  head  and  hind  neck  dark  chesnut ;  upper  plum- 
age (including  the  quills  and  tail)  olivaceous  throughout,  with 
narrow  white,  black-edged  bars ;  beneath,  the  chin  and  throat 
whitish,  the  neck,  breast,  and  upper  abdomen  bluish  grey  ;  the 
lower  abdomen,  vent,  under  tail-coverts,  and  thigh-coverts,  dull 
olivaceous,  with  white  bands. 

Bill  yellowish  green  ;  irides  red  ;  legs  dull  green.  Length  10^ 
inches  ;  wing  5^  ;  tail  If  ;  bill  at  front  1^  ;  tarsus  1^ ;  mid-toe  If. 

The  young  want  the  ferruginous  head  and  the  bluish  breast. 

The  Blue-breasted  Rail  is  found  throughout  India,  from  the 
extreme  South  and  Ceylon,  to  the  foot  of  the  Himalayas  and 
the  Punjab,  especially  in  the  cold  weather.  It  frequents  marshes 
and  grassy  ground  by  the  sides  of  tanks  and  rivers,  and  is  most 
abundant  in  well-watered  districts  :  it  is  rare  in  the  Carnatic  and 
Deccan.  It  extends  through  Burmah  to  the  Malayan  islands.  It 
probably  breeds  in  the  well-watered  districts  of  Bengal^  &c.  ;  I 
found  its  nest  in  a  swamp  below  Rangoon,  containing  six  eggs, 
reddish  cream  colour  with  dark  red  and  brown  spots. 

To  this  group  belong  several  species  chiefly  from  the  Eastern 
islands  and  the  Oceanic  region  ;  3.  pectoralis,  Cuvier  ;  R.  Philip- 
pensis,  Latham,  &c.  H.  Lewinii,  Swainson,  from  Australia,  is  also 
nearly  allied,  and  is  made  the  type  of  Lewinia  by  Bonaparte. 

2nd. — With  longer  bills, — {Rallus,  as  restricted), 

914.    Rallus  indicus,  Blyth. 
J.  A.  S.  XVIII.,  p.  820- Blyth,  Cat.  1673. 
The  Indian  Water-rail. 

Descr. — Above  olive  brown,   with  black  central  streaks  ;  a  dark 
streak  below  the  eye,  continued  back  over  the  ear-coverts  ;  lesser 


RALLIN^.  727 

coverts  with  a  few  white  marks ;  throat  whitish ;  cheeks,  fore- 
neck,  breast,  and  upper  abdomen  brownish  ashy ;  lower  belly 
reddish  brown  ;  flanks  black  with  white  bands  ;  lower  tail-coverts 
mixed  white  rufous  and  black  ;  quills  and  tail  dusky  brown,  the 
feathers  of  the  last  edged  paler. 

Bill  dull  red,  dusky  on  the  culmen  and  tip  ;  irides  red  brown ; 
legs  and  feet  dirty  pale  green.  Length  10^  inches  ;  extent  15  ; 
wing  4^  to  5 ;  tail  2  ;  tarsus  If ;  bill  at  front  1^  ;  depth  nearly  ^. 

This  Water-rail  differs,  according  to  Mr.  Blyth,  from  R. 
aquaiicus  of  Europe,  which  it  otherwise  very  closely  resembles, 
in  being  larger,  with  a  conspicuously  thicker  bill  and  legs  :  the 
dark  streak  below  the  eye,  and  the  less  pure  hue  of  the  lower 
parts  are  also  mentioned  as  distinctions  by  that  Naturalist.  I 
am  doubtful  of  its  being  perfectly  distinct,  but  shall  retain  it  as  a 
separate  species  for  the  present. 

It  appears  to  be  rather  a  rare  bird  in  Central  and  Southern 
India,  and  has  chiefly  been  found  during  the  cold  season,  being 
probably  migratory  like  some  of  the  other  Rails.  It  frequents  mar- 
shy ground,  generally  in  rather  thick  covert.  I  have  only  seen  it 
myself  in  Northern  India,  and  Adams  states  that  it  is  common  in 
the  Punjab.  Its  distribution  elsewhere  is  not  recorded,  but  it 
probably  (if  distinct)  will  be  found  to  occur  throughout  C^hina 
and  North-eastern  Asia.  Schlegel  has  H.  japonicus,  given  as  a 
variety  of  aquaticns  by  Bonaparte,  which  is  not  improbably,  the 
same  as    our   bird. 

Rallus  aquations,  Lin.,  is  found  throughout  Europe  and  the 
greater  part  of  Asia,  and  there  are  many  other  true  Water-rails 
in  different  parts  of  the  world,  especially  in  America.  Two 
groups  from  the  New  Continent  are  named  Rufirallus  and 
Laterirallus  by  Bonaparte. 

A  group  of  small  African  Rails  appears  to  deserve  separation,  and 
has  received  from  Swainson  the  generic  name  of  Corethrura.  The 
birds  of  this  genus  have  very  short  tails.  Rougetius,  Bonaparte, 
constitutes  another  African  group.  The  Land-rail  of  Europe,  or 
Corn-crane,  Crex  pratensis,  is  a  very  distinct  type,  well  known 
(by  its  call  at  all  events)  in  Britain.  It  is  stated  to  have  occurred 
in  Northern  India,  and  is  common  in  Affghanistan.     A  very  distinct 


728  BIKDS    OF    INDIA. 

type  of  Rail  exists  in  Eulabeornis,  Gould,  from  Australia,  of  large 
size,  with  short  legs  and  feet,  and  a  longish,  pointed  or  wedged 
tail.  It  is  stated  to  have  some  affinities  for  Megapodhis.  A  ramus, 
v.,  an  American  group,  placed  by  some  with  the  Herons,  and  by 
others  between  the  Cranes  and  the  Herons,  has  been  lately  referred 
to  this  family  from  its  mode  of  nidification  and  the  nature  of  its 
eggs.  Aramus  scolopaceus  is  a  birge  bird  with  brown  plumage. 
An  allied  form  is  Aramides,  Puch.,  founded  on  Rallus  cayenuensis, 
Gmelin. 

Tribe  Cultirostres,  Cuvier. 

Gradatores,  Blyth,  ''Stalkers). 

Bill  thick,  stout,  pointed,  slightly^  curved  in  some ;  tarsus 
elongated ;  feet  moderately  large ;  hind  toe  large,  on  the  same 
plane  as  the  anterior  toes;  wings  ample;  tail  short.  Mostly  of 
large  or  moderate  size.     Nestle  on  trees  or  among  reeds. 

This  tribe  differs  from  all  the  preceding  tribes  of  the  Grallatores 
in  the  young  being  born  naked  or  nearly  so,  and  helpless,  requiring 
to  be  feii  by  their  parents  in  the  nest  till  nearly  full  grown. 
It  comprises  three  families,  the  Storks,  the  Herons,  and  the  Ibises. 

They  all  stalk  slowly  along  the  ground,  or  in  water,  looking  for 
their  food,  which  consists  of  fishes,  reptiles,  insects,  Crustacea,  and 
molluscs ;  their  flight  is  powerful  and  easy,  though  slow  in  some. 
A  few  are  migratory  and  gregaiious.  The  tibia  is  bare  for 
a  considerable  space ;  the  tarsus  long  and  scutellated ;  the 
hind  toe  long  and  on  the  same  plane  or  nearly  so  with  the 
anterior  toes.  The  sternum  is  short  and  wide,  with  one  short 
fissure  narrowing  upwards ;  the  internal  anatomy  varies  somewhat 
in  each  family. 

They  are  divided  into  the  following  families  : — 

Fam.  Ciconidce,  Storks ;  Fam.  A  rdeidcB,  Flerons  ;  and  Fam. 
Tantalidce,  Ibises.  The  Storks  have  the  bill  very  stout  and  thick, 
and  are  of  large  size.  The  Herons  have  the  bill  more  slender  and 
pointed,  with  the  middle  toe  more  or  less  serrated  ;  and  the  Ibises 
have  the  beak  more  or  less  curved. 

Cuvier  placed  the  Cranes  among  the  Cultirostres,  but  I  have 
already  given  reasons  for  separating  them. 


CICONID^.  729 

Fam.  CicONiDiE,  Storks. 

Ciconince,  Gray,  Blyth. 

Bill  very  large  and  stout,  lengthened,  straight,  or  slightly 
ascending,  and  with  the  lower  mandible  sub-recurved,  smooth, 
without  a  groove,  less  cleft  than  in  the  Herons  ;  nostrils  linear, 
near  the  base  of  the  culmen  ;  wings  long,  2nd  and  3rd,  or  3rd 
and  4th  quills  longest ;  tail  short ;  tarsus  usually  reticulate  with 
hexagonal  scales  ;  all  the  anterior  toes  joined  at  the  base  by 
membrane ;  hallux  resting  on  the  ground  for  part  of  its  length  ; 
claws  blunt.     Of  large  size. 

The  Storks  differ  from  the  Herons  in  many  points,  but  they  may 
be  readily  distinguished  by  their  large  size,  bulky  form,  stouter 
and  smoother  bill,  and  by  always  having  a  web  between  the 
inner  and  middle  toes,  as  well  as  the  outer  web.  They  have  a  rather 
muscular  gizzard,  moderately  long  intestines,  and  two  minute  coeca. 
Their  lower  larynx  has  no  proper  muscles,  and  they  consequently 
emit  no  sound  except  by  striking  the  mandibles  together.  The 
Storks  have  a  peculiar  mechanism  of  the  knee  joint,  by  which  they 
are  enabled  to  rest  on  one  leg  without  fatiirue.  The  sternum 
is  short  and  wide,  with  only  one  emargination,  narrowing 
upwards. 

Some  of  the  Storks  are  migratory  and  gregarious,  others 
solitary.  They  breed  on  lofty  trees  or  on  house-tops,  and  lay  two 
to  four  whitish  eggs. 

The  first  genus  contains  som.e  of  the  Giants  of  the  Bird  Kingdom. 

Gen.  Leptoptilos,  Lesson. 

Syn.    Argalu,  Leach. —  Osteorophea,  Hodgson. 

Ch(o\ — Bill  enormous,  much  thickened ;  head  more  or  less 
nude ;  wing-coverts  long,  broad ;  under  tail-coverts  long,  soft, 
somewhat  decomposed.     Of  very  large  size. 

The  gigantic  Storks,  or  Adjutants  as  they  are  called  in  India, 
are  found  in  the  hotter  regions  of  the  Old  World.  They  devour 
carrion  of  all  kinds,  as  well  as  fish,  reptiles,  Crustacea,  &c.,  and 
serve  the  purpose  of  Scavengers  in  some  of  our  large  cities. 
Some  have  a  large  pouch  in  front. 

There  are  two  species  in  Lidia. 

PART    II.  4    Z 


730  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

915.    Leptoptilos  argala,  LiNNiEus. 

Ardea,  apud  Linn/EUS — Blyth,  Cat.  1632 — Sykes,  Cat.  185 — 
C.  nudifrons,  Jerdon,  Cat.  316 — C.  marabou,  Temminck — 
PL  Enl.  300— Argala  migratoria,  Hodgson — Ardea  dubia, 
Gmelin — Hargila  or  Hargeyla,  H. — Diista,  H.,  in  the  South — 
Chaniari  dhmth,  Beng. —  Garur  in  Purneah  and  N.  W.  P. — Pini- 
gala-konga^  Tel. — Adjutant  of  Europeans. 

The  Gigantic  Stork. 

Descr. — Adult  in  breeding  plumage ;  whole  head^  neck,  and  gular 
pouch  bare,  with  a  very  few  scattered  short  hairs,  yellowish  red 
mixed  with  fleshy,  and  varying  much  in  tint  in  different  indivi- 
duals ;  a  ruff  of  white  feathers  bordering  the  upper  part  of  the 
back,  lengthened,  and  somewhat  loose  in  texture  on  the  shoulders  ; 
upper  plumage,  including  the  lesser  and  median  wing-coverts,  slaty 
black,  ashy  or  slaty  in  fresh  moulted  birds,  with  a  slight  green 
gloss  ;  the  greater-coverts  silvery  grey  ;  primaries  and  secondaries 
black,  slightly  glossed  externally ;  tertiaries  silvery  grey,  gradu- 
ally passing  into  the  greater  coverts,  and  with  them  forming- 
one  long  conspicuous  wing-band  ;  two  or  three  of  the  innermost 
feathers  slightly  decomposed  in  structure  ;  scapulars  with  a  tinge 
of  grey  ;  lower  plumage  v/hite. 

In  non-breeding  plumage  the  silvery  grey  wing-band  is  want- 
ing, the  whole  plumage  is  more  dull,  and  the  nude  skin  of  the 
head  and  neck  less  mixed  with  red. 

Bill  pale  dirty  greenish ;  irides  very  small,  greyish  white  ;  legs 
greyish  white.  Length  5  feet;  wing  30  inches;  tail  11;  bill 
at  front  12  ;  tarsus  10^  ;  mid-toe  5.  The  males  exceed  the  females 
in  size. 

The  pouch  is  sometimes  16  inches  and  more  in  length.  It 
has  no  connection  with  the  gullet,  but  is  probably  connected 
with  the  respiratory  system  of  the  bird  ;  and,  as  Mr.  Blyth  sug- 
gests, is  probably  analogous  to  the  air-cell  attached  to  one  lung 
only  of  the  Pytlion  or  Boa,  and,  as  in  that  case,  no  doubt, 
supplies  oxygen  to  the  lungs  during  protracted  acts  of  deglutition. 
It  appears  to  increase  in  size  with  the  age  of  the  bird. 


CICONIDJE.  731 

The  Adjutant  is  found  throughout  the  greater  part  of  India,  is 
rare  in  the  South,  but  extremely  common  in  part  of  Northern  India, 
and  more  especially  in  Bengal  and  North-eastern  India.  I  never 
saw  it  in  the  Carnatic  nor  in  Malabar  ;  it  is  occasionally  met  with 
in  Mysore,  and  is  not  rare  in  Hyderabad,  thence  becoming  more 
common  and  abundant  northwards.  It  spreads  through  Burmah  to 
the  Malayan  peninsula.  It  is  only  a  temporary  resident  in  India, 
coming  in  towards  the  close  of  the  hot  weather  in  April  or  May, 
and  remaining  till  October.  A  very  few  barren  or  unpaired  birds 
remain  occasionally  in  parts  of  the  country. 

In  Calcutta,  and  some  other  large  towns,  the  Adjutant  is  a 
familiar  bird,  unscared  by  the  near  approach  of  man  or  dog,  and 
protected  in  some  cases  by  law.  It  is  an  efficient  Scavenger, 
attending  the  neighbourhood  of  slaughter-houses,  and  especially  the 
burning  grounds  of  theHindoos,  where  the  often  half -burnt  carcasses 
are  thrown  into  the  rivers.  It  also  diligently  looks  over  the  heaps 
of  refuse  and  offal  thrown  out  in  the  streets  to  await  the  arrival  of 
the  scavenger's  carts,  where  it  may  be  seen  in  company  with 
dogs,  kites,  and  crows.  It  likes  to  vary  its  food,  however,  and 
may  often  be  seen  searching  ditches,  pools  of  water,  and  tanks, 
for  froos  or  fish.  In  the  Deccan  it  soars  at  an  immense  height  in 
the  air  along  with  Vultures,  ready  to  descend  on  any  carcass  that 
may  be  discovered.  After  it  has  satisfied  the  cravings  of  its 
appetite,  the  Adjutant  reposes  during  the  heat  of  the  day,  some- 
times on  the  tops  of  houses,  now  and  then  on  trees,  and  frequent- 
ly on  the  ground,  resting  often  on  the  whole  leg  (tarsus).  The 
Adjutant  occasionally  may  seize  a  Crow  or  a  Myna,  or  even, 
as  related,  a  small  cat ;  but  these  are  rare  bits  for  it,  and  indeed 
it  has  not  the  opportunity,  in  general,  of  indulging  its  taste  for 
living  birds,  notwithstanding  Cuvier's  statement  that  its  large 
beak  enables  it  to  capture  birds  on  the  wing.  A  writer  in 
Chambers'  Journal  for  1861,  describes  an  Adjutant  swallowing  a 
Crow,  and  states  that  he  '  saw  it  pass  into  the  sienna-toned  pouch 
of  the  gaunt  avenger.  He  who  writes  saw  it  done.'  Again,  ^  the 
Adjutant's  cry  very  much  resembles  water  flowing  from  a  narrow- 
necked  bottle,  and  he  invariably  utters  it  when  about  to  swallow 
a  piece  of   ofFal.'     These  utterly  unfounded  statements  called  up 


732  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

i\Ir.  Blyth  in  the  Ibis,  vol.  3,  p.  268,  who  showed  that  both  the 
passing  of  the  Crow  into  the  pouch  and  the  call  of  the  Adjutant 
were  simply  impossible,  in  consequence  of  structural  peculiarities 
Avhich  have  been  described  in  previous  pages. 

The  Adjutant  breeds  in  trees  on  rocky  clifis,  occasionally,  it  is 
said,  in  lofty  trees  away  from  hills.  The  neighbourhood  of  Moul- 
mein  is  one  of  the  best  known  localities  ;  the  nests  were  found  by 
Colonel  Tickell  on  trees  near  the  summit  of  some  of  the  remarkable 
limestone  rocky  hills  near  that  place.  Captain  Sparks  had  previ- 
ously found  the  nest  in  the  same  locality  ;  and  Mr.  Frith  found 
them  lireeding  in  the  south-east  part  of  the  Sunderbuns.  The 
Adjutant  lays  two  white  eggs,  and  the  young  are  covered  with 
white  down. 

The  feathers  known  as-  Marabou,  or  Comercolly  feathers,  and 
sold  in  Calcutta,  are  the  under  tail-coverts  of  this  and  the  follomng 
species.  There  is  a  popular  superstition  that  if  you  split  the  head 
of  this  bird  before  deatli,  you  will  extract  from  it  the  celebrated 
stone  called  Zahir-mora,  or  poison  killer,  of  great  virtue  and  repute 
as  an  antidote  to  all  kinds  of  poison. 


916.    Leptoptilos  javanica,  Horsfield. 

.  Ciconia,  apud  Horsfied — Blyth,  Cat.  1633 — C.  calva, 
Jerdon,  Cat.  318 — C.  capillata,  Temminck,  PI.  Col.  312 — C. 
nudifrons,  and  C.  cristata,  McClelland — A.  crinita,  Buch. 
Hamilton,  Mss. — Argala  immigratoria,  Hodgson — Madanchur 
also  Modwi-tihi,  Beng. —  Chinjara,  H. — Chandanam  some  parts — 
Chandiari  in  Bhagulpore — Bang-gor  in  Purneah — Dodal-konga, 
and  Dodal  gatti-gadu,  Tel. — Small  Adjutant  of  Europeans. 

The  hair-crested  Stork. 

Descr. — Top  of  the  head  entirely  bald,  horny  ;  the  rest  of  the 
head,  face  and  neck  bare,  with  a  few  longish  hair-like  feathers  on 
the  occiput ;  the  face  and  the  rest  of  the  neck  more  or  less 
thickly  covered  with  hairs,  some  long,  others  short,  collected  into 
a  thin  mane  on  the  back  of  the  neck,  and  a  small  tuft  on  the  lower 


cicoNiD^.  733 

part  of  the  neck ;  a  large  white  neck -ruff  covering  the  sides  of 
the  neck  and  breast ;  plumage  above  glossy  greenish  black,  all  the 
body  feathers  and  the  lesser  wing-coverts  faintly  barred  witli 
several  narrow  bars  ;  scapulars,  the  uppermost  tertiaries,  and  the 
last  of  the  greater  coverts  more  brightly  green,  glossed  and  edged 
with  white  ;  plumage  beneath  white. 

Bill  dirty  yellowish ;  bare  top  of  head  dirty  green ;  nude, 
face,  and  neck  much  tinged  with  yellow,  and  at  seasons  with  red ; 
irides  whitish ;  legs  dusky  black.  Length  4i  feet ;  wing  26 
inches  ;  tail  10  to  11  ;  bill  10  ;  tarsus  9^ ;  mid-toe  4^. 

This  species  of  Adjutant  is  found  in  small  numbers  throughout 
India,  frequenting  marshes,  inundated  paddy  fields,  and  the  edges 
of  lakes  and  rivers.  It  prefers  a  wooded  country,  and  in  the  South 
of  India,  I  have  only  seen  it  on  the  Malabar  Coast.  It  is  rare  in 
Central  India  and  the  Upper  Provinces,  is  now  and  then  found  in 
Lower  Bengal,  and  is  more  common  in  Assam,  Sylhet,  and  Burmah, 
extending  thence  through  the  Malayan  Peninsula  to  some  of  the 
islands.  It  feeds  on  fish,  frogs,  and  more  especially  crabs,  and  also 
on  large  locusts.  Buchanan  found  it  breeding  in  a  large  Mango 
tope  in  the  Purneah  district ;  the  nests  very  small  and  rude.  Its 
Bengalee  name  of  Modun-tiki  is  applied  to  it  ironically,  from  its 
ugly  head  and  neck,  the  expression  meaning  that  the  hair  of  its 
head  is  as  beautiful  as  that  of  IModun,  one  of  the  sons  of  Krishna. 

L.  crumenifera,  Cuvier,  {niurahoK,  Vigors,  argala,  Temm.)  occurs 
throughout  Africa. 

Gen.  Mycteria,  Linnasus. 

Char. — Bill  very  long,  stout,  solid,  compressed,  slightly  ascend- 
ing to  the  tip  ;  tarsus  much  elongated.   •  Of  large  size. 

The  Jahirus,  as  they  are  sometimes  called  in  works  of  Natural 
History  from  an  American  species,  are  beautiful  black  and 
white  Storks,  with  lengthened,  slightly  upturned  bills.  Some 
have  the  head  and  neck  bare,  others,  among  which  is  the  Indian 
species,  have  the  head  well  clad.  Bonaparte  sub-divides  them, 
placing  the  Indian  and  Australian  species  under  Xenorhynchus,  in 
which  there  is  no  frontal  membranous  shield,  and  the  head  and 
neck  are  densely  feathered. 


734  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

917.    Mycteria  australis,  Shaw. 

Blyth,  Cat.  1628^Jerdon,  Cat.  319— Hard wicke,  111.  Ind. 
Zool.  pi. — Ardea  indica,  Latham — Banaras  and  Loharjung,  H.— - 
Ram-salik,  Beng. 

The  Black-necked  Stork. 

Descr. — Head  and  neck  rich  dark  glossy  green,  beautifully 
glossed  with  purple  on  the  Idnd-head  and  occiput ;  middle  and 
greater- coverts,  scapulars,  and  a  portion  of  the  interscapulars, 
tertiaries,  and  tail  glossy  green  ;  the  rest  of  the  plumage  pure 
white. 

Bill  deep  black  ;  irides  brown  ;  legs  fine  red.  Length  52  to 
56  inches;  wing  23  to  24  ;  tail  9  ;  bill  at  front  11  to  13 ;  tarsus 
12  to  13  ;  mid-toe  4-|. 

This  gigantic-looking  bird  is  found  throughout  India  and 
Malayana,  extending  to  Australia ;  it  is  rare  in  the  South  of  the 
Peninsula,  more  common  in  Central  India  and  Lower  Bengal.  It 
frequents  the  banks  of  rivers,  lakes,  small  tanks,  and  j heels, 
and  feeds  on  various  water  animals,  fishes,  frogs,  crabs,  and 
molluscs.  It  is  a  permanent  resident,  but  I  have  not  seen  its 
nest.  It  is  said  that  a  very  good  Bhyri  will  strike  down  this 
large  bird. 

The  Australian  species  does  not  appear  to  differ,  though  Gould 
states  that  the  lower  part  of  the  back  is  glossy  green.  Schomburg 
states  of  an  American  species,  M.  americana^  that  it  lives  on  the 
animal  of  a  species  of  Ampullaria.  Notwithstanding,  says  he, 
their  unshapely  beak,  they  are  able  to  remove  the  operculum 
most  admirably,  and  to  draw  the  animal  out  of  its  shell.  This 
I  can  the  more  readily  give  credit  to,  as  it  is  the  habit  of  another 
cultirostral  genus,  Anastomus.  It  is  said  to  build  on  trees,  rarely 
on  rocks,  and  to  lay  two  white  eggs.  This  bird  is  classed  by 
Bonaparte  as  restricted  Mycteria,  having  the  bill  very  large,  and 
the  head  and  neck  naked. 

The  African  Jabiru  is  separated  as  Ephippiorhynchus,  Bonap., 
having  the  gonys  of  the  lower  mandible  strongly  ascending,  a 
triangular  membranous  frontal  shield,  and  a  fleshy  lappet  at  the 
angle  of  the  mouth. 


cicoNiD^.  735 

Gen.  CicONiA,  Linnaeus. 

Char. — Bill  straight,  moderately  robust,  acute,  upper  mandible 
convex  above,  lower  mandible  inclining  a  little  upwards  at  the 
tip ;  nostrils  pierced  in  the  horny  substance  of  the  bill ;  orbits 
more  or  less  naked ;  tarsi  long,  a  considerable  part  of  the  tibia 
nude  ;  wings  moderate,  ample,  3rd  and  4th  quills  longest ;  toes 
strongly  webbed  at  the  base ;  hind  toe  moderately  long ;  claws 
short,  depressed,  blunt,  not  pectinated. 

The  true  Storks  are  birds  of  partially  aquatic  habits,  some  even 
preferring  large  open  plains ;  they  feed  on  insects,  reptiles,  fish, 
and  Crustacea,  to  capture  which  they  ]keep  their  mandibles  open 
in  the  water,  and  seize  everything  passing  with  unerring  grasp. 
Of  the  three  species  found  in  India,  the  first  is  nearly  of  black 
colour  throughout,  and  has  been  separated  as  Melanopelargus, 
Reichenbach. 

918.     Ciconia  nigra,  Linn^us. 

Blyth,  Cat.  1G30 — Jerdon,  Cat.  315 — GtOULd,  Birds  of 
Europe,  pi.  284 — Surmai,  H. 

The  Black  Stork. 

Descr. — Whole  plumage  deep  blackish  brown,  with  violet,  pur- 
ple, and  green  reflections,  except  the  lower  part  of  the  breast  and 
the  abdomen,  which  are  pure  white. 

Bill  blood  red  ;  irides  dark  brown  ;  legs  dark  red.  Length  3^ 
feet ;  extent  6  feet ;  bill  at  front  nearly  8  inches  ;  tarsus  8  ;  Aving 
24 ;  tail  10. 

The  Black  Stork  is  rare  in  India.  I  have  seen  it  occasionally, 
and  killed  it  in  the  Deccan,  and  also  near  Saugor  in  Central 
India;  it  has  been  sent  from  the  Dehra  Doon  to  the  Museum  of 
the  Asiatic  Society,  and  is  probably  not  very  rare  in  the  Punjab. 
It  frequents  secluded  w^ooded  streams,  rivers,  and  lakes,  and  lives 
chiefly  on  aquatic  food.  It  is  considered  one  of  the  finest  quarries 
for  the  BJiyri,  and  the  day  that  a  Black  Stork  is  killed  is  marked 
by  the  Indian  falconer  with  a  white  stone. 

The  Black  Stork  is  only  a  winter  visitant  to  India,  it  is  found 
throughout  the  greater  part  of  Asia,  Europe,  and  Africa.     It  is 


736  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

said  to  build  on  the  loftiest  pine-trees  in  secluded  spots,  and  to  lay 
two  dirty  white  eggs. 

The  next  form  is  that  of  the  well-known  White  Stork  of  Europe, 
and  is  retained  by  Bonaparte  as  restricted  Ciconia,  having  tiie 
orbits  feathered,  and  shortish  toes. 

919.    Ciconia  alba,  Belon. 

Ardea  ciconia,  LiNN^us — Blyth,  Cat.  1629— Jerdon,  Cat. 
313 — Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  283 — Lag-lag,  H.,  also  Ujli  ; 
i.  e.,  the  ^o]dte  bird,  as  opposed  to  the  last  species,  also  Haji  lag-lag 
— Dhak  in  N.  W.  P. —  Wadume  konga,  Tel. 

The  White  Stork. 

Descr. — Head,  neck,  and  all  the  joody  pure  Avhite  ;  greater- 
coverts,  scapulars,  and  quills  black. 

Bill  fine  blood  red  ;  irides  brown  ;  naked  orbits  black  ;  legs  red. 
Length  3^  feet ;  extent  6^  feet;  wing  24  inches  ;  tail  10  ;  bill  at 
front  7^  ;  tarsus  8^. 

The  White  Stork  is  abundant  in  the  Deccan,  the  West  of  Central 
India,  and  the  N.  W.  Provinces,  rare  in  the  South  of  India,  and 
unknown  in  Bengal,  or  in  any  of  the  countries  to  the  Eastwards. 
It  is  only  a  cold  weather  visitant,  coming  in  October,  and 
departing  by  the  end  of  March.  It  frequents  extensive  open 
grassy  plains,  with  or  without  bushes,  associates  in  large  Hocks, 
and  feeds  on  grasshoppers,  lizards,  snakes,  centipedes,  &c.  Occa- 
sionally it  betakes  itself  to  some  tank  or  river  in  the  middle 
of  the  day.  From  the  open  country  it  frequents,  it  is  well  adapted 
for  being  hawked,  and  it  is  accordingly  a  common  and  favorite 
quarry  for  a  good  Bhyri.  It  is  the  most  gregarious  of  all  the 
Storks,  and  immense  flocks  are  sometimes  seen. 

This  Stork  is  an  inhabitant  of  all  Asia,  Europe,  and  Africa,  and 
breeds,  as  is  well  known,  on  the  tops  of  houses  and  cliiraneys, 
occasionally  in  trees,  making  a  large  nest  of  sticks,  and  laying  three 
or  four  bufFy  white  eggs.  The  same  birds  return  year  after  year 
to  their  old  nest,  and  are  welcomed  and  protected  by  the  in- 
habitants of  Holland  and  other  countries.  The  name  Lag-lag  is 
correctly  applied  to  this  species  by  all  falconers,  and  I  see  that 
it  is  the  Leglek  of  the  Bucharian  Tartars,  according  to  FallaB. 


CICONTD^. 


737 


Another  White  Stork  is  6".  maguari,  Gmel.,  {Jahiru,  Spix.)  from 
South  America,  stated,  but  erroneously,  to  have  occurred  in 
Europe,  and  figured  as  such  by  Gould,  in  his  Birds  of  Europe, 
pi.  285. 

The  next  form  is  a  somewhat  peculiar  one.  It  has  the  upper 
tail-coverts  disposed  like  the  tail  of  a  Drongo,  the  outermost 
feathers  long,  the  median  short,  and  these  feathers  being  of  stiff 
texture,  give  it  the  appearance  of  having  a  double  tail.  The 
forehead  is  nude,  and  the  orbital  skin  is  continued  a  short  way 
beyond  the  ear.  In  its  habits  it  may  be  said  to  be  intermediate 
between  C.  nigra  and  C.  alba.     {Diplura,  or  Diplocercus,  Blyth.) 

920.    Ciconia  leucocephala,  Gmelin. 

Ardea,  apud  Gmelin— PI.  Enl.  906.  Blyth,  Cat.  1031— 
Sykes,  Cat.  184 — Jeedon,  Cat.  314 — Manik-jor,  H. — Kali,  of 
falconers  in  the  South  of  India — said  to  be  called  Lug-lug  in 
Hindostan — Kandesur  or  Koivroiv,  Mahr. — Sanlm-hudi-komja, 
Tel.— 

The  White-necked  Stork. 

Descr. — Top  of  the  head  black,  the  whole  neck  white,  the  rest 
of  the  body  black,  beautifully  glossed  with  purple  on  the  back 
of  neck,  upper  back  and  breast,  and  upper  part  of  abdomen  ; 
quills  and  upper  tail-coverts  glossed  with  green,  as  is  part  of  the 
lower  back ;  tail  white. 

Bill  dusky,  with  a  red  tinge  on  the  culmen,  at  the  meeting  of 
the  mandibles,  and  on  the  lower  mandible ;  the  nude  front,  face, 
throat,  and  patch  behind  the  ear  dusliy  plumbeous ;  irides 
red  ;  sclerotic  black  with  an  anterior  patch  of  red,  and  a  posterior 
one  of  yellow ;  tarsus  dull  red  ;  naked  skin  of  the  ulna  exposed, 
bright  blood-red.  Length  36  to  37  inches;  extent  68  ;  wing  20; 
tail  7 ;  bill  at  front  6  ;  tarsus  7. 

The  White-necked  Stork  frequents  alike  open  plains,  ploughed 
lands,  fields,  and  the  edges  of  lakes,  jheels,  and  rivers ;  its  food 
consists  of  beetles,  grasshoppers,  lizards,  crabs,  and  molluscs,  with 
aquatic  insects.  It  is  found  throughout  all  India,  very  abundantly 
in  well-watered  districts ;  it  spreads  through  Burmah  to  the 
PART   II.  5   A 


738  BIRDS   OF  INDIA. 

islands  ;  and  is  said  to  be  found  also  in  Africa.  It  breeds  on  high 
trees,  making  a  large  nest  of  sticks,  and  laying  two  to  four  white 
eggs,  from  March  to  June  or  July.  The  flesh  is  somewhat  coarse 
in  texture,  but  is  said  to  be  palatable  enough  when  cooked  as 
a  steak,  hence  this  Stork  is  sometimes  called  the  Beefsteak  bird 
by  Europeans  in  Bengal.  The  name  Manik-jor  means  the  com- 
panion of  Manik,  a  Saint,  and  some  Mussulmans  in  consequence 
abstain  from  eating  it. 

Another  Stork  from  Africa,  Cic.  Abdimii,  Licht,  figured  in 
Riippell's  Atlas,  pi.  8,  is  made  the  type  of  Ahdimia  by  Bonaparte. 
It  chiefly  difiers  from  the  last  species  in  having  the  neck  purple 
instead  of  white. 

Fam.  Ardeid^,  Herons. 

Bill  typically  more  slender  than  in  the  Storks,  very  sharp, 
deeply  cleft ;  legs  long,  scutellated  ;  toes  long,  slender  ;  outer  toe 
only  joined  by  web  to  the  middle  one  ;  hind  toe  long,  on  the  same 
plane  as  the  others  ;  middle  toe  with  the  inner  edge  of  the  claw 
dilated  and  pectinated  ;  nostrils  narrow,  at  the  basal  extremity 
of  a  long  furrow. 

The  Herons  vary  in  size  from  that  of  a  Stork  to  a  Rail,  and  the 
most  typical  have  long  legs,  a  long  neck,  and  a  considerable  portion 
of  the  tibia  bare.  They  are  for  the  most  part  solitary  when  feeding, 
but  many  roost  together ;  and  tliey  habitually  breed  in  society, 
the  majority  on  trees,  a  few  among  thick  reeds.  The  eggs  are  from 
four  to  six  in  number,  very  pale  blue  or  greenish.  The  young  are 
helpless,  and  are  fed  by  their  parents  till  nearly  full-grown.  The 
sexes  are  alike  or  nearly  so,  the  female  being  generally  smaller, 
and  with  shorter  crests  or  plumes.  They  usually  watch  for  their 
prey,  moving  slowly  about ;  and  when  unsuccessful,  flying  off  to 
a  fresh  bit  of  water.  They  feed  chiefly  on  fish,  also  on  crabs, 
frogs,  and  a  few  on  insects,  which  they  seek  for  on  land,  among 
cattle.     They  rarely  run,  but  fly  with  ease,  though  not  very  fast. 

Their  sternum  is  like  that  of  the  Storks.  They  have  17  cervical 
vertebrse ;  the  head  can  be  bent  down  on  the  1st  vertebra;  this 
on  the  second,  and  so  on  to  the  6th ;  but  this  motion  cannot  be 
performed  backwards.     The  stomach  is  a  very  large  membranous 


ARDEIDJE,  739 

sac ;  the  oesophagus  is  very  wide  ;  the  intestines  long  and  slender, 
with  only  one  minute  cascura. 

They  have  all  several  remarkable  patches  of  dense  down  on 
the  breast  and  groins,  called  Powder-down  patches  by  Bartlett ; 
these  abound  in  a  greasy  powder  which  is  secreted  by  the 
down,  or  rather  consists  of  the  abortive  quill-shafts  broken  up.  It 
is  evidently  used  to  render  the  feathers  impervious  to  water, 
supplying  the  place,  partly,  of  the  oil-glands  of  other  birds. 

Gen.  Ardea,  Linnaeus,  (as  restricted.) 

Char. — Bill  elongate,  straight,  thick,  compressed,  pointed ;  the 
upper  mandible  with  a  groove  from  the  nostrils,  evanescent 
towards  the  tip  ;  nostrils  near  the  base  narrow,  longitudinal,  par- 
tially concealed  by  membrane ;  wings  moderately  long,  the  2nd, 
3rd,  and  4th  quills  usually  sub-equal  and  longest ;  tail  short,  even  ; 
tarsus  lengthened,  usually  scutellate  in  front ;  toes  long ;  outer 
toe  connected  to  the  middle  one  by  a  web  ;  claws  long,  that  of 
the  middle  toe  with  the  inner  margin  produced,  and  pectinated. 
Of  large  size,  usually  grey  above,  with  the  neck  moderately  long 
and  slender,  and  the  feathers  of  the  lower  neck  and  breast 
lengthened  and  pendent. 

The  first  is  a  bird  of  rare  occurrence,  and  of  gigantic  size  ; 
it  has  been  separated  by  Bonaparte  as  Ardeomega.  It  has  the 
bill  very  stout,  straight,  slightly  turned  up  towards  the  point. 

921.    Ardea  goliath,  Temminck. 

Temm.,  pi.  Col.  474  ?— Ruppell,  Faun.  Abyss,  pi.  26  ?-^A. 
nobilis,  Blyth — Blyth,  Cat.  1634— Darrm  anjan,  Beng. 

The  Giant  Heron. 

Bescr. — The  adult  bird  has  the  upper  plumage  dark  blue  grey  ; 
top  of  the  head  (with  short  occipital  crest)  dark  brown;  sides  of 
the  head,  with  the  whole  neck,  chesnut  brown,  darker  posteriorly  ; 
chin  and  throat  white  ;  neck  in  front  white  with  black  streaks  ; 
breast  and  abdomen  dark  chesnut  brown. 

The  young  bird  is  dull  grey  above,  the  top  of  the  head,  ear- 
coverts,  and  the  back  of  the  neck,  pale  rufous  cinnamon  colored, 


740  BIRDS   OF  INDIA. 

with  an  occipital  crest  of  dense  feathers  ;  the  scapulars  varied  with 
brown,  and  with  a  white  centre  ;  throat  white  ;  neck  whitish  with 
some  dusky  marks,  and  blackish  posteriorly  ;  the  rest  of  the  lower 
parts  whitish,  the  flanks  margined  with  brown  and  ashy. 

Bill  dusky  above,  beneath  and  tip  greenish ;  irides  pale  yellow ; 
orbitar  space  greenish  ;  legs  blackish.  Length  nearly  5  feet ;  wing 
24  inches ;  tail  10  ;  bill  at  front  8  ;  tarsus  9  ;  middle  toe  6^ ;  stands 
nearly  4  feet  high. 

The  description  of  the  adult  plumage  I  have  taken  from 
Temminck,  PL  Col.  474,  as  it  appears  to  be  the  same  bird.  I 
am  doubtful  if  Riippell's  A.  goliaili  be  the  same.  It  has  the  back 
and  sides  of  the  neck  isabella  yellow;  the  crest  longer '  than  in 
the  Indian  example,  or  in  Temminck' s  figure,  and  brown;  there  is 
more  white  and  less  black  on  the  neck  and  breast,  and  the  lower 
parts  are  sepia  brown.  It  is  also  smaller.  Length  44  inches  ; 
wing  21 ;  but  the  bill  longer  8^.  A.  ti/phon,  Temm.,  is  considered 
identical  with  this  species  by  some  writers,  but  Bonaparte  places 
that  bird  as  the  type  of  another  group. 

This  huge  Heron  has  been  procured  occasionally  by  Mr.  Blyth, 
from  the  salt-water  lake  near  Calcutta ;  I  observed  it  once  only, 
at  the  foot  of  the  Khasia  Hills,  on  the  banks  of  a  river.  It  is 
known  as  an  inhabitant  of  some  of  the  islands  of  the  Malayan 
Archipelago,  and  if  Riippell's  bird  be  identical,  also  of  Africa. 

The  next  species  is  placed  by  Bonaparte  under  Typhon  of 
lleichenbach,  distinguished  by  a  long,  straight  bill,  barely  up- 
turned at  the  tip ;  a  very  long  slender  neck ;  the  tibia  nude  for 
some  distance  ;  and  long  feet.  It  appears  to  approach  the  Purple 
Heron  in  habit. 

922.    Ardea  Sumatrana,  Raffles. 

Blyth,  Cat.  1635 — A.  rectirostris,  Gould,  Birds  of  Australia, 
VI.  pi.  54 — A.  insignis,  Hodgson — A.  fusca,  Blyth  (the 
young) — Anjan,  Beng. — San  harado,  Sindh,  i.  e.,  the  .  great 
Heron. 

The  dusky-grey  Heron. 

Descr. — General  plumage  dusky  cinereous,  more  dusky  on  the 
crown  of  the  head,  with  a  crest  of  a  few  narrow,  ashy  feathers, 


ARDEID^.  741 

the  longest  about  7  or  8  inches  ;  quills  and  tail  dark  slaty ;  the 
sides  of  the  head  and  neck  slightly  tinged  with  rufous ;  the 
elongated  breast  plumes  fine  silvery-grey,  edged  with  dusky  at  the 
base ;  the  rest  of  the  lower  parts  mingled  ashy  and  rufous ; 
scapulars  elongated,  lanceolate,  tipped  with  silvery  grey. 

Bill  dusky  above,  yellow  at  the  gape  and  bottom  of  the  lower 
mandible  ;  feet  dark  greenish-grey.  Length  46  inches ;  wing  19  ; 
tail  6^  ;  bill  at  front  7  ;  tarsus  7  ;  middle  toe  and  claw  4^.  Stands 
a  little  more  than  3  feet  high. 

The  tertiaries,  in  the  closed  wing,  are  about  equal  to  the 
primaries,  and  both  are  on  a  level  with  the  tip  of  the  tail.  The 
young  bird  is  pale  vinous-brown  above,  the  lower  surface  greyish- 
brown,  the  feathers  of  the  lower  neck  and  breast  streaked  with 
white. 

This  large  Heron  has  been  found  in  the  North-eastern  part  of 
Bengal,  in  Nepal,  the  Sikim  Terai,  and  Assam,  and  is  more 
common  in  Arrakan,  thence  extending  to  Malayana,  and  even  to 
Australia.  I  observed  it  between  Dacca  and  Sylhet,  but  did 
not  procure  a  specimen.  A  drawing,  apparently  of  this  species, 
is  among  those  made  by  Sir  A.  Burnes  in  Sindh,  and  it  may 
therefore  be  looked  for  in  other  parts  of  India,  perhaps  chiefly 
near  the  sea  coast. 

The  type  of  this  group  is  Typlion  robusta,  S.  Miiller,  {A. 
typhon,  Temminck ;  PI.  CI.  475)  from  Timor,  and  some  of  the 
other  Malayan  isles,  if  indeed  this  be  distinct  from  our  bird. 

The  next  group  is  that  of  restricted  Ardea,  in  which  the  bill 
is  nearly  conical,  and  the  birds  of  large  size  and  grey  plumage. 

923.    Ardea  cinerea,  Linnaeus. 

Bltth,    Cat.    1636— Jerdon,  Cat.    300— Sykes,  Cat.  172— 
Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  273— A.  brag,  Jacquemont,  Atlas 
pi.     — Kabud,  H. — Anjan,   and  Sada   kanka,   Beng. — Saa,   Sindh 
• — Khyra^  in  Behar — Narraina  pachi,  Tel. — Narrayan,  Tarn. 
The  Blue  Heron. 

Descr. — Adult,  forehead  and  crown  pure  white ;  occiput  black, 
and  a  pendent  crest  of  narrow,  long,  black  feathers  at  the  back 
of  the  head ;  neck  white  ;  back  and  wings  fine  bluish-grey  ;  quills 


742  BIRDS  OP   INDIA. 

black ;  scapulars  silvery-grey,  long  and  pointed,  forming  grace- 
ful plumes;  tail  bluish-ashy;  forepart  of  the  neck  with  longi- 
tudinal black  spots,  the  feathers  drooping  down  on  the  top 
of  the  breast,  loose,  and  elongated,  and  forming  a  fine  pectoral 
plume;  lower  breast  and  the  rest  of  the  under  parts  pure  white. 

Bill  dark  yellow,  brown  on  the  upper  mandible  ;  irides  gamboge 
yellow  ;  lores  and  naked  orbitar  skin  greenish ;  legs  and  feet 
brown.  Length  39  inches  ;  extent  5|  feet ;  wing  18  inches ;  tail  8  ; 
bill  at  front  5  ;  tarsus  5| ;  middle  toe  and  claw  4  to  4f ;  hind  toe  2 J. 

The  young  bird  has  the  head  and  neck  ashy,  with  dull  dusky-grey 
streaks  in  front ;  the  upper  plumage  tinged  with  b^own ;  and 
the  lengthened  occipital  feathers  as  well  as  the  breast  plumes 
absent.  ^» 

The  Heron  of  Europe  is  of  general  occurrence  throughout 
India,  frequenting  rivers  and  the  larger  tanks.  It  breeds  on  high 
trees,  several  together,  but  not  apparently  in  such  numerous 
societies  as  it  sometimes  does  in  Europe ;  it  feeds  chiefly  on 
fish.  It  is  in  India,  as  in  Europe,  a  favorite  quarry  for  the 
Bhyri,  {Falco  peregrinus)  vide  Vol.  1,  p.  24. 

This  Heron  is  found  throughout  all  Europe,  Asia  and  Africa. 
A.  hrag,  Is.  GeofF.,  from  Cashmere,  figured  in  Jacquemont's 
Voyage,  appears  to  be  this  same  Heron  ;  but  Bonaparte  makes 
it  distinct,  and  states  that  Jacquemont's  specimen  had  lately  been 
found  stowed  away  in  the  Paris  Museum  with  GeofFroy's  label 
attached,  and  the  words  "  to  be  mounted  immediately."  The 
Prince  states  that  it  difiers  from  A.  cineria  in  being  smaller,  with 
the  whole  top  of  the  head  black,  a  long  black  crest,  with  two  of 
the  feathers  much  elongated,  and  the  dorsal  plumes  dull  and 
somewhat  decomposed.  Adams  however  mentions  the  common 
Heron  as  abundant  in  Cashmere,  and  states  that  the  bird  is  preserved 
by  its  present  Ruler  on  account  of  its  feathers,  which  furnish 
the  plumes   for  the  turbans  of  the   Royal   Princes  of  Cashmere. 

Other  species  of  this  group  are  A.  cocoi,  L.,  from  America;  A. 
atricollis,  Wagler,  from  Africa ;  A.  leiicophaa,  Gould,  (very  close 
indeed  to  cinerea)  ;  and  A.  pacijica^  Latham,  from  Australia  and 
Oceanica ;  the  last  difiers  from  the  other  species  in  its  coloration, 
being  dark  glossy  green  above,  the  head  and  neck  white. 


ARDEID^.  743 

The  next  species  has  the  form  less  robust,  the  neck  longer 
and  more  slender,  and  the  toes  much  lengthened,  like  those  of 
the  Bitterns,  which  it  somewhat  resembles  in  its  habits,  also ;  it 
certainly  ought  to  form  a  separate  sectional  group. 

924.    Ardea  purpurea,  Linn^us. 

Bltth,  Cat.  1637— Jerdon,  Cat.  301— Gould,  Birds  of 
Europe,  pi.  274 — Nari,  H.  —Lal-kank,  Bengal, — Pamula  nari-gadu 
Tel. — Khyra  in  Behar. 

The  Purple  Heron. 

Descr. — Adult  in  full  plumage;  crown  and  occipital  crest  black 
with  green  reflections  ;  throat  white ;  cheeks  and  sides  of  the  neck  red- 
dish-brown, with  three  longitudinal  narrow  black  bands,  two  lateral 
ones  from  the  eyes  to  the  breast,  and  the  third,  from  the  nape,  down 
the  back  of  the  neck ;  neck  in  front,  variegated  with  rufous-black 
and  purple,  the  feathers  on  the  top  of  the  breast  long  and  acumina- 
ted, purplish-white;  back,  wings,  and  tail,  reddish-ash;  the  scapulars 
purple,  long,  and  subulate,  forming  a  brilliant  plume  on  each  side ; 
breast  and  flanks  deep  brownish-red  ;  belly  and  thigh-coverts  the 
same,  but  paler  and  mixed  with  white. 

Bill  deep  yellow,  brownish  above  ;  orbitar  skin  greenish-yellow ; 
irides  yellow ;  tarsus  reddish-brown,  yellowish  behind  and  on  the 
soles  of  the  feet.  Length  36  to  42  inches  ;  wing  15^ ;  extent  58  ; 
tail  5| ;  bill  at  front  5f  ;  tarsus  5 j  *,  middle  toe  5^.  Some  birds 
are  much  smaller.  The  immature  bird  has  the  crest,  the  scapulars, 
and  neck  plumes  deficient ;  the  forehead  black  ;  the  nape  and 
eheeks  pale  rufous ;  the  throat  white  ;  the  forepart  of  the  neck 
and  the  sides  of  the  breast  yellowish-white,  with  black  spots  ;  back, 
wings,  and  tail  dusky-ash,  the  feathers  edged  with  reddish-ash ; 
lower  parts  whitish. 

The  purple  Heron  is  very  abundant  in  the  well-watered  dis- 
tricts of  India,  frequenting  marshes,  reedy  ground,  rice  fields,  and 
the  like,  but  is  rarely  or  never  seen  on  the  bare  and  open  spots 
frequented  by  the  common  Heron.  It  may  often  be  observed  with 
its  head  and  long  neck  just  protuded  above  the  grass,  looking  remark- 
ably like  the  head  of  a  snake,   which  has   suggested  its  Telugu 


744  BIRDS   OF    INDIA. 

name  of  Snake  Heron.  It  rises  with  a  loud  harsh  cry,  which  it 
repeats  as  it  flies  along,  especially  if  it  has  been  alarmed.  Unlike 
most  of  the  other  Herons,  this  species  breeds  among  lofty  reeds ; 
I  have  seen  several  of  its  breeding  places,  but  the  nests  were 
quite  inaccessible,  and  I  have  not  procured  its  eggs.  It  feeds  on 
fish,  frogs,  &c. 

It  is  found  throughout  India  and  Ceylon,  extending  into  Burmah 
and  Malayana,  and  is  spread  throughout  Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa. 
Bonaparte  separates  the  African  bird  as  A.  Pharaonica,  stating  it 
to  be  much  larger. 

Another  species  of  this  group  is  A.  herodias,  L,,  of  America. 

The  next  form  is  that  of  the  White  Herons,  or  Egrets. 

Gen.  Herodias,  Boie. 

Char. —  Bill  moderately  long  and  slender,  straight,  and  much 
compressed ;  plumage  white ;  the  neck  very  long  and  slender  ; 
tibia  naked  for  nearly  half  its  length ;  tarsus  long,  thin. 

The  Egrets  are  a  natural  group  of  Herons  very  abundant  in 
India,  and  found  in  all  quarters  of  the  globe.  They  have  the 
feathers  of  the  back  long  and  decomposed  at  the  breeding  season, 
in  some  crested,  in  others  with  the  pectoral  plumes  elongated. 

925.    Herodias  alba,  Linn^us. 

Ardea,  apud  Linnaeus — Blyth,  Cat.  1638 — Jerdon,  Cat.  302 
and  303— SYKES,Cat.  169— A.  egretta,TEMMiNCK— Gould,  Birds 
of  Europe,  pi.  276 — A.  modesta,  Gray— Hardw.,  111.  Ind.  Zool. 
pi. — A.  ilavirostris,  Wagler — A.  torra,  Buchanan  Hamilton 
and  I^RANKLiN — A.  syrmatophorus,  GouLD,  Birds  of  Australia 
VI.,  pi.  56  ? — Mallang-hagla,  and  Torra-bagla,  H. — Pedda  tella 
konga,  Tel. — Mala-konga  of  the  Gonds — Dhar-hagla,  Beng. — 
Baclio-harado,  Sindh. 

The  Large  Egret. 

Descr. — Plumage  pure  white  ;  in  the  breeding  season  an  elon- 
gated dorsal  train  of  fine  decomposed  feathers,  which  pass  the  tail 
sometimes  by  4  or  5  inches ;  no  crest,  nor  breast  plumes ;  bill 
black,  quickly  changing  to  yellow  ;  naked  skin  round  the  eyes  and 
at  the  base  of  the  bill,  pea-green,  approaching  to  verditer ;  irides 


ARDEID^.  745 

pale  yellow  ■;  naked  part  of  tibia  pale  livid  ;  tarsus  black,  more  or 
less  suffused  with  vinous-red.  Length  about  36  inches  ;  extent  54  ; 
wing  15;  tail  6^;  bill  at  front  4^;  tarsus  Gi;  nude  portion  of 
tibia  5  ;  middle  toe  and  claw  4^. 

In  winter,  and  for  the  greater  part  of  the  year,  the  dorsal  train 
is  wanting ;  the  bill  is  deep  yellow  ;  the  orbitar  skin  and  base  of 
bill  wax-yellow,  and  the  legs  and  feet  black,  yellowish  on  the 
soles  and  above  the  knee. 

The  large  Egret  is  distributed  throughout  India  to  Ceylon, 
extending,  if  Gould's  syrmatopliorus  be  rightly  identified  with 
this  species,  from  Europe  through  most  of  Asia  and  Africa  to 
Australia.  It  is  of  course  most  abundant  in  the  better  watered 
districts,  but  is  found  everywhere,  feeding  in  rivers  and  tanks, 
and  roosting  on  trees.  It  breeds,  in  company,  on  trees,  often  in, 
or  close  to  some  village,  making  the  usual  nest  of  sticks,  and 
laying  three  or  four  eggs  of  a  bluish-green  colour. 

This  species  is  said  to  make  its  nest  in  Europe,  among  reeds, 
but  this  is  quite  opposed  to  the  habits  of  all  the  Egrets. 

Bonaparte  creates  much  confusion  by  separating  the  Egrets 
with  yellow  bills  from  those  with  black  ones,  not  being  aware 
that  they  change  with  the  season  ;  and  he  moreover  separates 
egretta  from  modesta,  giving  Africa  and  the  South  of  Europe 
as  the  locality  of  the  former,  and  the  South  and  East  of  Asia  as 
the  habitat  of  the  latter. 

926.    H.  egrettoides,  Temminck. 

Man.  d'  Orm.  2,  p.  374 — Ardea  intermedia,  Wagler — Blyth, 
Cat.  1639 — A.  flavirostris,  Bonnaterre— A.  nigrirostris.  Gray, 
Hardwicke,  111.  Ind.  Zool.,  pi.— A.  putea,  Buch.  Hamilton, 
— H.  plumifera,  Gould,  Birds  of  Australia,  VI.  bl~Fatangkha 
or  Patokha  bag  la,  H. 

The  Smaller  Egret. 

Bescr.—ln  summer,  plumage  pure  white,  like  the  last ;  a  long 
dorsal  train  reaching  nearly  to  the  ground,  and  a  beautiful  long 
pectoral  tuft  of  similarly  formed  feathers,  but  no  crest. 

Part  ii.  5  b 


746  BIRDS   OF  INDIA. 

Bill  black ;  legs  black ;  irides  yellow  ;  facial  skin  cbrysoprase 
green.  Length  27  to  28  inches ;  extent  46  ;  wing  13  ;  tail  5 ; 
bill  at  front  85- ;  tarsus  4| ;  middle  toe  and  claw  3|. 

In  winter,  the  dorsal  and  pectoral  trains  are  wanting,  and  the 
bill  is  yellow. 

This  Eojret  is  likewise  found  throughout  India,  is  rarer  to- 
wards  the  South,  common  in  the  North-east,  and  particularly  abun- 
dant in  Burmah  and  Malay  ana ;  it  extends  through  Africa  to 
Australia.  Layard  states  that  it  is  common  in  Ceylon.  It  has 
similar  habits,  nest,  and  eggs,  to  the  last. 

Bonaparte  separates  from  intermedia,  plumifera,  Gould,  from 
Australia ;  fiavirostris,  Temm.,  from  Africa ;  and  egrettoides, 
Temm.,  from  Asia;  but  I  agree  with  Blyth  in  uniting  these.  Other 
large  Egrets,  apparently  distinct,  are  A.  leuce,  Illiger,  (Americana, 
Andubon) ;  and  A.  occidentalis,  Audubon,  raised  to  generic  rank 
as  Audubonia,  Bonap.,  on  account  of  its  larger  size,  stout,  little 
compressed  bill,  and  robust  form. 

The  next  bird  has  been  separated  by  Bonaparte  as  Garzetta, 
of  smaller  size,  the  bill  more  slender  and  less  compressed. 

927.    Herodias  garzetta,  Linn^us. 

Ardea,  apud  Linn^us— Blyth,  Cat.  1640 — Jeedon,  Cat. 
304 — SkyeSj  Cat.  170 — A.  orientalis.  Gray — Hardwicke,  Ind. 
Zool,  pi.  6 — Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pL  277 — H.  immaculata, 
Gould — Kilchia  or  Kirckia-bagla,  H. — Nella  muka  honga,  Tel. 

The  Little  Egret. 

Descr. — In  breeding,  plumage  as  in  the  others,  white ;  a  pendent 
occipital  crest  of  two  or  three  long  narrow  feathers  ;  dorsal  train  of 
decomposed  feathers,  long,  and  in  fine  specimens  curving  upwards 
at  the  extremity ;  some  lengthened  pectoral  feathers  also. 

Bill  black  (at  all  seasons) ;  whitish  at  the  base ;  base  of  bill  and 
orbitar  region  greenish-yellow  ;  legs  black  ;  toes  yellow  or  greenish- 
yellow.  Length  24  to  25  inches  ;  wing  11 ;  tail  nearly  4  ;  bill  at 
front  3/0  ;  tarsus  4 ;  middle  toe  and  claw  2  j  to  2|-. 

In  non-breeding  dress,  the  occipital  crest  and  the  dorsal  and 
pectoral  plumes  are  wanting. 


ARDEID^.  747 

The  Little  Egret  is  found  throuohout  the  Old  World  to  Australia, 
and  is  very  abundant  in  India.  Here  it  always  breeds  in  trees, 
laying  four  or  five  eggs,  (sometimes  as  many  as  six,  according  to 
Theobald,)  of  a  full  blue-green.  It  is  a  very  familiar  bird  when 
not  disturbed. 

Another  species  of  this  section  is  H.  melanopus,  Wagler,  (nigripes, 
Temminck,)  from  Malayana  and  Tenasserim,  which  may  extend 
into  our  North-eastern  limits,  and  is,  indeed,  included  by  Irby  in 
his  Birds  of  Oudh  and  Kumaon,  No.  176.  He,  however,  states  that 
this  Egret  and  garzetta  are  often  seen  with  cattle ;  and  it  is 
possible  (as  he  says  that  this  is  the  smallest  of  the  group,)  that  he 
has  mistaken  ^.  cahoga  in  winter  dress  for  it.  A.  melanopus  has 
the  feet  always  black  instead  of  yellowish,  as  in  garzetta,  the  crest 
shorter  or  wanting,  and  perhaps  may  be  Gould's  immaculata. 
Bonaparte,  however,  makes  A.  melanopus,  one  of  the  races  of 
A.  intermedia,  from  Java.  A.  candidissima,  Gmelin,  from^ America, 
is  another  good  species  of  this  minor  group. 

Gen.     Demi-egretta,  Blyth. 

Syn.  Herodias,  apud  Bonaparte. 

Char. — Bill  long,  slender,  otherwise  much  as  in  Herodias,  but 
the  adult  plumage  is  dark,  the  young  birds  alone  being  white. 

This  is  a  group  comprising  several  species  from  all  parts  of  the 
world,  which  agree  in  the  character  and  changes  of  their  plumage, 
appear  more  especially  to  frequent  the  vicinity  of  the  sea  and 
the  mouths  of  rivers,  and  are  more  abundant  among  islands  than 
on  continents. 

928.    Demi-egretta  asha,  Sykes. 

Ardea,  apud  Sykes,  Cat.  171 — Jerdon,  Cat.  305 — Blyth, 
Cat.  1642 — H.  pannosa,  Gould,  Birds  of  Australia  VI.,  pi.  59? — 
Kala  bag  la,  H. 

The  Ashy  Egret. 

Descr. — Adult,  in  breeding  season,  has  the  whole  plumage 
dusky-slaty ;  the  chin  and  throat  white ;  an  occipital  crest ;  a 
dorsal  train  of  decomposed  feathers  not  reaching  to  the  end  of  the 
tail ;  and  a  pectoral  plume  of  narrow  and  pointed,  not  decomposed, 
feathers. 


748  BIRDS   OP   INDIA. 

Bill  reddish-yellow,  dusky  above ;  orbitar  skin  yellow-green; 
irides  yellow  ;  legs  blackish ;  the  feet  and  lower  part  of  the  tarsus 
yellowish.  Length  24  inches ;  wing  10^  ;  tail  3^  ;  bill  at  front 
3^  ;  tarsus  nearly  4  ;  middle  toe  and  claw  2f . 

In  the  cold  season  entirely  of  a  slaty  colour,  the  throat  alone 
white. 

Young  birds  are  pure  white  throughout,  or,  according  to 
Layard,  have  some  of  the  wing-coverts  edged  with  grey.  At 
the  first  breeding  season  they  assume  the  dark  slaty  colour,  with 
traces  of  white  on  the  winglet,  and  lower  surface  in  some  ;  spe- 
cimens in  a  state  of  change  are,  of  course,  much  varied  with 
white. 

This  curious  Egret  appears  to  be  ,A'ery  similar  to  Gould's  H. 
pannosa,  from  Australia.  Blyth  remarks  that  his  figure  (quoted 
above)  quite  agrees  with  adult  birds  in  breeding  plumage,  but 
that  the  dorsal  train  of  the  Australian  species  is  longer,  fuller, 
and  slightly  turned  up,  the  feathers  also  somewhat  more  decom- 
posed. 

It  is  chiefly  a  bird  of  the  sea-coasts,  but  I  have  found  it  more 
than  200  miles  inland,  on  the  banks  of  rivers  in  tiie  Deccan,  and 
Sykes  procured  his  specimens  from  nearly  the  same  locality.  It  is 
tolerably  common  at  the  mouths  of  rivers,  on  both  coasts,  and, 
according  to  Layard,  makes  its  nest  on  trees  near  water,  laying 
four  to  six  eggs,   of  the  usual  pale  greenish-blue  colour. 

H.  jugularis,  Forster,  figured  Gould,  Birds  of  Australia,  VI.  pi. 
60.,  concolor,  Blyth,  gularis,  Kafiles,  Greyi,  Gray,  (the  white  stage^ 
figured  by  Gould,  VI.  ph  61),  is  a  nearly  allied  species  which  has 
been  found  in  Arrakan,  the  Nicobars,  the  Andamans,  and  in 
several  of  the  Malayan  islands,  and  may  occur  in  the  Sunderbuns. 
It  has  the  feet  and  legs  shorter  (as  well  as  the  bill),  and  stouter 
proportionally,  and  a  much  narrower  white  stripe  on  the  chin 
and  throat,  absent  in  some. 

Bonaparte  separates  from  A.  Greyi,  jugularis,  Forster,  which  he 
says  is  the  same  as  A.  sacra,  Gmelin,  and  is  found  in  the  islands  of 
the  Pacific  Ocean,  but  Gray  unites  them  all  (Cat.Birds  of  Pacific)  ; 
the  former  ornithologist  gives  A.  novce  HoUanilioe,  Latham  ;  A. 
picata,  Gould;  A.  nova  Guinecs,  Gmelin;  and   A.  atra,  Cuvier,  as 


ARDEID^.  749 

species  of  this  group,  from  the  islands  and  Oceanica.  Gray  has 
another  A.  albolineafa,  which  he  however  dovibtfully  separates 
from  pannosa.  A.  gulaiis,  Boie  ;  A.  ardesiaca,  Wagler  ;  A.  schis- 
tacea,  Licht.  ;  and  A.  calceolata,  Diibus,  are  African  members 
of  the  genus  ;  and  A.  cceruka,  L.,  and  A.  rufescens,  Gmeliu,  from 
America,  also  appear  to  belong  to  this  group. 

A.  picata,  Gould,  appears  to  me  to  belong  to  a  very  different 
group,  not  far  from  Butorides;  and  Gray  has  A.  aruensis  from  the 
Aru  islands,  very  close  to  the  former  bird. 

Gen.  BuPHDS,  Boie. 

Syn.     Buhulcus,  Pucheran. 

Chai\ — Bill  somewhat  short,  stout,  slightly  curved  along  the 
culmen,  smooth  ;  feet  longer,  otherwise  as  in  Eyretta  :  assumes 
golden-yellow,  hair4ike  plumes  on  the  head,  breast,  and  back 
during  the  breeding  season. 

This  is  the  least  aquatic  in  its  habits  of  all  the  Herons,  feeding 
chiefly  among  cattle  in  grass  meadows  or  plains.  There  are  two 
or  three  closely  allied  species. 

929.    Buphus  coromandus,  Boddaert. 

Ardea,  apud  Boddaert— PI.  Enl.  910— A.  caboga,  franklin 
— Sykes,  bat.  175— Jerdon,  Cat.  308— Blyth,  Cat.  1640— 
A.  affinis,  Horsfield— A.  russata,  Temminck— A.  bubulcus 
from  India,  Auct. — Doria-hacjla  and  Gai-bagla,  H.  and  Beng. — 
Soorkkia-bagh  of  some — Samti-konga,  Tel. 

The  Cattle  Egret. 

Descr. — In  summer  dress,  the  whole  head,  which  is  crested, 
neck,  and  breast,  rich  golden  buff,  except  the  chin,  and  a  narrow 
median  line  on  the  neck ;  dorsal  plumes  of  the  same  hue,  very 
fllamentose  and  decomposed,  about  8  or  9  inches  long  ;  elongated 
feathers  of  the  breast  white  at  the  base,  yellow  at  the  tip ;  the 
rest  of  the  plumage  pure  white. 

Bill  deep  orange  yellow ;  orbitar  region  yellowish-pink  ;  irides 
pale  yellow ;  legs  whitish-green  on  the  tibia  and  to  a  little  below 
the  knee ;    rest  of  the  tarsus   blackish-green,  with  a  reddish  tinge 


750  BIRDS    OF   INDIA. 

on  the  toes,  which  are  greenish  beneath.  Length  21  inches  ;  extent 
37;  wing  10|- ;  tail  4  ;  bill  at  front  2h;  tarsus  3|;  middle  toe 
claw  2^. 

In  non-breeding  dress  the  plumage  is  entirely  white  ;  the  bill 
yellow  in  place  of  orange,  and  the  orbitar  skiu  duller. 

The  Cattle-heron  is  found  throughout  India,  Burmah,  and  Ceylon, 
in  great  abundance,  more  especially  towards  the  North  of  India ; 
also  extending  through  other  parts  of  Asia,  and  even  to  the  North 
of  Africa.  It  very  closely  resembles  the  A.  bubulcus  of  Northern 
Africa  and  the  South  of  Europe,  but  is  said  to  differ  in  some  points, 
viz.,  in  the  longer  tarsi,  the  more  vivid  hue  of  the  golden-yellow, 
which  is  also  of  greater  extent,  and  in  the  less  denuded  orbits. 

It  always  attends  cattle  whilst  grazin*^,  and  picks  up  grasshop- 
pers and  their  larvae  disturbed  by  them.  Now  and  then  it 
varies  its  food  with  small  fish,  tadpoles,  and  aquatic  insects.  It 
does  not  appear  to  breed  in  the  South  of  India,  though  it  does 
in  Ceylon  according  to  Layard ;  but  in  Bengal  and  Burmah  it 
forms  vast  colonies,  making  the  usual  nest  of  sticks  on  trees,  and 
usually  laying  four  or  five,  sometimes  six  pale  greenish-blue 
eggs. 

A.  bubulcus,  Savigny,  the  species  of  Africa  and  the  South  of 
Europe  is  J.,  ibis  of  Hapelquist ;  and,  according  to  Taylor,  does 
duty  in  Egypt  as  the  Ibis,  being  pointed  out  by  Dragomans  as 
that  more  rare  bird. 

Gen.  Ardeola,  Boie. 

Syn.  BupJius  apud  Bonaparte. 

Char. — Bill  moderately  long,  straight,  pointed  ;  tarsus  short, 
stout;  feet  moderately  large  ;  tibia  feathered  nearly  to  the  knee; 
neck  short,  densely  feathered  ;  the  feathers  long  and  lax ;  toes  long ; 
dorsal  plumes  in  the  breeding  season  hair-like,  dark ;  wings 
white. 

The  Squacco-herons  or  Crab-herons  form  a  small  group  of  very 
closely  allied  species,  found  in  the  hot  and  temperate  climates  of 
both  Continents,  very  abundant  in  many  places,  and  familiar  in 
their  habits.  In  their  winter  garb  those  of  the  Old  Continent  are 
barely  distinguishable  from  each  other. 


ARDEID^.  751 

930.    Ardeola  leucoptera,  Boddaert. 

Ardea,  apud  Boddaert — Blytii,  Cat.  1645 — A.  Grayii, 
Sykes,  Cat.  174 — A.  malaccensis,  Gmelin— Jerdon,  Cat.  307 — 
Hardwicke,  III.  Ind.  Zool.  pi. — Andhe  hagla  H.,  also  Kani 
hagla, — Konch  hogla,  Beng.  —  Gndi-konrja,  Tel.,  all  signifying 
Blind  heron — NuU-madiyan,  Tarn.,  i.  e.  blind  idiot — Red  puchahe  of 
the  Gonds — Paddy-hird  of  Europeans. 

The  Pond  Heron. 

Descr. — Adult  in  full  breeding  plumage  has  the  head  crested, 
with  long  occipital  white  plumes  ;  head  and  neck  greyish-yellow  ; 
the  back  with  the  feathers  decomposed,  dark  marone ;  wings, 
rump  and  upper  tail-coverts,  tail,  and  all  beneath  white. 

Bill  blue  at  the  base,  yellowish  in  the  middle  and  edges,  and 
black  at  the  tip  ;  orbits  greenish-yellow  ;  irides  bright  yellow  ; 
legs  and  feet  dull  green.  Length  18^  inches ;  extent  28  ;  wing 
8^  ;  tail  3 ;  bill  at  front  2^  ;  tarsus  2| ;  middle  toe  and  claw  2f . 

In  non-breeding  dress,  the  head,  neck,  and  breast  are  fulvous 
with  brown  stripes,  darkest  on  the  head  ;  the  upper  plumage  pale 
ashy  brown,  wings  (except  the  uppermost  tertials)  white,  and 
the  lower  parts  from  the  breast  white  ;  thigh-coverts  fulvous. 

This  is  one  of  the  best  known  and  most  abundant  of  its  tribe  in 
India,  seen  at  the  side  of  every  river,  tank,  ditch,  or  pool  of  water 
throughout  India.  It  is  so  confiding  and  familiar  as  to  have 
received  the  name  of  Blind  Heron  in  all  parts  of  the  country.  Its 
especial  food  is  crabs,  for  which  it  watches  patiently,  either  in 
the  water  or  in  the  fields,  and  especially  on  the  small  raised  bunds 
or  divisions  between  rice-fields.  It  will,  of  course,  also  eat  fish, 
frogs,  and  various  aquatic  insects.  It  begins  to  change  its 
plumage  about  May,  and  in  June  and  July  all  individuals  have 
assumed  the  handsome  plumage,  which  differs  so  materially  from 
that  of  the  cold  weather,  as  to  have  been  considered  by  many  to 
constitute  a  perfectly  distinct  species  ;  such  indeed  was  the  opi- 
nion of  Sykes.  It  breeds  on  trees,  in  all  parts  of  the  country, 
sometimes  alone,  sometimes  several  on  the  same  tree,  makino-  a 
rough  nest  of  sticks,  and  laying  four  or  five  pale  greenish-blue 
eggs.     It  is  a  favorite  quarry  for  the  Shih'a,  (Micronisus  badius). 


752  BIRDS   or  INDIA. 

A.  comata,  Pallas,  of  Europe,  and  North  Africa,  appears  to 
have  similar  habits,  but  it  is  described  as  nidificating  in  dense 
beds  of  reeds,  making  a  large  nest  of  rushes  and  weeds.  A. 
speciosa,  Horsfield,  from  Malayana  and  China,  has  the  dorsal 
plumes  blackish-green.  Bonaparte  has  a  fourth  species,  A.  bac- 
cJnis,  from  Malacca,  with  the  dorsal  plumes  blackish-grey,  pro- 
bably merely  a  worn  state  of  speciosa. 

Ardea  sibilatrix,  Temm.,  pi.  col.  263,  from  America,  is  placed 
in  this  genus  by  Bonaparte,  who  states  that  it  exhibits  analogies 
with  some  of  the  Night-herons.  It  has  the  dorsal  plumes  blackish- 
green. 

Gen.  BuTOKiDES^  Blyth. 

Char. — Bill  rather  long,  straight,  moderately  stout ;  neck  short, 
thickish  ;  tibia  feathered  nearly  to  the  joint,  tarsus  short;  toes 
short ;  inner  toe  short.  Head  crested ;  feathers  of  the  back 
and  scapulars  highly  lanceolate  ;  plumage  dull  blue. 

This  genus  may  be  said  to  have  some  of  the  characters  of  the 
Bitterns  with  others  of  the  Night-herons. 

931.     But  or  ides  javanica,  Horsfield. 
Ardea,  apud  Horsfield — Blyth,  Cat.  1644 — Sykes,  Cat.  177 
' — Jerdon,    Cat.  306 — Kancha  hagla    H. — Kana-bogla,  Beng. — 
Dosi-honga,  Tel.,  Doshi-koku,  Tarn. 

The  Little  Green  Heron. 
Z)escr. — Head,  with  lengthened  occipital  crest,  glossy  black  ;  a 
short  black  line  from  below  the  eye,  between  which  and  the 
black  head  the  ear-coverts  are  greyish-white ;  back  and  sides 
of  neck  ashy-grey  ;  feathers  of  the  back,  including  the  scapulars 
and  feathers  covering  the  tertials,  lengthened,  lanceolate,  dull 
o-reen,  the  upper  ones  with  an  ashy  tinge ;  rump  reddish-ashy  ; 
upper  tail-coverts  greenish ;  wing-coveits  glossy-green,  edged  with 
pale  fulvous  ;  quills  dark  slaty,  narrowly  tipped  white,  and  pass- 
ing into  green  on  the  tertials,  edged  with  fulvous ;  tail  dark  slaty, 
and  the  lower  plumage,  with  the  thigh-coverts,  ashy,  with  a 
central  line   down   the  neck   to    the   breast  whitish,  the    feathers 


AUTHEIDJE.  753 

being  white  at  the  base,  and  becoming  albescent  on  the  vent  and 
under  tail-coverts. 

Bill  black  above,  pale  yellow  beneath ;  legs  pale  yellow-green, 
the  soles  dark  yellow  ;  irides  bright  yellow  ;  lores  yellowish  green. 
Length  16  to  17  inches;  wing  7;  tail  2^;  bill  2^;  tarsus  1| ; 
middle  toe  2. 

The  Greeri  Bittern  is  found  throughout  the  greater  part  of  India 
and  Ceylon,  extending  to  Burmah  and  ?<Ialayana,  and  chiefly  affects 
wooded  rivers,  nullahs,  and  water-courses,  perching  on  boughs 
overhanging  the  water.  It  is  for  the  most  part  nocturnal  in  its 
habits,  and  I  have  seen  it,  every  evening  shortly  after  sunset, 
come  to  the  bank  of  the  Ganges,  and  walk  slowly  along  the  edge 
of  the  water,  looking  for  crabs  or  other  food. 

Hodgson  separates  the  Indian  race  from  the  Malayan  under 
the  name  of  chloriceps.  Other  species  quoted  by  ^Bonaparte  are 
B.  stagrtatilis,  Gould ;  B.  patruelis,  Peale,  from  the  Pacific 
islands,  and  Z>.  macrorliyncha,  Gould,  from  Australia;  B.  virescens, 
and  B.  scapularis,  from  America;  and  B.  atricapilla,  from 
Africa. 

Gen.     Ardetta,  Gray. 

Bill  slender,  straight;  tibia  feathered  nearly  to  the  joint;  tarsus 
short ;  toes  lengthened  and  strong  ;  claws  long.  Of  very  small  or 
moderate  size.  Plumage  of  the  neck  more  or  less  lengthened,  as 
in  the  Bittern  ;  of  nocturnal  habits. 

These  birds  may  be  said  to  be  Bitterns  with  the  bill  of  the 
Egret.  All  frequent  dense  cover,  thick  reeds,  long  grass,  or 
thickets  of  bushes,  and  feed  chiefly  at  night. 

Bonaparte  separates  the  Black  Bitterns  from  the  Little  Bitterns, 
retaining  Ardetta  for  the  former,  which  have  the  toes  not  quite  so 
lengthened,  and  the  plumage  more  or  less  black, 

932.    Ardetta  flavicoUis,  Lathx\m. 

Ardea,  apud  Latham. — Blyth,  Cat.  1651 — A.  nigra,  Vikil- 
LOT — Jekdon,  111.  Ind.  Orn.,  pi.  16— A.  picta,  Raffles— Gould, 
Birds  AustraHa  VI,  pi,  05 — Hakdwickk,  111.  Ind.  Zool.,  Vol.  2, 
pi.  73. — Kala  bagla,   ll.—Nol-bagla,   PI.   and  Beng. 

PART   II.  5   C 


754  iBIRDS   OP   INDIA. 

The  Black  Bittern. 

Descr. — Plumage  above,  in  breeding  season,  dull  cinereous 
black ;  chin  and  throat  with  the  feathers  white,  ti[)ped  with  red- 
brown  ;  the  large  feathers  of  the  neck  mixed  with  white,  red- 
brown,  and  dusky  black,  each  feather  having  some  black  at  the 
base  and  tip,  and  more  or  less  red-brown  on  one  web  only  ;  a 
stripe  of  golden  yellow  down  the  side  of  the  neck,  widening 
inferiorly  ;  feathers  of  the  back  lengthened,  but  not  decomposed, 
forming  a  dorsal  plume ;  the  feathers  of  the  breast  dark  ashy, 
slightly  lengthened  ;  abdomen  dusky,  mixed  with  whitish ;  Inner 
wing-coverts  dusky  reddish.  The  young  bird  has  the  feathers 
slightly  edged  with  rufous,  and  the  throat  and  neck  less  richly 
coloured  than  in  the  adult. 

Bill  livid  red-brown,  dusky  on  the  culmen ;  cere  livid  purple ; 
irides  yellow,  in  some  with  an  outer  circle  of  red  ;  legs  pale  brown, 
with  a  tinge  of  green  in  some,  reddish-brown  In  others.  Length 
23  to  24  inches  ;  extent  30  ;  wing  8^  ;  tail  3  ;  bill  at  front  3^ ; 
tarsus  2^ ;  middle  toe  and  claw  2^. 

This  very  handsome  Bittern  appears  to  be  generally  diffused 
throughout  India,  but  is  by  no  means  common  or  abundant.  I 
have  seen  it  on  the  Malabar  Coast,  in  rice-fields  ;  and  obtained  it  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Madras,  and  in  various  parts  of  Bengal,  but  I 
never  saw  it  in  Central  India,  nor  the  Deccan  ;  and  it  appears  to 
be  rare  in  the  N.  W.  Provinces.  It  frequents  swamps,  rice-fields, 
and  beds  of  rushes  and  reeds  ;  and  is  almost  entirely  nocturnal  in 
its  habits.  It  comes  out  to  feed  about  sunset,  and  has  a  low  deep 
booming  call,  like  the  sound  of  a  small  drum.  I  have  never  pro- 
cured its  nest,  but  the  Australian  bird  is  said  to  build  in  low 
trees,  and  to  lay  eggs  of  a  pale  bluish-green  colour,  more  rounded 
in  form  than  is  usual  in  this  family.  From  the  nature  of  the 
ground  it  frequents,  I  think  it  is  more  likely  however,  that  it  gen- 
erally builds  among  reeds. 

It  extends  to  Ceylon,  Burmah,  (where  it  is  very  abundant,)  and 
through  the  Malayan  islands  to  Australia  ;  it-is  also  found  in  China. 

Bonaparte  separates  the  Javanese  race  as  A.hilineata,  ('uvler;  and 
the  Australian  as  A.  Gouldi;  and  he  gives  A.  stiirmi,  Wagler,  and 
A.  gutturalis,  Smith,  from  Africa,  as  belonging  to  the  same  group. 


ARDEID^.  755 

The  next  birds  are  placed  by  Bonaparte  under  Ardeola,  and 
have  the  toes  longer ;  the  tail  very  short,  with  only  10  feathers  ; 
the  body  very  much  compressed  and  Kail-like  ;  and  the  feathers  of 
the  neck  not  so  dense  as  in  the  last. 

933.  Ardetta  cinnamomea,  Gmelin. 

Ardea,  apud  Gmelin — Blyth,  Cat.  1652 — Jerdon,  Cat.  309 
— Lal-hagla,  H. — Khyri-bogla,  Beng. — Dosi-konga.  Tel. 

The  Chesnut  Bittern. 

Descr. — Above,  fine  chesnut  colour,  with  a  tinge  of  cinereous 
on  the  crown ;  beneath,  fulvous ;  whitish  on  the  throat,  and 
with  a  pectoral  gorget  of  feathers,  dark  brown  in  the  centre ; 
thigh  coverts  cinnamomeous ;  lower  surface  of  the  wings  dull 
ashy. 

Bill  yellow,  dusky  on  the  ridge  ;  cere,  and  base  of  bill  yellow ; 
irides  yellow ;  legs  greenish-yellow  with  yellow  soles.  Length  16 
inches  ;  extent  22  ;  wing  6 ;  tail  If  ;  bill  at  front  2  ;  tarsus  2  ; 
middle  toe  2^.  The  young  bird  has  the  plumage  streaked,  the 
feathers  being  reddish-brown  in  the  centre  with  pale  yellowish 
margins. 

This  Little  Bittern  frequents  high  reeds,  and  thickets  of  bushes 
intermixed  with  reeds ;  like  the  others  of  its  genus,  it  is  chiefly 
nocturnal  in  its  habits,  but  I  have  seen  it  feeding  during  the  day. 
It  is  found  throughout  India  and  Ceylon,  extending  through 
Burmah  and  the  Malayan  islands. 

934.    Ardetta  sinensis,  Gmelin. 

Ardea,  apud  Gmelin — Blyth,  Cat.  1653— Hardwicke,  111. 
Ind.  Zool.  pi. — A.  lepida  and  A.  nebulosa,  Horsfield.— Jmw- 
bagla,  Beng.  and  H. — also  Kat-bogla,  Beng. 

The  Yellow  Bittern. 

Descr. — Adult,  top  of  head  black  ;  back  of  neck  cinnamon- 
rufous  ;  face,  sides  of  neck,  and  breast  pale  fulvous-yellow,  white 
on  the  chin ;  back  and  scapulars  pale  earthy  or  sandy  brown ; 
wing-coverts     and    tertiaries     pale    isabelline    fulvous,    the  latter 


756  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

verging  to  pale  brownish ;  quills  and  tail  black ;  sides  of  the 
breast  deep  brown,  edged  with  pale  yellow,  passing  to  wliite  on 
the  vent  and  under  tail-coverts  ;  back  of  neck  and  rest  of  lower 
plumage   yellowish-white,  passing  to  white. 

Bill  pale  yellow,  brownish  on  the  culmen  ;  irides  yellow  ;  legs 
and  feet  pale  green.  Length  14  to  15  inches ;  wing  5^^ ;  tail  If  ; 
bill  at  front  2^  ;  tarsus  If  ;  middle  toe  1  ;  claw  2. 

The  young  bird  has  the  upper  plumage  more  or  less  cinnamon 
brown,  mixed  with  pale  fulvous,  and  some  of  the  occipital  feathers 
blackish-brown. 

This  Bittern  is  less  abundant  than  the  last,  but  is  equally  diffused 
throughout  India  and  the  neighbouring  countries,  or  even  still  more 
so,  being  found  in  the  Ladrone  islands.'  It  frequents  similar  situ- 
ations, and  has  like  habits. 

935.    Ardetta  minuta,  Linn^us. 

Ardea,  apud  Linn^us,  Blyth,  Cat.  1655 — Gould,  Birds  of 
Europe,  pi.  282. 

The  Little  Bittern  of  Europe. 

Descr. — Top  of  head,  occiput,  back,  scapulars,  and  tail,  glossy 
black ;  small  wing-coverts  and  the  upper  three-fourths  of  the 
other  coverts  pale  sienna-yellow,  the  lower  fourth  more  or  less 
white ;  quills  ashy-black  ;  cheeks,  neck,  and  all  the  lower  surface 
of  the  body  pale  rufescent,  tinged  with  purplish  yellow  on  the 
neck,  and  with  brown  streaks  on  the  flanks. 

Bill  bright  yellow,  dusky  above  ;  round  the  eyes  yellow  ;  irides 
yellow  ;  feet  yellowish-green.  Length  14  inches;  wing  ^^  ;  tail  2; 
bill  at  front  If  ;  tarsus  1^ ;  middle  toe  If. 

The  Little  Bittern  of  Europe  is  said  to  have  been  procured  in 
Nepal,  and  is  also  recorded  in  Adams'  List  of  the  Birds  of  India, 
No.  272  ;  but  as  some  of  the  species  recorded  by  this  observer 
do  not  appear  to  have  been  correctly  identified,  he  may  have  mis- 
taken the  last  bird  for  it. 

Bonaparte  records  of  this  lesser  group,  A.  pusilla,\.,  from 
Australia,  very  like  minuta  ;  A.  pndiceps,  Bonap.,  from  Africa ; 
A.,  exilis,  L.,  and  A.  ert/thromelas,  V.,  from  America. 


ARDEIDJi:.  757 

Gen.     BoTAURUS,  Brisson. 

Char. — Bill  rather  short,  stout,  higher  at  the  base  than  broad, 
the  upper  mandible  curved  towards  the  point  ;  tarsi  short ;  tibia 
feathered  for  the  greater  portion  of  its  length  ;  feet  very  long ; 
claws  long,  moderately  curved  ;  neck  short,  densely  feathered  and 
thick. 

The  true  Bitterns  are  nocturnal  Herons,  with  thick  necks,  the 
hinder  part  downy,  but  the  sides  and  front  with  long  lax  feathers, 
which  can  be  expanded  laterally  at  pleasure  ;  tliey  have  rather  short 
legs  with  long  feet,  and  very  beautiful  mottled  or  game  plumage. 
They  are  solitary  birds,  inhabiting  swamps  and  reedy  marshes. 

936.    Botaurus  stellaris,  Linn^us. 

Ardea,  apud  Linn^us — Blyth,  Cat.  1650 — Jekdon,  Cat.  310 
— Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  280 — Buz,  H. — JSir-goung,  H.  of 
some — Chita  oyali.  Beng. 

The  Bittern. 

Descr. — Crown  of  head  and  a  broad  moustache  black  ;  neck  ochre- 
yellow,  with  brown  zig-zag  lines  on  the  sides,  and  long  streaks 
and  spots  of  brown  in  front ;  upper  plumage  ochre-yellow  with  a 
tinge  of  reddish,  each  feather  marked  with  a  dusky  spot ;  prima- 
ries and  secondaries  dark  ferruginous,  with  bars  of  blackish  brown; 
all  the  coverts  (except  the  primary)  and  the  scapulars,  mottled 
yellow  and  dusky  ;  beneath,  the  same,  but  paler,  and  with  large 
dusky  streaks. 

Bill  pale  yellow  below  and  at  the  edges,  brown  above ;  orbits 
pale  yellow  ;  irides  bright  gamboge-yellow  ;  legs  greenish-yellow. 
Length  26  to  30  inches ;  of  one  28  inches  long ;  extent  46  ;  wing 
13  ;  tail  4^ ;  bill  at  front  3  ;  tarsus  3| ;  middle  toe  and  claw  4^. 

The  Bittern  of  Europe  is  found  throughout  Central  iind  Northern 
India,  but  is  rare  or  wanting  in  the  South.  I  have  known  of  its  havino- 
been  killed  in  the  Deccan,  and  I  have  shot  it  in  Central  India  and 
Bengal.  It  frequents  long  grass  or  reeds  by  the  sides  of  tanks  or 
rivers,  and  swampy  ground  covered  with  long  grass.  It  is  quite  noc- 
turnal in  its  habits,  and  breeds  on  the  ground,  near  water,  making  a 
large  nest  of  sticks,  reeds,  &c.,  and  laying,  it  is  said,"  four   or  five 


758  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

pale  asparagus-green  eggs.  The  Bittern  feeds  on  frogs,  fish,  &c., 
and  it  is  recorded  that  a  Water-Rail  entire  was  taken  out  of  the 
stomach  of  one  in  Scotland.  It  is  said  to  utter  its  booming  call 
in  the  air  rising  to  some  height.  It  is  excellent  eating,  not  fi shy- 
in  the  smallest  degree,  and  has  a  high  game  flavour.  The  Bittern 
is  found  throughout  Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa. 

Other  Bitterns  are  B.  minor,  from  America,  occasionally  killed 
in  Britain  ;  B.  limnophilax,  Temm.,  from  Java;  B.  heliosylos. 
Lesson,  from  New  Guinea,  and  B.  ausiralis,  Gould,  from  Australia. 
Nycticorax  goisaki,  Temm.,  from  Japan,  made  the  type  of  Gorsachuts 
by  Bonaparte,  is  a  true  Bittern  ;  and  Mr.  Blyth  has  just  written 
me  that  it  appears  to  be  the  same  as  Ardea  melalopJws,  Raffles, 
often  sent  from  Malacca.  Tigrisoma,  or  the  Tiger-bitterns  are 
confined  to  America. 

Gen.    Nycticorax,  Stephens. 

Char. — Bill  short,  stout,  culmen  curved  ;  wings  with  3rd  quill 
longest ;  tarsus  short,  reticulated  in  front,  with  large  hexagonal 
scales;  feet  moderate;  claws  short,  curved;  head  crested;  tail 
broad,  even. 

The  Night-herons  form  a  well  marked  group,  of  purely  nocturnal 
habits  ;  the  neck  is  short,  covered  with  lax  feathers. 

937.  Nycticorax  griseus,  Linn^ds. 

Ardea,  apud  Linn^us — Blyth,  Cat.  1646 — Jerdon,  Cat.  311 
— Sykes,  Cat.  179~GouLD,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  21^—Wak,  H.— 
Oyah  Beng.;  also  Kowa  dauk,  and  Batchka,  Beng. —  Chinta  wakka, 
Tel. — Gadri  in  Sindh. 

The  Night-Heron. 

Descr. — Forehead  and  a  narrow  streak  above  the  eye  white  ; 
crown  of  the  head,  upper  part  of  back,  and  scapulars,  black 
glossed  with  green  ;  occiput  with  a  crest  of  three  (or  more)  narrow 
long  white  feathers,  6  to  7  inches  long,  channeled,  and  fitting  into 
each  other ;  lower  back,  wings,  and  tafl  fine  blue  grey ;  all  beneath 
pure  white. 

Bill  black,  yellowish  at  the  base ;  lores  and  orbits  yellowish- 
green;  irides  blood  red;    feet   yellowish-green.     Length    21    to 


ARDEID^.  759 

23  inches  ;  wing  12^ ;  tail  3| ;  bill  at  front  2^^  ;  tarsus  3  ;  middle 
toe  and  claw  3^'^. 

The  young  bird  wants  the  occipital  plumes  ;  the  upper  plumage 
is  brownish  ashy,  with  whitish  spots ;  and  the  lower  plumage 
whitish  with  brown  streaks. 

The  Night-heron  is  found  throughout  India,  is  very  common  in 
many  parts  of  the  country,  but  is  somewhat  local  in  its  distribution. 
During  the  day  it  roosts  in  Palm  groves,  Tamarind  trees,  and 
patches  of  jungle  near  water,  issuing  forth  soon  after  sunset,  and 
winging  its  way  towards  its  feeding  grounds,  uttering  at  intervals 
its  well  known  cry,  wak-ioak,  which  has  been  given  as  its  name 
throughout  the  greater  part  of  India.  It  breeds  on  Palms,  Tama- 
rind or  other  trees,  in  society,  making  a  nest  of  sticks,  and  laying 
usually  four  pale  bluish-green  eggs. 

The  Night-heron  is  somewhat  rare  in  England,  but  is  found 
throughout  most  parts  of  Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa.  In  the 
latter  country,  it  is. said  sometimes  to  breed  on  the  ground  in 
swamps,  among  the  matted  roots  of  reeds.  Swinhoe  states  that  it  is 
the  sacred  bird  of  the  Great  Temple  in  Canton ;  that  he  observed 
that  the  eggs  were  hatched  at  different  periods  ;  and  that  whilst  it 
had  young,  il  fed  them  all  the  day  long.  I  have  never,  to  my 
knowledge,  seen  the  Night-heron  abroad  during  the  day. 

Various  other  Night-herons  are  found  in  different  parts  of  the 
world,  viz.,  JSf.  Gardeni  of  America,  (if  really  distinct  from  the 
European  bird) ;  N.  obscurus,  Licht.,  from  Chili  and  the  Malouine 
Islands ;  and  N.  violacea,  L.,  from  the  West  Indies  and  South 
America,  made  the  type  of  the  genus  Nyctherodms,  Eeich. 

One  group  has  the  upper  plumage  chesnut,  thus  approximating 
the  Bitterns  and  Ardetta,  viz.  N.  caledonicus,  Gmelin;  N.  7nanillensis, 
Vigors ;  and  N.  crassirostris,  Vigors,  from  Manilla  and  the  Borneo 
Islands. 

That  curious  bird  the  Boat-bill  of  South  America,  Cancroma 
cochlearia,  with  a  large,  broad,  convex  bill,  is  essentially  a  Heron  ; 
and  the  lately  discovered  Whale-hill  of  Africa,  Balceniceps  rex, 
Gould,  is  undoubtedly  another  nearly  related  form,  as  shown, 
among  other  points  of  similitude,  by  the  peculiar  powder-tufts 
seated  on  different  parts  of  the  body  :  the  middle  toe,  however,  ia 


760  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

not  pectinated.  Parker  states  that  it  is  decidedly  an  Ardeine 
bird  with  Pelecanine  tendencies.  These  birds  are  placed  as  the 
types  of  two  sub-families  Cancromin<B,  and  Baloenicipincs,  of  one 
family,  Cancromid^,  Bonaparte. 

Scopus  umbretta,  the  Umbre,  is  usually  considered  as  belonging 
also  to  this  family,  but  it  appears  to  be  rather  closely  related  to  the 
Tantalidce ;  its  flight  is  said  to  be  quite  difi^erent  from  that  of  the 
Herons ;  the  middle  toe,  however,  is  pectinated.  Rldnochetus 
jubatus,  Desmurs,  is  a  highly  crested  form  of  bird  referred 
to  the  Herons,  but  from  its  running  like  the  Kails,  (whose 
habits  it  otherwise  possesses)  it  has  been  considered  a  sort  of 
link  between  the  Ballida  and  Ardeida.  Evrypijga  or  Helias 
is  generally  classed  in  this  family,  as  well  as  Aramus  ;  the  former 
appears  to  have  some  relations  of  analogy  with  the  Scolopacidce, 
and  especially  with  Rliynch(Ba ;  and  Aramus  with  the  Rails,  vide 
antea^p.  Eurypyga,  however,  is  stated  to  possess  one  pair  of  powder 
down  patches,  and  in  that  case  might  be  placed  as  an  aberrant  form 
of  the  Herons.  Its  sternum  is  figured  in  the  Rev,  de  Zool.,  much 
narrowed,  without  a  notch,  and  not  at  all  unlike  that  of  Aramus 
figured  on  the  same  plate  ;  both  have  eggs  more  like  those  of 
the  Rails  than  tlie  Herons.  A.  pileata,  Latham,  from  Scfuth  America, 
is  considered  to  be  a  Night-heron,  and  is  separated  as  Pilherodius, 
Reich.;  and  A.  cucuUata,  Licht.,  from  Africa,  is  made  the  type  of 
Calherodius,  Bonap.  The  only  other  type  of  the  Herons  not  alluded 
to  previously,  is  the  A.  agami,  Gmelin,  of  South  America,  placed 
by  some  as  a  Nycticorax,  but  separated  by  Bonaparte  as  the  type 
of  Agamia,  Reich.,  and  placed  between  Ardeola  and  Butorides. 

Fam.     Tantalid^. 

Bill  long,  more  or  less  thick,  arched  in  many ;  the  culraen 
rounded  and  bent ;  nostrils  usually  basal ;  wings  long  ;  tail  rather 
short :  tarsus  lono-  or  moderate  ;  feet  moderate ;  anterior  toes 
joined  at  the  base  by  web  ;  hind  toe  moderate,  or  rather  short, 
resting  on  the  ground. 

This  family,  by  some  not  separated  from  the  Herons,  differs 
conspicuously  from  them  by  possessing  a  less  sharp  and  pointed  bill, 


TANTALINiE.  761 

which  is  frequently  bent  dowmvards ;  and  also  shorter  feet.  The  flight, 
moreover,  is  different,  and  is  performed  hy  more  repeated  and  quick 
flappings,  alternating  with  intervals  of  rest  with  the  wings  out- 
stretched. The  birds  of  this  family  seek  their  food  too  in  a  differ- 
ent manner  ;  they  hunt  about  for  it,  and  move  the  bill  in  water  till 
some  object  is  touched,  which  is  then  immediately  seized.  They 
feed  chiefly  in  marshes  and  shallow  water  ;  a  few  in  meadows 
and  ploughed  land.  They  associate  in  more  or  less  numerous 
flocks,  and  breed  for  the  most  part  on  trees,  making  a  large 
nest  of  sticks,  and  laying  several  white  eggs.  Some  have  the 
tertials  elongated  and  decomposed,  forming  ornamental  tufts. 

In  their  anatomical  structure,  the  Tantalida  approach  the  other 
Cultirostres^  but  the  sternum  has,  in  some  at  all  events,  a  double 
emargination  on  each  side  ;  the  caeca  are  very  minute,  and  the 
gizzard  moderately  muscular.  Parker  in  his  paper  previously 
alluded  to,  says  he  feels  pretty  certain  that  the  Spoon 'bill  and 
Ibis  will  have  to  be  placed  in  the  Longirostres  :  but  he  must  have 
overlooked  their  nidification,  and  the  fact  of  the  young  requiring 
to  be  fed  by  their  parents  till  full-grown. 

They  may  be  divided  into  the  following  sub-fatnilies:— 1st,  Tan.' 
talincB; — 2nd,  Plataleincs', — 3rd,  Anastomatince; — and  4th,  IbisincB. 
Sub-fam.  Tantalin.^. 

Bill  very  large,  thick,  rounded,  smooth  ;   legs  long. 

Gen.     Tantalus,  Linnaeus. 

CJiar. — Bill  lengthened,  straight ;  culmen  rounded,  the  tip  bent 
down,  slightly  emarginated ;  nostrils  basal,  superior  ;  head,  cheeks, 
and  throat  bare ;  legs  lengthened  ;  tibia  nude  for  half  its  length  ; 
tarsus  long,  reticulated ;  toes  moderately  long,  with  a  web  between 
the  front  toes  ;  hind  toe  moderately  long,  slightly  raised. 

The  Wood-Ibises  or  Pelican-Ibises  are  birds  of  large  size,  and 
more  or  less  white  plumage  with  lengthened  tertials.  Ihey  are 
found  in  the  hot  countries  of  both  Continents. 

938.    Tantalus  ieucocephalus,  Gmelin. 

SykEvS,  Oat.  187— Jkrdon,  Cat.  322 — Blyth,  Cat.  1623— 
Gould,   Birds  of  Asia,  Pt.  XIV..  pi.  5— T.  gangeticus,   Sbuw — 

PART    II.  5   D 


762  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

Pennant,  Ind.  Zool.,  pi.  11 — Dokh,  H. — Jaunghal  or  Jaunghil,  IL 
in  the  North  of  India — Kat  suranga,  and  Janghir,  Bang. — also 
Ram-jhankar  and  Sona-janga,  Beng. — Lamjang  st,nd  Lamduk,  Sindh. 
—  Yerri  kali-konga,  Tel. —  Singa  nareh,  Tarn. 

The  Pelican-Ibis. 

Descr. — Plumage  white  ;  the  quills  and  tail  richly  glossed  green 
black  ;  tertiaries  white,  beautifully  tinged  with  rosy,  with  a  darker 
band  near  the  end,  and  a  white  tip  ;  the  feathers  loose  and  decom- 
posed ;  lesser  and  median  coverts  glossy  green,  with  white  edges  ; 
greater  coverts  pure  white. 

Bill  deep  yellow  (with  the  tip  greenisli),  as  are  the  naked  orbits, 
head  and  gular  skin ;  irides  pale  yellow-brown,  grey  in  some ; 
legs  fleshy  red.  Length  about  42  inches ;  extent  6  feet ;  wing 
20  inches ;  tail  7  ;  bill  at  front  9  to  10 ;  tarsus  nearly  8. 

In  summer  the  tertiaries  acquire  a  deeper  rosy  tint,  and  the 
bill  and  nude  parts  become  of  a  brighter  and  deeper  yellow.  The 
young  bird  has  the  plumage  generally  brown,  paler  on  the  back 
and  rump,  dark  on  the  wing-coverts ;  beneath  more  or  less  albes- 
cent, with  a  broad  brown  patch  on  the  sides  of  the  abdomen.  Bill 
pale  greenish-yellow. 

The  Pelican-Ibis  is  extremely  common  throughout  India, 
Burmah,  and  Ceylon,  frequenting  rivers,  tanks,  ponds,  and  marshes, 
generally  in  parties  more  or  less  numerous,  occasionally  alone. 
It  stalks  about  the  shallows  with  its  bill  in  the  water, 
partially  held  open,  and  instantly  seizes  any  fish,  frog,  or 
crab  that  comes  in  its  way.  If  the  fish  be  a  spiny  one,  it  crushes 
its  spines  between  its  strong  mandibles,  and  then  swallows  it, 
head  foremost.  During  the  heat  of  the  day,  it  stands  motionless 
in  water,  knee  deep,  digesting  its  morning  meal.  It  breeds  on 
high  trees,  making  a  large  nest  of  sticks,  and  laying  four  white  eggs, 
sometimes  faintly  blotched  with  pale  brown.  Burgess  found 
fifty  nests  together  in  some  large  Banian  trees,  in  a  village  in 
the  Deccan  in  February.  Further  North  it  is  later,  breeding  in 
May  and  June.  When  caught  young,  it  soon  gets  very  tame, 
and  recognises  the  man  who  feeds  it.     I  have  seen  one  threaten 


PLATALEINiE.  763 

children  who  used  to  tease  it,  spreading  its  wings  and  tail,  and 
clattering  its  mandibles  together.  I  have  never  heard  it  utter  any 
cry,  and  believe  that  it  wants  the  proper  vocal  muscles. 

It  is  replaced  in  the  Malay  countries  by  T.  lacteus,  Temminck  ; 
and  there  are  other  species  in  Africa  and  America,  T.  ibis,  and 
T.  loculator. 

Sub-fam.  Platalein^. 
Bill  very  broad,  flat,  and  depressed. 

Gen.  Platalea,  Linn^us. 

CAan —  Bill  long,  very  broad,  depressed  and  thin,  dilated,  and 
rounded  at  the  extremity,  like  a  spatula  ;  nostrils  basal,  oblong, 
apert ;  wings  moderate,  2nd  quill  longest ;  tibia  bare  for  nearly 
half  its  length  ;  tarsus  moderately  long,  reticulated  ;  the  three  an- 
terior toes  united  at  the  base  by  a  deeply  cut  web ;  head  and  face 
more  or  less  nude. 

The  trachea  of  the  adult  bird  makes  a  figure  of  eight  convolution 
before  its  bifurcation  ;  but  has  no  proper  muscle  of  voice,  and 
the  bird  is  therefore,  like  the  Storks,  quite  dumb.  The  tongue  is 
very  short  and  obtuse. 

939.    Platalea  leucorodia,  Linnjeus. 

Bltth,  Cat.  1625— Sykes,  Cat.  182— Jerdon,  Cat.  312— 
Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  286 — Chamach  buza,  H.,  i.  e.,  Spoon 
Ibis — Chinta,  Beng. —  Genta  muku  konga,  Tel. 

The  Spoon-bill. 

Descr. — Plumage  pure  white,  with  a  patch  of  bufiy-yellow 
on  the  upper  part  of  the  breast,  extending  up  the  sides  towards 
the  back  ;  the  crest  composed  of  long  subulate  and  canaliculate 
feathers  placed  on  the  occiput. 

Bill  black,  more  or  less  mottled  with  yellowish  undulations 
during .  the  winter,  ochry-yellow  at  the  tip ;  irides  blood-red ; 
naked  skin  of  face  and  gular  skin  orange-yellow ;  legs  black. 
Length  31  to  36  inches;  wing  14^  to  16;  tail  6^;  bill  at  front 
7y^j  to  8^  ;  breadth  nearly  2 ;  tarsus  5  to  6. 


764  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

The  female  is  said  to  be  a  little  smaller  ;  and  the  young  wants 
the  crest,  has  the  shafts  of  the  quills  and  the  tips  oi'  the  primaries 
black,  the  naked  orbits  dingy  white,  and  the  bill  dark-ashy,  soft 
and  flexible.  The  patch  of  buff  on  the  breast  is  said  not  to 
appear  till  the  2nd  or  3rd  year. 

The  Spoon-bill  is  found  throughout  India,  not  perhaps  in  great 
abundance,  but  generally  diffused,  frequenting  rivers,  lakes,  and 
tanks.  It  is  generally  met  with  in  small  parties,  occasionally  in  rather 
large  flocks  ;  feeds  in  shallow  water,  moving  its  bill  about  from  side 
to  side  and  picking  up  various  aquatic  insects  and  larvae,  small  Crus- 
tacea and  molluscs,  and  also  frogs  and  fish.  It  is  very  frequently 
seen  in  company  with  the  White  Ibis,  both  when  feeding  and  when 
flying  from  one  part  of  the  covmtry  io  another.  The  Spoon-bill 
breeds,  occasionally  at  all  events,  in  this  country,  though  probably 
many  migrate  to  Central  Asia  at  the  breeding  season.  Burgess 
found  the  nest  in  lofty  trees,  and  Layard  also  met  with  them  in 
Ceylon.  The  eggs  are  said  to  be  chalky  white,  with  a  few  faint 
rusty  blotches.  Occasionally  it  appears  to  nidificate  in  marshes, 
makino-  a  larire  nest  of  weeds,  fixed  to  reeds  in  the  water. 

The  Spoon-bill  is  found  throughout  the  greater  part  of  Asia? 
Europe,  and  Africa.  Pallas  asserts  that  its  voice,  though  rarely 
heard,  is  stridulous.     It  is  excellent  eating. 

Other  species  of  Spoon-bill  are  Flatalea  major,  and  P.  minor, 
Temm.  and  Schleg.,  from  Japan,  very  closely  allied  to  our  species, 
one  or  both  of  which  may  possibly  occur  in  India;  P.  ajaya, 
L.,  a  very  beautiful  rose-coloured  species  from  America  ;  and  P. 
melanorhynchiis,  Reich.,  {rejia,  Gould,)  ;  and  P.  Jlavipes,  Gould, 
from  Australia. 

Sub-fam.  Anastomatin^. 

Bill  very  thick,  stout,  coarse,  gaping  in  the  middle. 
Bonaparte  places   this  sub-family   with  the    Storks,  but  its  situ- 
ation is  undoubtedly  in  this  family. 

Gen.  Anastomus,  Illiger. 

Syn.  Hians,  Lacepede. 

Char. — Bill  moderately  long,  not  deeply  cleft,  very  thick,  solid, 
nearly  straight ;  mandibles  nearly  equal,  not  meeting  in  the  middle, 


ANASTOMATIN^.  765 

but  leaving  a  greater  or  smaller  space  gaping,  upper  mandible 
notched  at  the  tip ;  nostrils  basal,  superior ;  wings  moderately 
long,  with  2nd  and  3rd  quills  longest,  sub-equal ;  tail  moderate, 
nearly  even ;  tibise  naked  for  a  considerable  space ;  tarsi  long, 
reticulated ;  feet  rather  short,  the  front  toes  joined  at  the  base 
by  web. 

The  Shell-eaters  are  a  very  curious  group,  haying  a  thick,  solid, 
fibrous  beak,  with  a  more  or  less  open  space  between  the  mandibles. 
This  space  appears  to  exist  even  in  the  young  birds,  and  is  not  the 
result  of  attrition,  as  is  generally  supposed. 

940.    Anastomus  oscitans,  Boddaert. 

ArJea,  apud  Boddaert — Blyth,  Cat.  1(326 — A.  typus 
Temminck — Sykes,  Cat.  186 — Jerdon,  Cat.  321 — A.  albus, 
ViElLLOT — PI.  Enl.  932 — Gangla,  Ghongal,  H.  —  Do-khahar,  or 
Dakar,  H.  in  Behar — Tonte  hhanga,  and  Shamak-bhungo,  Beng. ; 
also  Samak-khol,  and  Hammah-kas,  in  same  parts — Gnbi-konga, 
Tel. —  Paoona  kongn,  of  Southern  Gonds — Naite-kuti-nareh,  Tam. — 
all  these  names  having  reference  to  shells. 

The  Shell  Ibis. 

Descr. — General  colour  of  the  plumage  pale  ashy -grey,  tinged 
with  reddish  on  the  head  and  neck  ;  the  winglet,  primaries, 
secondaries,  tertials,  scapulars,  and  tail  black. 

Bill  dull  greenish,  tinged  with  reddish  beneath ;  nude  orbits 
and  gular  skin  blackish  ;  irides  grey  or  pale  brown  ;  legs  pale 
fleshy.  Length  29  to  32  inches;  extent  50  to  54  ;  wing  16^ 
to  17  ;  tail  7  ;  bill  at  front  6^ ;  tarsus  5i. 

Some  birds  are  nearly  white,  and  these  have  been  usually 
considered  to  be  the  young  birds,  but  I  believe  them  to  be  old 
birds,  which  assume  this  state  wliilst  l^reeding,  either  from  an  actual 
loss  of  colouring  matter,  or  simply  from  the  action  of  light  on  the 
old  feathers.  In  June  and  the  early  part  of  July  many  birds  are 
met  with,  Avith  this  variety  of  plumage,  and  still  later  I  have  seen- 
two  white  birds  accompanied  by  three  or  four  grey  ones  ;  these  I 
concluded  to  be  the  parents  and  their  young  brood.  One  which  I 
lately    shot    at  this  season,   of  a  pure  grey  colour,  had  the  young 


766  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

feathers  still  in  progress,  and  coming  forth  pure  grey.  This  may 
have  been  a  young  bird  of  the  year,  or  an  adult  bird  moulting. 

This  curious  bird  is  very  abundant  throughout  those  parts  of 
the  country  which  abound  in  rivers,  tanks,  and  marshes,  particularly 
in  Bengal,  where  many  hundreds  may  be  seen  congregated  to- 
gether, roosting  on  trees  overhanging  some  large  jheel.  It 
lives  chiefly  on  molluscs,  especially  on  the  large  Ampullaria, 
but  also  on  various  others.  Colonel  Sykes  states  that  he  found  it 
feeding  on  a  species  of  Unio.  I  was  formerly  of  opinion  that 
the  open  space  between  the  mandibles  was  mainly  caused  by  a 
process  of  wearing  down  from  constant  attrition  with  various  shells  ; 
I  am  now  inclined  to  doubt  this.  Many  years  ago  several  Shell- 
eaters  were  brought  to  me  alive,  for  the  purpose  of  training  a 
Bhyri,  and  these,  as  is  usual  to  prevent  them  struggling  or 
fluttering,  had  their  eyes  sown  up.  To  feed  them  the  Falconer 
had  a  quantity  of  the  large  Ampullaria  brought,  which  were 
placed  before  the  captive  and  blinded  Shell-eaters.  The  bird  secured 
a  shell  by  its  feet,  and  after  sundry  alterations  of  its  position, 
succeeded  in  cutting  off  the  operculum  as  cleanly  as  if  it  had  been 
done  by  a  razor,  but  so  rapidly,  that  I  was  unable  to  see  the  exact 
way  in  which  it  was  accomplished.  It  then  inserted  the  tip  of 
its  clumsy  beak  into  the  open  mouth  of  the  shell,  and  after  working 
it  about  for  a  short  time,  pulled  out  the  entire  shell-fish  almost  to  its 
utmost  tip.  I  saw  this  process  repeated  many  times,  and  I  cannot 
conceive  that  a  bird  which  takes  the  trouble  to  extract  the  animal 
from  the  comparatively  brittle  Ampullaria,  should  require  to  bruise 
the  more  hard  and  solid  shell  of  the  Unio.  Colonel  Sykes  indeed 
states  that  the  gape  exists  in  the  young  individuals  (an  obser- 
vation which  I  have  also  confirmed),  and  that  it  is  a  provision  of 
nature  to  enable  them  to  open  the  shells  of  the  Unio,  on  which  they 
feed  ;  as  to  how  this  is  effected,  I  cannot  speak  from  experience. 
The  Shell-eater,  in  default  of  its  proper  food,  will  eat  fish,  frogs, 
&c.,  but  shell-fish  are  its  peculiar  aliment,  and  every  native  name 
has  reference  to  this  habit. 

This  Anastomus  breeds  in  Northern  and  Central  India,  on  lofty 
trees,  in  June  and  July,  in  ^numbers  together,  laying  four  dirty  white 
eggs ;  it  is  often  found  in  company  with  other  birds,  Night-herons, 


IBISlNiE.  767 

Black  Ibises,  &c,  Layard,  who  also  found  it  breeding  in  Ceylon, 
states  that  it  defends  its  nest  most  pertinaciously.  The  flight  of 
this  bird  is  strong  and  tolerably  rapid,  and  it  gives  good  sport 
with  a  Bhyri. 

Mr.  J.  Shillino;ford  informs  me  that  it  is  sometimes  caught 
in  the  Purneah  district  by  a  bamboo,  with  a  noose  attached,  being 
bent  down  and  fixed  lightly  to  the  ground  by  a  small  peg,  to 
which  an  Ampullaria  is  affixed.  The  Shell-eater  hunting  about 
finds  the  shell,  and  moving  it  to  get  at  its  contents,  the  peg  is 
withdrawn,  the  bamboo  flies  up,  and  the  noose  catches  the  bird, 
which  remains  dano-linsj  in  mid  air. 

The  only  other  species  of  Anastomus  known  is  A.  lamelligeriis, 
Temminck,  from  Africa,  the  type  of  Hiato?',  Reichenbach,  which, 
however,  only  differs  apparently  in  the  character  of  the  plumage, 
the  feathers  of  the  neck  and  lower  parts  ending  in  a  horny  lamella. 

Sub-fam.  iBisiNiE. 

Bill  long,  thin,  curved. 

The  Ibises  difier  from  the  previous  members  of  this  family  by 
their  long,  slender,  curved,  and  channeled  beaks,  and  are  always 
called  Curlews  in  India  :  indeed,  Cuvier  himself  did  not  separate 
them  from  the  Curlews.  Nevertheless,  they  do  differ  considerably 
from  those  Longirostral  birds,  breeding  on  trees,  and  feeding  their 
young  till  full  grown.  The  three  species  found  in  India  form 
the  types  of  as  many  genera. 

Gen.  Threskiornis,  Gray. 

Syn.  Ibis,  apud  Bonaparte. 

Char. — Bill  very  long,  moderately  stout,  thickened  at  the  base, 
somewhat  square,  arched  more  or  less  througliout  ;  the  upper 
mandible  with  a  long  lateral  groove  produced  to  the  tip ;  nostrils 
basal,  narrow ;  wings  long,  the  2nd  quill  longest,  or  the  3rd  and 
4th  sub-equal  to  it  ;  tall  short,  even,  of  twelve  feathers  ;  tarsus 
moderate ;  toes  long,  hallux  resting  on  the  ground.  Head  and 
neck  of  the  adult  devoid  of  feathers;  scapulars  and  tertials 
decomposed,  lengthened  ;  feathers  of  the  breast  elongated  ;  plumage 
white. 


768  BIRDS   OF    INDIA. 

941.    Threskiornis  melanocephalus,  Linnaeus. 

Tantalus,  apud  LiNN^us — Blyth,  Cat.  1622 — Ibis  Macei, 
Temminck — Jerdon,  Cat.  323 — I,  rellgiosa,  apud  Sykes,  Cat. 
188 — I.  bengala,  Cuvier — I.  strlcticollis,  Gould,  Birds  of 
Australia? — Mundn,  H. — Sufeid  buza,  of  some — Kacha-tor,  or 
Kachia  tori,  H.  in  Purneah,  {.  e.,  Sickle-beak — Sabiit  buza,  Beng. 
also  Da-cliora — Manduk,  in  Behar. 

The  White  Ibis. 

Descr. —  Head  and  neck  nude,  black;  rest  of  the  plumage 
white,  the  quills  black  with  green  reflections ;  scapulars  and 
tertials  with  the  barbs  disunited  and  open,  lengthened,  of  a  dull 
inky  purple  or  quaker  grey ;  winglet,  primary-coverts,  under  wing- 
coverts,  and  axillaries,  creamy -white. 

Bill  black;  irides  red-brown  (blood-red  in  some);  legs  black. 
Length  29  inches  ;  extent  45  ;  wing  14 ;  tail  5f  ;  bill  at  front  6  ; 
tarsus  4.  The  skin  of  the  wing-bones  beneath  is  fine  blood-red, 
like  that  of  the  White-necked  Stork. 

The  young  have  the  head  and  neck  more  or  less  clothed 
with  short  white  feathers,  which  gradually  fall  off,  and  they  want 
the  lengthened  scapulars. 

This  Ibis  very  closely  resembles  the  sacred  Ibis  of  Egypt 
I.  religiosa,  Cuvier,  but  differs  in  having  a  stronger  bill,  and  in  the 
quills  being  shorter,  with  the  apical  portion  hardly  blackish,  whilst 
in  religiosa,  they  are  greenish-black. 

The  White  Ibis  is  not  uncommon  in  many  parts  of  the  country 
throughout  India,  is  chiefly  met  with  during  the  cold  season,  fre- 
quenting rivers,  tanks,  marshes,  paddy-fields,  and  pools  of  water,  in 
small  or  moderate  flocks,  and  feeding  on  molluscs,.  Crustacea,  insects, 
worms,  &c.,  in  search  of  which  it  moves  its  bill  about  in  the  water. 
I  have  seen  it  occasionally  at  most  seasons,  but  have  not  observed 
its  nidification  in  this  country,  though  Layard  states  tliat  he 
found  it  in  Ceylon  in  company,  laying  5  or  6  white  eggs, 
sparingly  blotched  with  rusty.  It  is  exceedingly  fishy  in  taste,  and, 
according  to  a  writer  in  the  Bengal  Sporting  Review,  '  execrable' 
eating. 


IBISINJB.  769 

It  is  stated  by  Blyth  to  be  rare  in  Arrakan,  but  I  have  seen 
it  common  near  Kangoon.  We  have  no  record  of  its  distribution 
out  of  India. 

Another  species  of  this  genus,  as  restricted,  is  Ihis  sfrictipennis, 
Gould,  of  Australia,  very  closely  allied  to  our  bird  if  indeed 
distinct ;  and  Honaparte  places  in  this  group,  Ihis  nippon  of 
Temminck,  from  Japan  and  China,  and  /.  spinicollis,  Jameson, 
from  Australia :  the  latter,  however,  seems  to  be  a  sort  of  link 
between  Threskiornis  and  Geronticus. 

Gen.     Geronticus,  Wagler. 

Char. — Bill  more  slender  and  longer  than  in  the  last ;  tarsi 
robust,  covered  anteriorly  with  hexagonal  scales ;  toes  somewhat 
short,  stout ;  top  of  the  head,  only,  nude.  Plumage  dark ;  wings 
long,  ample. 

This  form  differs  from  the  last  in  its  more  terrestrial  habits.  It 
is  found  only  in  the  Old  World,  and  chiefly  in  Africa. 

942.    Geronticus  papillosus,  Temminck. 

Ibis,  apud  TemmiiNCK,  PI.  col.  304 — Blyth,  Cat.  1621 — Sykes, 
Cat  190 — Jerdon,  Cat.  324:-— Buza,  ov  Kala  buza,  H — Karakul 
or  Karankul,  in  some  parts — Nella  kankanam,  Tel. — Kinp  Curlew 
and  Black  Curlew  of  Sportsmen. 

The  Warty-headed  or  Black  Ibis. 

Descr. — Head  nude,  black,  with  a  triangular  patch  of  bright  red 
papillae  or  warts  on  the  back  of  the  head,  the  point  of  the  triangle 
just  above  the  eyes;  neck  and  body  above  fuscous  brown,  nearly 
black  on  the  upper  tail-coverts ;  wings  glossy  steel-blue  mixed  with 
purple,  and  a  large  white  patch  on  the  innermost  lesser  coverts  ; 
tail  steel-blue ;  quills  dusky  black ;  lower  parts  dark  blackish- 
brown;  under  tail-coverts  glossed  with  blue. 

Bill  greenish-leaden ;  irides  dull  orange-red  ;  legs  and  feet  brick- 
red.  Length  25  to  30  inches ;  extent  48  ;  wing  14  to  15 ;  tail  7  ; 
bill  6,  or  rather  more  ;  tarsus  3 ;  weight  S^-  fb.     Sexes  alike. 

This  Curlew,  as   it   is    generally    called,  is  common  throughout 

the  greater  part  of  India,  and  is  met  with  generally  in  pairs  or  small 

parties,  now  and  then  congregating  in  flocks.     It  feeds  chiefly  on 

dry   land,  over  grass  plains,  ploughed   lands,  stubble  fields,  dry 

PAST  II.  5  E 


770  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

paddy-fields,  &c.,  now  and  then  at  the  edge  of  a  river  or  tank. 
It  eats  beetles,  crickets,  and  all  sorts  of  insects,  occasionally  crabs, 
prawns,  and  aquatic  insects.  Adams  (No.  262,  Birds  of  India,) 
under  the  head  of  Falcinellus  'igneus,  has  evidently  this  bird  in 
view ;  he  states  that  it  feeds  on  carrion,  (?)  beetles,  scorpions,  &c., 
and  associates  with  liooks  on  the  frontier  of  the  Punjab,  it  is 
accused  by  many  natives   of  consuming  much  grain. 

It  breeds  on  the  tops  of  high  trees,  making  a  large  nest  of 
sticks,  and  laying  two  to  four  white  eggs.  It  has  a  wild,  melancholy 
scream,  which  it  often  utters  from  the  top  of  some  tree,  or  occa- 
sionally during  its  circling  flights.  It  makes  an  excellent  chase  with 
a  Bhyri,  flying  strongly  and  rapidly,  and  often  escaping  from  its 
pursuer.     The  flesh  is  very  good,  at  thnes  really  excellent. 

Other  species  of  this  group  are  Tant.  calvus,  Gmel. ;  Ibis  comaf.a, 
Ehrenberg ;  and  I.  cristatiis,  Gmel.  ;  respectively  the  types  of 
restricted  Geronticus,  Comatibis,  and  Lophotihis  of  Reichenbach. 
Ibis  carunculata,  Riippell,  is  the  type  of  Bustrychia  of  the  same 
«ystematist ;  and  Tant.  hagedush,  Latham,  and  Ibis  olivacea, 
Dubus,  belong  to  Hagedashia,  Bonaparte.  They  are  all  from 
Africa.  There  are  several  Ibises  from  South  America,  forming  a 
peculiar  group,  Phimosece,  Bonaj). 

The  last  of  the  three  Indian  Ibises  belono-s  to  another  section, 
Eadocimina,  Bonaparte,  distinguished  by  a  slender  channeled  bill, 
and  scutellated  feet. 

Gen.  Falcinellus,  Bechstein. 

Char, — Bill  long,  slender;  tarsi  lengthened,  scutellated  anteriorly; 
toe 3  long  and  slender,  otherwise  as  in  the  last  ;  wings,  with  the 
2nd  and  3rd  primaries  longest.    Face  nude.    Cosmopolite. 

943.    Falcinellus  igneus,  Gmelin. 

Tantalus,  apud  Gmelin,-  Blyth.  Cat.  1620— Sykes,  Cat.  189 
and  191— Jeudon,  Cat.  325—1.  falcinelius,  TEMM.—GoULr.,  Birds 
of  Europe,  pi  31 1— F.  benualensis,  Bunapaute,  ex  Lichten- 
STEIN— Z'm'arz,  R.—Koivara  or  Kowar,  in  Purneah— /fa/a  kacliia- 
tor  a,  Beng. — Tail  kunharam,  Tel. 

The  Glossy  Ibis. 

Descr.—Mxilt,  head,  neck,  breast,  upper  back,  and  all  the 
under  parts  fine  chesnut-red,   tinged   with   brown  on   the   head: 


IBISIN^.  771 

lower  back,  rump,  wincj-coverts,  quills   and  tall  dark    green,    with 
bronze  and  purplish  reflections. 

Bill  dull  pale  (jreenish  ;  irides  brown  ;  lores  and  nude  orbits 
pale  green ;  legs  blackish  green,  with  a  lilue  garter  above  the  knee. 
Length  22  inches,  extent  38  ;  wing  lOf ;  tall ;  bill  at  front  6  ; 
tarsus  4^. 

The  young  birds  of  the  year  are  ashy-brown,  with  white  mark- 
ings on  the  head  and  neck.  After  the  moult  they  are  brown  on 
the  head  and  neck,  the  feathers  whitish  edged  ;  the  back  greenish- 
brown  ;  wings  and  tail  as  in  the  adult,  but  less  glossed ;  the  lower 
neck,  belly,  breast,  and  thigh-coverts,  dusky  black,  with  more  or 
less  greenish  reflections  on  the  breast ;  lores  whitish. 

The  Glossy  Ibis  is  found  in  vast  numbers  in  India  durlnnr 
the  cold  weather,  frequenting  the  edges  of  large  tanks,  j heels, 
and  rivers,  also  swamps  and  inundated  paddy-fields,  and  feeding 
on  molluscs,  Crustacea,  insects,  and  worms.  Adams  states  that  it 
feeds  on  carrion,  beetles,  scorpions,  &c.  ;  but  I  think  that  he  has 
confounded  this  bird  with  the  last.  It  flies  in  flocks,  rapidly  and 
with  great  regularity,  and  generally  in  the  form  of  a  wedge,  and 
roosts  at  night  in  beds  of  large  reeds.  This  Ibis  is  said  to  breed 
among  I'eeds.  It  is  most  excellent  eating,  and  has  a  tolerably 
loud  call,  often  uttered  in  flight  and  when  alarmed. 

The  Glossy  Ibis  appears  to  be  spread  over  the  whole  world,  being 
found  throughout  Asia,  Australia,  Africa,  the  South  of  Europe, 
and  great  part  of  Ameiica.  Bonaparte,  however,  separates  /. 
peregriiia,  M tiller  from  Java,  and  Ihis  mexicana,  Vieill.,  as  distinct 
species.  It  was  considered  sacred  in  Euypt,  like  the  White  Jbis, 
probably  on  account  of  its  appearing  after  the  inundation,  and 
mummies  of  it  are  frequentl}^  found. 

Other  species  of  Falcinellus  recorded  are  F.  guarauna,  L.,  and 
F.  erythrurhyncha,  Gould,  both  from  America.  A  small  section 
of  American  Ibises  belonging  to  the  present  minor  group  is  named 
Eadocimus  by  Wagler,  and  is  restricted  Ibis  apud  Gray,  Panbis, 
Is.  GeofTroy.  One  of  tiiese  is  the  beautiful  Scarlet  Ibis,  '/'unt. 
imber,  L.,  and  there  are  two  white  species,  2\  alius,  L.,  and  Ibis 
longirostris,  Wagler. 


772  BIRDS   or  INDIA. 

Ord.     NATATOUES. 


Syn.  Palmipedes,  Cuvier. 

Feet  more  or  less  fully  webbed,  the  legs  placed  far  back- 
wards on  the  body,  and  the  tarsi  compressed,  adapting  them  for 
swimming ;  bill  and  wings  varied ;  plumage  very  thick  and  close, 
with  a  quantity  of  down  next  the  skin,  in  some  families  im- 
pregnated with  oil ;  the  hind  toe  is  occasionally  absent  and  always 
small.  In  one  family  the  toes  are  free,  only  bordered  by  a  wide 
web. 

The  birds  of  this  order  are  so  variously  organized,  that  few 
generalizations  can  be  made.  Some  have  the  wings  hardly 
developed,  and  live  almost  entirely  in  the  sea,  diving  and  swim- 
ming rapidly  beneath  the  surface ;  others  appear  to  spend  the 
greater  part  of  their  lives  on  the  wing,  and  are  incapable  of 
diving ;  whilst  others  both  fly  and  dive  well.  The  food  of  one 
family  is  chiefly  vegetable,  of  all  the  others,  fish,  molluscs, 
Crustacea  or  insects. 

Like  the  Grallatores,  some  are  capable  of  running  at  once  from 
the  shell,  and  soon  feed  themselves,  {Autophagi)  ;  while  others 
form  rude  nests  on  trees,  on  rocks,  or  amonij  the  herbafye 
of  the  shore,  and  feed  their  young  till  they  are  able  to  fly 
{Heterophagi). 

The  divisions  adopted  in  the  present  work  are  as  follows,  and 
aie  taken  partly  from  Mr.  Blyth,  as  having  terminations  conform- 
able with  those  of  the  other  tribes  of  birds  : — 

A.  (Autophagous) — The  young  following  the  parent  as  soon 
as  hatched. 

Tribe  1st. — Lamellirostres,  containing  one  family,  the  AnatidcBf 
or  Ducks. 

2nd. — Mergitores,  Loons  and  Grebes. 
drd. —  Vngatores,  Gulls  and  Petrels. 

B.  (Heterophagous) — The  young  requiring  to  be  fed  for  a 
longer  or  shorter  period. 

ith.-^Piscatores,  Cormorants  and  Pelicans. 


LAMELLIROSTRES.  773 

5tk. — Urinatores,  Auks  and  Penguins,  not  represented  in 
India. 

The  connections  of  this  order  are  not  very  apparent.  Some 
imagine  that  it  is  related  on  one  side,  through  the  Geese  with  the 
Rasores ;  others,  through  the  Grebes  with  the  Coots.  Again,  the 
Frigate  Birds  show  a  decided  tendency  towards  the  Raptor es. 

Tribe  Lamellirostres. 

Bill  thick,  depressed,  broad,  covered  with  a  soft  skin,  the 
tip  alone  being  horny ;  the  edges  in  most  furnished  with  nu- 
merous laminae ;  wings  moderately  long,  1st  and  2nd  quills  sub- 
equal,  or  2nd  longest. 

The  birds  of  this  tribe  form  a  very  natural  and  extensive  group, 
as  well  marked  and  recognizable  (with  perhaps  one  exception), 
as  that  of  the  Pigeons.  The  chief  characteristic  is  the  bill,  which 
differs  from  that  of  all  others  in  being  furnished  at  the  edges 
with  thin  horny  lamellse,  more  or  less  numerous  and  close,  which 
serve  as  a  sieve,  allowing  the  water  to  pass  through,  but  retaining 
any  particles  of  food.  The  bill,  moreover,  is  covered  by  a  soft 
skin,  the  tip  alone  being  horny,  and  this  is  called  the  nail  or 
dertrnm,  and  is  often  coloured  differently  from  the  other  portion. 

Geese  and  Ducks  chiefly  frequent  fresh  waters,  marshes,  lakes, 
and  rivers ;  a  few  preferring  salt  water.  They  feed  mostly  on 
vegetable  matter,  but  also  on  worms  and  insects,  &c.,  a  few  only 
taking  fish.  Most  of  them  lay  numerous  eggs,  white  or  greenish, 
and  the  young  follow  their  parent  as  soon  as  hatched.  The 
majority  nidificate  on  the  ground,  others  on  trees  or  even  rocks. 
Many  are  migratory,  and  their  flight  is  generally  powerful,  and  in 
many  rapid.  They  may  be  said  to  represent  ihe  Rasores  in  this 
order  in  consequence  of  their  easy  domestication,  numerous  eggs, 
and  the  excellent  food  they  afford. 

The  sternum  is  large  and  wide,  but  of  very  thin  texture,  and 
has  one  fissure  on  each  side  ;  the  tongue  is  very  large  and  fleshy, 
with  the  edge  toothed  ;  the  gizzard  is  large  and  highly  muscular, 
and  the  caeca  generally  long,  with  a  long  intestinal  canal.  The 
trachea  of  the  male  is,  in  many,  dilated  near  the  bifurcation 
into  capsules  of  varied  form,  and,  in  some,  is  elongated  and  enters 


774  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

into  a  cavity  in  the  keel  of  the  sternum.  la  many  instances  the 
male  has  a  large  intromittent  organ. 

They  may  be  divided  into  the  following  families : — 

Is/. — PhcenicopteridcB,  Flamingoes,  with  uncommonly  long  legs 
and  long  neck. 

2nd.  —  CygnidcE,   Swans,  with  lengthened  neck  but  short  legs. 

ord. — Anseridce,  Geese,  &c.  The  legs  generally  placed  more 
forward  than  in  the  next  family. 

Ath. — Anati</(E,   Ducks,  with  short  legs  placed  far  back. 

5th.  —  Mergidce,  Mergansers,  with  the  bill  distinctly  toothed 
at  the  sides. 

Fam.    PHCENICOPfERID^. 

Neck  and  legs  of  enormous  length  ;  bill  suddenly  bent  down. 
There  is  only  one  genus. 

Gen.  Phcenicopterus,  L. 

Bill  high  at  the  base,  suddenly  bent  down,  the  margin  lamellate 
and  dentate  ;  legs  very  long ;  tibia  bare  to  a  considerable  extent ; 
tarsus  scutellate  ;  feet  short ;  wings  moderate,  1st  and  2nd  quills 
sub-equal,  longest ;  neck  very  long. 

The  Flamingoes  have  the  fleshy  tongue  and  anatomical  structure 
of  the  Ducks  ;  the  bill  is  laminated  to  allow  the  superfluous  water 
to  pass  off,  and  they  ;ippear  to  feed  on  various  minute  animal  and 
vegetal 'le  substances  which  they  find  in  the  soft  mud  of  the  lakes 
and  salt-water  lagoons  they  frequent,  for  scooping  up  which,  their 
peculiar  bill  appears  well  adapted  ;  when  searching  at  the  bottom, 
their  heads  are  bent  forwards  till  the  deflected  portion  of  the 
bill  is  horizontal.  The  diameter  of  the  gullet  in  these  huge  birds 
is  very  minute. 

The  Flamingoes  were  long  jilaced  among  the  Grallatores,  in 
consequence  of  their  very  long  legs,  and  are  still  so  classed  in 
many  foreign  works  on  Ornithology.  Swainson,  I  believe,  vv^as  one 
of  the  first  who  perceived  their  affinities  to  be  with  the  AnserincB, 
and  I  cannot  understand  how  any  one  can  ignore  the  resemblance. 
'Jhe  bill  is  quite  that  of  the  Ducks,  and  its  relations  with  this 
family  are  recognised  by  various  races.    The  Calmucs  and  Russians 


PHCENICOPTEKIDiE.  775 

call  the   Flamingo  the  Red  Goose,   and  its  Hindustani  name   also 
expresses  its  affinity  to  the  Anserine  group. 

944.    Phoenicopterus  roseus,  Pallas. 

P.  antiquus,  Tkmminck — Blyth,  Cat.  1750— Sykes,  Cat.  181 
— Jerdon,  Cat.  373— also  P.  minor,  apud  Jerdon,  Cat.  374? — 
Gould,  Birds  of  Europe  pi.  2s7 — Bag-hans,  H.,  i.  e.,  Heron- 
goose — Raj-haiis  of  some — Kan-thunti,  Beng. — Fii-konga,  Tel.,  also 
Samdrapa  chilluka,  i.  e.,  Sea-parrot — Fu-nari,  Tarn. 

The  Flamingo. 

Descr. — ■Throughout  of  a  rosy  white,  the  rose  colour  more 
marked  on  the  head,  back,  and  tail ;  wing-coverts,  (except  the 
primary-cove  its,  which  are  wliite)  and  the  tertiaries  fine  rosy  red  ; 
quills  black,  the  last  of  the  secondaries  white  ;  lower  wing-coverts 
black. 

Bill  rosy,  black  at  the  tip  ;  Irides  pale  golden-yellow;  legs 
and  feet  pale  rosy-red.  Length  4  feet  4  inches;  wing  16^; 
tail  6  ;  bill  4  ;  tarsus  12  ;  mid.-toe  3^.     Weight  10  lbs. 

The  female  is  smaller,  and  the  young  birds  have  the  upper 
plumage,  especially  the  wing-coverts,  mixed  with  brown  and  dusky 
spots,  and  hardly  any  rosy  tinge. 

I  was  at  one  time  inclined  to  believe  in  the  existence  of 
another  species,  which,  I  was  informed,  visited  India  duriniT 
the  cold  weather  in  small  flocks,  and  in  my  Catalogue  I  called 
it  P.  minor,  aft^r  Temminck.  Mr.  Blyth  was  also  of  (ipinion  tliat 
there  was  a  second  species  (and  Bonaparte  named  it  Ph.  Biythii)  ; 
but,  in  his  Catalogue,  he  gave  it  as  a  variety  of  the  other,  Tem- 
minck's  bird,  from  Africa,  is  figured  by  him  in  PI.  Col.  pi.  419, 
and  is  stated  to  be  very  distinct.'^  Some  specimens  in  the  Museum 
of  the  Asiatic  Society  are  distinctly  smaller  ;  the  leg  shorter,  only  9 
to  10  inches  instead  of  12  ;  but  the  bill  is  nearly  equally  large,  and 
the  wing  only  1  inch  or  so  shorter.  Two  of  these  appear  in 
adult  plumage  ;  and  there  are  others  quite  similar  in  dimensions, 
evidently  in  younger  plumage,  and  one  with  a  slightly  rusty 
coloured    head.     All  these  however     are    probably    females,    and 


*  Mr.  Blyth,  however,  has  quite  recently  written  me  that  it  is  very  like  the  small 
Indian  race. 


776  BIRDS    OP   INDIA. 

without  more  information,  I  shall  consider  them  to  be  females  of 
the  common  species.* 

The  Flamingo  is  foimd,  here  and  there,  throughout  India,  is  very 
rare  in  some  parts,  and  is  perhaps  chiefly  found  not  far  from  the  sea- 
coast.  It  is  very  abundant  near  Madras,  in  the  Pulicat  lake;  also 
between  Madras  and  Pondirherry,  and  south  towards  Tuticoreen  ; 
it  is  also  met  with  in  the  Northern  Circars,  at  the  great  Chilka  lake, 
south  of  Cuttack,  and  occasionally  near  the  mouth  of  the  Hooghly 
and  some  of  the  Soonderbun  rivets.  In  Central  India  and  the 
Deccan,  flocks  generally  visit  some  of  the  larger  tanks  during  the 
cold  weather,  and  tliey  are  also  now  and  then  met  with  in  Northern 
India.  Adams  states  that  they  are  not  uncommon  on  the  Punjab 
rivers  and  lakes,  during  the  cold  weather. 

Tiie  Flamingo  appears  to  be  found  throughout  the  south  of 
Europe,  Africa,  and  great  part  of  Asia.  It  feeds  on  minute  molluscs, 
small  insects  and  Crustacea,  worms,  &c.,  which  it  scoops  up  by  its 
inverted  bill  together  with  the  soft  mud  from  the  bottom  of  lakes, 
salt  water  lagoons,  &c.,  subsequently  rejecting  the  inorganic  matter 
with  the  water  through  the  laminae  of  its  bill ;  I  have  however 
generally  found  some  mud  in  the  stomachs  of  those  that  1  have 
examined.  It  also  eats  confervas,  and  other  soft  vegetable  matter, 
and,  in  confinement,  will  eat  bran  mixed  with  water,  boiled  rice,  &c. 

It  is  said  to  form  a  large  conical  nest  of  mud,  or  mud  and  grass, 
and  to  sit  astride  on  the  top  of  it.  A  late  writer,  however,  states 
that  it  lays  its  eggs  on  any  slight  elevation  in  swamps,  generally 
on  a  narrow  path  between  two  ditches,  and  that  many  nests  are 
placed  together  in  a  line.  The  eggs  are  two  in  number,  dull  white 
and  with  a  very  rough  chalky  surface.  Flamingoes  do  not,  that  I 
am  aware  of,  nidificate  in  this  country. 

Flamingoes  are  very  wary  birds  ;  during  the  heat  of  the  day  they 
rest  in  the  water,  drawn  up  in  long  lines,  with  sentinels  on  either 
side  which  give  warning  of  danger  by  a  trumpet-like  call,  something 


*  M.  Verreaux  has  characterized  a  small  race  from  Africa  as  P.  erythrcEus.  It 
resembles  the  present  species,  but  is  smaller  ;  the  tarsus  only  lOf  inches ;  the  wing 
I4|,  and  the  head  and  neck  are  aurora  red.  It  is  probable  that  this  species,  if 
distinct,  may  occasionally  visit  Western  India,  and  perhaps  be  my  small  Flamingo, 
Cat.  374. 


CYGNIDJE.  777 

like  the  cry  of  the  wild  goose,  a  cry  which  is  occasionally  repeated 
during  flight.  When  feeding,  they  are  more  easily  approached. 
They  are  excellent  eating.  I  have  seen  Flamingoes  kept  alive  at 
Hyderabad  in  the  Deccan.  It  has  been  stated  that  they  sleep  on 
one  leg,  with  the  neck  bent  back,  and  the  head  under  the  wing. 
Nuttall  says  that  they  run  swiftly,  but  I  have  never  seen  them,  even 
when  in  danger,  move  at  any  other  pace  than  a  stately,  moder- 
ately rapid  walk.  TJiey  are  said  to  swim  well  with  the  port  of 
Swans,  but  I  have  never  seen  them  do  so. 

Other  species,  besides  P.  mino?-,  T.,  from  Africa,  are  P. 
ignipalliatus  of  South  America,  and  P.  erytlircBUs,  Verreaux,  if 
distinct  from  our  species. 

Fam.  Cygnid^. 

The  Swans  are  well  characterized  by  their  enormously  long 
necks  and  moderate  feet.  They  have  the  bill  high  at  the  base 
and  of  equal  breadth  throughout,  are  of  very  large  size,  and  feed 
on  the  seeds  and  roots  of  water  plants,  and  also  on  grass.  Their 
intestines  are  very  long,  as  are  their  C93ca.  They  possess  23  cervical 
vertebra?.  The  trachea  has  no  inflation  or  labyrinth.  The  sexes 
are  alike,  and  they  have  no  seasonal  change.  The  male  guards 
the  female  during  incubation. 

In  one  group  the  trachea,  after  making  a  slight  curve  to- 
wards the  ridge  of  the  sternum,  enters  the  lungs,  and  there 
is  usually  a  fleshy  caruncle  over  the  base  of  the  upper  man- 
dible. To  this  section  belongs  Cygnus  olor,  or  the  Mute 
Swan,  of  which  C.  immutabilis  is  the  wild  race.  Others  of  this 
group  are  C,  nigricollis  and  C.  anatoides  of  South  America ;  and 
the  celebrated  black  Swan,  C.  atratus,  which  is  separated  as 
Cehtiopis,  Wagler. 

The  birds  of  the  next  group  have  the  trachea  elongated,  as  in  the 
Cranes,  and  entering  a  cavity  in  the  sternal  ridge.  They  have  no 
protuberance  on  their  bill,  are  all  white,  with  black  feet,  and  are 
restricted  to  the  Northern  Hemisphere.  To  this  group  belong  the 
Hooper  Swan,  Cygnus  musicus,  and  Bewick's  Swan,  C.  Bewichii, 
of  Europe ;  and  two  American  species,  C.  buccinator  or  the  Trum- 
peter Swan,  and  C.  Americanus. 

PART  II.  5  F 


778  BIRDS    OF    INDIA, 

The  Hooper  Swan,  Cygnus  musicus,  is  said  to  have  been  met 
with  in  Nepal,  and  a  head  and  a  foot,  stated  to  be  from  that 
country,  are  in  the  British  Museum ;  if  killed  there,  however, 
it  could  only  have  been  a  very  accidental  visitor,  and  was  more 
probably  brought  from  the  Tibet  side  of  the  Hills. 

The  genus  Coscoroba,  Bonap.,  founded  on  Anas  coscoroha, 
Gmelin,  (A.  chionis,  Illiger)  from  South  America,  is  placed  by 
Bonaparte  at  the  end  of  the  Swans. 

Fam.  Anserid^. 

Bill  moderate  or  short,  narrower  in  front  than  behind,  more  or 

less  raised  at  the  base ;  legs  rather  long,  set  more  forward  on  the 

body  than  in  the  Ducks ;  plumage  of  the  sexes  differing  but  slightly. 

This  family   comprises  several   distinct  groups,   and  is  divided 

into  the  following  sub-families.  : — 

1st. — AnserincE,  True  Geese. 

2nd. — Cereopsince,  New  Holland  Geese. 

3rc?. — PhctropterincB,  Spurred  Geese. 

Aitli. — Nettapodinoe,  Anserine  Teal. 

hth, —  Tadornince,  Shieldrakes,  &c. 

Sub-fam.  Anserine,  True  Geese. 

Bill  short,  high  at  the  base,  conical;  nail  large,  convex;  laminar 
teeth  more  or  less  exposed,  short ;  nostrils  median,  large  ;  tarsus 
thick,  lengthened ;  feet  of  moderate  or  rather  small  size ;  wings 
ample,  moderately  long,  1st  and  2nd  quills  longest;  tail  short 
of  16  or  18  feathers;  legs  nearly  central;  tibia  feathered  nearly 
to  the  joint ;  neck  moderately  long;  trachea  simple. 

Geese,  as  here  characterized,  have  a  large  heavy  body,  with  a 
tolerably  long  neck  and  a  small  head.  The  wings  are  long  and  pow- 
erful, and  the  hind  toe  is  very  small.  They  live  in  flocks,  breeding 
for  the  most  part  in  polar  regions,  and  migrating  in  winter  to 
more  genial  climates ;  Avhen  flying,  they  maintain  regular  long  lines, 
and  emit  loud  clanging  calls.  They  walk  well  on  land  in  consequence 
of  the  central  position  of  their  legs.  They  feed  entirely  on  vege- 
tables, grazing  on  grass  and  young  corn,  their  short  stout  bill  being 
Avell  suited  for  biting  off  the  shoots  ;  and  they  spend  the  heat  of  the 
day  on  sand-banks  in  rivers,  or  in  the  centre  of  large  lakes.     They 


ANSERINE.  779 

make  large  nests  of  grass,  &c.,  on  tlie  ground,  in  marshy  places, 
and  lay  several  whitish  eggs.  During  incubation,  the  males  of 
many  live  apart  from  the  females,  and  assemble  in  flocks  near 
the  sea-coast.  The  first  down  of  the  nestlings  is  mottled.  Four  or 
five  species  visit  India  in  the  cold  weather,  and  probably  others 
will  be  identified  hereafter. 

Gen.  Anser,  Brisson. 
Char. — Bill  very  high  at  the  base,  about  the  length  of  the 
head ;  the  lamellae,  tooth-like,  very  apparent  externally  ;  nostrils  a 
little  behind  the  middle  ;  toes  moderately  long,  claws  short  and 
curved  ;  neck  moderately  long.  Of  large  size  and  grey  plumage, 
the  bill  pale,  and  legs  usually  reddish. 

945.    A.  cinereus,  Meyek. 

Blyth,  Cat.  1755 — Anas  anser,  Linn. — A.  ferus,  Gesner — A. 
vulgaris,  Pallas — Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pL  34,1-^Hans,  H. 
also  HoJ — ,  Bannaia-hanSy — Kallaiik — Karhans  at  Bhaugulpore. 

The  Grey  Goose. 

Descr. — Head  and  neck  clove-brown,  tinged  with  grey ;  the  fore- 
head whitish ;  back,  scapulars,  greater  and  middle  wing-coverts 
clove-brown,  the  feathers  broadly  edged  with  greyish-white ;  lower 
back  and  upper  tail-coverts  bluish-ashy;  lesser  wing-coverts 
and  base  of  the  primaries  bluish-grey ;  primaries  black,  shaded 
with  grey,  with  the  shafts  white ;  secondaries  black,  edged  with 
white ;  rump  and  sides  of  the  upper  tail-coverts  white  ;  tail  brown 
edged  with  white,  the  outermost  one  almost  wholly  white  ;  breast 
and  upper  belly  greyish-white,  undulated  with  bars  of  a  deeper 
tint ;  lower  abdomen  and  under  tail-coverts  white. 

Bill  fleshy  or  dull  orange-red,  the  tip  whitish ;  irides  deep 
brown  ;  legs  livid  fleshy  or  tile-red.  Length  30  to  32  inches  ;  wing 
18  ;  tail  6 ;  bill  at  front  2| ;  tarsus  3 ;  mid.  toe  and  claw  3;^ ; 
extent  4|  feet ;  weight  9  to  12  lbs. 

The  common  wild  Goose,  or  grey  lag  Goose  of  England,  is  a 
common  winter  visitant  to  the  North  of  India,  extending  its 
migrations  to  Central  India,  but  rarely  seen  further  South.  It  is 
sometimes  met  with  in  small  parties  of  from  four  to  twenty ;  occa- 
sionally in  vast  flocks,  which  feed  on  young  corn,  grass,  &c.,   and, 


180  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

during  the  heat  of  the  day,  rest  on  some  sand-bank  in  the  large 
rivers,  or  in  the  middle  of  a  tank.  This  Goose  is  a  wary  bird, 
approached  with  difficulty  when  feeding,  but  may  occasionally  be 
stalked  when  on  the  bank  of  a  river  or  tank  ;  I  have  often  killed  it 
from  a  boat.  The  flesh  is  excellent.  In  the  wild  state  it  breeds 
in  Northern  Europe  and  Asia,  making  a  large  nest  among  the 
rushes,  and  laying  from  eight  to  twelve  whitish  eggs.  It  is  the 
origin  of  the  domestic  Goose.  It  is  very  similar  to,  and  is  occa- 
sionally confounded  with  the  Bean-goose  of  England,  A  segetum, 
but  that  species  is  smaller,  with  the  bill  proportionally  smaller 
and  differing  in  colour. 

946.    Anser  brachyrhyhchus,  Baillon. 

Blyth,  Cat.  1756, — A.  phsenicopus,  Bartlett. 

The  pink-footed  Goose. 

Descr. — Head  and  upper  part  of  neck  brown,  the  lower 
part  of  the  neck  reddish-ashy ;  body  above  brownish  cinereous, 
with  white  undulations ;  the  longest  of  the  scapulars  edged  with 
white ;  upper  tail-coverts  black,  a  few  of  the  longest  white ;  lesser 
and  median  wing-coverts  bluish-ashy,  edged  with  white ;  the  two 
first  primaries  bluish,  the  others  black ;  tail  black  ;  breast  and 
upper  abdomen  ashy-whitish ;  lower  abdomen  and  under  tail- 
coverts  pure  white. 

Bill  much  smaller  than  in  the  last,  fleshy-red  or  purplish,  the 
base  and  the  nail  black;  feet  pinkish-red.  Length  27  inches; 
wing  17  ;  tail  5^  ;  bill  at  front  If  ;  tarsus  3  ;  middle  toe  3. 

This  species  is  said  to  occur  in  the  Punjab  and  Western  India, 
Mr.  Blyth  stating  that  he  has  seen  an  undoubted  drawino-  of  this 
Goose  made  in  the  Punjab.  Captain  Irby  also  records  it  from 
Oudh.    It  is  an  inhabitant  of  Northern  and  Central  Europe. 

947.    A.  albifrons,  Gmelin. 
Anas  apud  Gmelin— Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  289. 

The  White-fronted  Goose. 
Descr. — Head  and  neck  brownish,  shaded  with  reddish  ;  forehead 
and  part  of  the  cheeks  white,  surrounded  by  a  dark  brown  band  ; 
body   above  dull  ashy-brown,  with  reddish- white  margins  to  the 


ANSERINE.  781 

feathers ;  upper  tail-coverts  dark  ashy,  the  longest  white ;  lesser 
wing-coverts  dull  brown,  slightly  edged  rufous ;  middle  coverts 
ashy-bluish,  tipped  white ;  primaries  ashy-grey,  black  at  the  tip ; 
secondaries  black  ;  tail  ashy,  the  feathers  edged  and  broadly  tipped 
with  white ;  plumage  beneath  brownish  on  the  breast  and  flanks, 
passing  into  whitish  grey  with  spots  and  wide  cross  bands  of  black 
on  the  lower  part  of  the  breast,  the  upper  abdomen  and  flanks  ; 
lower  abdomen  and  under  tail-coverts  pure  white. 

Bill  purplish-red,  orange-yellow  round  the  nostrils,  on  the  middle 
of  the  upper  mandible  and  the  edges  of  the  lower  mandible ;  tip 
whitish  ;  irides  deep  brown  ;  legs  orange,  the  nails  white.  Length 
27  inches ;  wing  17  ;  bill  at  front  1| ;  tarsus  3  ;  mid-toe  2|. 

The  white-fronted  Goose  has,  within  our  territories,  only  been 
observed  hitherto  in  the  Punjab,  Adams  stating  that  it  is  a  winter 
visitant  to  the  lakes  and  rivers  of  that  province.  It  is  found 
throughout  Europe,  Northern  Asia,  and  North  America.  It  is 
stated  to  frequent  marshes  and  rarely  to  visit  corn-fields. 

948.    Anser  erythropus,  Linn. 

Newton,  Ibis,  2,  p.  406— A.  minutus,  Naumann — A.  medius, 
Temminck — Bree,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi. 

The  Dwarf  Goose. 

Descr. — Top  of  head,  forehead,  throat,  front  of  cheeks,  and 
the  under  and  upper  tail-coverts  pure  white  ;  thejest  of  the  head, 
neck,  and  crop,  grey,  with  those  parts  nearest  the  white  front  of 
the  head,  darker  ;  scapulars  and  back,  dark  brown  grey,  with  trans- 
verse lighter  bands  ;  upper  wing-coverts  blue-grey;  lower,  the  same 
colour  as  the  back,  edged  with  white  ;  primaries,  of  the  same  blue- 
grey  as  the  upper  coverts  ;  secondaries  black  ;  tail  grey,  margined 
with  white  at  the  tip,  and  white  at  the  base ;  abdomen  black,  bordered 
with  white,  and  the  flanks  the  same  dark  grey-brown  as  the  back, 
each  feather  edged  with  lighter  and  separated  from  the  edge  of 
the  wing,  when  folded,  by  a  white  streak. 

Bill  orange*  ;  feet  and  legs  red.  Length  22  inches;  wing  15  ; 
tail  4^  ;  weight  4  lbs. 

*  Mr.  Bree,  whose  description  of  this  Goose  I  have  copied,  in  his  specific 
character  gives  the  beak  blacii,  but  iu  the  description  orange.  Probably  the  nail 
only  is  black. 


782  BIRDS    OF   INDIA. 

Mr.  Newton  first  showed  that  this  little  Goose  was  the  true 
erythropus  of  Linnasus,  and  that  this  name  had  been  improperly 
applied  to  the  last  species.  Captain  Irby  mentions  having  observed 
this  Goose  in  Oiidh.  It  is  chiefly  an  inhabitant  of  Northern 
Europe,  is  occasionally  taken  in  Central  Europe,  and  is  said  not  to 
be  uncommon  in  Greece.  It  also  inhabits  Northern  and  Central  Asia. 

The  next  species  has  been  sometimes  placed  under  Bemicla, 
Stephens,  and  latterly  has  been  separated  as  Eulaheia  by  Reichen- 
bach.  It  appears  to  be  intermediate  between  the  Bernacle  Geese 
and  the  true  Geese,  and  I  shall  not  give  it  distinct  generic  rank. 

The  teeth  of  the  mandible  are  distinctly  visible  at  the  base, 
which  they  are  not  in  true  Bernicla,  the  bill  is  larger  and  the  feet 
are  reddish. 

949.    Anser  indicus,  Gmelin. 

Blytu,  Cat.  1757— Jerdon,  Cat.  375— Gould,  Cent.  Him. 
Birds,  ph  80. 

The  Barred-headed  Goose. 

Descr. — Head  white,  with  two  blackish  bars  on  the  occiput  and 
nape  ;  back  of  neck  hair  brown,  sides  of  neck  white  ;  upper  plumage 
very  pale  ashy,  the  feathers  edged  with  whitish  and  tinged 
with  pale  reddish-brown ;  lower  back  and  rump  pure  pale  ashy- 
grey,  sides  of  the  rump  and  upper  tail-coverts  whitish  ;  tail  grey, 
white  tipped  ;  wing-coverts  pure  ashy  ;  quills  grey,  dusky  towards 
the  tip,  and  gradually  becoming  darker  on  the  secondaries ; 
tertials  brownish-grey  ;  beneath,  the  chin  and  throat  white  ;  neck 
brownish-ashy,  passing  gradually  into  cinereous  on  the  breast, 
whitish  on  the  upper  abdomen  and  the  lower  abdomen  ;  vent  and 
under  tail-coverts  white  ;  flanks  cinnamon-brown  with  pale  edgings. 

Bill  yellow  ;  irides  brown ;  legs  orange.  Length  27  inches ; 
wing  17  ;  tail  G  ;  bill  at  front  2  ;  tarsus  2f  ;  mid-toe  2| ;  weight 
7  to  8  lbs. 

This  Goose  appears  to  be  peculiar  to  India,  and  probably  the 
adjacent  countries  north  of  the  Himalayas,  where  it  breeds,  as 
it  is  not  recorded  by  Pallas  as  a  bird  of  Northern  or  Central 
Asia.  It  is  chiefly  a  winter  visitant  to  India,  arriving  in  Northern 
India  towards   the  end  of  October  or  beginning  of  November,  and 


AN8ERINJE.  783 

leaving  in  March.  It  is  occasionally  met  with  in  immense  flocks 
of  many  hundreds,  usually  in  smaller  parties.  It  grazes  on  the 
river  banks  and  fields  of  corn,  chenna,  &c.,  retiring  about  10  or 
11a.  M.  to  some  tank  or  river,  where  it  reposes  during  the  greater 
part  of  the  day,  returning  to  the  fields  in  the  afternoon.  A  writer 
in  the  Bengal  Sporting  Magazine  states  that  this  Goose  is  found  in 
immense  abundance  both  in  Bundlekund  and  in  the  country  be- 
tween Agra  and  Gwalior  ;  but  that  the  larger  kind  (^4.  cinereus)  is 
not  met  with  in  the  latter  locality.  I  once  saw  a  couple  of  these 
Geese  in  the  extreme  south  of  India  in  August,  in  a  small  se- 
questered tank.  This  pair  may  have  been  breeding  there,  but 
perhaps  they  were  wounded  or  sickly  birds.  This  Goose  probably 
breeds  in  the  large  lakes  beyond  the  Himalayas,  where  swarms  of 
water-birds  have  been  observed  by  various  travellers  in  summer. 
It  is  excellent  eating,  but  perhaps  in  this  respect  inferior  to 
the  Grey  Goose. 

There  are  several  other  wild  Geese  found  in  the  Northern  Hemis- 
phere, the  distinctions  between  some  of  which  are  rather  obscure. 
Among  them  are  A.  segetum,  the  Bean  Goose,  which,  besides  being 
smaller  than  cinereus,  has  the  nail  of  the  bill  black.  The  Bernacle 
Geese  have  the  bill  smaller  than  the  true  Geese,  and  the  lamella) 
are  short  and  not  exposed.  The  legs  are  generally  black.  As  pre- 
viously stated,  these  are  by  some  placed  in  a  distinct  genus,  Bemicla, 
Stephens.  The  Barnacle  Goose,  B.  leucopsis,  is  smaller  than  ihe 
wild  Goose,  and  is  remarkable  for  the  fable  which  was  believed  in  by 
our  ancestors,  that  it  took  its  origin  from  the  shell  barnacles  {Lepas)  ; 
the  same  tradition  was  connected  with  the  Brent  Goose,  B.  brenta. 
Another  Asiatic  species  is  ^4.  rnjlcollis,  Pallas.  The  Snow  Goose, 
A.  hyperhoreus,  has  the  teeth  very  prominent,  and  has  been  separat- 
ed as  Chen.  It  is  white  with  black  primaries.  A  second  species  of 
this  group  is  A.  ccBrulescens,  L.,  formerly  considered  the  young  of 
hyperhoreiis.  It  has  been  killed  in  Britain.  A.  cggnoides,  L.,  the 
Chinese  or  knobbed  Goose,  "S'vas  considered  by  Cuvicr  to  belong  to 
the  Swans,  but  is  strictly  a  Goose  with  only  16  cervical  vertebrae.* 
It    is    domesticated   in  China,   and   breeds   very   readily   with  the 

*  Quite  recently  a  Sportsman  told  me  that  he  had  shot  a  large  brown-necked 
Goose  in  the  interior  of  the  Himalayas.  Could  ifc  have  been  this  species  ?  or  ^1. 
ruficoUin  'i 


784  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

common  Goose.  Blyth  considers  the  common  domestic  Goose  of 
India  to  be  a  hybrid  between  this  and  A.  cinereus.  A.  canadensis,  L., 
a  large  Goose  with  a  long  black  neck,  was  also  considered  to 
belong  to  the  Swans  by  Cuvier.  It  is  now  classed  among  the 
Bernacle  Geese.  A  handsome  group  of  Geese,  typified  by  A.  picta, 
Pallas,  and  A.  magellanica,  Gmel.,  is  found  in  the  icy  regions,  both 
Arctic  and  Antarctic,  and  has  been  named  Chloephaga  by  Eyton  ; 
A.  juhata,  Lath.,  from  Australia,  has  been  separated  as  Clilamy- 
doclien.  The  former  of  these,  however,  have  tracheal  labyrinths, 
and,  if  they  do  not  belong  to  the  I'adorninw,  unite  those  birds 
to  the  Geese. 

The  sub-family  Cereopsime  compviees  only  one  genus  and  one 
species,  Cereopsis  Nova  Hollandice,  which  has  a  small  bill  extend- 
ing back  on  the  forehead,  long  legs  bare  above  the  joint,  and 
a  tracheal  labyrinth.  It  seldom  enters  water.  This  curious 
Goose  appears  to  have  some  affinities  with  both  the  Easores  and 
Go'allatores. 

Sub-fam.  Plectropterin^,  Spurred  Geese. 

Wings  generally  with  one  or  more  spurs  on  the  shoulder.  Bill, 
in  most,  furnished  with  a  boss  or  protuberance  at  the  base. 
Legs  in  general  long.  Plumage  glossed  black  and  white.  Sexes 
alike,  or  nearly  so. 

The  Spur- winged  Geese  form  a  small  group  typified  by  Anas 
(jfambensis,  L.,  of  Africa,  of  which  the  Muscovy  Duck,  A. 
moschata,  is  an  aberrant  form,  having  unusually  short  legs.  The 
male  is  said  to  guard  the  nest  during  incubation.  There  is  only 
one  species  in  India. 

Gen.     Sarkidiornis,  Eyton. 

Syn.     Plectropterus,  Leach  (partly). 

Char. — Bill  lengthened,  of  nearly  equal  width  throughout ;  that 
of  the  males  usually  furnished  with  a  naked,  compressed,  fleshy 
protuberance  on  the  culmen  ;  wings  with  one  or  more  tubercles  or 
blunt  spurs  at  the  shoulder;  1st  and  2nd  primaries  sub-equal 
and  longest ;  legs  lengthened  ;  feet  large  ;  tarsus  with  sub -quadrate 
scales.  Of  large  size.  Plumage  glossy  black  above.  Sexes  nearly 
alike  in  colour,  but  the  males  much  larsier  than  the  females. 


PLECTROPTERIN^.  785 

The  Spur-winged  Geese  are  found  in  the  hot  regions  of  Africa 
and  India,  where  tliey  are  permanent  residents. 

950.     Sarkidiornis  melanonotus,  Pennant. 

Anser  apud  Pennant,  Ind.  ZooL,  pi.  11 — Blyth,  Cat.  1763 — 
Sykes,  Cat.  213— Jerdon  Cat.  379— PL  Enl.  9^7—Niika,  H. 
and  Malir. — Jutu  chilluioa,  Tel. — Comb-duck  of  Sportsmen  in 
Madras  and  Bombay. 

The  Black-backed  Goose. 

Descr. — Head  and  neck  white,  spotted  with  glossy  black, 
tbe  top  of  the  head  and  back  of  the  neck  mostly  black ; 
interscapulars  and  scapulars,  black  glossed  with  purple ;  back 
ashy-grey,  becoming  dusky  on  the  rump  ;  the  upper  tail-coverts 
glossy  green  ;  wing-coverts  glossed  green;  quills  black  ;  tail  black  ; 
all  the  lower  parts  pure  white  ;  bill  and  protuberance  black  ;  irides 
dark  brown  ;  legs  greenish  plumbeous. 

Male — Length  30  to  34  inches  ;  wing  16  ;  tail  6  ;  bill  at  front  2^ ; 
height  of  protuberance  2  ;  tarsus  nearly  3 ;  mid-toe  and  claw  3j. 
Weight  6  lbs. 

The  female  is  much  smaller,  less  brightly  colored,  more  spotted 
on  the  neck,  and  she  wants  the  fleshy  boss  at  the  base  of  the  bill. 
Length  about  26  inches  ;  wing  12  to  14. 

This  Goose  is  very  common  in  Central  and  Western  India,  less 
so  in  the  extreme  south,  and  is  very  rare  in  Lower  Bengal.  It  is 
generally  seen  in  small  parties  from  four  to  ten,  but  occasionally 
in  flocks  of  above  a  hundred:  it  chiefly  frequents  grassy  tanks, 
and  is  not  unfrequently  seen  in  paddy  fields.  During  the  rains, 
it  wanders  about  a  good  deal,  and  may  often  be  seen  feeding  in 
very  small  tanks,  or  even  in  temporary  pools  of  water.  It  breeds 
in  this  country  in  July  or  August,  in  grass  by  the  sides  of  tanks, 
laying  six  to  eight  whitish  eggs. 

It  is  not  a  particularly  w^ary  bird,  and  may  generally  be 
approached  tolerably  closely.  Its  flight  is  not  very  rapid.  This 
Goose  is  not  held  in  very  high  esteem  for  the  table,  but  at  some 
seasons   is   most   excellent,   and   the   young  birds    are   especially 

PART    II.  0    G 


786  BIRDS   OF  INDIA. 

delicate.      It  is   found   in   Ceylon  and  Burmah,  apparently  not 
extending  into  Malayana. 

Other  species  of  this  genus  are  S.  africana,  Eyton,  and  S.  regia, 
Mol.,  from  South  America,  Cunited  to  the  Indian  species  in  Gray's 
Genera  of  Birds).  Plectropterus  gambensis,  L.,  is  the  most  typical 
member  of  the  group  and  has  the  longest  legs.  Anseranos 
melanoleiica,  (Latham)  from  Australia,  is  a  very  remarkable  type. 
The  hind  toe  is  long  and  nearly  on  the  same  plane  as  the  anterior 
toes,  and  the  feet  are  only  webbed  at  the  base ;  were  it  not 
for  its  completely  Duck-bill,  it  could  not  be  classed  here. 
The  Musk-duck  already  alluded  to,  Cairina  moschafa,  (placed  by 
Gray  among  the  true  Ducks,)  is  originally  from  South  America  ; 
it  breeds  freely  with  the  common  Duck,  but  the  offspring  are  not 
fertile. 

Sub-fam.    Nettapodin^.    Bonap. 

Of  small  size ;  bill  small,  high  at  the  base. 

These  little  ducks  or  rather  geese,  have  much  the  colouring  of 
the  last  group,  of  which  they  may  be  said  to  be  miniatures,  but 
the  bill  is  still  shorter  and  higher  at  the  base,  more  anserine 
in  its  character,  and  Gray,  indeed,  places  them  among  the 
AnserincE.  Their  peculiar  aspect,  however,  and  habits  demand  a 
separation.  Representatives  of  the  group  occur  in  Africa,  India, 
and  Australia. 

Gen.  Nettapus,  Brandt. 

Syn.     Anserella,  Swainson — Microcygna,  Gray. 

Char. — Bill  small,  high  at  the  base,  gradually  narrowing  in 
front,  the  lamella  short,  distant,  concealed ;  nostrils  small  near  the 
base  ;  wings  rather  short ;  tail  short,  rounded,  of  twelve  feathers ; 
tarsus  short ;   feet  long,  hind  toe  short;  claws  short  and  curved. 

951.    Nettapus  coromandelianus,  Gmelin. 

Anas  apud  Gmelin — Blyth,  Cat.  1766 — Sykes,  Cat.  214 — 
Jerdon,  Cat.  378.  Bernicla  girra,  Gray — Dendroc.  afEnis, 
Jerdon,  Cat.  378  bis.,  winter  dress — Girja  and  girri^  H.  and 
Mahr. —  Ghangerel  and  Gangania  Beng.— j5M%a  hans  at  Dacca — 
*  Cotton  Teal'  of  many  Europeans. 


nettapodtn^.  787 

The  White-bodied  Goose-teal. 

Descr. — Top  of  the  head  black  ;  back,  scapulars  and  wings 
richly  glossed  with  purple  and  green,  the  purple  prevailing  on  the 
back  and  scapulars,  the  wing-coverts  and  base  of  the  quills 
green;  rump  blackish  in  the  middle,  white  at  the  sides;  upper  tail- 
coverts  cinereous  brown  with  pale  mottlings  ;  tail  blackish  brown ; 
primary  quills  with  a  large  white  patch  tipped  Avith  black  on  their 
terminal  half,  the  white  gradually  diminishing  in  extent  ;  the 
secondaries  only  tipped  with  white ;  tertials  pure  black,  glossed 
green  externally,  purplish  Avithin ;  face,  back  of  head,  and  whole 
neck  and  under  parts  pure  white,  with  a  black  collar  round  the 
lower  part  of  the  neck;  flanks  white  with  fine  zig-zag  brown  lines; 
vent  and  under  tail-coverts  mottled  dusky  and  white. 

Bill  black ;  irides  crimson  ;  legs  greenish  ochry-yellow  tinged 
with  black  at  the  breeding  season.  Length  13  to  14  inches  ; 
wing  6| ;  tail  2f  ;  bill  at  front  1 ;  tarsus  1 ;  mid-toe  1^.  "Weight 
9  to  10  ounces. 

The  female  is  duller  and  more  brown,  above  faintly  glossed, 
the  primaries  want  the  white  patch,  the  sides  of  the  rump  and 
upper  tail-coverts  are  pale  brown ;  the  top  of  the  head  is  dusky, 
and  there  is  a  dark  stripe  through  the  eyes ;  the  neck  is  mottled 
with  dusky  lines  ;  the  under  parts  are  dirty  white,  the  flanks  pale 
brown,  and  under  tail-coverts  whitish. 

This  pretty  little  Goslet  (as  it  may  be  named)  is  found  over 
the  whole  of  India,  Ceylon,  Burmah,  and  Malayana,  in  great 
abundance  in  many  parts,  more  rarely  in  the  North-western 
Provinces.  It  frequents  weedy  and  grassy  tanks  in  moderate  or 
rather  large  flocks,  flies  with  great  rapidity,  uttering  a  peculiar 
cackling  call,  and  is,  when  undisturbed,  very  familiar  and  unwary. 
It  breeds  generally  in  holes  in  old  trees,  often  at  some  distance 
from  water,  occasionally  in  ruined  houses,  temples,  old  chimneys, 
and  the  like,  laying  eight  or  ten  (sometimes,  it  is  stated,  as  many  as 
fifteen,)  small  white  eggs.  The  young  are  clad  with  copious  black 
down,  and  are,  as  a  writer  inthe  Indian  Sporting  Beviewohsexy  es,liter- 
ally  turned  out  of  the  nest  by  the  parent  as  soon  as  they  are  hatched, 
and  led  to  the  neighbouring  water.  The  same  writer  states,  that 
the   ducks    alone  attend  to  the  duties  of  incubation,    the  drakes 


788  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

collecting  together  in  small  flocks.  I  doubt  if  this  is  always  the 
case,  as  I  have  on  more  than  one  occasion  seen  a  pair  fly  ofi"  a  tree 
in  which  they  had  a  nest.  This  bird  is  not  in  general  held  in 
high  estimation  for  the  table ;  still  at  times  it  is  excellent,  and  one 
writer  says  'delicious.'  The  peculiar  shuffling  gait  of  these  ducks 
when  on  land  has  been  noticed  by  Mr.  Blyth,  who  states  '  that  after 
walking  a  few  steps  they  always  squat,'  In  the  wild  state  they 
probably  never  alight  on  the  land. 

A  very  closely  allied  species  is  N.  albipennis,  Gould,  from  Aus- 
tralia, formerly  considered  identical ;  and  there  is  another  still 
more  beautiful  species  from  the  same  country,  N.  pulchellus, 
Gould.  The  Australian  species  are  described  by  Gould  as  nest- 
ling on  the  ground.  Another  species  is  found  in  Madagascar, 
N.  auritus,  considered  by  Gray  as  the  type  of  Nettapus  (as  res- 
tricted), the  Indian  species  being  classed  under  ^nsere^^a,  Swainson. 

Sub-fam.     TadoenintE. 

Bill  more  or  less  raised  at  the  base,  and  flattened  towards  the 
tip.     Plumage  more  or  less  rufous. 

This  group  comprises  the  Shieldrakes  and  Whistling-teal  of 
hot  countries,  which,  though  not  separated  by  Gray  from  the 
true  Ducks,  form  a  very  distinct  division.  They  have  the  bill 
rather  large,  and  stand  high  on  their  legs,  which  are  not  set  far 
back.  They  may  be  said  to  be  intermediate  between  Geese  and 
Ducks.  Some  have  a  speculum  or  wing-spot  like  the  Ducks,  and 
an  inflated  vesicle  on  the  trachea ;  but  the  voice  is  rather  that  of 
a  Goose  than  a  Duck  ;  the  plumage  is  only  moulted  once  a  year  ; 
there  is  no  seasonal  change,  and  there  is  but  little  difference 
between  the  plumage  of  the  sexes.  They  are  chiefly  vegetable 
feeders,  some  indeed  grazing  like  Geese,  and  they  have  very  long 
and  slender  intestines.  They  are  for  the  most  part  inhabitants  of 
warm  climates  and  of  the  Southern  Hemisphere. 

Gen.     Dendrocygna,  Swainson. 
67mr.— Bill  rather  large,  lengthened,  of  uniform  width,  slightly 
elevated  at  the  base  ;  wings  short,  broad,  rounded,  2nd,  3rd,  and  4th 
primaries  sub-equal  and    longest ;    secondaries  long ;    tarsus    long 
and  stout;  feet  large,  hind  toe  rather  long. 


TADORNIN^.  789 

The  Whistling-ducks  are  found  in  the  warmer  regions  of  both 
Continents.  Thej  build  either  on  the  ground  or  on  trees.  Some 
have  the  toes  not  fully  webbed.  They  are  classed  by  many 
apart  from  the  Shieldrakes,  and  in  their  structure  somewhat  re- 
semble the  Plectropteri7i(B,  but  their  tints  are  those  of  the  Shiel- 
drakes, though  they  want  the  wing-spot.  Gray  places  them  in 
Anati7i(E.     Two  species  occur  in  India. 

952.    Dendrocygna  awsuree,  Sykes. 

Mareca  apud  Sykes,  Cat.  220 — Jerdon,  Cat.  376 — D.  arcuata, 
HoRSF.,  apud  Blyth,  Cat.  1762,  and  others — A.  caryophyllacea, 
apud  Sdndevall — Silli,  H. — Saral,  Beng. — Harrili  hans  in  East 
Bengal —  Yei^ra  chilluica,  Tel. 

The  Whistltng-teal. 

Descr. — Plead  and  occiput  dull  wood-brown ;  face,  ears,  and 
neck,  pale  whity-brown,  becoming  darker  on  the  back  of  the  neck 
and  upper  back,  and  faintly  edged  with  pale  rusty ;  back  and 
scapulars  dusky  black,  broadly  edged  with  rusty -brown ;  rump 
glossy  black  ;  vipper  tail-coverts  chesnut ;  tail  brown  with  slightly 
paler  edges ;  lesser  and  median  wing-coverts  fine  rich  marone- 
red ;  greater  coverts  and  all  the  quills  dusky  black ;  beneath, 
the  chin  and  throat  albescent ;  the  neck  whity-brown,  passing  into 
brown,  yellowish  on  the  lower  neck,  and  gradually  merging  into 
the  deep  ferruginous  or  light  chesnut  of  the  whole  of  the  lower 
surface ;  vent   and   under  tail-coverts    albescent. 

Bill  blackish ;  irides  brown  ;  orbits  bright  yellow  ;  legs  and  feet 
dark  plumbeous.  Length  about  18  inches;  extent  27  ;  wing  8 ; 
tail  2  ;  bill  at  front  1-^  ;   tarsus  1| ;  mid-toe  2|. 

This  species  is  sometimes  confounded  with  D.  javanica,  Horsf., 
(arcuata,  Cuvier),  but  appears  to  differ  in  wanting  the  lunules  on 
the  neck  and  breast,  in  the  upper  tail-coverts  being  marone,  and 
in  its  somewhat  smaller  size.  It  may  be  the  variety  indicated 
by  Horsfield  under  the  name  of  Meliwis  hatu. 

This  Whistling-teal  is  generally  spread  throughout  India  and 
Burmah,  and  is  a  permanent  resident.  It  associates,  in  the  cold 
weather,   in   numerous   flocks,  frequenting  by  preference  wooded 


790  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

tanks  or  weedy  jheels.  The  flight  is  slow  and  rather  heavy,  and 
during  flight  it  frequently  utters  the  peculiar  sibilant,  whistling 
call  from  which  it  derives  its  popular  name.  It  generally,  perhaps, 
breeds  in  the  drier  patches  of  grass  on  the  ground,  often  at  a 
considerable  distance  from  water,  carefully  concealing  its  nest  by 
intertwining  some  blades  of  grass  over  it.  Occasionally,  however, 
it  builds  its  nest  in  hollows  of  trees,  and  not  unfrequently  in  nests 
made  of  sticks,  and  that  have,  in  some  cases  at  all  events,  been 
used  by  Cormorants  or  small  Herons.  The  eggs  are  white, 
generally  six  or  eight  in  number. 

Gould  figures  one  of  the  Australian  species  under  the  name  of 
D.  arcuata,  Cuv.,  the  Javanese  bird,  but  it  appears  to  me  to  be 
quite  distinct. 

953.    Dendrocygna  major,  Jerdon, 

Jerdon,  Cat.  377 — Blyth,  Cat.  1761 — Jerdon,  111.  Ind.  Orn., 
pi.  23 — D.  vagans,  EytoN;  Mss — figured  under  that  name  in 
Fraser,  Zool.  typ. 

The  Large  Whistling -teal. 

Descr. — Head  and  neck  chesnut,  darker  on  the  top  of  the  head, 
whence  a  dark  line  extends  down  the  back  of  the  neck  ;  chin, 
throat,  and  foreneck  pale ;  in  the  centre  of  the  neck  there  is  a 
broad  patch  of  small,  whitish,  somewhat  hackled  feathers  ;  upper 
part  of  the  back  and  scapulars  deep  brown,  the  feathers  edged 
with  chesnut ;  lower  part  of  the  back  black ;  lesser  wing-coverts 
dark  raarone,  the  other  wing-coverts,  wings,  and  tail,  dusky  black  ; 
lower  plumage  chesnut ;  under  tail-coverts  (and  a  few  of  the  upper 
tail-coverts  also)  yellowish  white  ;  the  feathers  of  the  flanks  much 
lengthened,  chesnut  on  one  side,  and  yellowish-white  on  the  other. 

Bill  plumbeous  ;  irides  brown ;  orbits  pale  livid  ;  legs  and  feet 
dark  plumbeous.  Length  21  inches  ;  wing  9^;  tail  2\  ;  tarsus  2^; 
mid-toe  3| ;  bill  at  front  nearly  2. 

This  species  of  Whistling-teal  appears  to  be  generally  spread 
throughout  India,  but  is  somewhat  rare  in  most  parts  of  the  country : 
it  is  most  common  in  the  western  districts.  I  found  it  tolerably 
abundant  in  the  Deccan  at  Jaluah,  indeed  as  common  as  the  lesser 


TADOKNIN^.  791 

kind,  but  not  breeding  in  that  part  of  tlie  country.  Mr.  Blyth  has 
frequently  obtained  it  from  the  Calcutta  market,  and  I  procured  it 
occasionally  in  the  Carnatic.  I  have  no  authentic  record  of  its 
occurrence  out  of  India,  but  it  is  probable  enough  that  it  occurs  in 
Burmah,  and  may,  perhaps,  be  the  variety  indicated  by  Horsfield 
as  Melhcis  kembung. 

There  are  species  of  this  genus  in  Africa  and  South  America,  one 
indeed,  D.  viduata,  is  said  to  occur  both  in  Africa  and  America  ; 
also  in  Australia,  as  well  as  in  some  of  the  Malayan  islands,  and 
one  species  from  Australia,  has  been  separated  as  Leptotarsis 
Eytoni,  Gould. 

The  birds  of  the  next  group  have,  like  the  Ducks,  a  brilliantly 
colored  speculum   on  the  wing.     They  stand  high  on  their   legs, 
and  the  down  of  the  young  is  said  to  be  pied. 
Gen.     Casarca,  Bonap. 

Char. — Bill  moderate,  slightly  raised  at  the  base,  depressed 
anteriorly,  of  uniform  width,  nail  large ;  lamina  slender,  very  ap- 
parent ;  wings  moderately  long,  when  closed  reaching  to  the  end  of 
the  tail,  which  is  short  and  slightly  rounded,  of  fourteen  or  sixteen 
feathers ;  tarsus  moderate,  stout ;  toes  long ;  hind  toe  lobed. 

These  are  Shieldrakes  with  some  of  the  habits  of  Geese,  grazino- 
in  young  cornfields.  They  nestle  in  deserted  holes,  also  among 
rocks  and  on  cliffs,  often  far  removed  from  water. 

954.    Casarca  rutila,  Pallas. 

Anas  apud  Pallas — Blyth,  Cat.  1768 — Jerdon,  Cat.  386— 
Sykes,  Cat.  215 — Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  358 — A.  rubra, 
Gmeltn — Surkhab,  H.  of  Falconers — Chahva,  Chakivi,  H. — 
Chakra-baka,  Sansc. — Bapana  chilluwa,  Tel. — '  Braminy  Duck'  of 
Europeans  in  India. 

The  Buddy  Shieldrake. 

Descr. — Male,  forehead  and  cheeks  pale  ochreous-yellow  or 
ferruginous  ;  the  region  of  the  eyes,  crown,  and  nape,  greyish- 
white  ;  the  rest  of  the  neck  ochreous-yellow,  tinged  with  orange, 
surrounded  by  a  glossy  black  collar  nearly  half  an  incli  wide  ;  the 
back   and   scapulars  orange  fulvous,    some  of  the  feathers  edged 


792  BIRDS    or   INDIA. 

paler ;  upper  tail-coverts  glossy  green-black  ;  lesser  and  middle 
wing-coverts  white ;  greater  "coverts  green,  glossed  with  purple ; 
primaries  black  ;  secondaries  glossy  green  ;  tertials  bright  fulvous  ; 
chin  pale  yellowish  ;  breast  and  lower  parts  orange  fulvous,  deepest 
on  the  breast. 

Bill  black  ;  irides  dark  brown  ;  legs  black.  Length  24  to  25 
inches  ;  extent  44  ;  wing  16  ;  tail  7  ;  bill  at  front  If  ;  tarsus  2| ; 
mid-toe  2^  ;  weight  4  fbs. 

The  female  is  smaller,  wants  the  black  collar,  and  is  more  white 
about  the  forehead,  chin,  and  face. 

The  Buddy  Shieldrake  or  Braminy  Duck,  as  it  is  called  in 
India,  is  a  well  known  winter  visitant  io  all  parts  of  the  country. 
It  is  generally  seen,  even  at  this  season,  in  pairs  or  small  parties, 
frequenting  alike  rivers,  brooks,  j heels,  and  lakes.  It  walks  well  on 
the  ground  and  grazes  in  the  young  cornfields  just  like  Geese  ;  it 
also  picks  up  seeds  of  grass,  grain,  &c.  A  writer  in  the  Indian 
Sporting  Revieio  for  1854  states,  that  "  it  Is  often  found  devouring 
carrion  on  the  banks  of  rivers,  and  is  frequently  seen  banqueting  in 
company  with  Vultures,  and  associating  with  such  other  villainous 
companions."  This  must  be  a  very  rare  ocurrence;  I  have  constantly, 
when  on  the  Ganges  and  other  large  rivers,  been  on  the  watch  to 
verify  this  observation,  but  as  yet  have  never  seen  anything 
approaching  to  such  a  habit,  and  I  have  moreover  questioned 
many  sportsmen  on  the  subject  with  a  like  result.  Towards  the 
close  of  the  cold  weather,  the  Braminy  Ducks  assemble  in  numbers, 
and  on  the  Chilka  lake  1  have  seen  thousands  in  one  flock  in  April. 
The  call  is  peculiar  and  Goose-like,  (like  a  clarionet,  says  Pallas) 
sounding  something  like  d-oung,  and  hence  the  name  of  Aangir, 
which,  according  to  Pallas,  is  given  to  this  bird  among  the  Mongols, 
by  whom  it  is  held  sacred. 

It  is  found  over  the  greater  part  of  Central  Europe,  being  occa- 
sionally even  killed  in  Britain ;  also  in  Northern  Africa,  and  great 
part  of  Asia,  not  extending  however  far  north.  It  breeds  across 
the  Himalayas  on  rocks  near  lakes,  as  observed  by  Hooker  and 
Adams  respectively  in  Sikim  and  Ladakh  ;  also  in  holes  of  walls, 
and  occasionally  in  deserted  holes  in  the  ground.  Salvin  found  it 
breeding  on  almost  inaccessible  cliffs  in  Northern  Africa  far   from 


TADORNINiE.  793 

water,  along-  with  Kites  and  Eavens,  and  he  states  that  he  procured 
four  white  eggs ;  other  observers  say  that  it  lays  from  eight  to  ten. 
It  has  bred  in  the  Zoological  gardens,  and  reared  four  young  ones. 
The  Hindoos  have  a  le2;end  that  two  lovers  for  some  indiscretion 
were  transformed  into  Braminy  Ducks,  that  they  are  condemned  to 
pass  the  night  apart  from  each  other  on  opposite  banks  of  the  river, 
and  that  all  night  long  each,  in  its  turn,  asks  its  mate  if  it  shall  come 
across,  but  the  question  is  always  met  by  a  negative — ''Chakwa, 
shall  I  come  ?  No,  Chakwi."  "  Chakwi,  shall  I  come  ?  No^ 
Chakwa."  Pallas  states  that  it  does  not  extend  beyond  50°  N.  L., 
and  that  it  usually  nestles  in  Marmot's  holes,  also  in  rocks,  and 
occasionally  even  in  hollow  trees.  It  is  held  sacred  by  the  Mon- 
gols and  Calmucs. 

955.    Casarca  leucoptera,  Blyth. 

Jakdine,  Contrib.  Orn.  pi. 

The  White-avinged  Shieldrake. 

i>esc?'.— Head  and  neck  mottled  black  and  white,  perhaps  pure 
white  in  the  advdt ;  hind  neck  glossy  black ;  rest  of  the  upper 
plumage,  including  the  tail,  blackish  brown  ;  shoulders  and  wing- 
coverts  pure  white  ;  greater  coverts  black  ;  primaries  dusky  ;  se- 
condaries slaty  ;  tertials  lengthened  and  w^ide,  dusky,  the  outer- 
most with  a  white  border,  showing  as  a  white  line  on  the  wing  ; 
neck  and  breast  glossy  black ;  rest  of  the  lower  plumage  dusky 
castaneous,  dark  brown  on  the  flanks  and  under  tail-coverts. 

Bill  and  legs  black.  Length  28  inches ;  wing  15 ;  tail  6  ;  bill 
at  front  3  ;  tarsus  2^  ;  mid-toe  3j, 

This  fine  Duck  has  hitherto  been  only  procured  in  Burmah,  but 
I  have  received  information  of  a  so-called  '  Black  Goose'  occurring 
in  Dacca  and  other  parts  of  Eastern  Bengal,  which,  from  the  des- 
cription, can  be  no  other  bird,  and  I  have  hence  introduced  it 
among  the  Birds  of  India,  and  hope  this  season  to  procure  speci- 
mens. 

Other  species  of  this  genus  arc  C.  cana,  Gmelin ;  C.  tador- 
noides,  Jardine ;  and  C.  variegata,  Gmelin,  (C.  castanea,  Eyton). 
The  two  former  from  Africa ;  the  last  from  South  America. 

PART   II  5  H 


794  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

Gen.  Tadorna,  Leach.  ' 

CJiar. — Bill  short,  high,  and  gibbous  at  the  base,  concave  in  the 
middle  ;  the  tip  flattened  and  turning  upwards,  of  nearly  uniform 
breadth ;  the  nail  abruptly  hooked ;  marginal  lamellas  not  pro- 
jecting ;  wing  tuberculated ;  tarsus  moderate ;  feet  rather  short ; 
tail  of  sixteen  feathers. 

The  Shieldrakes  are  a  well  marked  group,  distinguished  by  the 
peculiar  form  of  their  bill.  Their  legs  are  set  well  forward,  enab- 
ling them  to  walk  with  ease.  The  sexes  are  nearly  alike.  They 
breed  in  clefts  of  rocks  or  holes  in  the  ground.  Pallas  remarks 
that  they  do  not  extend  far  North,  and  that  they  are  very  partial 
to  salt  lakes,  feeding  much  on  small  Crustacea. 

956.  Tadorna  vulpanser,  Fleming. 

Blyth,  Cat.  1769 — Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  357 — A. 
tadorna,  Linn. — Tad.  Belloniij  Stephens — Shah  murghabi  and 
Mrajl^  in  Sindh. 

The  Shieldbake. 

JJescr. — Male,  head  and  upper  part  of  neck  deep  blackish-.green, 
with  glossy  reflections ;  lower  part  of  the  neck,  back,  wing-coverts, 
rump,  and  base  of  the  tail  white,  the  latter  black-tipped ;  scapu- 
lars black  ;  primaries  black; ;  greater-coverts,  forming  the  speculum, 
rich  bronzed  green,  three  or  four  of  the  secondaries  next  the 
back,  with  their  outer  webs  rich  orange-brown  ;  lower  plumage 
white ;  a  broad  band  of  ferruginous  brown  across  the  breast,  the 
ends  passing  upwards  and  uniting  between  the  shoulders ;  a  mesial 
line  on  the  abdomen,  Avidening  at  the  vent,  black  ;  under  tail- 
covcrts  pale  reddish-brown. 

Bill  blood-red ;  irides  -brown ;  legs  fleshy-red  inclining  to 
crimson.  Length  23  inches  ;  wing  13  ;  tail  5  ;  bill  at  front  2-|-  ; 
tarsus  2  ;  mid-toe  2  ;  weight  about  3  tbs. 

The  female  has  the  colors  somewhat  more  dull,  and  wants  the 
pectoral  band. 

The  Shieldrakc  is  not  common  in  any  part  of  India,  and  is  im- 
known  in  the  South.     It  has  been   occasionally  procured  in  the 


ANATID^..  795 

Calcutta  Bazar  by  Mr.  Blyth,  is  sometimes  met  with  in  the  N.  W. 
l^rovinces,  in  Sindh,  and  at  the  foot  of  the  Himalayas,  and  has  been 
observed  by  Mr.  Simson,  b.  c.  s.,  in  Eastern  Bengal. 

It  occurs  throughout  Europe,  the  greater  part  of  Asia,  and  North- 
ern Africa,  and  breeds  in  deserted  rabbit  holes.  The  male  at 
the  breeding  season  acquires  a  large  fleshy  boss  at  the  base  of  the 
upper  mandible.  The  trachea  is  furnished  with  a  labyrinth.  The 
voice  is  goose-like. 

Two  other  species  of  Tadorna  are  recorded,  both  from  Australia, 
T.  radjah^  Garnot,  and  T.  ncsvosa,  Gould.  The  former  of  these, 
which  is  said  to  be  somewhat  intermediate  between  Tadorna  and 
Casarca,  has  been  made  the  type  of  Radja  by  Keichenbach,  but 
Gray  in  his  List  of  Genera  applies  that  name  to  Leptotarsis  of 
Gould,  one  of  the  Whistling-ducks.  The  other  species  has  been 
made  the  type  oi  Stictonetta  by  the  same  Systematist. 

The  Egyptian  Goose,  A,  cegi/ptiaca,  Gmelin,  of  which  the  genus 
Cheiialopex,  Swainson  is  formed,  appears  to  belong  to  this  group, 
rather  than  to  the  Plecfropte7i7icB,  to  which  it  is  referred  by  Gray. 
It  has  a  small  spur  on  tlie  bend  of  the  wing,  its  colouring  is  gay, 
and  it  has  a  single  inflated  labyrinth  in  the  trachea.  It  was  revered 
by  the  ancient  Egyptians  on  account  of  the  affection  it  displayed 
towards  its  young.  Other  species  are  recorded  by  Gray  ;  some 
from  America. 

Fam.     ANATiDiE. 

Bill  broader  at  the  base  than  high,  shallow,  depressed,  of  nearly 
equal  width  throughout,  or  wider  at  the  tip  ;  both  mandibles  with 
numerous  transverse  lamellas ;  nostrils  sub-basal  or  nearly  median  ; 
tarsus  moderately  short,  set  far  back  on  the  body. 

The  Ducks  differ  from  the  last  family  by  possessing  a  longer, 
shallower  bill  and  shorter  tarsus,  and  having  the  lamellaa  of  the  bill 
more  highly  developed. 

The  sexes  usually  differ  much  in  colour :  the  males  of  many 
assume  the  female  plumage  for  a  short  period  immediately  after 
the  breeding  season,  resuming  their  proper  colouring  at  the 
autumn  moult.  They  feed  partly  on  vegetable  matter  and 
partly  on  minute  worms,   larvae,   &c.     They   have,    for  the   most 


79(5  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

part,  a  considerable  dilatation  of  the  oesophagus,  and  very  long 
coeca.  The  trachea  is  almost  always  inflated  at  its  bifurcation 
into  cartilaginous  labyrinths,  of  which  the  left  is  generally  the 
larger. 

They  are  divisible  into  two  distinct  groups  or  sub-families. 

1.  Anatince,  True  Ducks  with  the  hind  toe  small  and  not 
webbed. 

2.  FicliguUnce,  Pochards  or  Sea  Ducks,  with  the  hind  toe  larger 
and  bordered  with  a,  distinct  web. 

To  these  some  add  the  Erismaturince,  by  others  considered  a 
group  of  the  FuligulincB . 

Sub-fam.     Anatin^. 

Hind  toe  not  bordered  by  a  membrane  ;  head  of  moderate  size  ; 
neck  long  and  more  or  less  slender ;  bill  usually  of  even  width 
throughout,  or  wider  at  the  tip,  not  raised  at  the  base ;  lamellaa 
numerous,  fine ;  legs  set  a  little  more  forward  than  in  the  next 
group,  and  they  can  walk  tolerably  well.  The  wings  of  most  are 
long,  and  they  fly  rapidly. 

The  first  genus  has  the  bill  much  dilated  at  the  tip. 

Gen.     Spatula,  Boie. 

Syn. — Rhynchaspis,  Leach — Clypeata^  Lesson. 

Ghar. — Bill  long,  the  upper  mandible  wide,  flattened  in  front  of 
the  nostrils  and  much  dilated  at  the  tip,  or  spatulate ;  the  nail 
small;  lamella  very  fine,  like  cilise,  and  projecting ;  tail  slightly 
cuneate,  of  fourteen  feathers  ;  tarsus  short.     Cosmopolite. 

In  this  genus,  the  lamella3  are  developed  to  their  greatest 
extent,  and  it  is  considered  by  some  to  be  the  type  of  the  group. 

957.    Spatula  clypeata,  Linn. 

Anas  apud  Linn^us — Blyth,  Cat.  1770— Jerdon,  Cat.  382 — 
Sykes,  Cat.  217 — Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  360 — Tidari,  H. 
of  some — Alipat  in  Sindh. 

The  Shoveller. 

Vescr. — Male,  head  and  upper  part  of  the  neck  deep  brown, 
with  glossy  green  reflections  ;  back  dark  umber-brown  :  scapulars 


ANATINiE.  /  797 

white ;  rump  and  upper  tail-coverts  brown,  glossed  with  blackish- 
green,  the  sides  of  the  rump  white;  tail  brown,  the  feathers 
edged  with  white,  and  the  outer  one  wholly  white  ;  lesser  wino-- 
coverts  pale  greyish-blue;  median  tipped  with  white;  greater 
coverts,  forming  the  speculum,  brilliant  green ;  primaries  umber- 
brown  ;  tertials  rich  purplish-black  ;  lower  neck  and  breast  white ; 
abdomen  brownish-red;  lower  tail-coverts  brown,  glossed  with 
blackish-green. 

Bill  brownish-black ;  irides  yellow ;  legs  orange.  Length  20 
inches;  wing  10;  tail  3^;   bill2|;  tarsus  li ;  mid-toe  1|. 

The  female  has  the  head  pale  reddish-brown  with  fine  dusky 
streaks ;  the  rest  of  the  upper  parts  dark  brown,  the  feathers 
edged  with  reddish  white;  lesser  wing-coverts  slightly  tino-ed 
with  pale  blue ;  speculum  not  so  bright  as  in  the  male ;  under  parts 
reddish,  with  large  brown  spots. 

Towards  the  end  of  summer,  the  male  bird  puts  on  a  peculiar 
livery,  something  like  that  of  the  female,  but  with  the  head  black. 
The  Shoveller  is  found  throughout  India  in  the  cold  weather  in 
small  parties,  often  mixed  with  Gadwalls  and  other  species  ;  feeding- 
near  the  edges  of  tanks  in  shallow  water  among  weeds,  chiefly  on 
minute  worms  and  larvie,  which  it  sifts  from  the  mud.  It  is  often 
late  in  leaving  this  country.  It  is  found  over  both  Continents, 
breeding,  in  temperate  as  well  as  in  northern  regions,  in  marshes, 
and  laying  ten  to  twelve  oil-green  eggs.  The  intestines  of  this 
Duck  are  very  long,  from  9  to  10  feet. 

Other  species  of  Shoveller  are  found  in  Africa,  South  America, 
and  Australia ;  and  Malacorhynclms  membranaceiis  (Latham)  is  a 
somewhat  allied  form,  from  New  Holland,  with  the  edge  of  tlie 
bill  prolonged  on  each  side  Into  a  hanging  membranous  flap. 

Gen.     Anas,  Linn,   (as  restricted). 

Char. — Bill  of  moderate  length,  depressed  throughout,  not  so 
deep  at  the  base  as  wide,  nearly  of  uniform  width ;  the  lamella3 
short,  projecting  very  slightly ;  the  tip  rounded  ;  nostrils  near  the 
base  ;  tail  short,  of  sixteen  feathers  ;  the  middle  tail  feathers  of 
some  more  or  less  curled  upwards. 


798  »  BIRDS    OF    1NJ>IA. 

There  arc  two  or  three  types  of  coloration  in  this  genus,  even 
as  restricted.  The  first  in  our  list  has  the  most  variegated  and 
richest  plumage,  is  of  extensive  geographical  distribution,  and 
makes  long  migrations. 

958.     Anas  boschas,  Linnaeus. 

Blytit  Cat.  1771 — Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  361 — Mroji, 
Sindh. — Nil.  sir,  II. 

The  Mallard. 

Descr. — Male,  head  and  upper  half  of  neck  deep  emerald-green, 
approaching  to  black  on  the  cheeks  an^d  forehead ;  a  white  collar 
round  the  neck  ;  hind  neck  brown,  with  fine  transverse  grey  lines; 
mantle  chesnut-brown,  with  pale  margins  to  the  feathers ;  rump 
and  upper  tail-coverts  blackish-green,  the  sides  of  the  rump  grey- 
ish white,  with  fine  transverse  undulating  lines  of  clove-brown ; 
scapulars  greyish-white,  with  cross  wavy  brown  marks,  and  some 
of  the  outer  ones  chesnut,  with  darker  cross  lines :  winf-coverts 
and  primaries  brown  ;  speculum  deep  prussian-blue,  with  purple 
and  green  reflections,  bounded  on  each  side  by  a  double  border,  the 
inner  one  velvet-black,  the  outer  white ;  tail  greyish-brown,  all 
the  feathers  bordered  with  white  ;  the  four  central  feathers  curled 
upwards  ;  lower  neck  and  breast  dark  chesnut ;  abdomen  and 
flanks  greyish- white,  with  transverse  undulating  lines  of  brown ; 
under  tail-coverts  blackish-green. 

Bill  pale  greenish-yellow ;  irides  red  or  hazel  brown ;  legs  orange. 
Length  24  inches ;  wing  11^;  extent  36  ;  tail  3^ ;  bill  2^  ;  tarsus 
1| ;  middle  toe  2^. 

The  female  is  smaller,  and  has  all  the  upper  plumage  brown, 
of  different  shades,  the  feathers  edged  with  pale  reddish-brown ; 
the  head  and  neck  creamy-white  or  yellowish  with  dusky  streaks ; 
speculum  much  as  in  the  male ;  throat  buff  or  whitish  ;  breast  and 
under  parts  yellowish-brown,  obscurely  spotted  and  streaked  with 
darker  brown ;  the  central  tail  feathers  not  turned  up.  Bill 
greenish-grey. 

The  Mallard  is  apparently  not  very  rare  in  the  North  of  India, 
especially  in  the  North-west,  but  I  have  never  seen  it  South  of  the 


ANATIN.E.  799 

Nerbudda,  und  have  only  shot  it  myself  near  Mliow,  and  lately  in 
Kiimaon.  It  has  not  yet  occurred  in  Bengal.  It  appears  to 
remain  all  the  year  in  Cashmere,  and  to  breed  in  that  country,  as 
Theobald  found  the  eggs  there  in  May.  It  is  found  throughout 
the  Northern  Hemisphere,  breeding  in  temperate  regions.  It  is 
one  of  the  best  Ducks  for  the  table,  and,  as  is  well  known,  is  the 
origin  of  our  domestic  Duck. 

The  birds  of  the  next  group  have  a  plain  and  spotted  character 
of  plumage,  and  appear  peculiar  to  tropical  and  southern  regions. 

959.    Anas  pcecilorhyncha,  Pennant. 

Blyth,  Cat.  1773-^Jerdon,  Cat.  387— Sykes,  Cat.  218— 
Hardwicke,  111.  Ind.  Zool.,  pi, — Garm-pai,  H.  of  some  Falconers 
— Bata  of  some. 

The  Spotted-billed  Duck. 

Descr. — Top  of  the  head  and  nape  dark  sepia  brown,  with  some 
pale  brown  edgings  ;  a  dark  brown  line  from  the  upper  mandible 
through  the  eye  ending  in  a  point ;  superciliura,  whole  face,  and 
neck  dingy  fulvous  with  small  brown  streaks,  enlarging  on  the 
lower  neck  ;  upper  plumage,  including  the  lesser  and  median  wing- 
coverts  and  scapulars,  hair-brown  ;  greater  coverts  white,  edged 
with  deep  black  ;  primaries  brown  ;  secondaries,  forming  a  con- 
spicuous specvdum,  glossy  green,  with  a  black  tip,  narrowly  edged 
with  white  on  the  innermost  feathers  ;  tertiaries  white  externally, 
(forming  a  continuous  line  with  the  white  coverts),  hair-brown 
internally ;  lower  back  and  rump  black ;  tail  deep  brown ;  beneath, 
from  tiie  breast  pale  earthy  or  dingy  white,  with  numerous  brown 
spots,  increasing  in  size  on  the  abdomen  and  flanks ;  vent  and 
under  tail-coverts  deep  blackish-brown. 

Bill  blackish  with  a  red  spot  at  the  base,  and  the  tip  yellow ; 
irides  brown ;  legs  and  feet  orange-yellow.  Length  24  to  25 
inches ;  wing  12  ;  tail  4 ;  bill  at  front  2^ ;  tarsus  2  ;  mid-toe  2^. 
Sexes  alike. 

This  fine  Duck  is  almost  peculiar  to  India,  including  Ceylon,  and 
is  found  throughout  the  whole  country  of  which  it  is  a  permanent 
resident ;  it  is  also  found  in  Burmah.     It  frequents  by  preference, 


800  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

but  not  exclusively,  well  wooded  districts,  sequestered  tanks,  and 
marshy  ground,  and  in  the  cold  season  spreads  sparingly  over 
the  barest  districts  where  tanks  abound.  It  is  usually  met  with  in 
small  parties,  rarely  more  than  from  eight  to  twenty,  and  generally 
fewer.  I  have  seen  it  most  abundant  in  Western  Mysore  and  in 
Eastern  Bengal.  It  nidificates  on  the  ground,  among  long  grass, 
laying  eight  or  ten  greenish-white  eggs.  The  voice  is  very  like 
that  of  the  wild  Duck,  but  is  not  often  repeated.  Its  flight  is  rather 
slow  and  heavy.  It  is  one  of  the  very  best  Ducks  for  the  table, 
in  my  opinion  rivalling  the  Mallard,  Gadwall,  and  Red-crested 
Pochard. 

Other  allied  species  are  A.  Jiavirostris,  A.  Smith,  and  A. 
guttata,  Licht.,  from  Africa ;  and  there  are  others  from  the 
Oceanic  region.  A  closely  allied  species  from  North  Africa  was 
considered  the  same  by  Riippell,  but  Bly  th  distinguished  it,  naming 
it  A.  Ruppellii. 

The  next  species  has  been  separated  as  Rhodomssa  by  Reich- 
enbach. 

960.     Anas  caryophyllacea,  Latham. 

Blyth,  Cat.  1774— Jerdon,  Cat.  3G8— Jerdon,  111.  Ind.  Orn., 
pi.  34 — Gray  Hid.  Genera  of  Birds,  pi. — Lal-sira,  H.  of  some. 

The  Pink-headed  Duck. 

Descr. — Male,  with  the  head,  cheeks,  sides  of  neck,  and  hind 
neck,  beautiful  pale  rosy-pink,  with,  in  the  breeding  season,  a 
small  tuft  of  still  brighter  rosy  on  the  top  of  the  head ;  the  rest 
of  the  plumage  fine  glossy  dark  chocolate-brown,  paler  and  less 
glossed  beneath ;  speculum  and  the  inner  webs  of  many  of  the 
quills  pale  reddish  fawn  or  dull  salmon  colour ;  edge  of  the 
wing  white  ;  uppermost  tertiaries  rich  glossy-green ;  lower  wing- 
coverts  and  quills  beneath  pale  dull  pink  colour,  with  a  sating 
lustre. 

Bill  reddish- white,  rosy  at  the  base  and  faintly  bluish  at  the  tip ; 
irides  fine  orange-red ;  legs  and  feet  blackish,  with  a  tinge  of  red. 
Length  24  inches  ;  wing  11^;  extent  39 ;  tail  4^ ;  bill  at  front 
24 ;  tarsus  2:^ ;  raid-toe  2f . 


ANATIN^.  801 

The  female  has  the  pink  of  the  head  somewhat  more  dull  and 
pale,  and  the  vertex  has  a  brownish  spot  in  some,  which  is  conti- 
nued faintly  down  the  back  of  the  neck.  The  young  birds  have  the 
head  and  neck  pale  vinous-isabella  colour,  with  the  top  of  the 
head,  nape,  and  hind  neck,  brown ;  the  whole  plumage  lighter 
brown,  in  some  mixed  with  whitish  beneath. 

This  very  lovely  Duck  is  most  common  in  parts  of  Bengal,  but 
is  found  at  times  throughout  Northern  India,  is  rare  in  the  N.  W. 
Provinces,  and  still  more  so  in  Central  and  Southern  India.  I 
have  procured  it  rarely  as  far  south  as  Madras,  and  long  ago  heard 
of  its  occasional  visits  to  the  Deccan,  but  it  is  only  since  I  have 
visited  Bengal  that  I  have  seen  it  in  its  native  haunts.  It  shows 
a  decided  preference  for  tanks  and  j heels  well  sheltered  by  over- 
hano-ino-  bushes,  or  abounding  in  dense  reeds,  and  in  such  places  it 
may  be  found  in  the  cold  season  in  flocks  of  twenty  or  so  occa- 
sionally, but  generally  in  smaller  parties  of  from  four  to  eight. 
During  the  heat  of  the  day,  it  generally  remains  near  the 
middle  of  the  tank  or  jheel,  and  is  somewhat  shy  and  wary. 
It  breeds  towards  the  end  of  the  hot  season,  and  its  eggs  are  said 
to  be  laid  among  thick  grass  not  far  from  the  water.  Its  cry  is 
very  similar  to  that  of  the  domestic  Duck.  The  beautiful  pale 
rosy  tint  of  the  under  surface  of  the  wings  is  very  conspicuous 
during  flight,  and  renders  this  species  very  readily  distinguishable 
even  at  some  distance.  This  Duck  is  said  also  to  occur  in 
Burmah.  It  is  excellent  eating.  Many  other  species  of  Anas  are 
recorded,  but  the  only  other  Eastern  ones  are  A.  liizonica,  Eraser, 
and  A.  superciliosa,  Miill.  and  Schleg. 

Gen.     Chaulelasmus,  Gray. 

Syn.     Chaidiodus,  Swains. 

Char. — Bill  equal  to  the  head,  depressed  throughout,  of  nearly 
uniform  width,  but  slightly  narrowing  towards  the  tip,  which 
has  a  small  nail ;  the  lamellse  long,  projecting  ;  wings  lengthened  • 
tail  rather  long ;    the  central  feathers  slightly  lengthened. 

Gadwalls  differ  from  the  true  Ducks  in  their  slightly  shorter  bill, 
and   more   lengthened  and   delicate  lamelltB.     They    are  said  by 

PART   II.  5   I 


802  BIRDS   OF  INDIA. 

Selby  to  be  more  aquatic  tlian  the  wild  Ducks,  and  to  dive  readily, 
but  I  have  not  observed  this  latter  habit. 

961.    Chaulelasmus  streperus,  Linn. 

Anas  apud  LiNNiEUS— Blyth,  Cat.  1777 — Jerdon  Cat.  381— 
Sykes,  Oat.  216— Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  366. 

The  Gadwall. 

Descr. — Male,  head  and  neck  greyish  white,  speckled  with 
brown ;  back  dark  clove-brown,  with  white  crescentic  lines ; 
scapular^  undulated  with  white  and  blackish  brown ;  rump  and 
upper  tail-coverts  black,  glossed  with  purplish  blue ;  tail  cinereous 
brown,  edged  and  tipped  with  white  ;  lesser  Aving-covertsgrey,  mixed 
with  white  ;  median  wing-coverts  rich  brownish  chesnut ;  greater 
coverts  glossy  black ;  speculum  white  above,  black  beneath ; 
quills  brown  ;  tertials  brownish  grey ;  lower  part  of  the  neck  and 
breast  dark  brown  with  white  crescentic  lines ;  abdomen  white, 
minutely  speckled  with  greyish  brown,  and  the  flanks  with  brown 
and  white  undulations ;  lower  tail-coverts  glossy  black. 

Bill  brownish  black,  tinged  with  reddish  beneath  ;  irides  dark- 
brown  ;  legs  pale  orange.  Length  about  20  inches ;  wing  IO5 ; 
tail  3^  ;  bill  at  front  1 1 ;  tarsus  1-|. 

The  female  has  the  head  black  mixed  with  whitish,  a  pale  super- 
ciliary streak ;  the  upper  parts  deep  brown,  the  feathers  edged 
with  buff";  the  lesser  wing- coverts  hair-brown,  margined  paler;  the 
speculum  as  in  the  male  ;  the  tail  marbled  with  brown  and  whitish  ; 
the  chin  and  throat  white ;  breast  pale  buff,  with  brown  spots,  and 
the  rest  of  the  lower  parts  white  ;  the  bill  paler,  and  its  margins 
reddish. 

The  Gadwall  is  by  no  means  a  rare  bird  in  any  part  of  India, 
in  the  cold  weather,  generally  frequenting  the  more  open  and  larger 
tanks  in  moderately  large  parties.  Its  flight  is  rapid,  and  its  voice 
not  unlike  that  of  the  common  Duck.  It  is  found  over  the  greater 
part  of  the  Old  Continent,  and  also  in  America.  It  is  justly 
considered  one  of  the  best  wild  Ducks  for  the  table.  No  other 
species  of  Gadwall  is  recorded. 


ANATINJE.  808 

Gen,    Dafila,  Leacli. 

Char. — Tail  long,  of  sixteen  feathers,  with  the  central  feathers 
much  lengthened  and  narrow ;  neck  very  long ;  bill  slightly  narrower 
than  in  the  preceding  forms,  and  elevated  at  the  base,  equal  to  the 
head,  of  uniform  width;  lamellee  not  projecting;-  wings  long,  the 
1  St  primary  longest. 

The  Pintails  are,  by  some,  not  separated  from  the  Teals,  but  their 
larger  size,  long  necks,  and  lengthened  rectrices,  sufficiently  charac- 
terize them. 

962.    Dafila  acuta,  Linn. 

Anas  apud  LiNNiEUS — Blyth.  Cat.  1775 — Jerdon,  Cat.  385 — 
Gould,  Birds  of  Eiirope,  pi,  365 — Dig-hons,  Beng.—KoJcaralij 
Sindh. 

The  Pintail  Duck. 

Descr. — Male,  forehead  and  crown  umber-brown,  the  feathers 
with  paler  edges ;  the  rest  of  the  head,  chin,  and  throat,  dark  hair- 
brown,  slightly  glossed  behind  the  ears  with  purplish  green ;  fore- 
part of  the  neck  and  two  lateral  streaks,  passing  upwards  to  the 
occiput,  white ;  neck  above  deep  blackish-brown  ;  the  whole  of  the 
back  beautifully  marked  with  transverse  undulating  lines  of  black 
and  greyish-white ;  scapulars  black ;  upper  tail-coverts  and  tail 
dark  cinereous  brown,  the  edges  of  the  feathers  paler,  and  the  two 
central  elongated  tail-feathers  black ;  wing-coverts  and  primaries 
hair-brown  ;  lesser  wing-coverts  smoke-grey  ;  the  speculum  black- 
ish-green, glossed  with  purple,  bordered  above  by  a  pale  ferruginous 
bar,  and  below  by  a  white  one;  tertiaries  long  and  acuminate, 
velvet-black,  with  a  broadish  edging  of  greyish  or  yellowish- 
white  ;  breast  and  abdomen  white,  the  sides  of  both  with  trans- 
verse black  and  whitish  lines,  and  the  latter  minutely  speckled  with 
grey  towards  the  vent ;  under  tail-coverts  black. 

Bill  black,  the  sides  of  the  upper  mandible  bluish ;  irides  dark 
brown;  legs  blackish  grey.  Length  25  to  28  inches;  wing  nearly 
11  ;  tail  8^ ;  bill  2^  ;  tarsus  If ;  middle  toe  2^. 

The  female  is  smaller,  has  the  head  and  neck  reddish  brown, 
speckled   and   streaked   with   dusky ;   the  upper  plumage  umber- 


804  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

brown,  the  feathers  edged  with  reddish  white ;  wing-coverts  brown, 
edged  white ;  lower  parts  pale  fulvous,  obscurely  spotted  with 
brown ;  speculum  dull  without  the  green  gloss  ;  tail,  with  the  two 
medial  feathers,  scarcely  longer  than  the  others. 

The  males  of  this  species  are  said,  by  an  actual  change  of  colour 
in  the  feathers,  to  assume  the  female  plumage  for  a  short  time  after 
incubation,  but  to  change  it  at  the  autumnal  moult. 

The  Pintail  is  one  of  the  most  numerous  winter  visitants  to 
India  in  the  present  sub-family,  frequenting  large  tanks  and  jheels, 
often  in  immense  flocks,  and  flying  with  great  rapidity.  Its 
long  brown  neck  and  lengthened  tail  causes  it  to  be  readily  dis- 
tinguished when  in  flight.  Its  call  is  so|t  and  subdued,  and  it  is  by 
no  means  garrulous.  Few  Ducks  are  brought  to  the  different  mar- 
kets for  sale  in  such  abundance  as  this  species,  and  it  is  very  ex- 
cellent eating.  Like  most  of  the  Ducks,  it  has  a  wide  geographical 
distribution  throughout  both  Continents,  and  breeds  in  northern 
regions,  laying  eight  or  ten  bluish-white  eggs. 

Another  species  of  Pintail  is  Z).  bahamensis,  L.,  the  type  of 
PcEcilonetta,  Eyton. 

Gen.  Mareca,  Stephens. 

Char. — Bill  short,  raised  at  the  base,  narrowing  towards  the  tip; 
nail  moderate ;  lamellae  distant,  projecting  in  the  middle  of  the 
bill ;  tail  short,  cuneate,  of  fourteen  feathers ;  hind-toe  small  with  a 
narrow  web. 

The  Wigeons  have  the  bill  shorter  than  in  the  wild  Duck 
and  Teal,  more  raised  at  the  base  and  narrow  at  the  tip,  and  with 
the  lamella  short  and  distant,  more  like  those  of  the  Anserince. 
In  accordance  with  this  structure,  they  live  chiefly  on  grasses,  &c., 
which  they  are  said  to  pluck  like  geese.  In  the  form  of  the  tail, 
and  also  in  that  of  the  tracheal  labyrinth,  they  most  resemble  the 
Pintails. 

963.  Mareca  Penelope,  Linn. 

Anas  apud  Linn^us— Blyth,  Cat.  1778— Sykes,  Cat.  219— 
A.  fistularis,  Brisson— Jerdon,  Cat.  380— Gould,  Birds  of 
Europe,  pi.  359 — Cheijun,  Nep. 


ANATIN^.  805 

The  Wigeon. 

Descr. — Male,  forehead  and  crown  creamy-yellow ;  rest  of 
the  head  and  upper  part  of  the  neck  chesnut-red  ;  the  cheeks 
speckled  with  black ;  back  minutely  barred  with  transverse  wavy 
lines  of  black  and  white ;  scapulars  black,  edged  with  white ;  tail 
blackish  grey  ;  wing-coverts  pure  white  ;  the  greater  coverts  with 
velvet  black  tips,  some  of  the  lesser  ones,  near  the  body,  pale 
greyish ;  quills  cinereous  brown ;  speculum  of  three  bars,  the 
middle  one  glossy  green,  the  upper  and  under  ones  black ;  chin 
and  throat  black  ;  lower  part  of  the  neck  and  breast  vinaceous  red  ; 
abdomen  white,  the  flanks  with  black  and  white  wavy  lines ; 
under  tail-coverts  black,  glossed  green. 

Bill  plumbeous  blue,  black  at  the  tip ;  irides  red-brown;  legs 
dusky  leaden.  Length  18^  inches ;  wing  10^ ;  tail  4| ;  bill  at 
front  1§  ;  tarsus  barely  1^  ;  mid-toe  not  quite  2. 

The  female  has  the  head  and  neck  fulvous  brown,  speckled  with 
dusky ;  the  back  and  scapulars  dusky  brown  with  reddish  edges ; 
wing-coverts  brown,  edged  with  whitish ;  the  speculum  without  the 
dark-green  gloss  ;  the  breast  and  belly  much  as  in  the  male  ;  the 
flanks  rufous  brown  with  ashy  tips ;  bill  and  legs  more  dusky 
than  in  the  male. 

In  some  specimens,  the  forehead  alone  is  yellowish,  that  tint  not 
extending  over  the  top  of  the  head. 

In  summer  the  head  and  neck  of  the  male  become  spotted  with 
black;  the  back  and  scapulars  are  mottled  and  barred  with  brown 
and  dusky ;  the  breast  and  sides  are  reddish-brown,  with  darker 
bars  and  lines ;  the  under  tail-coverts  white,  with  brown  bars. 

The  Wigeon  cannot  be  said  to  be  either  common  or  abundant 
in  India,  although  it  is  met  with  occasionally  in  every  part  of  the 
country,  in  small  or  moderate  flocks.  It  has  a  peculiar  shrill  whist- 
ling call  chiefly  heard  during  flight.  Its  geographical  distribution 
is  over  the  northern  and  temperate  regions  of  the  Old  Continent. 
It  breeds  far  north,  and,  though  very  abundant  in  Britain,  is  only 
a  winter  visitant  there. 

The  American  Wigeon  is  very  closely  allied,  and  was  formerly 
considered  identical.     M.  castanea,  Eyton,   and   M.   gibberifrons, 


BIRDS  OP  INDIA. 

Miiller,  are  eastern  Ducks  considered  to  belong  to  this  genus,  and 
there  are  others  from  Africa  and  America. 

Gen.  QuERQUEDULA,  Stephens. 

Char. — Bill  of  moderate  length  and  of  uniform  width,  slightly 
raised  at  the  base  ;  the  lamellae  not  apparent ;  the  nail  small,  and 
the  tip  obtuse  ;  wing  long  and  pointed  ;  tail  wedge-shaped,  of  14 
or  16  feathers. 

The  Teals,  so  called,  are  simply  small  Ducks,  much  of  the  same 
type  as  restricted  Anas,  but  with  the  bill  longer  and  narrower, 
assuming  a  serai-cylindric  shape ;  the  laminte,  too,  are  shorter  and 
less  prominent.  They  are  of  somewhat  slender  make,  and  fly  very 
rapidly.     Several  species  are  known,  all  of  small  size. 

964.  Querquedula  crecca,  Linn. 

Anas  apud  Linn^us — Blyth,  Cat.  1780 — Sykes,  Cat.  222 — 
Jerdon,  Cat.  384--GOULD,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  2>Q>2^Tulsia 
biffri,  Beng. 

The  Common  Teal. 

Descr. — Male,  crown  of  head,  cheeks,  front  and  sides  of  the 
neck,  ferruginous  brown ;  on  the  sides  of  the  head,  inclosing  the 
eye,  a  large  patch  of  deep  glossy  green,  passing  off  backwards 
to  the  nape  in  the  form  of  a  broad  band  ;  back  and  scapulars 
beautifully  marked  with  transverse  undulating  lines  of  black  and 
white,  some  of  the  longer  scapulars  creamy-yellow,  with  a  portion 
of  their  outer  webs  velvet  black ;  tail  hair  brown,  the  feathers 
edged  with  white  ;  wing-coverts  brown,  tinged  with  grey ;  the 
speculum,  formed  by  the  tips  of  the  secondary  coverts,  deep  green 
in  the  middle,  velvet  black  at  the  sides,  bordered  above  by  a 
broad  yellowish  white  bar ;  chin  black ;  lower  part  of  the  neck  in 
front,  and  breast,  reddish  or  creamy-white,  with  round  black  spots  ; 
abdomen  white;  lower  tail-coverts  blackish-brown,  bordered  at 
the  sides  with  yellowish-white. 

Bill  blackish ;  irides  hazel-brown  ;  legs  greyish-brown.  Length 
141  inches  ;  wincr  7^ ;  tail  barely  3  ;  bill  at  front  1| ;  tarsus  1  ^ ; 
mid-toe  1^. 


ANATIN-a3.  807 

The  female  has  the  head,  neck,  and  all  the  upper  parts,  dusky- 
brown,  the  feathers  more  or  less  broadly  edged  with  pale  reddish- 
brown;  the  throat,  cheeks,  and  a  band  behind  the  eyes,  yellowish- 
white,  spotted  with  black ;  the  speculum  as  in  the  male,  and  the 
under  parts  yellowish- white. 

The  well  known  Teal  is  one  of  the  most  abundant  as  well  as 
the  earliest  of  the  visitors  to  India.  I  have  seen  it  early  in  Septem- 
ber, and  it  is  late  before  it  leaves  the  countr3\  It  frequents 
both  tanks  and  rivers,  often  in  immense  flocks,  and  its  flifrht  is 
amazingly  rapid.  Large  numbers  are  netted  or  caught  in  various 
ways  to  supply  the  Tealeries.  It  is  a  strictly  night-feeding  species, 
and  about  sunset  flocks  may  be  seen  and  heard  flying  in  different 
directions  to  their  feeding  grounds.  Its  geographical  distribution 
is  similar  to  that  of  most  of  the  Ducks  of  this  sub-family,  and  it 
breeds  in  northern  and  temperate  regions. 

The  next  species  is  placed  under  Pterocyanea^  Bonap.,  differing 
in  having  the  points  of  the  lamellse  just  visible,  and  the  bill  slightly 
broader  in  proportion  making  an  approach  to  the  Gadwalls. 

965.  Querquedula  circia,  LiNNiEus. 

Anas  apud  Linn^us— Blyth,  Cat.  1781 — Sykes,  Cat.  221, — 
Jerdon,  Cat.  383— Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  364— A.  quer- 
quedula,  Linn. 

The  Blue-winged  Teal. 

Descr. — Male,  ciown,  occiput,  and  a  line  down  the  back  of  the 
neck,  vimber-brown  ;  over  each  eye  a  band  of  pure  white,  pro- 
longed down  the  sides  of  the  neck  ;  cheeks  and  upper  part  of 
the  neck  chesnut-brown,  with  fine  longitudinal  streaks  of  white  ; 
back  brown,  glossed  with  green,  the  feathers  edged  with  ashy  and 
yellowish- brown  ;  scapulars  long  and  acuminate,  black,  with  a 
broad  central  white  streak  ;  wing-coverts  bluish-ash  ;  speculum 
greyish-green,  bordered  above  and  below  by  a  white  bar  ;  tail 
dusky-grey,  the  feathers  edged  lighter  ;  upper  tail-coverts  yel- 
lowish-white, spotted  with  black  ;  chin  black  ;  lower  part  of  the 
neck  and  breast  pale  fulvous,  with   crescent-shaped  black    bars  ; 


808  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

abdomen  white,  the  flanks  with  transverse  wavy  lines  of  black  ; 
vent  and  under  tail-coverts  yellowish-white,  spotted  with  black. 

Bill  blackish-brown  ;  irides  hazel  ;  legs  dusky.  Length  15^-16 
inches  ;  wing  8  ;  tail  nearly  3  ;  bill  at  front  If  ;  tarsus  1^  ;  mid- 
toe  not  quite  If. 

The  female  has  the  head,  neck,  and  upper  parts,  dusky-brown, 
the  feathers,  with  whitish  edges  ;  the  eye  streak  faint  ;  wing- 
coverts  dark  ash-grey  ;  speculum  dull,  the  green  tinge  almost 
wanting  ;  the  chin  and  throat  white  ;  the  lower  part  of  the  breast 
and  belly  white,  spotted  with  brown  on  the  flanks  and  lower 
abdomen. 

The  Blue-winged  or  Garganey  Teal  is,  perhaps,  still  more  abun- 
dant in  India,  than  the  common  Teal,  but  is  somewhat  later  in  its 
arrival  here.  It  occurs  in  vast  flocks,  feeding  at  night  chiefly, 
and  has  a  swift  flight.  Like  the  last,  numbers  are  caught  and 
fed  throughout  the  summer  in  our  Tealeries,  and  both  this  and  the 
last  are  most  excellent  food.  The  Garganey  Teal  does  not  extend 
to  America,  but  is  distributed  over  the  greater  portion  of  the 
Old  Continent. 

I  have  once  or  twice  procured  birds  with  the  whole  head,  neck, 
and  under  parts,  deep  ferruginous,  but  I  consider  this  to  be  an 
individual  variation. 

-'■  Vast  quantities  of  this  and  the  previous  species  are  annually 
caught  alive,  some  by  large  flap-nets,  others  by  nooses  fixed  to  a 
long  line  across  a  jheel;  and  in  some  places,  by  a  man  wading 
with  his  head  above  water  concealed  in  a  large  earthen  chatty, 
several  of  which  have  previously  been  set  afloat. 

The  next  species  has  been  separated  by  Bonaparte  as  Eumtta, 
but  it  only  differs  in  its  mode  of  coloration. 

966.  Querquedula  glocitans,  Pallas. 

Anas  apud  Pallas— Blyth,  Cat.  1779— A.  picta,  Steller 
— A.  formosa,  Geokgi — A.  baikal,  Bonnaterre. 

The  Clucking  Teal. 

Descf. — Male,  forehead,  top  of  the  head,  and  occiput,  rich 
purple-brown,   bounded  by   a  narrow  white   line  from  the  eye  ; 


ANATINiE.  809 

face,  cheeks,  and  sides  of  neck  fawn  colour ;  a  black  streak  from 
below  the  eye,  meeting  a  black  patch  on  the  throat ;  nape  and 
hind  neck  glossy-green,  ending  in  a  black  stripe  down  the  back 
of  the  neck,  separated  from  the  fawn  colour  of  the  side  of 
the  neck  by  a  narrow  white  line  ;  upper  plumage  finely  marbled- 
grey,  edged  with  rufous  on  the  back;  upper  wing-coverts  hair- 
brown  ;  the  median  coverts  the  same,  with  an  edging  of  rufous 
forming  the  anterior  margin  of  the  speculum,  which  is  glossy- 
green,  ending  in  velvet-black,  and  bordered  posteriorly  by  silvery 
Avhite ;  primaries  brown ;  scapulars  lengthened,  deep  black  in  the 
centre,  white  on  their  vipper  side,  and  rufous  externally ;  upper 
tail-coverts  brown,  white  on  either  side;  tail  of  16  feathers  dark- 
brown  ;  beneath  the  throat  black ;  the  neck  and  breast  vinous- 
purple,  with  a  few  black  spots,  paling  below ;  abdomen  white, 
flanks  mottled  grey  ;  under  tail-coverts  black. 

Bill  dusky  ;  legs  dusky.  Length  15|-  inches  ;  wing  85  ;  tail  3  ; 
bill  at  front  1^ ;  tarsus  1^;  middle  toe  If  ;  weight  Itb. 

The  female  wants  the  rich  markings  on  the  head  and  face, 
which  are  mottled  grey  and  brown ;  the  scapulars  are  not  lengthen- 
ed; the  upper  plumage  is  dusky,  with  rufous  edgings;  the  chin  and 
throat  white ;  the  breast  rufous,  largely  spotted  with  dark-brown, 
as  are  the  flanks  ;   and  the  tail-coverts  white,  with  brown  spots. 

This  beautiful  Teal  has  been  obtained  on  very  few  occasions, 
by  ]\Ir.  Blyth,  from  the  Calcutta  Bazar,  and  there  is  no  other  record 
of  its  occurrence  in  India. 

It  is  a  rare  bird  in  Europe,  and  appears  to  be  most  common  in 
Northern  Asia,  on  the  borders  of  Lake  Baikal,  extending  to  Japan 
and  China.  Pallas  gave  it  its  specific  name  in  consequence  of  its 
peculiarly  loud  clucking-call,  mok,  moh-mok,  lok,  which  Midden- 
dorfF  calls  a  horrible  noise.  Pallas  states  that  it  breeds  in  Eastern 
Siberia,  laying  10  eggs  in  a  hollow  in  the  ground,  and  that  it  mi- 
grates early. 

A.  falcata,  Pallas,  belongs  to  the  same  type  as  glocitans,  but 
A.  bimaculata  is  considered  to  be  a  hybrid  between  tlie  Wigeon 
and  Pintail.  Q.  javana,  Bodd.,  figd.  P.  E.  930.  ;  Q.  manillensis, 
Gmel. ;  and  Q.  numeralis,  Miill.  and  Schl.,  are  Eastern  Teal ;  and 
there   are  several   other   recorded   species  (ft'  Querquedida,  some 

PART    II.  5    K 


810  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

from  Africa,  others  American.  ,Not  far  from  the  Teals  should  be 
placed  the  beautiful  Summer  Duck  of  North  America,  ALv  sponsa, 
L.,  and  the  still  more  gorgeous  Mandarin  Duck,  A.  galericulata,  L. 
This  type,  by  its  somewhat  narrow  and  tapering  bill,  appears  to 
grade  towards  the  Mergidce.  A  few  other  forms  of  this  sub- 
family are  given  by  Bonaparte,  but  without  any  very  special 
characteristics. 

Sub-fam.  Fuligulin.^,  Diving  Ducks. 

Hind  toe  short,  bordered  by  a  more  or  less  wide  web  ;  wings 
shorter  than  in  the  last  sub-family  ;  tarsus  short,  more  compressed, 
set  further  backwards  ;  feet  large,  the  web  reaching  to  the  very  end 
of  the  toes,  and  wide ;  tail  generally  short,  rounded,  or  somewhat 
wedged. 

The  Ducks  of  this  sub-family  have  a  larger  head  and  shorter 
neck  than  the  true  Ducks ;  they  walk  badly  in  consequence  of  the 
very  backward  position  of  their  legs,  but  swim  well  and  dive  freely. 
There  is  less  difference,  in  general,  between  the  sexes  than  in  the 
last  sub-family,  and  there  is  only  one  moult.  Many  are  exclusively 
marine  Ducks,  others  partially  so  ;  a  few  are  mostly  fresh  water,  and 
to  this  last  section  belong  all  the  Indian  species.  These  vary  some- 
what in  the  form  of  the  bill  and  in  some  other  points,  and  though 
closely  related,  and  all  formerly  placed  under  Fuligula,  are  now 
divided  according  to  Gray  (whose  List  of  Genera  I  chiefly  follow) 
into  three  genera.  They  comprise  the  Fuligulece  of  Bonaparte.  The 
Pochards  generally  have  a  stout  heavy  body,  and  firm,  close,  and 
thick  plumage,  colored  in  masses,  mostly  uniform  and  plain,  and 
the  speculum  is  less  strongly  marked  or  wanting.  In  all,  the 
trachea  is  terminated  by  a  labyrinth,  partly  osseous,  partly  mem- 
branous. 

Gen.  Beanta,  Boie. 

Syn.   Callichen,  Brehm  and  Gray  ;  Mergoides  Eyton. 

Char. — Bill  long,  barely  raised  at  the  base,  moderately  wide ; 
tip  depressed,  slightly  narrowed,  ending  in  a  rather  large  nail ; 
lamellge  distant,  large  and  prominent ;  wings  moderate,  1st  quill 
longest ;  tail  short,  rounded,  of  14  feathers. 

This  genus  comprises  but  one  species. 


PULIGULTN^:.  811 

967.    Branta  rufina,  Pallas. 

Anas  apud  Pallas —Blyth,  Cat.  1784-— Gould,  Birds  of 
Europe,  pi.  369— Sykes,  Cat.  223  and  224  ? 

The  Red-crested  Pochard. 

Descr. — Male,  head,  cheeks,  throat,  and  upper  part  of  the  neck 
reddish-bay ;  the  feathers  on  the  crown  eloni^ated  and  of  a  silky 
texture,  formino-  a  crest  somewhat  paler  than  the  rest  of  the  head ; 
back,  wings,  and  tail  yellowish-brown ;  the  bend  of  the  wing,  a 
large  spot  on  the  sides  of  the  back,  the  speculum,  and  the  base 
of  the  primary  quills  white ;  lower  part  of  the  neck,  breast,  and 
abdomen  deep  black  ;  the  flanks  white. 

Bill  bright  vermilion  red,  the  tip  white  ;  irides  red  ;  legs  orange- 
red.  Length  22  inches  ;  wing  10| ;  tail  3  ;  bill  at  front  2| ; 
tarsus   1^ ;  mid-toe  2|. 

The  female  has  the  upper  parts  pale  yellowish-brown,  darker 
on  the  head  and  neck,  and  the  crest  less  developed ;  speculum 
half  greyish-white,  half  pale  brown;  base  of  the  quills  white, 
tinged  with  brown ;  breast  and  flanks  yellowish-brown  ;  belly  grey  ; 
bill  and  feet  reddish-brown. 

This  fine  Duck  is  found  throughout  the  greater  part  of  India, 
is  more  rare  in  the  South,  and  chiefly  frequents  the  larger  tanka 
and  j heels.  It  generally  keeps  to  the  middle  of  the  tanks,  and  is  a 
wary  bird,  not  usually  allowing  a  near  approach.  Its  flesh  is  juicy, 
tender,  and  high  flavored,  and  it  is,  by  some,  considered  the  finest 
Duck  for  the  table.  A  writer  in  the  India  Sportirig  Review  remarks, 
that  during  the  day,  they  are  constantly  on  the  move,  'now  pursuing 
one  another,  now  screaming,  all  up  at  once,  then  down  again.' 

It  is  chiefly  a  native  of  Northern  Asia,  North-Eastern  Europe, 
and  Northern  Africa,  (where  it  is  said  to  breed  in  marshes,  laying 
seven  or  eight  brilliant  green  eggs,)  wandering  South  in  winter, 
and  very  rarely  extending  its  migrations  as  far  West  as  Britain. 
No  other  species  of  this  genus  is  recorded- 
Gen.  Aythya,  Boie. 

Syn.  Nyroca,  Fleming. 

Char. — Bill  long,  raised  at  the  base,  broad,  depressed,  and  obtuse 
at  the  tip,  of  nearly  uniform  width  throughout ;  lamellae  not  prO' 


812  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

minent;  tall  short  and  rounded,  the  feathers  narrow  and  some- 
what rigid. 

This  genus  comprises  two  forms,  one  of  which  has  been  separated 
as  a  sub-genus. 

The  birds  of  the  first  group  are  large  Ducks,  with  the  back 
usually  finely  undulated,  and  some  have  hence  been  called 
Canvas -backs. 

968.    Aythya  ferina,  Linn^us. 

Anas  apud  LiNN/Eus— Blyth,  Cat.  1785— Jerdon,  Cat.  389 — 
Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  368. 

The  Red-headed"  Pochard. 

Descr. — Male,  head  and  neck  bright  chesnut-red ;  upper  part 
of  the  back  black;  middle  and  lower  back,  wing-coverts,  and 
scapulars  white,  with  numerous  fine  undulating  black  lines ;  rump 
and  upper  tail-coverts  black ;  tail  dark  ashy -brown ;  primaries 
deep  dusky-brown ;  secondaries  bluish-grey ;  breast  black ;  ab- 
domen whitish,  faintly  undulated  like  the  back,  the  lines  becoming 
darker  towards  the  vent ;  under  tail-coverts  black. 

Bill  bluish-grey,  the  tip  and  base  black.;  irides  orange-yellow  ; 
legs  bluish-grey.  Length  19  inches  ;  wing  9  ;  extent  30  ;  tail  2i  ; 
bill  at  front  2  ;  tarsus  1^. 

The  female  has  the  crown,  nape,  and  sides  of  the  neck,  and  the 
upper  part  of  the  back,  reddish-brown ;  the  back  as  in  the  male, 
but  the  lines  less  distinct ;  throat  and  forepart  of  the  neck  white, 
mixed  with  reddish  ;  breast  reddish-brown,  mottled  with  white  ; 
the  middle  of  the  abdomen  greyish-white. 

This  Pochard  appears  to  be  more  abundant  in  Western  India  than 
in  Bengal,  but  occurs  throughout  the  whole  country  in  small  parties, 
generally  on  the  larger  and  more  open  tanks. 

It  inhabits  Northern  Europe  and  Asia,  and  breeds  among  reeds 
and  plants,  laying  twelve  or  thirteen  greenish-white  eggs. 

The  American  representative  is  now  considered  distinct,  A. 
Americana^  Bonap.  ;  and  there  is,  besides,  in  North  America,  the 
A.  valisneria,  or  Canvas-back,  said  to  be  the  best  of  all  the  Ducks 
of  the  New  Continent. 


FULIGULIN/J-:.  813 

The  next  species  (with  some  closely  allied  ones)  has  been  se- 
parated as  Nyroca,  and  this  is  admitted  as  a  sub-genus  by  Gray.  The 
birds  are  of  smaller  size,  and  have  a  somewhat  different  colouration. 

969.    Aythya  nyroca,  Guldenstadt. 

Anas  apud  Guldenstadt— Blyth,  Cat.  1789— Jerdon,  Cat. 
391 — A.  leucophthalmos,  Bechstein — A.  glaucion,  Pallas — 
Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  S68—Lal-bigri,  Beng. 

The  White-eyed  Duck. 

Descr. — Male,  head  and  neck  deep  ferruginous,  with  a  narrow 
collar  of  blackish-brown  on  the  lower  part  of  the  neck ;  back, 
scapulars,  and  wing-coverts  dusky-brown,  somewhat  glossed  with 
green  and  purple,  and  the  whole  finely  powdered  with  pale  red- 
dish-brown ;  upper  tail-coverts  and  tail  dusky-brown,  with  a  dash 
of  ferruginous  ;  primaries  dusky  ;  speculum  white,  edged  with  black 
in  the  lower  part ;  chin  whitish  ;  lower  part  of  the  neck  and  breast 
bright  ferruginous  ;  abdomen  and  imder  tail-coverts  pure  white  ;  the 
lower  portion  and  vent  blackish-grey. 

Bill  bluish  ;  irides  white  ;  legs  grey.  Length  16  inches  ;  wing 
7f ;  tail  2  ;  bill  at  front  If  ;  tarsus  1\ ;  middle  toe  nearly  2. 

The  female  differs  from  the  male  in  the  head  and  neck  being 
brown,  the  feathers -edged  with  ferruginous  ;  the  upper  parts  are 
glossy  umber-brown,  the  feathers  edged  with  pale  brown  ;  the 
irides  are  less  pure  white,  and  the  bill  and  feet  are  dusky-grey ; 
otherwise  as  in  the  male. 

In  the  young,  there  is  still  less  ferruginous,  and  the  irides  are 
pale  brownish. 

This  little  Duck  is  exceedingly  common  in  Northern  and  Central 
India,  less  so  in  the  South.  It  frequents  both  tanks  and  rivers, 
and  prefers  grassy  tanks  and  wooded  jheels  and  rivers.  It  appears 
to  feed  a  good  deal  during  the  day,  and  is  met  with  in  large 
parties  scattered  among  the  grass  or  w^eeds,  the  birds  often  rising 
singly. 

This  Pochard  inhabits  the  same  countries  as  the  other  species, 
and  is  occasionally  killed  in  Britain.  It  is  stated  to  breed  in 
Northern  Africa.  One  or  two  allied  species  are  recorded  from 
Australia,  and  another  from  the  Marianne  islands. 


814  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

Gen.    FULIGULA,  Stephens. 

Syn.     Platypus,  Brehm- — FuHse,  Sdndevall. 

Cha7\ — Bill  moderately  long,  not  raised  at  the  base,  broad 
throughout,  depressed,  the  sides  dilated,  and  the  tip  somewhat 
broader,  than  the  base:  lamelte  distant,  not  prominent;  nostrils 
advanced ;  wings  moderate  ;  tail  short,  rounded. 

These  Ducks  have  the  widest  bills  in  this  sub-family.  The  first 
species  has  been  separated  as  AJarila,  Keich.  It  has  the  bill  propor- 
tionally longer  than  in  restricted  Fuligula,  and  not  quite  so  broad. 

970.    Fuligula  marila,  Linn^us. 

Anas  apud  Linn^us — Blfth,  Cat.  1787— Gould,  Birds  of 
Europe,  pi.  371. 

The  Scaup  Pochard. 

Descr. — Male,  head  and  neck  black,  glossed  with  green  ;  top  of 
the  back  and  scapulars  whitish,  with  zig-zag  black  lines  ;  lower  back 
and  upper  tail-coverts  black ;  tail  brown ;  wing-coverts  black, 
marbled  with  ashy  ;  speculum  white  ;  quills  brown  ;  lower  neck 
and  breast  deep  black ;  abdomen  and  sides  pure  white,  with  brown 
zig-zag  markings  on  the  lower  portion ;  under  tail-coverts  black. 

Bill  clear  bluish  above,  dusky  below,  the  tip  black ;  irides 
brilliant  yellow  ;   legs  bluish-ashy,  the  webs  blackish. 

The  female  has  the  head  and  neck  blackish-brown,  with  a  laro;e 
white  space  round  the  eye  ;  back,  scapulars,  and  wings  with  brown 
and  white  zig-zag  markings  ;  lower  back  and  upper  tail-coverts 
smoky-black  ;  lower  neck  and  breast  deep  brown  ;  abdomen  white, 
marked  with  brown  posteriorly. 

Bill  deep  grey.  Length  19  to  20  inches  ;  wing  9  ;  extent  29  ; 
tail  2| ;  bill  at  front  nearly  2  ;  tarsus  1^  ;  mid-toe  2^. 

The  Scaup  Duck  has  hitherto  only  been  recorded  from  Nepal, 
and  must  be  a  very  rare  visitant.  It  inhabits  the  Northern  regions 
of  Europe,  Asia,  and  America,  and  prefers  sea- coasts  and  the 
mouths  of  tidal  rivers  to  fresh  water  lakes ;  it  feeds  chiefly  on 
molluscs. 

The  American  representative  of  this  species  is  separated  by 
Bonaparte  as  F.  mariloides ;  another  species  from  New  Zealand  is 
recorded  by  Bonaparte. 


FULIGULIN^.  815 

971.    Fuligula  cristata,  Hat. 

Blyth,  Cat.  1788— Sykes,  Cat.  225— Jerdon,  Cat.  390— A. 
fuligula,  LiNNiEus — Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  370 — Duharu, 
H. — Nella  chilluwa,  Tel. —  Golden-eije  of  Indian  Sportsmen. 

The  Tufted  Duck. 

Descr. — Head  and  neck,  including  the  long,  pendent,  silky 
crest,  glossy  black  with  green  and  purple  reflections ;  back, 
wings,  and  rump  black,  slightly  glossed  and  powdered  with  greyish- 
white  ;  breast  glossy  black;  rest  of  the  lower  parts  pure  white;  the 
vent  black ;  speculum,  formed  by  the  secondaries,  Avhite,  with  a 
narrow  greenish-black  edge  ;  tertials  glossy  green. 

Bill  dark  bluish-grey,  the  tip  black  ;  irides  golden-yellow  ;  legs 
leaden,  the  webs  dusky.  Length  17  inches ;  wing  8^  ;  extent  28  ; 
tail  rather  more  than  2  ;  bill  at  front  l/^  ;  tarsus  1| ;  mid- 
toe  2f. 

The  female  has  the  colours  somewhat  duller  and  more  brown  ; 
the  crest  not  so  long ;  the  speculum  smaller,  and  the  lower  parts 
spotted  with  brown.  The  young  want  the  crest,  and  liave  the  base 
of  the  bill  and  region  of  the  eyes  varied  with  white. 

The  Tufted  Duck  is  very  common  in  Central  and  Southern  India, 
less  so  in  Bengal.  It  frequents  open  tanks,  keeping  well  away 
from  the  edges,  and  is  generally  found  in  small  or  moderately  sized 
parties.  It  is  very  late  in  leaving  India,  and  I  once  killed  one  in 
June,  near  Hyderabad  in  the  Deccan.  It  is  found  throughout 
Europe  and  Asia,  breeding  in  the  North.  It  feeds  on  water-insects 
and  molluscs.  The  American  representative  is  A.  collaris,  Don, 
^Tujitorques,  Bonap.) 

Other  Ducks  of  this  sub-family  are  the  Sea-ducks,  the  Eiders, 
Scoters,  Steamer-ducks,  &c. 

The  Sea-Ducks  are  classed  by  Bonaparte  under  the  section 
ClanguIecB,  and  the  Eiders  and  Scoters  under  Somateriecu ;  they 
might  perhaps  form  one  sub-family,  all  having  a  somewhat  similar 
style  of  colouring,  and  being  mostly  denizens  of  Northern  Seas. 
Among  the  Clangulece  deserving  of  notice  are  the  beautiful  Harelda 
glacialis,  or  long-tailed  Sea-duck :  this  species  moults  twice  a 
year,  and  appears  to   be   very   distinct  from   the   other  types; 


816  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

the  bill  is  short  and  narrow  anteriorly.  The  Harlequin  Duck, 
A.  histrionica,  variegated  in  a  fantastic  way  with  black  and  white, 
forms  the  genus  Histrionicus,  Lesson.  The  garrets  or  golden-eyes 
form  the  genus  Clangula.  They  dijBTer  in  habit  from  the  other 
Sea-ducks,  preferring  fresh  water,  and  they  breed  in  the  hollows 
of  trees.  Their  heads  appear  very  full  and  puffy,  and  they  seem 
to  grade  into  the  FuUguleoe. 

The  Eider  Duck,  Somateria  moUissima  (L.,)  is  the  type  of  the 
next  group  :  its  down,  and  that  of  the  King-duck,  S.  spectabilis, 
are  highly  esteemed.  Anas  Stelleri,  Pallas,  forms  the  type  of 
Stelleria,  Bonap.  The  Scoters  are  large  dark  coloured  Ducks  that 
dive  remarkably  well,  and  live  on  diell-fish.  The  best  known 
species  are  Oidemia  nigra,  the  Black  Scoter,  and  0.  fiisca,  the 
velvet  Scoter,  both  from  Northern  Seas. 

The  Micropterece  contain  Micropterus  cinereus,  the  Steamer 
or  Racer-duck  of  Southern  Seas.  It  flies  badly,  having  short 
wings,  but  swims  and  dives  with  rapidity.  Camptolmnus  lahra- 
dorus  is  another  Duck  of  the  same  group. 

The  ErismaturincB  are  classed  as  a  family  by  Bonaparte.  Their 
chief  characteristics  are  the  stiff  and  pointed  tail-feathers.  Among 
the  most  remarkable  forms  are  Biziura  lobata  of  Australia,  with  a 
Jarge  fleshy  appendage  hanging  under  the  bill ;  Erismatura  leucoce- 
phala,  from  lakes  in  Northern  Asia  and  Africa,  rarely  killed 
in  Eastern  Europe ;  and  there  are  species  of  this  genus  from 
Africa,  America,  and  Australia.  Nesonetta  Aucklandice,  Gray,  is 
another  type,  as  is  Thalassornis  of  Eyton. 

Fam.  Mergid^. 

Bill  straight,  narrow,  cylindrical,  the  tip  well  bent  over ;  the  edges 
of  the  mandibles  armed  with  strong  teeth  pointing  backwards  ; 
nostrils  median,  longitudinal ;  tarsus  short,  set  far  backwards  ;  feet 
large,  hind  toe  lobed ;  wings  moderate ;  tail  wedge-shaped,  of  16  or 
18  feathers.  Form  lengthened  and  flattened.  Head  more  or  less 
crested. 

The  Mergansers  form  a  well-marked  group  in  this  tribe.  Their 
narrow  and  toothed  bill  is  very  unlike  that  of  the  Ducks,  although 
the  teeth  are  only  a  modification  of  the  lamella.  Their  flight  is 
strong  and  swift,  but  their  gait  on  land  is  awkward,     They  moult 


MERGTDiE,  817 

in  autumn  only,  and  the  colours  of  the  males  undergo  an 
extraordinary  amount  of  change  towards  mid-summer  from  an  altera- 
tion in  the  colour  of  the  feathers  themselves.  They  do  not  acquire 
their  full  plumage  till  the  second  autumnal  moult.  They  are  excel- 
lent divers,  using  their  wings  as  well  as  their  feet ;  and  they  live 
chiefly  on  fish.  The  tongue  is  long,  pointed  and  ciliated ;  the 
gizzard  is  less  muscular,  and  their  intestines  shorter  than  those  of 
the  ducks.  They  possess  two  caeca  of  moderate  length.  The 
labyrinth  or  the  lower  part  of  the  trachea  of  the  males  is  enormous, 
and  partly  membranous.  Only  five  or  six  species  are  known.  Of 
these,  two  visit  India  in  winter  ;  one  found  in  rivers  in  the  Hima- 
layas ;  the  other  spread  sparingly  through  Northern  India. 

Gen.  Mergus,  Linn. 

CItar. — Those  of  the  family. 

The  following  species  is  separated  by  Bonaparte  as  Merganser : — 

972.    Mergus  castor,  Linn^us. 

Blyth,  Cat.  1798 — M.  merganser,  Linn. — JVJ.  orientalis, 
Gould — Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  384. 

The  Merganser. 

Descr. — Male,  head  (with  a  short  thick  crest,)  and  upper  part  of 
the  neck,  glossy  blackish-green;  lower  part  of  the  neck  white  ; 
upper  back  and  scapulars  next  the  bod}^,  deep  black ;  the  rest  of 
the  back  and  upper  tail-coverts  ashy,  the  tips  of  the  feathers 
-A'hitish  here  and  there  ;  tail  ashy-grey ;  breast,  abdomen,  and  under 
tail-coverts  white,  tinged  with  orange-buff;  wing-coverts  and 
outermost  scapulars  rich  bufl-orange,  and  the  latter  edged  with 
black. 

Bill  deep  blood-red,  black  on  the  culmen,  paler  at  the  edges ; 
irides  red  ;  feet  orange-red.  Length  26  inches  ;  wing  11  ;  bill 
at  front  2^  ;  tarsus  2. 

The  female  (and  young  males  till  the  second  moult,)  have  the 
head  and  neck  reddish-brown  ;  the  throat  white  ;  the  upper  plumage 
ashy  ;  beneath  yellowish-white,  the  sides  of  the  breast  and  the 
Hanks  pale  ashy  ;  a  white  s})eculuin ;  primaries  black ;  tail  ashy- 
brown. 

PART   II.  5   L 


818  BIRDS    OF   INDIA. 

Bill  and  feet  dull  red.  Length  23  inches ;  extent  35  ;  wing  10|  ' 
bill  at  front  1|. 

The  Merganser  is  chiefly  found,  in  India,  on  rivers  within  the 
Himalayas,  in  small  parties.  I  have  frequently  seen  it  on  the  great 
Rungeet  in  Sikkim,  and  also  in  rivers  in  Kumaon,  and  on  the 
Ganges  at  llurdwar.  One  instance  only  is  recorded  of  its  occur- 
rence in  Central  India,  it  having  been  procured  by  Tickell  at 
Chybassa.  Captain  Smyth  recently  gave  me  two  very  large  con- 
cretions found  in  one  of  these  birds,  but  I  have  not  yet  had  them 
examined.     It  is  said  to  breed  on  holes  of  trees. 

The  next  species,  from  its  small  size,  and  shorter  bill,  as  well 
distinct  mode  of  colouration,  is  separated  as  Mergellus. 

Gen.  Mergellus. 

Char. — Bill  shorter,  and  somewhat  wider  than  in  Mergus,  the 
tip  much  less  hooked ;  teeth  numerous  and  prominent  in  the  lower 
mandible.  Of  small  size.   Pied,  black  and  Avhite,  tail  of  16  feathers. 

973.    Mergellus  albellus,  LiNNiEus. 

Mergus  apud  Linn.^us — Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  387. 

The  Smew. 

Descr. — Male,  a  large  patch  on  each  side  of  the  base  of  the 
bill  enclosing  the  eyes,  and  another  longitudinal  one  on  the  occiput, 
black  glossed  with  green ;  the  rest  of  the  head,  occipital  crest,  and 
neck  white ;  back,  some  of  the  lesser  wing-coverts,  and  the  pri- 
maries black  ;  scapulars  white,  edged  with  black  on  the  outer  webs; 
secondaries  and  greater  wing-coverts  black,  tipped  with  white ; 
some  of  the  lesser  wing-coverts  white  ;  upper  tail-coverts  and  tail 
bluish-grey  ;  all  the  lower  parts  white,  with  two  crescentic  bands 
of  black  advancing  from  the  shoulders,  one  nearly  encircling  the 
lower  part  of  the  breast,  the  other  the  upper  part  of  the  breast ; 
flanks  and  thigh-coverts  with  wavy  black  lines. 

Bill  bluish-grey ;  irides  brown  ;  legs  plumbeous.  Length  16  to 
17  inches  ;  wing  7| ;  tail  3  ;  bill  at  front  1;^;  tarsus  1^. 

The  female  has  the  crown,  clieeks,  and  occiput  reddish-brown, 
the  crest  shorter  than  in  the  male ;  back,  upper  tail-coverts,  and 
tail  deep  ashy-grey  ;  wings  as  in  the  male,  but  the  dark  parts  grey 


MERGITORES.  819 

instead  of  black  ;  the  throat,  sides  and  front  of  the  upper  neck, 
and  the  abdomen  white ;  and  the  lower  neck,  breast  and  flanks, 
clouded  with  ash  colour.  Bill  and  legs  dark  grey.  Much  smaller 
than  the  male,  and  Pallas  states  that  she  has  only  14  rectrices. 

The  Smew  is  found  occasionally  in  various  parts  of  Northern 
India  during  the  cold  weather.  It  has  been  killed  near  Cuttack  ; 
in  Oude ;  is  said  not  to  be  rare  near  Delhi  ;and  has  also  been  met 
with  in  Sindh. 

[t  inhabits  the  north  of  both  Continents,  breedino;  in  hiffh  lati- 
tudes  in  crevices  and  holes  of  trees,  and  laying  8  eggs.  The  young 
have  pale  or  whitish  down,  and  Mr.  Wolley,  who  remarks  this  fact, 
states  that  no  duck  that  has  white  down  lays  its  eggs  in  an 
exposed  situation ;  the  converse,  however,  does  not  hold  good, 
for  the  little  Cotton-teal,  that  always  breeds  in  holes,  has  black 
down.  It  is  said  to  be  an  excellent  diver,  and  to  feed  on  fish, 
Crustacea,  and  water  insects,  is  very  shy  and  vigilant,  and  flies 
rapidly.  During  flight  it  continually  utters  its  peculiar  bell-like 
call,  hence  it  is  called  the  Bell-duck  in  Northern  Asia.  Its  flesh 
is  exceedingly  fishy,  and,  says  Pallas,  is  rarely  eaten  even  by  the 
Russians.  The  same  naturalist  states  that  it  returns  very  early 
from  its  winter  migrations,  the  females  arriving  first,  they  are  hence 
called  Widows  by  some. 

A  very  handsome  species,  Mergus  cucullatus,  from  America,  a 
rare  visitant  to  England,  is  separated  by  Reichenbacli  as  Lopho- 
di/fes ;  and  the  red-breasted  Merganser  of  Europe,  is  retained 
under  restricted  Mergus.  One  or  two  additional  species  of  this 
family  are  recorded,  one  of  which,  Merganetta  armata,  differs  in  its 
somewhat  rounded  wing,  armed  with  a  spur. 

Tribe.  Meroitores,  Blyth. 

Syn,     Colgmhides,  Van  Hoeven. 

Wings  fitted  for  flying,  primaries  short ;  tarsus  compressed  ; 
hallux  always  present. 

This  tribe  comprises  the  two  distinct  families  of  the  Divers  or 
Loons,  CoLYMBiDiE,  and  the  Grebes,  Podicipid^  ;  the  former 
with  the  anterior  toes  completely  webbed ;  and  the  latter  with 
the  toes  free,  bordered  by  a  large  loose  web.  The  hind  toe 
IS  lobed  and   partly   connected  with  the  outer  membrane  of  the 


820  BIRDS   OF    INDIA. 

inner  toe,  the  nails  are  flat  and  broad.  The  form  of  the  body- 
is  broad  and  depressed,  and  their  plumage  exceedingly  thick,  close, 
and  glossy.     The  bill  is  long,  straight,  compressed,  and  pointed. 

Fam.  CoLYMBTD.^i;,  Loons  or  Divers. 

The  large  Imbers  or  Divers  have  the  feet  completely  webbed, 
and,  unlike  the  Grebes,  all  of  them  frequent  seas  in  preference  to 
fresh  water.  They  have  moderate  pointed  wings,  and  fly  well,  but 
from  the  position  of  the  feet,  and  the  tibia  being,  as  it  were, 
imbedded  in  the  integuments,  they  are  unable  to  walk ;  though 
they  push  themselves  forward,  trailing  on  their  belly.  They  have 
a  short  tail,  and  by  means  of  this  andjthe  feet,  they  are  enabled  to 
stand  upright.    They  are  said  to  utter  dismal  bowlings. 

The  sternum  is  broad  with  one  notch,  and  the  furcula  is  anchy- 
losed  to  it.  There  is  a  long  pointed  process  at  the  upper  part  of  the 
tibia  in  front,  which  affords  an  extensive  surface  of  attachment  to 
the  extensor  muscles  used  in  diving.  They  form  their  nest  among 
herbage  on  the  sea  beach,  and  usually  lay  only  two  eggs,  green 
with  purplish  or  brown  spots.  They  swim  and  dive  with  amazing 
rapidity.  They  are  almost  peculiar  to  the  Northern  hemisphere. 
One  has  been  observed  in  Northern  China  by  Mr.  Swinhoe. 

The  great  Northern  Diver,  ColynihuH  glacialis,  an  occasional 
winter  visitor  to  England,  is  one  of  the  best  known  ;  and  there  are 
only  three  or  four  species  recorded. 

Fam.     PoDiciPiD^,  Grebes. 

Feet  lobed ;  tail  almost  wanting. 

The  Grebes  are  a  small  family  of  fin-footed  birds,  frequenting 
ponds,  lakes,  and  rivers  occasionally,  diving  with  rapidity,  and 
feeding  on  various  insects,  Crustacea,  young  fish,  &c.  Frora  the 
structure  of  their  feet,  they  were  formerly  classed  with  the  Coots, 
but  they  differ  in  every  other  point,  their  tibia  being  enclosed 
within  the  integuments,  whence  they  arc  unable  to  walk,  but  swim 
remarkably  well,  using  their  wings  under  water  as  well  as  their  feet. 
They  form  large  nests  of  rushes  and  sedges  on  the  borders  of 
lakes,  and  lay  several  eggs.  Their  plumage  is  dense  and  soft, 
the   under   parts    beautifully  silky ;  and  the  head  is  often  adorned 


pODicipiDj;.  821 

with  tufts  ;  the  young  are  striped  black  and  white.  The  Grebes 
have  19  cervical  vertebrae,  whilst  the  Loons  have  only  13.  The 
sternum  is  said  to  be  very  short,  wide  posteriorly,  with  one 
deep  oval  notch,  but  Owen  states  that  some  Grebes  have  two 
lateral  fissures  to  the  Sternum,  and  a  few  even  a  third,  smaller  and 
intermediate  to  the  other  two.  They  have  a  projecting  process  to 
the  tibia  like  the  last.  They  are  found  frequently  to  have  swallow- 
ed feathers,  but  Avith  what  object  is  not  known.  They  possess  a 
single  small  caecum.  Pallas  states  that  they  want  the  uropygial 
gland,  but  that  an  oily  matter,  (tlielr  skin  being  very  fat,)  transudes 
through  their  skins,  rendering  the  feathers  very  oily.  The  eggs 
are  said  to  have  the  shell  covered  with  a  soft  absorbent  chalky 
substance.  There  is  only  one  genus,  which  has  however  been  lately 
sub-divided. 

Gen.     PoDiCEPS,    Latham. 

Char. — Bill  straight,  compressed,  moderately  stout ;  nostrils 
oblong,  lateral ;  wings  short,  concave ;  tarsus  moderate,  compress- 
ed, with  large  scutella^,  serrated  posteriorly ;  hallux  bordered  by  a 
web ;  claws  fiat,  depressed. 

Of  universal  distribution. 

974.    Podiceps  cristatus,  Linnteus. 

Colymbus  apud  LiNNiEUS — Blyth,  Cat.  1812 — Gould,  Birds 
of  Europe,  pi.  388. 

.    The  Crested  Grebe. 

Descr. — Head  (with  a  double  occipital  crest)  shining  black, 
which  colour  descends  along  the  back  of  the  neck  ;  lower  neck 
above  ashy-brown;  back  and  wings,  including  scapulars  and  middle- 
coverts,  brown  with  a  blackish-green  lustre  ;  lesser  wing-coverts 
and  secondaries  white  ;  cheeks  and  throat  fulvous-white,  succeeded 
by  a  wide  frieze  or  collar,  chesnut  above,  shining  black  below  ; 
lower  neck,  breast,  and  abdomen  silky -white,  tinged  with  rufous 
and  ashy  on  the  sides  of  the  breast  and  abdomen. 

Bill  brown  above,  reddish  on  the  sides  and  below,  tip  white  ; 
irides  crimson-red  ;   naked  lores  red  ;    feet  plumbeous   externally. 


822  BIRDS   OF   INDIA. 

within  greenish-yellow.     Length  22  inches  ;  wing  7^  ;  hill  at  front 
2f  ;  tarsus  2  ;  middle  toe  2|. 

The  young  bird  has  the  head  brown,  the  crest  undeveloped ; 
face  and  ears  white,  bordered  with  a  rusty  collar,  and  a  much 
smaller  bill. 

The  Crested  Grebe  has  been  occasionally  hilled  In  the  Sunder- 
bunds,  and  brought  to  Calcutta.  It  is  among  Hodgson's  Birds  of 
Nepal  in  Gray's  list,  but  no  specimen  appears  to  have  been  sent.  It 
also  occurs  in  Sindh,  and  the  Punjab.  It  is  an  in  habitant  of  the  greater 
part  of  temperate  Europe,  breeding  in  Britain,  and  is  also  found  in 
many  parts  of  Asia  and  America.  It  is  said  to  be  three  years  before 
attaining  its  full  plumage ;  and  the  youdg  bird  was  long  thought  to 
be  a  distinct  species.  The  eggs  are  three  or  four  in  number,  of  a 
greenish-white,  and  the  nest  a  floating  mass  of  weeds. 

Other  species  are  adorned  with  various  tufts  of  feathers,  viz.,  P. 
cornutus,  and  P.  auritus,  both  from  Northern  Europe  ;  and  there 
are  many  others  in  all  parts  of  the  world. 

The  smaller  species  are  separated  by  Bonaparte  \mder  the  name 
of  Tachjliaptcs  of  Reichenbach. 

975.    Podiceps  Philippensis,  Gmelin. 

,-  Blyth,  Cat.  1816— Jerdon,  Cat.  392  and  393— Sykes,  Cat. 
226 — PI.  Enl.  905— 945— p.  minor,  Gmelin— Gould,  Birds  of 
Europe,  pi.  392  ?  Churaka,  H.  of  Falconers — Dubari,  Beng. — 
Pandub,  H.  also  Pan-tirri,  and  Dub-duhi  in  various  parts  of 
India — Munu-gudi-kodi,  Tel. 

The  Little  Grebe. 

J)escr. — Plead  above  and  the  back  of  the  neck  dark  sepia-brown, 
or  black  tinged  with  green  ;  upper  plumage  generally  glossy  brown- 
black  tinged  with  green  ;  the  sides  of  the  rump  fulvous  ;  quills  more 
or  less  white  at  the  base,  the  first  six  quills  almost  all  pale  brown  ; 
secondaries  with  only  a  little  brown  on  the  outer  webs  ;  chin  and 
base  of  the  lower  mandible  glossy  black  ;  cheeks,  ear-coverts,  and 
sides  of  the  neck  bright  chesnut ;  breast  brown  mixed  with 
whitish  or  glossy  blackish-grey ;  belly  silky- white,  the  flanks 
brown. 


VAGATORES.  823 

Bill  blackish,  pale  at  the  base  ;  irides  red-brown  ;  legs  greenish- 
black  on  the  outside,  livid  tinged  with  fleshy  within.  Length 
8  to  9  inches ;  wing  4  ;  bill  at  front  | ;  tarsus  1^ ;  middle  toe  1|. 

Young  birds  want  the  chesnut-red  on  the  neck,  which  is  mostly 
white,  the  brown  above  is  paler,  and  the  chin  and  throat  are  pure 
white. 

The  common  Grebe  of  India  is  generally  considered  to  be  iden- 
tical with  the  Dabchick  of  Britain,  but  Bonaparte  and  some  other 
Ornithologists  separate  several  allied  races,  among  others  the 
Indian  one.  Sundevall  particularly  noticed  its  difference  from  the 
European  bird.  It  appears  always  to  have  a  greater  extent  of 
white  on  the  wing  than  specimens  from  England. 

The  Indian  Dabchick  is  exceedingly  abundant  in  all  parts  of 
India,  and,  in  spite  of  its  short  wings,  appears  to  wander  about  a 
great  deal.  There  is  a  considerable  colony  of  these  birds  on  the  lake 
at  Ootacamund,  which  is  an  artificial  piece  of  water  ;  they  must  con- 
sequently have  been  attracted  to  the  spot  when  flying  at  a  consider- 
able height.  This  bird  is  found  in  all  lakes,  tanks,  rivers,  and  even 
small  ponds,  in  small  parties,  occasionally  congregating  into  larger 
flocks.  It  feeds  on  small  fish,  Crustacea,  larvse  of  water  insects,  &c., 
diving  with  ease  and  rapidity,  and  remaining  long  under  water.  It 
forms  a  large  nest  of  grass  and  weeds,  sometimes  floating,  at  other 
times  attached  to  growing  reeds,  and  occasionally  at  the  edge  of 
the  water,  and  lays  from  five  to  eight  greenish-white  eggs.  Burgess 
noted  that  there  was  a  good  deal  of  artificial  heat  in  the  nests, 
from  the  quantity  of  partly  decomposing  grass,  &c.  Often  these 
nests  are  crowded  together,  several  almost  touching  each  other. 

Some  Grebes  from  the  Oceanic  region  are  separated  by  Bona- 
parte as  Rollandia,  and  others  from  the  Australian  region  as 
FoUoceplialus ;  whilst  certain  American  species  are  classed  under 
Silbeocyclus. 

Tribe.  Vagatores,  Blyth. 

Syn.  Longipetmes,  Cuv.     Laridee  of  some. 

Wings  long;  tail  short  and  rounded,  or  long  and  cuneate,  or 
forked  ;  hallux  free,  or  wanting  ;  bill  hooked  at  the  tip,  or  simply 
pointed,  smooth  edged. 


824  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

The  wings  of  all  are  long  and  pointed,  and  they  are  much  on 
the  wing,  from  which  they  usually  take  their  food,  either  from  the 
surface  of  the  water,  or  by  plunging  for  it.  They  feed  on  fish, 
Crustacea,  molluscs,  dead  animal  matter,  and  a  few  on  worms  and 
insects.  Their  plumage  is  very  bulky  and  dense,  and  when  floating, 
their  bodies  are  high  out  of  the  water  ;  they  for  the  most  part  swim 
badly,  and  very  few  dive. 

They  are  divided  into  two  great  families, — 1st,  ProccUaridas, 
comprising  the  Albatrosses  and  Petrels, — 2nd  Laridcc,  the  Gulls 
and  Terns. 

Fam.   PROCELLARiDiE,  Petrels,  &c. 

Bill  much  hooked  at  the  tip,  the"  apical  portion  of  both  man- 
dibles distinctly  separated  from  the  basal  portion,  and  appearing 
as  if  a  piece  bad  been  joined  on  to  the  rest;  the  nostrils  are  united 
to  form  a  tube  on  the  base  of  the  bill ;  the  feet  are  fully  webbed 
in  front,  but  have  only  a  claw  behind,  in  place  of  a  hind  toe,  joined 
by  ligament  to  the   tarsus. 

The  Petrels  and  Albatrosses  somewhat  resemble  Gulls  in  ap- 
pearance, but  they  are  strictly  Oceanic,  are  found  at  vast  distances 
from  land,  and  appear  to  pass  the  greater  part  of  their  lives  in  skim- 
ming over  the  waves.  Their  wings  are  very  long  and  ample. 
They  nestle  on  rocks,  producing  only  one  agg,  and  they  live  chiefly 
on  oily  substances  floating  on  the  waves,  the  fat  of  dead  whales, 
&c.,  thus  appearing  to  be  the  scavengers  of  the  sea. 

The  sternum  is  wide  and  convex,  and  has  only  one  fissure,  and 
the  keel  is  high  and  prolonged.  The  stomach  is  thin  and  capa- 
cious, and  the  casca  short.  They  vary  in  size  from  the  little 
stormy  Petrel  to  the  giant  Albatross.  Two  or  three  species  of 
I'etrel  have  been  observed  in  the  Bay  of  Bengal  and  Indian  Ocean. 

They  are  divided  into  the  following  families  : — 
1^^. — Diomedince,  Albatrosses. 
'2nd. — Procellarinw,  Petrels. 
3y.j. — Hcdodrominos^  Diving  Petrels. 

Sub.  fam.  DiOMEDiNJi. 

Albatrosses  have  not  been  observed  so  far  north  as  the  Bay  of 
Bengal.     They  are  the  giants  of  the  family,  and    indeed  are  among 


procellarin;e.  825 

the  largest  of  all  living  birds.     They  appear   never  to  rest  except 
when  feeding,  and  often  accompany  ships  for  some  days. 

Sub-fara.    PEOCELLARINyE. 
Hind   toe  generally  present. 
Petrels  are  divided  by  Bonaparte  into  several  sections. 

A .  Fulmarecc. — With  long  wings,  short  tail,  and  small  feet.  The 
Flying  Petrels. 

In  these  birds  the  bill  is  rather  short  and  thick,  well  hooked  at 
the  tip  ;  the  lower  mandible  truncated.  The  group  contains  some 
very  large  species,  P.  gigantea  and  P.  r/lacialis,  and  the  well-known 
Cape-pigeon,  Daption  capensis.  Like  the  Albatrosses,  these  birds 
are  much  on  the  wing ;  and  the  upper  mandible  has  a  few  short 
lamellae  on  its  inner  margin. 

B.  JEstrelatece. — With  moderate  win2;?<  and  larsje  feet.  The 
Swimmino;  Petrels. 

In  these  the  upper  mandible  has  no  laraellEc.  This  section  com- 
prises a  good  many  Petrels  of  moderate  size,  chiefly  from  the 
Antarctic  Seas.  In  some  the  tail  is  lengthened  and  graduated.  One 
genus,  Pterodroma,  Bonap.,  has  the  bill  short,  well  curved,  and 
much  compressed,  with  the  tail  cuneate  or  rounded. 

C.  Prione<s,  Blue  Petrels. 

These  are  a  group  of  neatly  plumaged  small  Petrels  well  known 
to  all  who  have  sailed  round  the  Cape  or  to  Australia.  They  have  a 
weak  bill,  and  lamellae  in  the  upper  mandible.  The  colour  is  blue- 
grey  and  white,  and  they  are  most  abundant  in  Southern  Seas. 

D.  Procellariece,  Stormy  Petrels. 

The  Stormy  Petrels  are  well-known  birds  of  small  size,  with  a 
slender  compressed  bill  and  lengthened  tarsus.  The  nostrils  are 
contained  in  one  tube  or  sheath,  which  is  divided  by  a  septum, 
showing  two  distinct  crifices.     They  are  found  in  all  seas. 

E.  Piifinece,  Puffin  Petrels,  or  Shearwaters. 

Bill  lengthened,  slender,  straight ;  both  mandibles  arched  and 
hooked  at  the  tip  ;  nostrils  tubular  with  two  openings ;  wings  long 
and  pointed ;  tail  rounded ;  tarsus  moderate ;  a  claw  in  place  of 
the  hind  toe. 

PART   II.  5   M 


826  BlRi:>s'dl*  INDIA. 

These  are  Petrels  of  lengthened  form,  with  long  slender  bills, 
and  the  tarsus  compressed  and  set  far  backwards.  They  are 
stated  to  be  somewhat  nocturnal  in  their  habits,  to  run  along  the 
surface  of  the  waves,  feeding  on  putrescent  fish  and  other  floating 
animal  matter.  Their  flight  is  rapid,  and,  like  the  Stormy  Petrels, 
they  are  most  busy  in  stormy  weather. 

No  representatives  of  the  Flying  Petrels,  Blue  Petrels,  or  Shear- 
waters appear  to  have  been  hitherto  observed  in  the  Bay  of 
Bengal  or  Indian  Ocean. 

Two  species  of  Petrel  have  been  observed  by  myself,  of  only 
one  of  which  I  obtained  a  specimen,  from  the  neighbourhood 
of  Madras,  where  I  had,  on  several  occasions,  observed  it  not  far 
from- the  shore,  during  rather  rough  weather;  I  lost  this,  however, 
before  an  accurate  description  was  taken,  and  I  can  only  say  that  I 
suspect  it  belongs  to  the  division  u^strelatem,  of  Bonaparte,  and 
probably  to  the  genus  Pterodroma,  Bonap.:  indeed,  it  appeared 
to  be  very  similar  to  P.  macroptera  of  Dr.  A.  Smith,  figd.  in 
ZooL,  South  Africa,  Birds,  pi.  50.  It  was  entirely  of  a  dull 
sooty-brown  colour,  palest  beneath ;  length  nearly  18  inches ;  wing 
■12^;  tail  5  ;  bill  at  gape  nearly  If.  •  '  "■ 

^.  ProcellariecB. 

Gen.     Thalassidroma,  Vigors. 

Of  small  size ;  bill  short,  curved  at  the  tip  in  both  mandibles, 
much  compressed  ;  tarsus  long,  reticulated,  a  short  claw  in  place  of 
the  hallux  ;  nostrils  in  double  tubes ;  wings  long,  the  second  quill 
longest ;  tail  even  or  slightly  forked. 

The  Stormy  Petrels  are  well  known  to  all  who  have  crossed  the 
seas,  being  birds  of  small  size,  that  are  most  frequently  seen  in 
stormy  weather  near  ships,  perhaps  in  consequence  of  their  being 
unable,  during  a  storm,  to  get  their  usual  food  from  the  disturbed 
state  of  the  ocean  surface.  They  are  said  to  be  crepuscular  or 
nocturnal  birds,  concealing  themselves  during  the  day  in  holes 
of  rocks,  &c.,  and  feeding  chiefly  on  oily  substances  floating  on 
the  surface  of  the  sea.  They  are  of  a  dark,  almost  black  hue, 
relieved  with  white  in  most,  have  a  very  swift  flight,  and  resemble 


HALODEOMIN-E.  827 

Swifts*  both   in  general  appearance,   colours,  and  flight.     They 
breed  in  holes  in  rocks,  laying  one  large  white  egg. 

•i!-  976.    Thalassidroma- ?,oivioq  jmzii 

A  Stormy  Petrel  is  not  of  unfrequent  occurrence  near  the  mouthg 
of  the  Ganges  in  stormy  weather,  as  well  as  througl:^out  the  Bay  of 
Bengal,  but  I  have  not  been  able  to  procure  a  spec^men^t  though 
I  hav.e  repeatedly  seen  them.  , 

.'  iuVii      ill);     ,-■;,.:   :  iO.'.-    '/JiJ/    lUyilJ    lU   lUilUc! 

\'iiii  .^Atjociil   J  Sub-fam.  HALODROMmj:.   ■■Il,,iib   o\''d  xodT 

:jdi'i\v  x-j-u\  r       Qen.  Pelioanoides,  Lacepedfei!<'''i'Jj;'>  "<^  'c-ioiho 

■Syn.     Halodroma,  Illiger.       '   ^"""^^'   '"^  ^^  '^*  ^^'^'''- 

Char.— WAX   very  short,   depressed    at   the  base,  hooked,  iliider 

mandible  truncated;   nostrils    superior,  contiguous;  wings  shbrt; 

1st  quill  longest;  tail  short,  rounded;  feet  short,  no  hind  toe;''chin 

with  a  dilatable  pouch ;   tarsus  reticulated. 

These  are  Petrels  with  a  dilatable  throat,  and  wanting  the  hind 

claw. 

977.    Pelicanoides  urinatrix,  Latham. 

Procellaria  apud  Latham — Bltth,  Cat.  ,1729— Goui.pj,B. 
4.ustr.,  VII.,  pi.  60— P.  tridactyla,  Forster— Puffinaria  Garnot,tU_ 

,,i,.  '     The  Little  Divma  Petrel.  Lj  ii!  ;  ji  ..),,:■.. nolo 

Descr. — Above  blackish-brown;  chin  black,  rest  of  the  lower 
plUiBage  white.  '   '^-  ^' -^ 

'•  Bill  black  ;  irides  dusky-blue  ;  legs  bluish-green,  the  feet  IJlat^;' 
Length  about  8^  inches  ;  bill  nearly  1.  ' 

This  curious  little  Diving  Petrel  is  stated  by  Sundevall  to 
have  occurred  in  the  Bay  of  Bengal.  It  chiefly  frequents 
Southern  Seas,  round  Australia,  New  Zealand,  and  even  South 
America. 

;);■::    ■  .  ■  ■   i , ,    . : — ■ ■ i  ■■■  :  '-.'l 

*  The  resemblance  of  these  birds  to  Swifts  (and  through  them  to  Caprimulgidae^ 
is  deserving  of  attention. 

■^I  hope  that  some  observer  ^vho  has  the  opportunity  of  procuring  this  of 
the  ,l^st  bird,  will  not  fail  to  do  so,  that  both  may  be  thoroughly  examined  and 
identi4e,d.  , 


828  BIRDS   OP   INDIA, 

Fam.     Laiiidj!:,  Gulls  and  Terns. 

Bill  moderate  or  long,  straight ;  wings  long ;  nostrils  linear, 
basal,  pervious ;  hind  toe  almost  always  present,  though  small. 
Plumage  usually  pale  grey  and  white,  varied  in  some  by  black  and 
brown. 

This  family  comprises  the  Skuas  or  Parasitic  Gulls,  the  true 
Gulls,  and  the  Terns  ;  many  being  familiar  birds  known  to  all,  and 
some  of  them  very  abundant  on  our  sea  coasts,  lakes,  and  rivers. 
They  live  chiefly  on  fish  and  Crustacea,  a  few  on  insects,  and 
others  on  carrion  and  refuse,  and  they  either  pick  their  prey  off  the 
surface  of  the  water  or  plunge  for  it.  They  nidificate  on  the 
ground,  laying  two  to  four  eggs,  usually  richly  blotched  with  dark 
brown  on  a  whitish  or  greenish  ground. 

They  are  divided  into  the  following  sub-families : — 

1st  — LestridincB,  Skuas  on  Parasitic  Gulls. 

2nd. — Larince,  Gulls. 

Zrd.—SternvKB,  Terns. 

Sub-fam.    LESTRIDINiE. 

Bill  moderate,  thick,  rounded  above,  the  base  covered  with  a 
cere,  the  tip  strongly  hooked  ;  nostrils  median,  narrow ;  wings 
long,  1st  quill  longest ;  tail  rather  long,  the  two  central  feathers 
elongated ;  hind  toe  very  small,  claws,  especially  the  inner  one, 
hooked  and  sharp. 

The  Skuas  or  Parasitic  Gulls  are  a  small  group  of  sea  birds, 
which  chiefly  live  by  robbing  their  neighbours  of  the  food  they 
have  taken.  They  differ  from  the  Gulls  by  their  shorter,  thicker, 
and  more  hooked  bills,  the  lengthened  and  cuneate  tail,  and  strong 
sharp  claws.  In  these  respects,  as  well  as  in  their  possessing  a  cere, 
they  show  some  points  of  affinity  with  Birds  of  Prey,  which  they 
also  partially  resemble  in  their  habits.  Their  flight  is  peculiarly 
rapid.  The  plumage  of  the  sexes  is  alike  ;  and  most  of  them  do  not 
attain  their  full  plumage  for  several  years.  One  species,  Lestris 
pomarinus,  has  been  once  obtained  on  the  Burmese  coast,  where 
it  was  procured  by  Major  Tickell,  having  been  captured  by  a 
native  in  a  swampy  meadow  during  heavy  weather,  probably  in 


LARIN^.  829 

an  exhausted  state.     As  it  is  a  bird  frequenting  Kigh  latitudes, 
its  occurrence  in  tropical  regions  must  have  been  quite  exceptional. 

Sub-fam.  LAEINJ5. 
Bill  stout,  curved  at  the  tip,  moderately  long  ;  nostrils  median, 
long,  narrow ;  wings  long  ;  tail  full,  even,  or  rounded,  slightly 
forked  in  a  few  ;  tarsus  moderately  long,  scutellated  ;  the  hmd  toe 
very  short ;  tibia  naked  below ;  legs  placed  near  the  middle  of 
the  body  ;  claws  slightly  hooked. 

Gulls  are  a  well-known  family  of  sea-birds  of  univ-ersal  distribu- 
tion, but  more  numerous  in  species  in  northern  than  in  tropical 
climates.  Their  toes  are  shorter  than  those  of  the  Petrel  family, 
and  better  adapted  for  walking  on  land,  which  they  are  often  seen 
to  do,  especially  during  stormy  weather,  seeking  for  worms,  crabs, 
larva;,  &c.,  &c.,  in  ploughed  land,  or  in  damp  meadows.  They  are 
active  and  somewhat  noisy  birds,  living  upon  fish,  worms,  &c.,  and 
also  on  garbage  of  all  kinds  thrown  out  from  ships,  which  they  often 
follow  for  miles.  They  swim,  or  rather  float  buoyantly  about  for 
several  hours  daily,  when  not  employed  fishing,  and  occasionally 
repose  on  some  sand-bank.  Many  ascend  rivers  and  are  seen 
hundreds  of  miles  inland. 

They  breed  usually  on  rocky  islands,  or  on  sand-banks,  laying 
three  or  four  eggs  on  the  ground.  They  have  a  double  moult ;  in 
some  groups  the  head  becomes  black  or  brown  during  the  breed- 
ing season,  changing  at  the  autumnal  moidt  to  grey  or  white ; 
in  others  the  head  is  pure  white  in  summer,  streaked  in  Avinter, 
the  young  are  some  time  before  they  acquire  the  adult  plumage. 
Some  approach  the  Skuas  and  Petrels,  and  others  the  Terns. 

The  sternum  has  a  double  emargination,  very  small  and  shal- 
low, and  occasionally  converted  into  foramina.  The  tongue  Is 
pointed  with  the  tip  cleft ;  the  oesophagus  is  capacious,  the  gizzard 
small,  becoming  more  muscular  witli  age  ;  the  intestines  moderately 
long,  with  two  small  coeca. 

Gulls  have  been  much  sub-divided  of  late,  the  divisions  being 
taken  from  the  general  form  and  tone  of  colouring.  Bonaparte 
divides  them  into — 

A.  Larea.  Of  large  size  ;  no  hood  in  summer,  but  with  a  few 
spots  or  strise  on  the  nape  and  the  back  of  the  neck. 


$>30  BIRDS  or  INDIA. 

^,  Xemw,  ^x.%\\^j  of  smaller  size  ;  feet  longer  wd  ipQre  sl?a(Jey,5-^ 

'  Ijreft.  LAHtrg,  Linn,  (as  restricted). 

■  oyn.     LlupeUarus,  non.  „ 

ou-rr   '  ■     :  .  -  :   ■  ^ui 

,^  C%ar. — Bill  moderately  long,  strong,  deep,  much  compressed  ; 

wings  long,   exceeding   the  tail ;  head  and  neck   white,  in  winter 

streiaked  with  brown.  Of  somewhat  large  size.  ,    ,, 

978.    Larus  fuscus,  LiNN^us. 

^-  Gould,  Birds  of  Eui-ojiev'pT.  W31-^LTrTHVeair.^l!6^5--i-^Si^ 
Cat.  407.  ^'  -'J^^-J^^iJ^f^^  .••■''  '^^ 

iuijj  ,.;,.j'.  .r.iiruTfi^liliiESSER  BlACK-BACKED   GuLL.  -1,.,  j,a,u  ovxJaij 

"  ^^"scK— in' summer  plumage,  head,  neck,  upper  tail-eoveM',*  ana' 
tail  pure  white  ;  body  above,  including  the  wing-coverts,   greyish- 
black;  scapulars  black,  tipped  with  white;  quills  black,  this  Isi' 
(and  sometimes  the  2nd  quill)  with  a  white  spot  near  the  tip ^' 
and  the  secondaries  with  a  large  border  of  the  same  colour. 

Bill  citron-yellow,   red  at  the   lower   angle ;    eyelids   orange  ; 
irides  pale  yellow ;   feet  dull  yellow.  '  Length  about  2  feet ;  wing 
18'tpl9  inches;  tail  8  r bill  at  front  l-i^  ;  tarsus  21  '     i  ' ''«  "'"'^^ 
'  In  winter  the  head,  round  the  eyes,  and  the  upper'  pai't  of  th^^ 
neck  are  streaked  longitudinally  with  light  brown  ;   and  the  young 
are  more  or  less  spotted  with  brown  throughout.  "^ 

I  obtaine'd  a  young  bird  of  this  species  far  inland,  near  Jaulnairi.' 
the  Deccan,  and  have  not  again  observed  it,  nor  has  it,  that  I  am 
aware,    been   procured  by  any  one  else.     Major  Tickell,  indeed, 
informed  me  that  he  had  frequently  seen  in  the  harbour  at  Akyab  ' 
a 'lairge  black-backed  gull,  which   was  probably  this   species ;  oif'^ 
could  it  have  been  Lao'us  marinus? 

The  lesser  black-backed  gull  is  found  throughout  the  northern 
and  temperate  parts  of  the  old  world,  breeding  in  Britain,  ofteii ' 
far  inland,   and  laying  three  or  four  oil-green  eggs  blotched  with 
brownish-black. 


tAHIN^i  I  831 

B.  Xemece. 
Gen.  KroikocephaLus.  > 

Char. — Bill  rather  slender,  lengthened,  compressed ;  the  tip 
strongly  hooked  ;  lower  mandible  much  angulated  ;  wings  exceed- 
ing the  tail.     Of  large  size  ;  the  head  black  in  summer. 

979.    Kroikocephalus  ichthysetus,  Pallas. 

Larus  apud  Pallas — L.  kroikocephalus,  Jameson,  J.  A.  S., 
VIII.,  242— RUPPELL,  Atlas,  pi  17— Blyth,  Cat.  1689. 

The  Great  Black-headed  Gull. 

Deser. — In  summer  plumage,  the  whole  head  and  upper  neck 
black ;  the  feathered  orbits  white ;  the  back  and  wings  blue- 
grey  ;  the  upper  tail-coverts  and  the  tail  pure  white,  with  a  black 
band ;  primaries  with  a  black  band  increasing  in  width  to  'the 
outermost  one,  which  has  the  whole  of  the  outer  web  aind 
half  of  the  inner  web  black ;  the  rest  of  the  first  five  pri- 
maries white,  the  others  grey,  white-tipped.  Rest  of  the  plumage 
pure  white.  i .  ' 

::  Bill  red,  yellow  at  the  tip;  irides  brown;  feet  dull  red. 
■Length  about  26  inches;  wing  19  to  20;  tail  7  ;  bill  at 
front  2^ ;  tarsus  3.  The  closed  wing  exceeds  the  tail  by  about 
1|  inch. 

In  winter  the  head  and  neck  are  white,  with  a  few  dusky  m^lrk- 
iugs  down  the  nape  and  on  the  back  of  the  neck  ;  and  the  central 
tail  feathers  are  sometimes  grey.  The  young  bird  has  the  head 
white  with  brown  streaks,  the  back  and  wings,  grey  with  brown 
marks,  the  tail  mottled  with  brown  at  its  base. 

This  fine  Guil  is  rare  in  India,  and  I  have  only  seen  it  on  the 
sea  coast,  at  Madras,  and  at  the  head  of  the  Bay  of  Bengal, 
occasionally  coming  up  the  mouth  of  the  Hooghly  and  other  large 
rivers.  It  is  chiefly  an  inhabitant  of  Northern  and  Central  Asia, 
and  Pallas,  who  observed  it  there,  states  that  its  voice  is  deep  and 
like  that  of  the  Raven ;  and  that  it  lays  its  eggs  on  the  sand  of  some 
of  the  larger  rivers.  It  has  lately  been  killed  in^Europe,  and  even 
recently  in  Britain. 


832  BIRDS    OF   INDIA 

Gen.  Xema. 

Syn.  Gavia,  Bonaparte. 

Char. — Of  small  or  moderate  size ;  head  becoming  black  or 
brown  in  summer ;  bill  rather  short,  moderately  stout ;  Tvings 
long  ;  tail  short ;  tarsus  long. 

980.  Xema  brunnicephala,  Jerdon. 

Larus  apud  Jerdon,  Cat.  406 — Blyth,  Cat.  1696. 

The  Brovv'n-headed  Gull. 

Descr. — In  summer  the  whole  head  and  neck  sooty-brown, 
darker  where  it  terminates ;  orbital  feathers  white  posteriorly ; 
back  and  wings  light  grey  ;  nape,  "liind  neck,  upper  tail-coverts, 
and  tail  white  ;  1st  primary  black,  inner  web  white  at  the  base, 
and  with  a  white  subtermiual  band  ;  the  next  has  both  webs  white 
at  the  base,  and  a  smaller  terminal  spot ;  the  3rd  is  grey  with 
still  less  black,  and  no  white,  and  so  on,  lessening  to  the  7th  ;  the 
other  quills  are  all  grey. 

Bill  and  feet  fine  red,  the  former  darker  at  the  tip ;  irides  white. 
Length  about  16  to  17  inches;  wing  13^;  extent  40;  tail  5 J ; 
bill  at  front  1-|. 

In  winter  the  head  is  white,  generally  somewhat  soiled,  often 
with,  a  few  faint  dusky  marks,  and  there  is  always  a  dark  spot 
behind  the  ear-coverts.  The  young  bird  is  coloured  like  the  bird 
in  winter  plumage,  but  the  tail  has  a  dark  band,  and  the  irides  are 
yellow-brown. 

This  Gull  is  very  abundant  throughout  the  whole  of  India,  fre- 
quenting the  sea  coasts  and  ascending  rivers  for  many  miles ;  it  is 
often  found  also  in  large  lakes.  It  has  the  usual  habits  of  its  tribe, 
and  frequently  follows  ships  for  miles  to  pick  up  any  garbage  that 
may  be  thrown  overboard.  Occasionally,  but  not  often,  I  have  seen 
it  feeding  in  newly  ploughed  fields  and  in  marshes.  It  does  not, 
that  I  know  of,  breed  here  ;  its  nidificaton  indeed  is  unknown,  but 
probably  is  in  Cashmere  and  parts  of  Central  Asia. 

981.  Xema  ridibunda,  LiNNiEus. 

Larus  apud  Ltnnjetjs — Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  425 — 
Blyth,  Cat.  1695. 


LARI.ViK.  833 

The  Laughing  Gull. 

Descr. — Head  and  upper  part  of  neck  deep  reddish-brown, 
more  extended  in  front  and  on  the  sides  ;  lower  neck  white  ;  eyelids 
white  ;  upper  plumage  pale  ashy ;  upper  tail- coverts  and  tail  white  ; 
first  four  primaries  white,  tipped  and  edged  with  black  within, 
and  the  first  with  the  outer  web  black ;  5th  and  6th  nearly  all 
black  ;  t]ie  rest  of  the  quills  grey  ;  beneath,  from  the  breast,  white, 
faintly  tinged  with  rosy. 

Bill  and  legs  deep  red  ;  irides  dark  brown.  Length  15  to  16 
inches;  wing  13  ;  tail  5;  bill  at  front  If  ;  tarsus  If. 

In  winter  plumage  the  head  is  white,  with  some  dusky  mark- 
ings on  the  occiput  and  ears. 

The  Laughing  Gull  is  not  so  common  as  the  last  species,  but  it  is 
found  in  the  Bay  of  Bengal,  and  at  the  mouths  of  the  Giinges  and  the 
Hooghly  in  considerable  numbers.  It  appears  to  be  less  common 
in  the  South  of  India,  where  I  never  observed  it.  This  Gull  is 
stated  by  Adams  to  breed  on  the  lakes  of  Ladakh. 

The  Laughing  Gull  inhabits  temperate  and  Northern  Europe  and 
Asia,  breeding  abundantly  in  Britain,  and,  in  company  with  the 
common  Gull,  often  feeding  on  ploughed  lands.  The  eggs  are  said 
to  be  nearly  as  good  as  those  of  Plovers.  The  note  is  a  hoarse 
cackle  compared  by  some  to  a  laugh  ;   hence  its  specific  name. 

Larus  (Xema)  minutus  is  mentioned  by  Captain  Irby  as  having 
been  observed  by  him  in  Oudh  in  its  winter  dress.  It  is  10^ 
inches  long  ;  wing  8f .  It  has  the  occiput  and  nape  streaked 
with  black  in  winter;  a  dusky  spot  under  the  eye,  and  another 
longer  one  behind  the  ear-coverts.  In  summer  the  head  and 
neck  are  black.  As  no  other  observer  has  noted  the  occurrence 
of  this  somewhat  rare  Gull,  I  have  not  at  present  included  it 
among  the  Birds  of  India,  and  I  do  not  know  if  Captain  Irby 
preserved  his  only  specimen.  It  is  known  to  be  found  about 
the  Caspian  Sea,  but  is  chiefly  a  more  Northern  bird. 

Sub-fam.  SxERNiNiE,   Bonap. 
Bill  more  or  Lss   long,  entire,    almost  straight,   compressed  and 
pointed  ;   the  lower  mandible  with  a  more  or  less  strongly  marked 
angular  gonys ;   nostrils  longitudinal ;    wings  long,    pointed,    very 

TART    II.  5    N 


834        .  BIRDS   or   INDIA, 

ample ;  tail  short  and  even,  or  long  and  forked ;  tarsus  short, 
slender ;  toes  short ;  web  usually  scalloped.  Plumage  mostly  pale 
grey  and  white,  or  black  and  white. 

Terns  may  be  said  to  be  Gulls  with  straighter  and  more  slender 
bills,  of  a  more  delicate  make,  witli  longer  wings  and  shorter 
legs.  They  spend  the  greater  part  of  their  lives  on  the  wing, 
and  always  seek  their  food  whilst  flying,  occasionally  plunging  into 
the  water  for  it,  but  generally  seizing  it  off  the  surface  ;  a  few  hunt 
over  marshes  and  fields,  and  eat  grasshoppers  and  other  insects. 
They  fly  with  moderate  rapidity  in  an  unsteady  wavering  manner, 
and  at  a  moderate  height,  and  are  noisy  birds,  screaming  conti- 
nually. Their  short  legs  and  feet  are  quite  unsuited  for  active 
progression  on  the  water,  on  which  indeed  they  rarely  alight. 
During  the  heat  of  the  day,  they  rest  on  sand-banks  in  vast 
numbers.  They  have  a  vernal  moult^  in  general  confined  to 
the  region  of  the  head,  in  a  few  extended  to  the  lower 
surface. 

In  their  anatomy,  colouration,  and  changes  of  plumage,  they 
quite  resemble  Gulls,  as  well  as  in  their  mode  of  propagation,  and 
in  the  colour  of  their  eggs. 

Terns  are  found  all  over  the  world,  many  having  a  wide  distri- 
bution. They  are  tolerably  abundant  throughout  the  greater  part 
of  India,  swarming  in  some  of  our  large  rivers,  and  especially  at  the 
mouths  of  tidal  rivers  and  estuaries.  They  are  generally  called 
Tehari,  H.,  occasionally  Ganga-chil,  and  Mach-louka,  i.  e.,  the 
Ganges  kite,  and  Fish-snatcher  ;  Mamadasu,  Tel.,  also  SamdrapU" 
kaka,  i.  e.,  Sea  Crow  ;  Kivi  of  the  Gonds. 

They  may  be  sub-divided  into  several  natural  groups,  distin- 
guished both  by  slight  structural  features,  and  by  habits.  These 
groups  are  ; — 

1st. — Marsh  Terns,  with  stouter  and  more  Gull-like  bill  and 
body,  and  shortish  tail. 

2nd. — Eiver  Terns,  with  slender  bodies,  and  long  forked  tails. 

3rd. — Sea.  Terns,  with  very  long  wings  and  forked  tail,  and 
yellow  bill. 

4ith. — Oceanic  Terns  and  Noddies,  with  more  or  less  Mack 
plumage;  and  5thly,  Skimmers  (Rhynchops.) 


STERNIN^.  835 

Marsh  Terns. 

Gen.   Sylochklidon,  Brehin. 

Syn.    Thalasseus,  Boie. 

Char. — Bill  very  stout,  deep,  culmen  gently  curving,  gonys 
strongly  angulated  ;  tail  short,  emarginate ;  tarsus  somewhat  long. 

These  are  the  largest  of  all  Terns,  with  very  stout,  red  bills, 
and  a  short  tail.  They  frequent  rivers,  as  well  as  tanks  and 
marshes. 

982.    Sylochelidon  caspius,  Latham. 

Sterna  apud  Latham — Blyth,  Cat.  1698 — Thalassites,  n.  sp., 
Jerdon,  Cat.  405 — Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  414 — S.  strenua, 
Gould  ? 

The  Largest  Tern. 

Descr. — In  summer,  head  above,  nape,  and  ear-coverts  pure 
black;  mantle,  wings,  and  tail  pearl-grey,  some  of  the  first  primaries 
dark-edged  and  tipped  ;  back  of  neck  and  lower  plumage  white. 

h\  winter  the  head  is  white,  the  occiput  marked  with  numerous 
black  streaks. 

Bill  coral-red  ;  irides  brown  ;  feet  black.  Length  18  to  20  inches  ; 
wing  16  ;   extent  49  ;  tail  4^  to  5  ;  bill  at  front  2| ;  tarsus  1|. 

The  wing  reaches  nearly  3  inches  beyond  the  short  tail. 

This  fine  Tern  is  by  no  means  uncommon  in  most  parts  of 
India,  frequenting  rivers,  jheels,  and  tanks.  It  is  generally  seen 
alone,  or  in  pairs,  rarely  a  few  together,  and  it  feeds  chiefly  on 
fish  and  prawns.  It  does  not  appear  to  breed  in  this  covmtry, 
and  probably  retires  to  Central  Asia  for  that  purpose.  It  has 
been  found  over  the  greater  part  of  Southern  and  temperate 
Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa,  and  has  occasionally  been  killed  in 
England.  Pallas  states  that  it  lays  only  two  eggs,  pale  livid  in 
colour  with  dusky  spots. 

6'.  strenua  of  Gould,  from  Australia,  is  apparently  very  closely 
allied  to  this  bird,  if  not  identical  with  it,  and  there  are  other 
species.  Plicetusa  of  Wagler,  with  three  or  four  species,  is  closely 
related  to  Sylochelidon. 


836  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

Gen.  Gelochelidon,  Brehm. 

Syn.    Viralva,  Stephens. 

Bill  moderately  strong,  the  culmen  very  slightly  curved, 
gonys  much  angulated  ;  tail  forked ;  tarsus  rather  long.  Bill 
black. 

983.    Gelochelidon  anglicus,  Montagu. 

Sterna  apud  Montagu— Blyth,  Cat.  1699 — Jerdon,  Cat.  400 
and  403— Sykks,  Cat.  232— S.  affinis,  Horsf. 

The  Gull-billed  Tern. 

Descr. — In  summer,  the  forehead,  grown,  and  nape  deep  black ; 
mantle,  wings  and  tail  light  grey,  paling  on  the  tail  ;  quills 
hoary-grey,  the  first  five  primaries  tipped  with  dusky  on  their 
inner  webs  ;  sides  of  the  head  and  plumage  beneath  pure 
white. 

Bill  and  legs  black,  irides  dark  brown.  Length  14  to  16  inches; 
wing  13  to  14|,  exceeding  the  tail  by  2^  inches;  extent  38  to  40  ; 
tail  5  to  6  ;  bill  at  front  li  ;  tarsus  \\. 

In  winter  the  head  is  white  with  grey  streaks,  the  ear-coverts, 
and  (more  or  less)  round  the  eyes  dusky.  The  young  is  somewhat 
similar  to  the  adult  in  winter  plumage,  but  has  the  primaries  all 
dusky-grey. 

This  Tern  is  exceedingly  abundant  over  all  India,  frequenting 
tanks,  marshes,  and  rivers,  and  occasionally  hunting  over  the 
fields.  It  feeds  alike  on  aquatic  food,  and  on  grasshoppers,  beetles, 
and  other  insects,  and  is  a  noisy  bird.  It  does  not  breed  in 
this  country,  that  I  am  aware  of.  Mr.  Brooks,  Civil  Engineer, 
JMirzapore,  who  has  paid  much  attention  to  the  nidification  of 
these  and  other  birds,  informed  me  that  he  saw  these  birds  pass- 
ing up  the  Ganges  in  continued  flocks,  whilst  other  species  were 
breeding  at  the  time  in  the  vicinity.  The  birds  that  visit  India 
probably  breed  in  Central  and  Western  Asia.  This  species  is 
known  to  breed  in  the  marshes  of  Eastern  Europe  in  numbers, 
being  rare  however  in  England,  in  spite  of  its  very  inappropriate 
specific  name.  Some  closely  allied  races  are  separated  specifically 
by  BoBRparte  and  others. 


8TERNIN.-E.  837 

Gen.  Hydrochelidon,  Boie. 

Bill  rather  long,  slender,  very  gently  arclied  on  tlie'culmen, 
gonys  with  the  ascending  portion  short ;  tail  short,  slightly  foi'ked  ; 
tarsus  moderate  ;  feet  not  fully  webbed. 

984.     Hydrocheiidon  Indica,  Stephens. 

Viralva  apud  Stephens — Blyth,  Cat.  1700 — Sykes,  Cat. 
230 — S.  similis,  Gray,  Hardwickb,  111.  Ind.  Orn.  pi. — 
Jerdon,  Cat.  398  and  404— S.  hybrida,  Pallas— S.  leucopareia, 
Natteuer — S.  grisea,  Horsfield— Gould,  Birds  of  Europe, 
pi.  424. 

The  Small  Marsh  Tern. 

Descr. — In  summer  plumage,  the  head  and  nape  black  ;  lores, 
and  a  broad  line  through  the  eyes,  white  ;  back  of  neck,  mantle, 
wings  and  tail  darkish-grey  ;  chin,  cheeks,  and  sides  of  the  neck 
very  pale  grey,  deepening  on  the  breast ;  abdomen  dull  black  ; 
under  tail-coverts  white. 

Bill  lake  red;  irides  brown;  feet  dull  red.  Length  10  to  11 
inches;  wing  8|  to  9;  extent  29;  tail  3^;  bill  at  front  1/^; 
tarsus  1 ;  extent  27.  The  wings  reach  2  inches  beyond  the  short 
tail. 

In  winter  plumage,  the  forehead  and  round  the  bill  white  | 
top  of  head  and  nape  more  or  less  black,  or  dusky  edged  with 
white  ;  the  whole  lower  parts  white  ;  bill  dusky -lake  ;  feet  dingy 
lake,  or  blackish  with  a  red  tinge  brighter  on  the  back  of  the 
tarsus  and  soles.  The  young  have  the  head  brownish,  dusky  on  the 
occiput,  and  the  usual  mottled  plumage  above  ;  the  primaries  dark 
ashy,  the  bill  dark  brown,  reddish  at  the  base  ;   feet  fleshy-brown. 

This  Tern  is  exceedingly  abundant  in  India,  frequenting 
marshes,  tanks,  and  rivers,  usually  preying  on  aquatic  food,  not 
unfrequently  hunting  over  fields,  beds  of  reeds,  and  marshy  ground, 
where  it  captures  grasshoppers,  caterpillars,  and  other  insects. 
During  the  night,  in  some  parts  of  the  country,  it  roosts  on  thick 
beds  of  reeds,  congregating  in  vast  numbers ;  for  some  time  after 
sunset,  till  nearly  dark,  indeed,  it  may  be  seen  flying  in  scattered 


838  BIRDS    OF   INDIA. 

flocks  in  an  excited  and  hurried  manner  over  the  surface  of  the 
water.  I  do  not  think  that  the  birds  which  I  saw  thus  occupied 
were  at  the  time  engaged  in  capturing  food. 

This  httle  Tern  breeds  in  large  churrs  on  the  Ganges,  and 
probably  on  most  other  large  rivers.  Mr.  Brooks  sent  me  the  eggs 
procured  near  Mirzapore.  It  is  found  over  the  greater  part  of 
Europe,  temperate  Asia,  and  Africa.  Bonaparte  and  others  separate 
the  Indian  and  African  races  from  the  European  birds.  To  this 
genus  belong  iS.  Jissipes  and  S.  nigra  of  Europe- 

Eiver  Terns. 

These  birds  have  longer  and  morq  forked  tails  than  the  Marsh 
Terns,  and  generally  a-  more  slender  body;  the  bill  is  usually  red 
or  yellow.  Two  or  three  sub-divisions  are  distinguished  by 
Systematists.  They  chiefly  frequent  rivers,  and  are  less  social  and 
gregarious  than  the  Marsh  Terns. 

Gen.  Seena,  Blyth. 

Cliar. — Bill  stout,  deep  at  the  base,  moderately  curving  to  the  tip, 
deep  yellow ;   tail  long  and  forked  ;  feet  short,  web  of  small  extent. 

This  form  is  somewhat  intermediate  between  the  Marsh  Terns 
and  the  Eiver  Tern?,  having  a  stouter  lill  than  most  of  the  latter. 
In  its  habits,  however,  it  is  more  a  river  bird.  It  is  classed  by  Gray, 
in  Hodgson's  Birds  of  Nepal,  as  a  Sylochelidon.  There  is  only  one 
species  recorded. 

985.    Seena  aurantia,  Gray. 

Sterna  apud  Gray,  Hardwickr,  111.  Ind.  Zool,  pi. — Blyth, 
Cat.  1706--S.  seena,  Sykes,  Cat.  230— Jerdon,  Cat,  399— S. 
brevirostris.  Gray,  (the  young) — S.  roseata,  Hodgson. 

The  Large  Eiver  Tern. 

Descr. — Whole  head  above  glossy -black ;  upper  plumage  pale- 
grey  ;  tail  with  the  lateral  feathers  white  ;  whole  lower  plumage 
white  ;  the  flanks  tinged  with  ashy. 

Bill  bright  deep  yellow;  irides  brown;  legs  red.  Length  15 
to  16  inches.  Of  the  larger  one,  extent  34  ;  wing  11 ;  tail  7^  ;  bill 
at  front  1  h,  ;  tarsus  1, 


STERNIN^.  839 

This  Tern  is  very  common  throughout  the  greater  part  of  India, 
chiefly  frequenting  rivers,  but  now  and  then  hunting  over  large 
tanks  or  inundated  ground.  It  breeds  on  churrs  and  sand-banks 
throughout  the  country, .  laying  generally  three  eggs.  It  hunts 
usuall}'  singly  or  in  pairs,  or  in  very  small  parties,  and  does  not 
congreo-rate  much. 

Its  geograpiiical  distribution  is  somewhat  limited,  as  it  does  not 
appear  to  occur  out  of  India,  including  Ceylon  and  Burmah,  though 
it  may  perhaps  be  met  with  in  the  South  of  China.  Mr.  Brooks 
informs  me  that  h^  found  a  large  regular  deposit  of  these  Tern's 
eggs,  upwards  of  a  hundred,  mixed  with  those  of  other  species 
and  also  of  the  Skimmer,  on  a  sand-bank  in  the  Ganges. 
"  I  suppose,"  he  writes,  "  that  these  were  laid  by  birds  which  had 
not  time  to  prepare  a  nest." 

Gen.  Sterna,  Linn,  (as  restricted). 

Bill  slender,  lengthened  ;  tall  much  forked ;  the  generic  name 
Sterna  is  now  applied  to  species  similar  to  the  common  Tern 
of  Europe.     The  bill  is  usually  yellow  or  red,  and  the  feet  are  red. 

986.    Sterna  Nirundo,  Linn^us. 

Blyth,  Cat.  1708— Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi,  417. 
The  European  Tern. 

Pescr — Whole  head  above  with  the  nape  black  ;  plumage  above 
pale  grey  ;  upper  tail-coverts  white  ;  tail  pale  grey,  the  feathers 
white  on  their  inner  webs  ;  chin,  throat,  ear-coverts,  and  sides  of 
neck  pure  white  ;  rest  of  the  lower  parts  pearly-greyish-white  ; 
lower  tail-coverts  white. 

Bill  deep  red  ;  irides  brown  ;  legs  red.  Length  121  inches  ;  wing 
nearly  10  ;  tail  4^  ;  bill  at  front  If  ;  tarsus  1.  The  wings  slightly 
exceed  the  tail. 

In  winter,  the  forehead  and  top  of  the  head  are  white  ;  and 
round  the  eyes,  the  occiput  and  nape,  are  blackish  mixed  with  white. 

The  common  Tern  of  Europe  appears  to  be  rare  in  Southern  and 
Central  India,  but,  according  to  Adams,  is  common  on  the  Indus, 
and  the  rivers  of  the  Punjab,  and  also  on  the  lakes  of  Cashmere. 
It  does  not  breed,  as  far  as  is  known,  in  India.  I  procured  it,  on  one 


840  BIRDS   or   INDIA. 

occasion  only,  on  the  lake  at  Ootacaniund  on  tlie  Neilglierries. 

S.  gracilis,  Gould,  appears  to  be  a  very  closely  allied  species  from 
Australia  and  Oceanica;  and  there  are  many  other  allied  species 
recorded. 

987.    Sterna  Javanica,  Horsfield. 

Bltth,  Cat.  1711— S.  melanogaster,  Temminck — Jerdon,  Cat. 
397— Syki-s.  Cat.  229— S.  acuticauda.  Gray,  Hardwicke,  111. 
Ind.  Zool.  pi. 

The  Black-bellied  Term. 

Descr. — Head  and  nape  black ;  ni'ck,  mantle,  wings  and  tail 
light  grey  ;  face,  lores,  and  ear-coverts  white  ;  chin  and  throat 
white ;  neck  and  breast  light  pearl-grey  ;  abdomen,  vent,  and  under 
tail-coverts  brown-black. 

Bill  orange-yellow  ;  irides  brown  ;  legs  vermilion-red.  Length 
12  inches ;  extent  26  ;  wing  9  ;  tail  6 ;  bill  at  front  Ij'g  ;  tarsus  1. 
The  wings  arp  slightly  shorter  than  the  forked  tail. 

In  winter  plumage  the  head  is  white  mixed  with  dusky,  and  the 
abdomen  is  pearly-grey  instead  of  blp.ck. 

This  very  elegant  Tern  is  seen  in  every  river  of  India,  hunting 
singly  or  in  small  scattered  parties.  It  breeds  on  sand- banks  in 
rivers  all  over  the  country,  laying  usually  three  eggs.  Bonaparte 
classes  it  under  Hydroclielidon. 

Yarrell  states  that  *S^e/-n«  ^rt/'ac/wea  Brunnich,  {Dougalii,  Mon- 
tagu) had  been  sent  from  India,  but  I  have  seen  no  other  notice  of 
this  species  occurring  in  this  country. 

Gen.     Sternula,    Blyth. 

Size  small,  bill  slender,  long,  yellow ;  tail  short ;  head  slightly 
crested.  ' 

TJiis  form  in  its  yellow  bill,  and  slightly  crested  head,  approxi- 
mates to  the  Sea-Terns,  and  in  its  habits  is  perhaps  chiefly  a 
Sea-coast  species. 

988.    Sternula  minuta,  Linnjeus. 

Sterna  apud  Linn^:us — Blyth,  Cat.  1712 — Jerdon,  Cat.  401 
—Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi  420. 


Ike""  STERNINiE.  841 

The  Little  Tern. 

Z)fscr.— In  summer,  fore-head  white  ;  the  top  and  nape  of  the 
head,  and  part  of  the  hind  neck,  with  the  lores,  black ;  plumage 
above  pale-grey ;  the  tall  almost  white ;  lower  plumage  white, 
tinged  with  pearly-grey. 

Bill  yellow,  black  at  the  tip  ;  irides  brown  ;  legs  orange.  Length 
S  to  8^  inches ;  extent  20  ;  wing  6^  ;  tail  3  ;  bill  at  front  nearly 
1 J ;  tarsus  -^^j.    The  wing  exceeds  the  tail  by  about  1  inch. 

In  winter  the  black  of  the  head  is  mixed  with  whitish,  and 
the  white  of  the  fore-head  extends  further  backwards.  Some 
doubts  have  been  expressed  as  to  this  species  being  identical  with 
the  European  bird,  but    I  cannot    detect    any  marked   distinction. 

Gould,  P.  Z.  S.,  1855,  p.  50,  gives  Sterna ?  like  minuta,   from 

Sindh.     It  is  perhaps  orientalis  Licht. 

This  minute  Tern  is  most  abundant  at  the  mouths  of  tidal  rivers 
and  back-waters  on  the  Malabar  Coast,  and  is  more  rare  apparently 
on  the  East  Coast,  Inland  I  have  only  found  it  on  the  Ganges, 
in  small  parties.  It  nidificates  in  this  country,  on  sand-banks  in 
the  Ganges,  near  Mirzapore,  where  it  was  found  breeding  by  Mr. 
Brooks  ;  the  eggs  are  large  for  the  size  of  the  bird,  ashy-green  with 
small  spots  and  blotches.  In  Europe,  it  is  chiefly  a  Sea-coast  bird. 
Swinhoe  found  it  breeding  on  Formosa.  A  nearly  allied  species 
is  >S.  nereis,  Gould,  from  Australia. 

Sea    Terns. 

These  birds  exclusively  frequent  the  seas  and  the  mouths  of 
large  rivers.  They  are  elegant  and  lengthened  in  form,  and  of 
very  powerful  flight.  Tiiey  have  all  pale  yellow  bills,  and  black 
feet.  There  are  several  very  closely  allied  species,  and  the  dis- 
tinctive marks  are  not  very  well  ascertained.  They  appear  to  liave 
a  wide  distribution. 

Gen.     Thalasseus,  Boie. 

Syn.     Pelecanopus,  Wagler. 

Char. — Bill  long  and  slender,  much  compressed ;  feet  completely 
webbed  ;  wings  very  long,  exceeding  or  equal  to  the  forked  tail ; 
tarsus  moderate,  compressed  ;  the  nude  portion  of  the  tibia  long. 

PART    II.  5    O 


842  BIRDS    OF    INDIA, 

The  hind  head  is  more  or  less  crested,  and  the  feet  are  more 
fully  webbed  than  in  any  other  of  the  Terns. 

Bonaparte  separates  Pelecanopus  from  Thalasseus,  placing  under 
the  latter  S.  cantiaca  of  Europe  ;  affinis  Riippell ;  and  bengalensis  of 
Lesson,  with  several  American  species  ;  whilst  under  Pelecanopus 
he  xa.uges  pelecanoides,  King;  poliocej'cus,  Gould,  Torresii,  Gould; 
velox,  Eiippell,  and  Bergii,  Licht.* 

989.    Thalasseus  cristatus,  Stephens. 

Sterna  apud  Stephens — Blyth,  Cat.  1703 — S.  pelecanoides, 
King— Gould,  Birds  of  Australia,  VII.  pi.  23  ?— S.  velox,  Rup- 
PELL  Faun.  Abyss,  pi.  13— S.  "Bergii,  Lichtenstein  ?— 5. 
poliocercus,  Gould  ? 

The  Large  Sea  Tern. 

Descr. — Head,  with  the  longish  occipital  crest,  deep  glossy- 
black  ;  fore-head,  lores,  ear-coverts,  nape,  and  all  the  lower  parts 
silky-white ;  back,  wings  and  tail  rather  darkish  silvery-grey ; 
edge  of  the  wing  and  tips  of  the  secondaries  white  ;  quills  dark  at 
the  base  and  tip,  hoary  or  silvery  towards  the  terminal  portion,  with 
the  inner  web  and  shafts  white  internally,  diminishing  in  quantity 
from  the  first. 

Bill  pale  yellow;  irides  dark  brown  ;  legs  black.  Length  17  to 
18  inches;  wing  13  to  14  ;  tail  7;  bill  at  front  2^ ;  tarsus  1;^. 
The  wini^s  slie,htlv  exceed  the  forked  talk 

Without  actual  comparison  of  specimens,  it  is  difficult  to  deter- 
mine the  identity  of  this  Indian  Sea  Tern  with  the  African  and 
Australian  birds.  Sjteoimens  vary  much  in  size  and  proportions 
and  in  the  length  of  bill.  S.  velox  is  said  by  Eiippell  to  be  15 
inches  long,  to  have  the  wing  14,  and  the  bill  3|.  S.  pelecanoides 
of  Gould's  Australia,  appears  from  the  drawing  to  be  somewhat 
larger  than  our  bird  ;  and  in  S.  poliocercus,  the  wing,  as  represented, 
is  nearly  as  long,  being  13  inches.  This  last  species  is  classed 
by  Gray  under  Sylochelidon,  but  surely  this  is  a  mistake. 

This  fine  Tern  is  found  at  the  mouth  of  the  Hooghly,  does  not 
ascend  the  river  to   any    distance,  but    follows   ships  out    to   sea 


rbtse  SeaTemi  esjjeciaiiy  much  raqiiirs  a  thorough  revision  and  coiuparisou. 


STERNINJ2.  843 

for  some  miles.  It  is  also  found  at  Madras  and  on  the  Malabar 
Coast,  at  the  mouths  of  rivers,  and  alon!^  the  coast  and  back-waters. 
It  breeds  on  islands  on  the  Red  Sea,  and  also  in  China. 

990.    Thalasseus  bengaiensis,  Lesson. 

Sterna  apud  Lesson — Bltth,  Cat.  1704 — Jerdon,  Cat.  402 — 
S.  affinis,  Riippell,  F.,  Ab.,  pi.  14. — S.  Torresii,  GouLD,  Birds 
of  Australia  VII.,  pi.  25 — S.  media,  Horsfield — S.  poliocercus, 
Gould  ? 

The  Smaller  Sea-Tern. 

Descr. — -Whole  head,  including  the  fore-head  and  occipital  crest, 
glossy-black  ;  lores,  face,  sides  of  neck,  and  all  the  lower  parts 
white  ;  upper  plumage  light  silvery- grey,  paling  slightly  on  the 
tail ;  quills  dark  grey,  white  on  the  inner  portion  of  the  inner  webs. 

Bill  yellow  ;  irides  deep  brown  ;  legs  black.  Length  15  to  16 
inches  ;  wing  12  ;  tail  6^;   bill  at  front  2^;  tarsus  nearly  1;^, 

The  same  remarks  apply  to  this  species  as  to  the  previous  one. 
6'.  Torresii  is  represented  as  having  the  wing  13  inches  lonir,  and 
the  bill  2~-Q.     S.  offinis  has  the  wing  11,   and  the  bill  2^. 

This  species  has  the  same  haunts  and  habits  as  the  lasr,  and  is 
perhaps  more  abundant,  especially  about  the  back-waters  of  Madras 
and  the  Malabar  Coast.  The  bill  is  much  more  slender  tiian  in  the 
large  Sea-Tern.  It  breeds  in  islands  in  the  Red  Sea,  and  the  eggs  of 
both  this  and  the  last  species  are  figured  in  one  volume  of  the  'Ibis.' 

A  specimen  from  the  Red  Sea  in  the  Museum  of  the  Asiatic 
Society  is  smaller  than  Indian  specimens,  agreeing  nearly  with 
Riippell's  measurements  of  .b'.  affinis. 

A  peculiar  form  of  Tern,  S.  incn,  Lesson,  has  been  separated  as 
Lai'osterna  by  Blyth,  and  Inca  by  Strickland ;  and  the  only  other 
genus  recorded  is  Gygis,  Wagler,  containing  one  (or  two)  pure 
white  species  of  Tern  from  the  Oceanic  region. 

Oceanic  Terns  and  Noddies. 
Gen.  Ontchoprion,  Wagler. 
Syn.  Ilaliplana. 

Char. — Bill  long,  slender,  black  ;  wings  long ;  feet  fully  webbed  ; 
tail  moderate,  slightly  forked  ;  middle  toe  with  the  claw  serrated. 


844  BIRDS    or    INDIA. 

These  Terns  are  true  Oceanic  birds,  and  have  a  wide  geographic 
distribution.  In  the  serration  of  the  mid-toe,  tliey  show  their  near 
affinity  to  Anous,  from  which  they  diffei  by  their  shorter  bills  and 
slightly  forked  tail. 

The  first  is  a  link  between  the  Sea-Terns  and  true  Onychoprion, 
and  I  follow  Blyth  in  classing  it  under  the  latter  form,  though 
perhaps  it  would  range  better  under  Sternula ;  it  is  however  more 
decidedly  Oceanic  in  its  habits. 

991.    Onychoprion  melanauchen,  Temminck. 

Sterna  apud  Temminck — Blyth,- Cat.  1713— Gould,  Birds  of 
Australia  VII.,  pi.  28~S.  minuta  apud,  HoRSFiELD— S.  mar- 
ginata,  Blyth,  (the  young.) 

The  Black-naped  Tern. 

Descr. — Fore-head  and  head  white  ;  lores,  and  a  line  continued 
through  the  eyes  gradually  widening  and  extending  over  the  nape 
and  hind  neck  black  ;  upper  plumage  pale  grey  ;  the  first  primary 
dark  grey  on  the  outer  web  ;  lower  plumage  white. 

Bill  black,  reddish  at  the  base  of  the  lower  mandible  and  tip  ; 
feet  black.  Length  12  inches  ;  wing  9  ;  tail  5^  ;  bill  at  front  1|-  ; 
tarsus  f .     The  closed  wings  are  about  equal  to  tlie  tail. 

The  plumage  of  the  young  bird  is  much  mixed  with  blackish 
above,  and  shows,  says  Blyth,  the  propriety  of  ranking  it  with 
Onychoprion. — Bonaparte  classes  it  under  Sternula. 

The  black-naped  Tern  has  been  occasionally  found  in  the  Bay 
of  Bengal.  It  extends  through  all  the  i\Ialayan  Islands  to  Aus- 
tralia. It  is  stated  to  breed  on  the  Nicobar  Islands,  as  probably 
others  of  the  same  group  do. 

992.    Onychoprion  anasthsetus,  Scopoli. 

Sterna  apud  Scopoli — Blyth,  Cat.  1714 — S.  panayana, 
Latham— Gould,  Birds  of  Australia,  VII,  p.  33 — S.  infuscata, 
Lichtknstein — S.  antarctica,  Lesson. 


STERNINvfi.  845 

TuE  Bkown-wingeo  Tekn. 

DescT. — Fore-head  white,  top  of  the  head  black ;  nape  pxue 
silky-white,  plumage  above  ashy-grey,  with  white  margins  to  the 
feathers  of  the  back  ;  wings  dusky-brown,  black  along  the  margin, 
over  the  radius,  and  edged  in  front  with  white  ;  quills  blackish, 
paler  internally  ;  face  and  lower  plumage  white. 

Bill  dusky-reddish,  red  towards  the  base  of  the  lower  mandible  ; 
gullet  blackish;  legs  coral-red.  Length  14  inches;  wing  10; 
tail  6f  ;  bill  at  front  If  ;  tarsus  y'y. 

This  Tern  is  occasionally  found  'v&  the  Bay  of  Bengal ;  and  is 
more  common  in  the  Indian  Ocean.  It  abounds  in  the  Red  Sea. 
In  its  colouration  it  approaches  closely  to  the  Noddies. 

Nearly  allied  is  O.  serrata,  Forster,  (fuliginosus,  Gmeiiu  and 
Gould,)  found  all  through  the  Pacific  Islands. 

Gen.  Angus,  Leach. 

Syn.  Megalopterus,  Boie. 

Char. — Bill  long,  slender,  straight,  very  slightly  curved  towards 
the  tip  ;  gonys  well  marked,  short ;  nostrils  in  a  large  groove ; 
wings  very  long ;  tail  slightly  rounded  ;  tarsus  short ;  feet  large, 
fully  webbed  ;  toe  serrated. 

The  Noddies  are  well-known  Oceanic  birds,  frequenting  tropical 
and  juxta-tropical  seas.  They  dijSer  from  most  other  Terns  by  their 
even  or  somewhat  rounded  tails,  and  still  more  in  the  manner  of 
their  flight,  which  is  steady  and  slow.  They  settle  on  the  water 
when  taking  their  food,  which  consists  chiefly  of  molluscs  and  fatty 
matter,  and  they  are  very  silent  biide.  Sundevall,  who  noted  these 
difierences,  states  that  in  their  mode  of  life  they  resemble  Petrels 
rather  than  Terns. 

993.    Anous  stolidus,  LmNtEus. 

Sterna  apud  Linnaeus — Blyth,  Cat.  1715 — Gould,  Birds  of 
Australia,  VII.,  pi.  34, 

The  Noddy. 

Descr. — Entirely  sooty  brown,  with  a  darker  band  along  the 
radius,  and  the  quills  and  tail  blacker,  somewhat  paler  on  the 
head  and  neck  ;  lores  dark  brown,  with  a  narrow  wliite  line  divid- 
ing   this    from  the  hue  of  the  head,    which   at  times    (probably  in 


846  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

summery  appears  to  assume  a  delicate  purplish  ash-colour  as  far 
as  the  crown,  gradually  shading  into  the  brown  of  the  occiput ; 
lower  parts  slightly  lighter  than  above. 

Length  14^  to  16  inches  ;  of  one  of  the  latter  dimensions,  wing 
11^;  tail  5^;  bill  1^;  one  of  the  smaller  dimensions  had  the 
wing  10^  ;  tail  6  ;  bill  1|  ;  tarsus  1  ;  middle  toe  1|. 

The  young  bird  has  the  feathers  blackish,  edged  with  white. 

Bonaparte  separates  stolidus  of  Linnoeus  from  the  species  figured 
as  such  by  Gould. 

994.    Anous  tenuirostris,  Temminck. 

Sterna  apud  Temminck  PI.  col.  ;g02 — Blyth.  Cat.  1716 — A. 
leucocapillus,  Gould,  Birds  of  Australia,   VII.  pi.  36.? 

The  White-headed  Noddy. 

Descr. — Fore-head  and  crown  pearly  white  ;  the  rest  of  the 
plumage  sooty-brown ;  quills  blackish-brown,  the  first  black  on 
their  outer  webs. 

Bill  black  ;  gullet  pale-yellow  ;  feet  black  with  the  web  fleshy- 
yellow.  Length  11  to  12  inches;  wing  8f  ;  tail  5|- ;  bill  at  front 
2^  ;  tarsus  f  ;  middle  toe  \^.  Heuglin  gives  one  as  14  inches 
long;  wing  9^;  and  it  is  doubtful  if  Temminck's  species  be  identical 
with  Gould's ;  indeed  Bonaparte  separates  it  under  the  name  senex, 
Leach. 

These  two  species  of  Noddy,  which  resemble  each  other 
very  closely,  are  occasionally  killed  in  the  Bay  of  Bengal  and 
the  Indian  Ocean  ;  and  are  found  over  a  vast  extent  of  tropical 
and  sub-tropical  seas.  They  breed  on  clefts  of  rocks,  laying  two 
or  three  whitish  eggs  with  large  brown  blotches.  The  latter  species 
is  said  to  be  found  in  countless  numbers  in  the  Red  Sea,  and  to 
breed  on  islands  there.  Two  or  three  other  races  are  given  by 
systematists  as  distinct ;  and  some  have  been  generically  separated 
as  Procelsterna  by  Lafresnaye. 

Skimmers. 
Gen.  Rhynchops,  Linnaeus. 

Char. — Bill  with  the  vipper  mandible  much  shorter  than  the 
lower  one,  exceedingly  compressed,  long,  straight,  the  tip  of  both 
mandibles  truncated  ;  wings  long ;  feet  short ;  webs  excised. 


STERNIN^.  847 

These  remarkable  biids  have  the  bill  compressed  at  the  point, 
as  fine  as  a  pen-knife,  and  flexible  ;  the  use  it  is  put  to  is  still  a 
problem. 

995.    Rhynchops  albicollis,  Swainson. 

Blyth,  Cat.   1697— GiiAY,  111.  Gen.,  Birds,   pi.   180. 

The  Indian    Skimmer. 

Descr. — Crown  of  the  head,  back  and  scapulars,  rump  and  the 
two  central  tail-feathers  sooty-brown  or  black,  the  quills  some- 
what darker,  edges  of  the  secondaries  and  tertiaries  white  ;  fore- 
head, face  to  the  eyes,  the  back  of  the  neck,  and  the  whole  lower 
parts,  with  the  sides  of  the  lower  back  and  rump  and  the  lateral 
tail-feathers,  Avhite ;  Aving  beneath  pale  glossy-cinereous. 

Bill  deep  orange,  yellowish  at  the  tip  of  both  mandibles ;  irides 
brown;  legs  bright  vermilion-red.  Length  16^  inches  ;  extent  44  ; 
wing  16;  tail  4| :  bill,  upper  mandible  2|,  lower  mandible  to  gape 
3|;  tarsus  1^. 

The  young  bird  has  the  feathers  edged  with  creamy-white,  and 
the  bill  and  legs  dusky -yellow. 

This  remarkable  bird  is  found  throughout  India,  frequenting 
rivers,  especially  the  larger  ones.  It  associates  in  flocks  of  from 
twenty  to  fifty  or  more,  and  skims  up  and  down  the  river  with 
a  peculiar  flight,  keeping  close  to  the  water,  and  now  and  then 
dipping  its  bill  into  the  stream.  It  is  asserted  that  it  picks  up  small 
fish  and  Crustacea,  and  it  is  quite  possible  that  it  does  so  occasion- 
ally, but  I  have  examined  several  and  never  found  any  remains 
of  those  animals  in  their  stomachs.  I  have  generally  discovered 
merely  a  little  oily  fluid,  and  I  confess  thut  I  am  ignorant  of  what  it 
actually  lives  on.  Some  travellers  have  asserted  that  the  African 
species  feed  on  the  ground,  searching  the  soft  mud  with  their  beaks, 
but  I  have  never  seen  the  Indian  birds  so  engaged,  and  doubt  their 
doin'if  so.  At  one  time  I  was  Inclined  to  think  that  these  birds 
perhaps  fed  at  night,  and  had  such  a  rapid  digestion,  that  no  remains 
of  their  food  were  to  be  seen  during  the  day,  but  on  one  occasion 
I  shot  several,  in  company  with  Mr.  W.  Blanford,  en  the  Irra- 
waddy,  rather  early  one  morning,  and  we  found  nothing  but  the 
usual  oily  fluid,  and  that  in  very  small  quantity, 


848  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

The  Skimmer  breeds  in  April  and  May  on  sandy  churrs,  laying 
four,  occasionally  five  eggs,  of  a  pale  stone-yellow  colour  with 
blotches  of  gray  and  brown,  quite  Tern-like.  The  young  when 
hatched  are  stated  by  Burgess  to  be  clad  in  a  whity-brown  down 
with  dark  spots.  Mr.  Brooks  writes  mc  that  he  found  the  young 
Skimmers  hatched  by  the  15th  April  at  Mirzapore,  and  that  "  it  was 
amusing  to  see  an  army  of  some  hundreds  of  these  little  fellows 
(Tortoise-shell  looking  things^  running  steadily  a  couple  of  hun- 
dred yards  before  us.  They  run  well,  and  when  we  reached  the 
end  of  the  sand- bank,  they  attempted  to  swim  ofi",  while  many 
squatted  down.  They  did  not  make  much  way  swimming,  and 
sank  very  deep  in  the  water."  Three  other  species  are  recorded 
from  Africa  and  America. 

Tribe,  PisCATORES — Blyth. 

PelicanidcB,  Vigors. 

Feet  entirely  webbed,  the  hind  toe  -articulated  on  the  inner  side 
of  the  tarsus,  directed  inwards  and  in  some  slightly  forwards, 
joined  to  the  inner  front  toe  by  web,  forming  a  most  powerful 
oar  ;  legs    short ;  Avings    long  or   moderate  ;   bill  varied. 

The  birds  of  this  tribe,  though  so  highly  aquatic,  perch  well 
on  trees,  and  indeed  all  evince  strong  scansorial  tendencies. 
Like  the  last  tribe  of  the  Grallatores  (the  Cultirosires),  these  birds 
also  breed  mostly  on  trees  or  rocks,  and  tlie  young  are  helpless 
at  birth,  remaining  long  in  the  nest.  They  have  generally  some 
naked  skin  at  the  base  of  the  bill  and  throat,  which  is  more  or 
less  extensile,  and  the  tongue  is  very  small.  The  nostrils  are 
pervious  in  the  young,  all  but  closed  in  the  adult.  The  stomach  is 
thin,  large,  often  furnished  with  an  accessory  sac  ;  the  intestines 
are  short,  and  they  have  small  caeca.  The  sternum  is  wide,  barely 
emarginate,  and  the  furcula  is  anchylosed  to  it.  The  eggs  of 
many  are  encased  in  a  soft  absorbent  chalky  substance  coverinor 
the  hard  shell ;  and  they  are  said  not  to  moult  their  plumage 
before  the  second  autumn.  They  are  all  very  voracious  birds  feed- 
ing chiefly  on  fishes. 

The  Piscatores  may  be  divided  into, — 1st,  Flying  Fishers, 
FhaetonidcE, — 2nd,    Plunging  Fishers  or  SitlidcB, — 3rd,   Pouncing 


PHAETONIDiE.  849 

Fishers — Attagenidee ;  4th,    Swimming  Fishers — Pelecanida;  and 
5th,  Diving  Fishers — Graculida. 

Fam.  Phaetonid^. 

Bill  somewhat  as  in  the  Terns,  moderate,  stout,  straight,  but 
curved  on  the  culmen,  the  margins  finely  dentated ;  and  the 
nostrils  pervious  at  all  ages  ;  wings  very  long  ;  tail  with  the  two 
central  feathers  greatly  elongated;  tarsus  very  short;  toes  moderate, 
webbed  to  the  tip  ;  lower  part  of  the  tibia  nude  ;  hallux  short. 

The  Tropic  birds,  or  Boatswain-birds  of  Sailors,  are  well  known 
frequenters  of  all  tropical  regions  of  the  Ocean,  and  are  generally 
seen  throughout  the  Bay  of  Bengal  flying  about  ships,  and  often 
very  far  from  land.  They  appear  rarely  to  resort  to  the  shore 
except  to  breed,  and  they  perch  and  nidificate  on  trees.  They  are 
nearly  related  to  the  Gannets  on  one  side,  and  on  the  other 
perhaps  to  the  Terns  ;  their  flight  is  very  rapid. 

Gen.  Phaeton,  Linnjeus. 
Char. — Those  of  the  family. 

996.    Phaeton  rubricauda,  Boddaert. 

p.  aethereus  apud  Blyth,  Cat.  1 735 — P.  phoenicurus,  Gmelin 
— Gould,  Birds  of  Australia,  VII,  pi.  73. 

The  Red-tailed  Tropic-bird. 

Descr. — Silky-white,  with  a  pink  gloss  ;  a  black  crescentic  mark 
in  front  of  and  behind  the  eye  ;  the  stem  of  the  first  primaries, 
the  middle  of  some  of  the  tertiaries,  some  of  the  feathers  of  the 
flanks,  and  the  two  lengthened  central  tail-feathers  red,  the  latter 
white  at  their  base. 

The  young  bird  has  the  whole  upper  surface  with  black,  arrow- 
shaped  marks  ;  the  first  of  the  primaries  black  externally,  and  the 
tertiaries  chiefly  black  with  a  white  border  ;  tail  white,  the  stems 
black  at  the  base. 

Bill  red  ;  feet  red.  Leno^th  includino;  the  central  tail-feathers 
24  to  25  inches  ;  wing  12  to  14  ;  outer  tail-feathers  5  ;  bill  at  front 
2^ ;  tarsus  1 ;  middle  toe  If. 

PART    II.  5   P 


850  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

This  Tropic  bird  is  found  throughout  all  the  Indian  and  Australian 
tropical  regions,  and  is  frequently  seen  in  the  Bay  of  Bengal,  and 
in  the  Indian  Ocean.  Its  voice  is  said  to  resemble  that  of  Sterna 
Caspia.  Sundevall,  who  notices  this  species  (apparently)  under 
P.  d'therins,  states  that  its  flight  is  less  rapid  than  that  of  the  next 
bird.  It  is  much  larger,  but  the  central  tail-feathers  are  not 
nearly  so  long. 

997.    Phaeton  candidus,  Brisson. 

Lepturus  apud  Brisson — Blyth,  Cat.  1736— PI.  Enl.  369 — P. 
flavirostris,  Brandt. 

The  White  Tropic-bird. 

Descr. — Plumage  white  ;  a  black  mark  in  front  of  the  eye, 
extending  through  the  eye  along  the  sides  of  the  head ;  a  black 
band  on  the  wings  continued  by  the  tertiaries  and  scapulars; 
first  primaries  black  externally,  the  tip  white  ;  tail  pure  white, 
the  stem  black. 

Bill  yellow;  feet  dusky.  Length  29  inches;  wing  11;  bill  at 
front  2  ;  tarsus  | ;  middle  toe  If. 

This  Tropic  bird  frequents  tropical  seas,  and  has,  it  is  stated, 
been  killed  in  the  Bay  of  Bengal.  It  is  said  to  breed  on  high 
trees  in  the  Mauritius  and  elsewhere.  It  is  probably  the  species 
referred  by  Sundevall,  with  doubt,  to  P.  melanorhynchus  (No.  102 
of  his  list.)  He  states  that  "during  flight  they  frequently  turn  the 
head  and  look  behind  them ;  they  seem  to  be  very  inquisitive, 
and  often  come  near  to  examine  the  pennant.  They  would  fly 
round  it  for  half  an  hour,  and  look  at  it  from  every  side  as 
though  they  would  bite  at  it,  fly  away,  and  return  several  times. 
Occasionally  they  plunged  straight  down  into  the  water  to  catch 
flying-fish." 

Fara.  SuLiDiE,  Bonap. 

Bill  stout,  straight ;  wings  long ;  tail  moderate,  wedged ;  feet 
■fully  Avebbed ;  size  large.  Of  Oceanic  habits.  The  plunging- 
ftshers  comprise  only  one  genus. 


SULIDiE.  851 

Gen.  SuLA,  Brisson. 

Syn.  Di/sporus,  Illiger. 

Char. — Bill  lengthened,  compressed,  straight,  thick  at  the  base, 
acute  and  compressed  at  the  tip  ;  margin  serrated  ;  culmen  convex  ; 
upper  mandible  furrowed ;  nostrils  minute,  almost  impervious,  in 
along  groove,  supposed  to  be  wanting;  wings  very  long;  tail 
moderately  long,  wedge-shaped ;  tarsus  short ;  claw  of  the  middle 
toe  pectinated  externally. 

The  Gannets  are  much  on  the  wing,  from  which  they  always 
take  their  prey,  plunging  down  on  it  from  a  considerable  height, 
some  into  the  water,  others  catching  their  prey  (flying-fishes)  in 
the  air.  Their  legs  are  not  placed  very  far  backwards,  and  they 
can  walk  with  the  body  horizontal.  Sundevall  remarks  that  they  fly 
somewhat  heavily,  with  considerable  flapping  of  their  wings;  that 
they  are  found  far  out  at  sea,  but  generally  over  bauks,  where  the 
water  is  not  very  deep,  and  that,  like  the  Tropic-birds,  they  often 
look  behind  them  during  flight.  He  also  states  that  he  saw  them  in 
small  flocks  in  winter,  but  either  alone  or  in  pairs  in  June  and  July. 
They  are  well  known  to  sailors  for  their  stupidity,  alighting  on 
vessels  and  allowing  themselves  to  be  caught  easily.  They  nestle 
on  rocks,  and  lay  a  single  egg.  Two  species  are  occasionally 
found  in  the  Bay  of  Bengal  and  the  Indian  Ocean.  The  first 
species  is  separated  by  Bonaparte  as  Dysporus. 

998.    Sula  fiber,  Linn^us. 

Pelecanus  apud  Linn^us — Blyth,  Cat.  1738 — Gould,  Birds 
of  Australia,  VII,  pi.  78— P.  sula  Linn. 

The  Booby. 

Descr. — Above  dark-brown,  darkest  on  the  back,  quills  and 
tail ;  lower  parts  white. 

Length  26  to 29  inches;  wing  16^;  tail  7|;  bill  at  front  4  ;  tar- 
sus 1| ;  middle  toe  3;^.   The  young  has  the  lower  parts  also  brown. 

This  species  occurs  in  the  Bay  of  Bengal  and  the  Indian  Ocean, 
and  I  received  a  specimen  from  the  Malabar  Coast.  Mr.  Blyth  in- 
formed me  that  one  captured  on  board  a  Cape  Steamer  disgorged  a 
quantity  of  flying-fish;    he  believes  that  it  occurs    chieily    where 


852  BIEDS   OF   INDIA. 

those  fishes  abound,  and  that  it  does  not  plunge  into  the  water  for 
its  food  like  S.  hassana.  It  is  known  to  breed  on  Ascension 
Island,  which  is  hence  called  by  some  of  our  sailors  Booby  Fair. 

S.  parva,  Gmel.,  is  given  by  Bonaparte  as  another  species  of 
restricted  Dysporus.  The  next  bird  is  the  type  of  Piscatrix  of 
Reichenbach. 

999.     Sula  piscator,  Linnaeus. 

Pelecanus  apud  Linn^us — Bltth,  Cat.  1739 — Gould,  Birds 
of  Australia,  VII,  pi.   79 — S.  Candida,  Brisson. 

The  White  Pooby. 

Descr. — White,  the  rump  and  upper  tail-coverts  slightly  mottled 
with  dusky  ;   and  the  wings  and  tail  dusky-black. 

Bill  and  feet  red.  Length  26  to  27  inches  ;  wing  15  to  16|  ; 
tail  7^  to  8;  bill  at  front  3|  to  3/^ ;  middle  toe  o^^  to  3|;  tarsus  2. 

Occasionally  seen  in  the  Bay  of  Bengal  and  Indian  Ocean. 

To  restricted  Sula  (and  if  Mr.  Blyth's  surmise  above  noted  be 
correct,  the  distinction  extends  to  the  habits)  belongs  the  well 
known  S.  bassana,  or  Solan  Goose ;  also  *S.  australis,  and  S. 
personata,  Gould,  with  two  or  three  other  species. 

Fam.  Attagenid^. 

This  family  comprises  only  one  genus,  with  two  known  species. 

Gen.  Attagen,  Moehring. 

Syn.     Fregata,  Cuvier,  Tachypetes,  Illiger. 

Char. — Bill  long,  much  hooked  at  the  tip,  both  mandibles 
being  well  bent  downwards  ;  wings  very  long ;  tail  long,  forked  ; 
tarsus  short,  partially  feathered ;  feet  small ;  web  slightly  deve- 
loped ;  claws  short,  curved. 

The  Frigate  birds  have  their  wings  very  highly  developed  and 
live  almost  entirely  in  the  air,  taking  their  prey  on  the  wing, 
pouncing  on  flying-fishes  as  they  rise  from  the  water,  and  also  pur- 
suing Boobies  and  other  birds  till  they  disgorge  or  drop  their  prey, 
which  they  dexterously  seize  before  it  reaches  the  water.  Their 
form  and  habits  so  much  resemble  those  of  some  of  the  Raptores, 


PELECANID^.  853 

that  Linnaeus  named  the  common  species  Aquilus.  Bonaparte 
remarks  of  this  genus,  'scarcely  Totipalmate,  rather  the  first  of  the 
Longipen7ies.^ 

1000.     Attagen  aquilus,  Linnaeus. 

Pelecanus  apud  LiNNiEus — P.  Icucocephalus,  Gmelin — Gould, 
Fiirds  of  Australia,  VII,  pi.  71. 

The  Frigate  Bird. 

Z)gscr.— Adult,  entirely  glossy-black  ;  young  bird  with  the  head, 
neck,  and  lower  abdomen  white ;  the  rest  of  the  body  glossy- 
black. 

Length  37  inches;  wing  26  ;  tail  15|.     Bill  and  feet  red. 

I  received  a  specimen  of  this  bird,  in  young  plumaore  , which 
was  shot  on  the  ]\Ialabar  Coast  off  Mangalore,  and  believe  that  it  is 
not  unfrequently  seen  in  the  Bay  of  Bengal  and  Indian  Ocean. 
Sundevall  states  that  he  observed  it  but  rarely  further  north  than 
10°  N.  L.  It  flies  high  in  circles  like  a  bird  of  prey  and  occasionally 
plunges  into  the  water  after  flying-fislies.  He  further  states  that 
"the  feet  of  this  bird  are  more  like  those  of  Rapacious  than  of  Nata- 
torial birds,  the  membrane  being  scarcely  larger  than  that  found  at 
the  base  of  the  toes  of  many  birds  of  prey.  The  plumage  has  also 
a  rather  anomalous  appearance  for  a  water-bird,  especially  in  the 
feathered  tibia.  It  constitutes  a  truly  transitional  form  between 
the  Rapacious  and  Natatorial  birds." 

This  bird  is  said  to  breed  on  Ascension  Island,  laying  one  egg 
on  the  ground,  which,  says  Barton  (Vide  Linn.,  Trans.  XIII.,  1), 
is  incubated  by  the  male. 

A  second  species  of  Frigate  bird  is  A.  minor,  Gmel.,  {ariel, 
Gould)  like  the  last  but  much  smaller,  from  Australian  seas. 

Fam.  Pelecanid^. 

Bill  enormous,  with  a  large  mandibular  pouch.  Of  very  large 
size.  They  chiefly  frequent  inland  lakes  and  rivers,  and  form  one 
genus. 

Gen.  Pelecanus,  Linnaeus. 
Char. — Bill    very   long,   straight,   broad    and  flattened,    the  tip 
well  hooked ;  nostrils  concealed  in   a  long  groove  extending  the 


854  BIRDS    OF    INDIA. 

whole  length  of  the  bill;  lower  mandible  thin,  of  two  narrow 
flexible  bony  arches  supporting  a  huge  extensile  pouch ;  orbits 
nude  ;  wings  long,  very  ample,  2nd  primary  longest ;  tail  short, 
rounded,  soft;  tarsus  short,  stout;  feet  large. 

Hawasil,  H. — Bellua,  Birua  or  Bherua,  in  Behar.  Gugun-bher 
in  some  parts — Gang-goya  of  some — Gara-polo,  or  Gora-pallo, 
Beng. — Peyn  Sindh. — Chinka-batu,  Tel. — Madde-pora,  Tam. 

Pelicans  are  well  known  birds  of  gigantic  size,  which,  in 
spite  of  their  heavy  bodies,  are  remarkably  buoyant  in  flight, 
and  several  species  migrate  to  vast  distances,  flying  in  regular  lines. 
They  occur  all  over  the  world.  They  fly  with  their  necks  drawn 
back.  On  land  they  are  not  very  agile,  having  a  waddling  gait. 
They  feed  chiefly  on  fishes,  which  they  catch  simply  by  putting 
down  their  heads  whilst  swimming;  and  they  never  dive.  They 
nidificate  on  trees,  makinf?  a  larfje  nest  of  sticks. 

There  are  several  species  found  in  India,  but  the  determination 
of  these  I  have  found  to  be  a  work  of  considerable  difficulty,  and 
I  am  by  no  means  satisfied  tiiat  the  identifications  I  have  adopted 
are  perfectly  correct. 

There  are  two  forms  distinguishable  by  the  termination  of  the 
frontal  plumes.  In  the  one,  typified  by  P.  onocrotalus  and  its 
allies,  the  frontal  plumes  gradually  narrow  and  come  to  a  more  or 
less  fine  point ;  in  the  other,  typified  by  P.  crispus,  the  frontal  fea- 
thers advance  without  narrowing  much  and  terminate  in  a  square 
and  somewhat  emarginate  ending.  Of  the  first  form  we  have 
apparently  three  species  in  India. 

1001.    Pelecanus  onocrotalus,  Linnaeus. 

Shaw,  Zool. — Latham.  Gen.  Hist. — Gould,  Birds  of  Europe, 
pi.  405?— P.  Javanicus,  apud  Blyth,  Cat.  1741  A. — LiCHTENS- 
TEiN,  Abhand.  Akad.  Berlin,  1838,  pi.  Ill,  f.  1. 

The  European  Pelican. 

Descr. — Plumage  pure  white,  in  some  tinged  faintly  with  rosy ; 
primaries  and  winglet  black  ;  the  first  primaries  with  white  shafts, 
and  the  secondaries  with  the  outer  webs  white,  and  the  inner  grey  ; 


PELECANIDiE.  855 

occiput  with  a  very  small  crest  of  the  same  kind  as  the  feathers 
on  the  neck,  short  and  close  ;  rump  and  tail  white ;  the  feathers 
of  the  back  and  wing-coverts  short  and  rounded,  al!  the  feathers 
white-shafted.  Lichtenstein  however  states,  with  reference  to  this 
point,  that  in  females  these  feathers  are  always  more  round- 
ed than  in  the  males,  and  that  moreover  the  tuft  or  crest  is 
smaller. 

Bill  reddish  at  the  base,  yellowish  towards  the  point,  with  a 
crimson  central  line  extending  to  the  tip  ;  nude  orbits  fleshy ; 
pouch  yellowish  mixed  with  red  and  purple ;  irides  broAvn  or 
grey  ;  legs  and  feet  livid  fleshy  with  a  tinge  of  yellow.  Length  of 
a  specimen  in  the  Museum  of  the  Asiatic  Society  5  feet  8  inches  ; 
wing  28  ;  tail  8  ;  bill  15^  ;  tarsus  4| ;  middle  toe  and  claw  5;^.  The 
bill  is  said  to  be  above  16  inches  occasionally.  Shaw  and  Latham 
both  give  the  expanse  as  15  feet,  but  that  is  evidently  erroneous. 
Weight  25  lbs.  (Pallas.) 

This  bird  certainly  appears  to  be  the  true  onocrotalus  of 
Linnceus  and  the  older  authors.  All  describe  the  crest  as  very 
small  and  Shaw's  figure  corresponds  exactly  with  the  specimen  in 
the  Asiatic  Society's  Museum  from  India,  and  one  lately  received 
from  Hungary  as  true  onocrotalus  does  not  differ.  Pallas  cor- 
rectly says  that  the  feathers  of  the  neck  are  small,  and  soft,  and 
that  those  at  the  nape  are  a  little  longer,  forming  a  sub-crest.  He 
however  gives  smaller  dimensions  than  those  above. 

Lichtenstein,  in  his  paper  in  the  Transact.  Royal  Academy 
of  Berlin  for  1838,  states  that  "  the  cheek  feathers  are  broad  and 
rounded,  and  that  those  of  hind  head  are  very  small  short  feathers, 
collected  together  into  a  small  tuft  which,  in  young  birds,  or 
in  adults  by  abrasion,  are  often  scarcely  perceptible."  In  the 
specimens  examined  the  feathers  of  the  neck  are  open,  flimsy 
and  downy,  slightly  curving  upwards  near  the  occiput  where  they 
form  a  small,  slightly  recurved  tuft. 

Bree  in  his  Birds  of  Europe  figures,  apparently,  the  crested 
Pelican,  P.  mitratus  of  Lichtenstein,  as  onocrotalus ;  and  Blytli  also 
considered  the  fully-crested  bird  to  be  the  common  European  species. 
I  see  however  that  Gurney,  in  a  paper  on  the  Birds  of  Africa, 
recognises  P.  mitratus  as  a  distinct  species. 


856  BIEDS    OF   INDIA. 

This  large  white  Pelican  is  a  regular  visitant  to  India  during 
the  cold  weather,  sometimes  appearing  in  considerable  flocks,  and 
clearing  whole  tanks  and  jheels  of  their  fish,  to  the  dismay  of 
the  fishermen.  They  form  a  dense  line  across  the  tank,  and 
regularly  hunt  it  from  one  end  to  the  other. 

1002.    Pelecanus  mitratus,  Lichtenstein. 

Abhand.  K.  Akad.  Berlin,  1838,  p.  436,  pi.  111.,  f.  2— P.  onocro- 
talus  apud  Bonaparte  and  Bree — also  of  Blyth,  Cat.  1740 — 
and  perhaps  of  other  authors ;  variety  referred  to  by  Pallas,  Z.  R. 
A.,  II.  p.  296,  note. 

The  Crested  Pelican. 

Descr. — Occiput  with  a  long  pendent  crest  of  narrow  feathers, 
4  or  5  inches  long ;  general  colour  milk-white  with  a  faint  roseate 
tinge  sometimes,  but  generally  without  a  tinge  of  rosy  ;  the  lower 
throat  pale  yellowish  in  old  birds ;  some  of  the  scapulars  edged 
with  black ;  primaries  dusky ;  secondaries  grey  on  their  outer 
webs,  blackish  internally  ;  tertiaries  almost  white  externally,  grey 
within ;  tail  white. 

The  frontal  feathers  are  not  so  far  prolonged  as  in  onocrotalus  ; 
the  feathers  of  the  head  and  neck  are  vt-ry  close,  soft,  silky  fur- 
.like,  and  lengthened,  very  different  from  those  of  the  last  species. 
The  feathers  of  the  back  and  wing-coverts  are  lengthened  and 
slender. 

Bill  (as  figured)  yellow  mixed  with  red,  and  with  a  red  tip ; 
orbits  and  pouch  yellow  ;  irides  red  ;  feet  fleshy-red.  Length  of 
a  specimen  from  Dacca  in  the  Asiatic  Society's  Museum,  5  feet  2 
inches;  wing  27  inches;  tail  8 ;  bill  nearly  12  ;  tarsus  nearly  4 ; 
mid-toe  and  claw  nearly  5. 

This  species  is  not  as  yet  generally  acknowledged.  Bonaparte 
gives  it  as  a  synonym  of  P.  rufescens,  evidently  however  without 
examination,  as  in  the  form  of  its  frontal  plumes  it  resembles 
onocrotalus  and  nut  rufescens.  Lichtenstein  states  that  its  characters, 
as  given  above,  are  constant.  Blyth,  as  previously  stated,  looked 
upon  it  as  true  onocrotalus,  misled  no  doubt  liy  the  erroneous 
descriptions  of  authors,  whilst  Gurney  fully  acknowledges  it.  Vide 
Ibis  111,  p.  135. 


PELECANTD^.  857 

The  specimen  in  the  Museum  of  the  Asiatic  Society  sufficiently 
agrees  with  the  characters  given  above.  The  bird  figured  by 
Bree  as  P.  onocrotalus  has  the  occipital  crest  full  and  long ;  the 
plumage  is  somewhat  rosy,  and  the  feathers  on  the  breast  are 
golden-yellow ;  it  might  rather  be  mitratus,  or  P.  minor  of  Kiippell. 
The  whole  plumage,  in  the  drawing,  is  more  or  less  lanceolate. 
Is  it  possible  that  P.  mitratus  should  be  the  male,  and  onocrotalus, 
as  previously  described,  the  female  ? 

As  far  as  is  known,  this  crested  Pelican  is  much  more  rare  than 
the  last,  or  than  the  next  species,  and  I  know  nothing  particular 
of  its  habits  or  distribution  in  India.  It  appears  to  be  spread 
through  part  of  Asia,  Africa,  and  likewise  South-eastern  Europe. 

1003.    Pelecanus  javanicus,  Horsfield. 

Lin.  Trans.  XIII.  197— Blyth,  Cat.  1741  (in  part)— P. 
onocrotalus  of  some  Indian  writers — perhaps  of  Pallas — P. 
roseus,  Gmelin — P.  minor,  Euppell,  Mus.  Senken.,  and  Ueber. 
Faun.  Abyss.,  pL  49? — P.  calorhynchus,  Hodgson. 

The  Lesser  white  Pelican. 

Descr. — White,  in  fresh  plumage  with  a  highly  roseate  tint ; 
primaries  dusky ;  secondaries  grey  externally  ;  tertiaries  whitish, 
with  broad  black  margins  on  each  side,  internally  greyish;  tail  white. 

The  feathers  of  the  head  and  neck  are  disposed  much  as  in  P. 
onocrotalus,  but  in  general  there  is  a  more  marked,  small  occipital 
crest,  and  the  feathers  of  the  breast,  in  some,  are  rich  golden-yellow. 

Bill  blue  in  the  centre,  red  and  yellow  on  the  sides,  the  tip 
blood  red ;  lower  mandible  bluish  posteriorly,  yellow  in  front  ; 
skin  of  the  face  pale  fleshy^  pouch  yellow,  veined  with  purplish 
red  ;  irides  blood  red ;  legs  fleshy  pink.  Length  4  feet  8  inches  ; 
wing  24  to  25  inches  ;  tail  6^  ;  tarsus  4  ;  mid-toe  and  claw  4| ;  bill 
12  to  13. 

I  find  it  very  difficult  to  determine  what  the  small  white 
Pelican  of  India  really  is,  having  hut  few  specimens  to  examine 
and  none  except  from  India.  Horsfield  originally  described 
javanicus  as  white  with  a  short  crest,  the  primaries  black,  the 
secondaries  and  feathers  of  the  back  (scapulars  or  tertiaries) 
margined   with  black,  'and  the  shaft  white,  the  tail  white,  about  4 

PAJiT   II.  5  Q 


858  BIRDS    OF   INDIA. 

feet  long.  This  agrees  well  enough  with  our  bird.  P.  roseus  from 
Manilla  is  described  as  rosy  white  throughout,  and  of  the  size  of  a 
goose.  Riippell  describes  his  P.  minor  as  similar  to  onocrotalus, 
but  much  smaller,  the  nude  skin  of  the  face  less  extended,  and 
the  tuft  or  crest  more  occipital  than  the  corresponding  feathers 
of  onocrotalus,  the  feathers  of  the  lower  part  of  the  neck  lengthened, 
and  pale  yellowish,  and  the  wing-coverts  more  rounded  and  less 
pointed  than  in  onocrotahis.  Length  4  feet  4  inches ;  wing  23| 
inches ;  tarsus  4^ ;  mid-toe  4^.  Bill  yellowish  at  base,  blue  in 
the  middle,  and  yellowish  grey  on  the  sides ;  orbits  and  pouch 
yellowish. 

This  appears  to  be  the  most  abundant  of  the  white  Pelicans  that 
visit  India.     I  am  not  aware  of  its  breeding  in  this  country. 

Fore-head  with  the  frontal  plumes  not  narrowed  in  front,  but 
truncated  and  emarginate  ;  bill  with  a  double  series  of  impressed 
dark  spots.     Can    Riippell's  bird  be   the  female  of  P.  mitratiis '? 

1004.    Pelecanus  Philippensis,  Gmelin. 

Blyth  Cat.  1742— PI.  enl.  965— P.  manillensis  Gmelin?— 
P.  rufescens,  Gmelin? 

The  Grey  Pelican. 

Descr. — Head  and  neck  greyish-white,  the  feathers  rather  scant, 
short,  and  somewhat  fur-like ;  a  short  occipital  crest  of  porrect  or 
slightly  recurved  feathers,  brownish  tipped  with  greyish-white ; 
upper  plumage  greyish-white,  the  feathers  of  the  back,  rump, 
and  upper  tail-coverts  being  dingy-whitisli,  tinged  with  grey ; 
scapulars  grey  Avith  black  shafts,  and  the  feathers  white  at  the 
base ;  lesser  and  median  coverts  greyish-white ;  greater  coverts 
grey,  with  black  shafts  ;  primaries  dusky-grey  with  black 
shafts,  white  at  the  base,  and  with  white  shafts ;  secondaries  and 
tertiaries  much  tlie  same;  the  tail  grey,  the  feathers  also  black- 
shafted,  and  the  basal  half  or  two-thirds  of  the  inner  webs  white, 
as  well  the  base  of  the  shaft ;  lower  plumage  greyish-white,  the 
feathers  lanceolate,  pure  white  in  the  centre  and  tip,  with  grey 
margins,  and  brownish  at  the  base;  under  tail-coverts  greyish- white, 
slightly  mottled  with  brownish;  under  wing-coverts  whitish. 


PELECANID^.  859 

Bill  pale  bluish,  tinged  with  carneous,  yellow  at  the  tip  ;  naked 
face  and  gular  pouch  pale  livid  fleshy,  the  latter  varied  with  red- 
dish lines,  and  faintly  tinged  with  yellow ;  irides  pale  brown  ;  legs 
fleshy.  Length  5  feet  2  inches ;  wing  24  inches  ;  extent  8  feet ; 
tails  inches;  tarsus  3  ;  bill  at  front  12  to  14;   middle  toe  4. 

The  young  bird  has  the  plumage  uniformly  pale  brownish-grey, 
or  rufous-gre}^,  the  feathers  being  grey  in  the  centre,  pale  rufous- 
brown  in  the  margins  ;  back  and  rump  white  ;  quills  and  tail  as  in 
the  adult  bird. 

This  bird  is  somewhat  allied  to  P.  rufescens,  which  has  the  frontal 
plumes  similarly  arranged,  and  is  of  about  the  same  size,  and  one 
specimen  from  India,  in  the  Museum  of  the  Asiatic  Society,  marked 
by  Blyth  Philippeitsis,  appears  to  me  to  be  undoubted  P.  rufescens. 
It  has  the  back  fine  pale  vinous  rufescent ;  upper  tail-coverts  white, 
and  tail  grey ;  but  the  character  of  the  plumage  is  much  more  lanceo- 
late than  is  the  case  in  general  with  Philippensis ;  the  bill,  however, 
is  marked  precisely  as  in  that  spceies,  a  condition  which  does 
not  appear  to  be  noticed  in  the  descriptions  of  rufescens.  Hartlaub, 
however,  had  previously  considered  them  identical,  for  which  he 
was  rebuked  by  the  Prince  of  Canino.  Lichtenstein  remarks 
that  "  the  characters  attributed  to  P.  Phili/ipensis  appear  to  agree 
so  well  with  those  of  rufescens  that  they  must  be  considered  the 
same  bird."  As  I  have  lately  examined  a  good  many  specimens 
of  the  grey  Pelican,  none  of  which  showed  any  rufous  on  the 
back,  I  am  hardly  prepared  to  accept  this  conclusion  fully  ;  but, 
from  the  extreme  resemblance  in  all  other  points  shown  by  the 
Indian  specimen  above  alluded  to,  it  must  either  be  conceded  that 
rufescens  is  a  fully  adult  state  (perhaps  of  one  sex"*  of  Philippensis, 
or  that  P.  rufescens,  if  distinct,  is  al'^o  an  inhabitant  of  India. 
Lichtenstein  also  states  that  he  conjectures  that  P.  roseris  and 
P.  manillensis  are  the  same  species  ;  but  it  will  be  seen  that  I 
have  already  concluded  roseus  to  be  the  same  as  Juvanicus.^ 

The  grey  Pelican  is  the  most  abundant  species  found  in  India, 
occurrinnf  in  all  districts  where  rivers  and  tanks  abound,  and  breed- 


*  I  trust  that  observers  favorably  situated  will  procure  specimens  of  all  Pelicans, 
and  favor  me  witli  their  observations,  or  send  the  birds  to  the  Museum  of  the  Asiatic 
Society,  Calcutta. 


860  BIRDS   OF    INDIA. 

ing  in  the  country.  I  have  visited  one  Pelicanry  in  the  Carnatic, 
where  the  Pelicans  have  (for  ages  I  was  told)  built  their  rude 
nests,  on  rather  low  trees  in  the  midst  of  a  villase,  and  seemed 
to  care  little  for  the  close  and  constant  proximity  of  human  beings. 
I  have  also  heard  of  many  other  breeding  places  in  different  parts 
of  the  country.  This  species  occasionally  congregates  in  large 
flocks,  but  not  perhaps  in  such  numbers  as  some  of  the  white  Peli- 
cans do. 

This  Pelican  is  used  by  the  fishermen  of  some  parts  of  Eastern 
Bengal  as  a  decoy  to  assist  in  catching  certain  kinds  of  fish,  Avhich 
are  attracted,  it  is  said,  by  the  oily  secretion  exuding  from  their 
skins.  They  are  tied  to  the  boats  sometimes  with  their  eyes 
sewn  up.  'i'he  species  of  fish  that  are  most  attracted  in  this  way 
are  the  different  kinds  of  Colisa  and  Anahas.  It  is  asserted  that 
the  white   Pelican  has   not  this  oily  secretion. 

Other  species  of  Pelicans   are  P.   crispus,   of  Eastern  Europe, 

larger,  it  is  said,  than  onocrotalus,  of  a  silvery  white,  the  feathers  of 

the  occiput  lengthened,  crisp  and   turning  forwards,   and  with  the 

frontal  plumes  emarginate :  and   P.   conspicillatus,  from  Australia. 

Three  American   species    are   recognised,  P.  fuscus,   L. ;  and  P. 

thagus,  Molina,  separated  as   Onocrotalus,  Wagler ;  and  P.   trachy- 

'  rhynclms,  Latham,  the  type  of   Cystopelicanus,  Reichenb. 

5th. — Diving  Fishers. 

Fam.  Graculid^,  Cormorants. 

Syn.  Phalacrocoracid(2,  Bonap. 

Bill  moderately  long,  cylindric,  hooked  at  the  tip,  grooved  ;  wing 
moderate;  tail  feathers  stiff;  upper  tail-coverts  exceedingly  short ; 
lower  tail-coverts  also  short. 

These  are  moderately  large  birds,  of  more  or  less  black 
plumage,  which  fly,  swim,  and  dive  well ;  they  frequent  both 
inland  lakes,  and  rivers  and  seas.  They  have  the  power  of  inflat- 
ing the  gullet  to  enable  them  to  swallow  considerable  sized  fish. 
They  are  found  all  over  the  world,  nidificating  on  trees,  and  laying 
three  or  four  pale  bluish-green  eggs.  The  young  are  clothed  in 
black  down.  The  stomach  is  capacious,  the  intestines  moderately 
long,  and  there  are  two  small  coeca. 


GRACULID^.  861 

Bonaparte  subdivides  them  into  several  genera. 

Gen.    Gracdlus,  Linnajus. 

Syn.      Carbo,  Meyer — Phalacrocorax,  Brisson. 

Cha?'. — Bill  moderately  long,  slightly  raised  at  the  base,  tlie  tip 
well  hooked  ;  nostrils,  a  small  narrow  line,  apparently  not  pervious  ; 
under  mandible  truncated  ;  orbits  and  throat  more  or  less  nude  ; 
tail  moderate  or  rather  long,  of  14  stiff  feathers,  cuueate ;  wings 
rather  short. 

There  are  three  species  in  India.  The  first  two  on  our  list 
belong  to  Bonaparte's  Fhalacrocorax,  are  of  large  or  moderate  size, 
the  beak  large,  the  2nd  quill  the  longest,  and  the  tail  moderate, 
of  14  feathers. 

1005.    Graculus  carbo,  Linnteus. 

Blyth,  Cat.  1744 — Carbo  cormoranus,  Meyer — Jerdon,  Cat. 
395 — GJio-gur,  H. — also  Pan-howal,  or  Pan-kowa,  H. —  Bonta- 
kaki,  Tel. — Gould,  Birds  of  Europe,  pi.  407. 

The  Large  Cormorant. 

Descr. — Black,  the  feathers  of  the  back,  scapulars,  and  wing- 
coverts,  bronze  colour  with  black  edges ;  face,  sides  of  the  head, 
and  chin,  white,  and  a  white  spot  on  the  thigh-coverts.  In  breeding 
plumage  the  male  bird  assumes  a  lot  of  white  hair-like  feathers  on 
the  neck,  very  conspicuous  in  some  examples,  less  so  in  others. 

Bill  brownish;  irides  sea-green;  facial  skin  pale  greenish  ;  gular 
pouch  deep  yellow;  feet  black.  Length  32  to  34  inches  ;  extent 
60  ;  wing  14;  tail  7^  ;  bill  at  front  2\  ;  tarsus  2\  ;  middle  toe  3;^. 

The  large  Cormorant  of  Britain  is  found  throughout  India,  is 
more  rare  towards  the  south,  and  is  there  chiefly  found  in  rivers 
that  run  through  forest  and  hilly  ground,  but  occasionally  occurs  in 
large  tanks  in  the  open  country.  In  the  nortli  of  India  it  appears 
inore  common,  especially  in  the  well-watered  province  of  Bengal 
where  it  chiefly  frequents  rivers,  and  on  rivers  within  the  Hima- 
layas. It  is  rather  strange  that  it  is  not  included  in  Gray's  List  of 
Hodgson's  Nepal  Birds.  It  is  very  generally  found  in  pairs  or 
singly,  occasionally  four  or  five  together.  I  am  not  aware  if  it 
breeds   in  this   country,   but    it  probably  does  so  in  suitable  spots. 


862  BIRDS   OF    INDIA. 

The  Cormorant  is  found  over  all  Europe,  Asia,  and  great  part  of 
Africa. 

The  next  species  is  placed  by  Bonaparte  (contrary  to  Ids  usual 
practice)  as  variety  b.  of  Phalac.  carho.  It  appears  to  me  a  most 
distinct,  though  somewhat  variable  species  as  to  colour,  having  a 
very  slender  bill  and  a  considerable  gular  expanse. 

1006.  Graculus  Sinensis,  Shaw. 

Pelecanus  apud  Shaw — Blyth,  Cat.  1745 — Phal.  leucotis, 
Blyth— C.  albiventer,  Tickell? — Carbo  leucogaster,  Meyer — 
P.  fuscicollis,  Stephens — P.  filamentosus,  Temm.  and  Schleg.  ? 

The  Lesser  Cormorant. 

Descr. — Adult,  head  and  neck  shining  black;  feathers  of  the 
back  and  wing-coverts  bronze  color  as  in  the  last ;  throat  white, 
this  color  extending  towards  the  eye,  and  passing  into  pale  brown 
on  the  cheeks  ;  lower  plumage  deep  black. 

Bill  dusky-brown,  reddish  beneath ;  gular  skin  yellow ;  irides 
verdigris  blue;  nude  orbits  black  ;  feet  black.  Length  24  to  27 
inches;  extent  36  to  40,  and  upwards  ;  wing  11  ;  tail  5^  to  6  ; 
bill  at  front  2^ ;  middle  toe  2|.  One  specimen  from  Central 
India  is  recorded  as  29  inches  long,  with  the  tail  7. 

In  breedino;  plumage  this  Cormorant  assumes  some  white  specks 
on  the  fore-head  and  above  the  eyes,  and  a  white  tuft  behind 
each  ear  ;  the  chin,  liowever,  is  then  black.  The  young  birds 
are  more  or  less  brown  above,  white  beneath. 

Blyth  writes  me  that  Carbo  filamentosus,  Tem.  and  Schl.  (cnpil- 
latus  on  the  plate)  is  perhaps  the  same  as  this  species.  It  is  said 
to  be  31  inches  long,  with  the  wing  12  ;  tail  5i  ;  this  is  somewhat 
larger  than  most  Lidian  examples. 

This  species  of  Cormorant  has  an  equally  wide  distribution  in 
India  with  the  last,  and  is  perhaps  indeed  more  generally  spread. 
I  have  procured  it  on  the  Carnatic  ;  Tickell  in  Central  India ;  and 
Blyth  has  obtained  it  from  Bengal  and  the  countries  to  the  east- 
wards, where  it  is  perhaps  more  abundant  than  in  -Western  India. 
If  Mr.  Blyth  is  correct  in  considering  C.  filamentosus  to  be  the  same 
species,  which  is  very  likely,  it  extends  through  Central  Asia  and 
China  to  Japan.     There  is  no  record   of  its  breeding  here,  but  it 


GRACULIDiE.  863 

probably  does  so,  as  I  have  killed  it  at  all  seasons.  Most  of  the 
specimens  procured  are  in  imperfect  plumage,  having  the  lower 
parts  white*.  Like  the  last,  it  is  generally  met  with  in  pairs  or 
alone,  occasionally  in  small  flocks. 

This  is  supposed  to  be  the  species  of  Cormorant  used  by  the 
Chinese  to  catch  fish.  They  are  caught  when  young  and  trained. 
A  line  is  attached  to  them,  and  they  are  put  over  the  sides  of  the 
boat,  and  as  soon  as  they  have  taken  a  fish  are  hauled  in  again,  and 
the  fish  taken  from  them.  They  are  prevented  from  swallowing 
their  prey  by  a  ring  placed  round  their  necks. 

The  only  other  species  of  Cormorant  found  in  India  is  placed 
by  Bonaparte  under  Halicsus,  characterized  by  their  small  size, 
short  bill,  having  a  small  nude  gular  region  divided  by  a  strip  of 
feathers,   and  the  tail  somewhat  long,  of  12  feathers. 

1007.     Graculus  Javanicus,  Horsf. 

Carbo  apud  Hoesfield— Blyth,  Cat.  1748— Jerdon,  Cat. 
394— C.  melanognathus,  Brandt— Ph.  niger,  Vieillot,  apud 
Bonaparte — P.  pygmceus,  Pallas,  of  some — Stkes,  Cat.  227 
— Hardwicke,  111.  Ind.  Zool.  ^\.—Pan-howa,  H.— Jograbi,  of 
some  falconers — Niru-kaki,  or  Niru-kodi,  Tel. 
The  Little  Cormorant. 

Descr.—Jn  winter  the  plumage  is  more  or  less  black,  the  feathers 
brown-edged  on  the  neck,  breast,  and  back,  and  the  chin  white. 
In  full  breeding  plumage,  in  June  or  July,  the  whole  body  is  glossy 
black ;  the  head  with  a  short  occipital  crest ;  the  wing-coverts, 
scapulars,  secondaries  and  tertiaries,  as  it  were  glossed  with 
silvery,  with  a  black  margin,  and  the  interscapulars  with  a  narrow 
silvery  centre  ;  a  Avhite  triangular  spot  on  the  top  of  the  head ; 
lores  white,  and  a  broad  line  through  the  eyes  with  white  hairs, 
and  several  also  on  the  nape  and  sides  of  the  neck  ;  chin 
black. 

Bill  brown,  livid  purple  in  the  height  of  the  breeding  season ; 
gular  skin  and  orbits  blackish,  livid  in  summer ;  legs  blackish,  dusky 
livid  at  the  same  season.  Length  19  to  20  inches;  extent  32; 
wing  8^  ;  tail  5^  to  6  ;  bill  at  front  1^  ;  tarsus  1| ;  middletoe  2. 


864  BIRDS    OF   INDIA. 

The  young  have  the  upper  plumage  brown,  mixed  with  blackish, 
and  the  lower  parts  reddish  brown,  white  posteriorly,  and  the 
throat  whitish. 

This  small  Cormorant  has  been  occasionally  confounded  with 
the  nearly  allied  P.  pygmceus,  and  P.  africamis,  but  the  latter 
species  has  the  back,  scapulars,  and  wings  always  spotted,  and  has 
a  longer  tail ;  otherwise  they  are  very  closely  alike.  In  Bree's 
figure  of  pygmcBus,  certainly  very  closely  related,  the  young  is 
represented  as  entirely  white  beneath,  in  which  state  I  have  never 
seen  our  Indian  species.  Bonaparte  ^\oi^  pygmcBus  of  Pallas  to 
the  North  African  race,  also  found  in  Asia  and  Western  Europe, 
and  figured  by  Gould  in  his  Birdsof  Europe,  pi.  409,  and  gives 
two  other  distinct  species  from  India,  viz.,  melanognatlms,  Brandt, 
figured  Hardwicke,  111.  Ind.  Zool.  2.,  pi.  5G,  sent  from  Pondicherry; 
and  niger  Vieill  (pygmceus  of  Museums),  sent  by  Mace  from  India; 
besides  javaJiicus  of  the  Malayan  region.  Except  that  he  gives  un- 
usually small  dimensions  to  his  niger  (13  inches),  which  is  probably 
an  erroneous  measurement,  I  see  nothing  in  his  description  milita- 
ting against  all  three  being  the  same  species.  Whether,  however, 
the  Indian  species,  or  the  one  from  Northern  Africa,  be  the  one 
described  by  Pallas,  it  is  difficult  to  decide,  and  I  have  followed 
the  ordinary  nomenclature. 

The  Little  Cormorant  is  exceedingly  common  in  every  part  of 
India,  frequenting  alike  rivers,  lakes,  tanks,  and  pools  of  water  by 
the  road  side,  and  is  very  tame  and  fearless.  It  hunts  singly  or 
in  pairs,  or  in  small '  scattered  parties,  but  collects  in  numerous 
flocks  for  roosting,  on  trees  overhanging  the  water,  or  occasion- 
ally in  large  beds  of  reeds.  It  breads  on  trees,  occasionally  in  the 
midst  of  villages,  having  numerous  nests  on  the  same  tree,  and 
laying  four  or  five  pale  green  eggs. 

There  are  v^ry  numerous  species  of  Cormorants,  too  many  to 
enumerate  here,  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  some  finely  crested, 
other  spotted  throughout;  and  there  are  four  or  five  additional 
genera  noted  by  modern  Ornithologists.  One  of  the  best  known 
species  is  the  Shag  or  crested  Cormorant  of  Britain  and  Euroi)e, 
Grac.  cristat?is,  Linn. 


PLOTIN^.  865 

The  next  bird,  and  the  last  on  our  list,  may  be  considered  to  be- 
long to  the  GraciiHdfV,  but  perhaps  should  form  a  separate  sub- 
family, consisting  of  one  genus. 

Sub-fam.    Plotin^. 

Gen.  Plotus,   Linnasus. 

C/ia7'. — Bill  elongate,  slender,  straight,  subulate,  very  acute,  the 
margin  obliquely  toothed  towards  the  tip;  nostrils  very  small,  basal; 
tail  long,  rounded  ;  neck  very  long  and  slender;  body  and  feet  aa 
in  the  Cormorants. 

These  may  be  said  to  be  Cormorants  witli  the  head  and  neck  of 
a  Heron  ;  the  scapulars  are  elongate,  lanceolate,  and  very  beautiful- 
ly marked,  silvery  and  black.  In  their  anatomy  they  quite 
resemble  Cormorants. 

There  are  four  species,  one  American,  one  African,  one  Indian, 
and  the  fourth  Australian. 

1008.    Plotus  melanogaster,   Gmelin. 

Blyth,  Cat.  1749— Terdon,  C^at.  393— Pkxnant  Ind.  Zool. 
pi.  12 — Sykks,  Cat.  22^  — Bmnva.U. — Goi/ar  Heng. —  bVi,  Sindh. 
— Katlaki-pitta,  TeL — Chakuri  of  the  Southern  Gonds. 

The  Indian  S.vake  eiiid. 

Descr. — Forehead,  nape,  and  neck  mottled  brown,  each  feather 
being  dark-brown  with  a  pale  edging,  the  median  line  of  the 
heail,  napi',  and  hind  neck  being  diuker  than  the  rest,  and  the  me- 
dian lini-  below  paler  ;  a  minute  white  line  from  the  base  of  the 
bill  over  the  eye;  the  che.^ks,  chin,  and  throat  white,  continued  in  a 
line  from  below  the  eye  down  the  side  of  the  neck  for  nearly  half  its 
length,  and  gradually  overcome  on  the  sides  of  the  fore-neck  by  the 
brown  feathers  which  run  ;d(u\g  the  sides  of  the  neck,  and  form  a 
narrow  line  passing  up  throuuli  the  white  to  the  gape;  upper  back 
gradually  changing  from  the  brown  of  the  hind-neck  into  the 
brownish-black  of  the  rest  of  the  dorsal  region,  and  on  the  sides 
spotted  with  white,  the  spots  commencing  at  first  as  small  oval  drops, 
and  gradually  increasing  in  size  an'i  .^hape  to  the  scapulars,  which  are 
long  and  lanceolate,  and  deep  black  with  the  central  portion  silvery- 

PART    II.  5    R 


866  BIRDS    or    INDIA 

white;  wing-covcrts  black,  spotted  with  silvery-white;  tertiaries  and 
the  last  secondaries  also  with  a  silvery  streak  on  their  outer  webs  ; 
quills  and  tail  deep  raven-black  ;  the  feathers  of  the  tail  with  a 
barred  appearance  on  their  outer  webs,  caused  by  a  series  of  trans- 
verse elevated  ridges  which  are  gradually  lost  on  the  outermost 
feathers  ;  lower  portion  of  the  neck,  breast,  and  all  the  lower  parts, 
glossy  brownish-black. 

The  female  has  the  head  and  neck  pale  whity-brown,  lightest 
on  the  lower  side,  and  albescent  on  the  chin,  face,  and  throat ;  and 
a  fulvous  patch  on  the  sides  of  the  neck,  continued  from  the  paler 
median  line  of  the  lower  side  of  th^  neck,  and  extending  to  the 
shoulder  ;  back  browner  than  in  the  male,  becoming  black  on  the 
rump  ;  wing-coverts  more  or  less  brown  ;  otherwise  as  in  the 
male. 

Bill  dusky  above,  yellowish  on  the  sides ;  irides  yellow ;  legs 
black.  Length  32  inches ;  wing  14 ;  tail  9  ;  bill  at  front  3^ ; 
tarsus  1^ ;  middle  toe  2|. 

The  young  birds  are  coloured  somewhat  as  the  female, 
and  the  nestlings  have  white  down,  with  the  wings  and  tail 
blackish. 

This  beautiful  diver  is  found  throughout  all  India,  Ceylon, 
Burmah,  and  Malayana.  It  is  exceedingly  numerous  in  some 
parts  of  the  coutrtry,  especially  in  Bengal ;  hundreds  are  often  to 
be  seen  on  a  single  jheel.  They  hunt  singly  in  general,  or  in 
scattered  parties,  but  often  roost  in  company,  both  at  night  and 
in  the  middle  of  the  day,  when  numbers  may  be  seen  perched 
on  the  trees  overhanging  some  tank  or  river.  They  float  low 
on  the  water,  often  with  nothing,  but  the  head  and  neck  visible, 
and  swim  and  dive  with  rapidity.  After  feeding  for  some  time, 
they  perch  on  the  bough  of  a  tree,  or  on  a  pole  or  stone,  and  spread 
their  wings  out  to  dry  as  the  Cormorants  do.  They  feed  on  fish, 
and  their  digestion  is  very  rapid.  They  nidificate  on  trees,  but  I 
have  not  procured  their  eggs. 

The  lengthened  scapular  feathers  are  looked  on  as  a  badge  of 
Royalty  by  the  Khasias,  and  they  are  esteemed  by  all.  They 
were  the  badge  of  one  of  the  Bengal  regiments  of  Irregular 
Cavalry 


ALCID^.  867 

Tribe  Urinatores,  Divers. 

Alcada,  Vigors. 

Usually  three  toes  only,  or  with  a  small  hind  toe  pointing  for- 
wards. 

This  tribe,  the  last  of  the  Natatores,  comprises  two  distinct 
families,  neither  of  which  possess  representatives  in  India,  Their 
young  are  fed  by  their  parents  in  the  nest  for  some  time. 

\st. — Alcidce.  Auks  and  Guillemots. 

2nd. — Spheniscidce.     The  Penguins. 

Fam.     ALCiDiE. 

These  are  sub-divided  into  Alcince,  or  Auks  and  Puffins,  and 
Uriin(B,  the  Guillemots.  The  Auks  and  Puffins  have  a  stout, 
highly  compressed  bill,  often  very  high  and  sharp  on  the  culmen, 
no  hind  toe,  and  the  three  anterior  toes  fully  webbed.  They 
have  short  wings,  and  in  general  fly  badly  or  not  at  all,  but  swim 
and  dive  well.  They  nidificate  on  rocks,  or  burrow  in  sand» 
laying  one  (or  rarely  two)  eggs.  They  are  said  to  run  or  rather 
creep  along  the  ground  faster  than  would  be  supposed  from  the 
shortness  of  their  legs.  The  sternum  has  the  fissures  reduced 
to  foramina,  and  is  narrow ;  the  prolongation  of  the  tibia  observed 
in  Grebes  and  Colymbida?  is  not  found  here,  for  these  birds  chiefly 
use  their  wings  for  progression  under  water.  They  are  all  from 
northern  latitudes,  and  several  are  found  in  British  Seas.  The 
great  Auk,  Alca  major,  L.,  has  tlie  shortest  wings  of  any  northern 
bird,  and  cannot  fly  at  all.  The  Razor  bill,  A.  tarda,  L.,  on  the 
contrary,  can  fly  tolerably  well.  The  Puffins  (FraterciilaJ  have 
deep,  generally  brightly-coloured  beaks,  and  some  are  crested 
(Phaleris.)     They  have  no  seasonal  change  of  plumage. 

The  Guillemots,  Uriina,  have  the  bill  more  slender  and  like  that 
of  the  Colymhidae.  They  c:in  fly  tolerably  well,  and  also  use  their 
wings  under  water.  They  have  a  double  moult.  They  lay  but  one 
very  large  egg,  variable  in  color,  usually  green  with  dark  blotches. 
The  young  at  first  are  clothed  with  a  down  resembling  the  sum- 
mer dress  of  the  old  bird  ;  the  first  plumage  resembles  the  adult 
winter  dress,  is  of  remarkably  delicate  texture,  and  is  replaced  by 
the  real  winter  plumage  in  a  few  weeks. 


868  BIRDS    OF   INDIA. 

Fam.    SpHENisciDit:. 

Ptilopteri,  Bonap. 

The  Penguins  are  peculiar  to  Southern  Seas.  They  are  still 
less  capable  of  flying  than  the  Auks,  their  wings  being  reduced 
in  some  cases  to  a  kind  of  fin  covered  with  small  scaly  feathers, 
and  their  feet  are  placed  still  further  backwards  ;  the  tarsus  is 
widened  posteriorly,  and  they  rest  on  it.  They  stand  upright, 
and  move  along  the  ground  by  trailing  on  their  bellies.  They 
live  almost  entirely  on  the  sea,  only  coming  to  the  shore  to  breed, 
which  they  do  on  rocks,  or  in  holes  in  the  ground.  They  attend 
their  young  for  some  time  after  they  are  hatched.  Among  the 
few  known  species  are  the  Patagonian  Penguin,  (Aptenodytea 
patachon{ca,J  the  flattened  skin  of  which  is  often  brought  by 
sailors ;  the  crested  Gorfew  (Eudyptes  demersa)  ;  and  the  Jackass 
Penguin,  ( Catarractes  chrysocoma). 


APPENDIX. 

In  this  appendix  I  shall  merely  give  the  result  of  the  latest  observations 

relating  to  the  correction  of  the  nomenclature,  and  additions  or 

erasions  from  the  list  of  the  Birds   of    India,  with   a   very   few 

remarks  on  any  particular  subject  of  interest. 

Vol.   I.,  p.  29,  No.  10.— Falco  sacer.     This  rare  European  bird,  the  Sakr 

Falcon  of  old  writers,  is  brought  in  tolerable  plenty  from  the 

Ilazara  country  and  the  Alpine  Punjab  generally ;  and  is  much 

used  for   hawking  both   the   Indian   Honbarra   bustard,   and 

Hares,  <fec. 

„  p.  57,  No.  27. — Aquila  bifasciata  is  given  by  Blasius  and  others 
as  distinct  from  A.  imjjerialis,  and  is  said  chiefly  to  inhabit 
Central  Asia. 

„  p.  59,  No.  28. — The  Asiatic  race  of  Aquila  ncevia  is  now  separat- 
ed by  many  authors  under  the  name  of  Aquila  clanga,  Pallas. 

„  p.  73. — Blyth,  in  his  List  of  Indian  birds  in  the  Ibis  Vol.  IV., 
gives  Limtiaetus  cristatellus  as  found  in  the  Himalayas,  and  he 
has  mai-ked  a  specimen  as  such  in  the  Museum  of  the  Asiatic 
Society.  I  have  carefully  examined  this  bii'd,  and  am  decidedly 
of  opinion  that  it  is  merely  the  young  state  of  Limnaetus 
Nipalensis ;  and  I  much  doubt  if  cristatellus  is  ever  found  iu 
the  Himalayan  region. 

„  p.  74,  No.  37. — This  species  is  considered  by  some  to  be  the 
Spizaetus  cristatellus  of  Jardine  and  Selby's  Illustrations.  Z. 
caligatm,  is  the  same  as  niveus  No,  34  ;  and  Blyth's  albo-niger 
appears  to  be  the  same  as  Gray's  Sp.  horneensis,  which  last 
name  must  give  way. 

„      p.  81,  No.  41. — The  irides  of  the  adult  bird  are  pale  yellow. 

„  p.  85. — Aquila  vulturina  is  not  a  Sea-eagle,  but,  says  Mr, 
Gurney  in  epist.,  intermediate  between  audax  and  imperialis. 

„  p.  87,  No.  44 — is,  according  to  Mr.  Gurney,  Buieo  cirtensis  of 
Levaillant,  Jr.,  Explor.  d'Algerie,  said  to  be  the  northern 
representative  of  B.  tachardus.  If  recognised  as  distinct,  my 
specitic  name  ru^venter  v,'i[],  I  imagine,  have  the  priority.  (1842.) 

^  p.  88,  No.  45. — This  Buzzard  is  Buteo  ferox,  Gmelin,  leucuruSj 
Naumann,  rujinus,  Riippell. 

5  s 


870  APPENDIX 

Vol.    I.,  p.  90,  No.  46.-— This  is  Buteo  hemilasim,  Schlegel, 

„  p.  91,  No.  47. — Buteo  plumipes  is  quite  distinct  from  B.  pyg- 
mceiis,  Bl.,  (which  is  Foliornis  poliogenys,  T.),  and  will  form, 
as  Mr.  Blyth  tells  me,  a  separate  division,  which  indeed  I 
suggested. 

p.  98,  No.   53. — This  Harrier,  I  have  every  reason  to  believe, 
breeds  in  Northern  India.     I  saw  several  in   Purneah  in  July, 
some  of  them  in  a  garb  resembling  that  of  the  females  of  the 
other  species,  and  shot  one  bird,  on  the  25th  July,  in  a  state  of 
change  from  the  female  garb  to  the  black  and  white  ordinary 
plumage.     This  was  apparently  not  a  young  bird  of  the  year, 
for  the  tail  feathers  were  mu(jh  worn.     Can  this  bird  then  have 
a  double  moult  1  It  would  appear  so,  unless  I  was  mistaken 
in  considering  it  not  a  bird  of  the  year.     If  so,  they  have  the 
ordinary  female  garb  of  Harriers  at  first,  and  shortly  afterwards 
assume  the  particular  pied  livery  of  this  species. 
„       p.   123,  No.   Q6. — This  is  S.   ocellatum  Lesson,  the  specific 
name  sinensis  properly  applying  to  Seloputo. 
p.  128. — Bubo  maximus,  of  Europe,  or  a  pale  variety  of  that  bird, 
occurs  in  the  higher  region  of  the  Himalayas,  but  apparently 
along  the  snow  line.  A  specimen  was  sent  to  the  Museum  Asiatic 
of  the  Society  by  Captain  Smyth  of  Almorah.     Blyth,  however, 
informed  me  that  Hodgson's  Shikarees,  when   in  Calcutta,  re- 
cognised Bubo  maximus  as  a  species  which  they  knew  ;   so  it 
may  hereafter  demand  a  place  among  the  Birds  of  India, 
p.    157,    No.    82,   bis.— Hirundo  Tytleri,   new   species. 
Glossy  black  above,  beneath  dark,  feruginous  chesnut ;  form  and 
size  of  H.  rustica.     I  found  this   apparently  new   Swallow  in 
abundance  at  Dacca  in  June.    It  had  evidently  finished  breeding, 
for  there  were  many  young  birds.     It  had   entii'ely  left  the 
place  in  October. 

p.  177,  No.  99. — This  is  probably  not  Cypselus  apus,  but  an 
allied  species,  named  by  Mr.  Blyth  (MSS.)  C  acuHcanda. — It 
difffers  by  the  more  pointed  outer  tail-feathers,  and  deeper  black 
colour,  &c.  Length  7|  inches ;  extent  21  ;  wing  6|  ;  tail 
forked  for  1  inch. 
„  p.  231,  No.  135 — Alcedo  ghandis  is,  Mr.  Blyth  writes  me, 
quite  distinct  from  A.  enryzona. 


APPENDIX.  871 

Vol.  L,  p.  279,  No.  164,  bis.— Yungipicusgymnophthalmos, 

BIyth,  P.  cinereigula,  Mallierbc,  From  Southern  India  and 
Ceylon.  This  is  the  dark  race  alluded  to  by  me  at  the  top  of 
the  page  as  occurring  in  Malabar. 

„  p.  330,  No.  206 — I  have  lately  procured  a  specimen  of  this 
rare  Cuckoo  at  Darjeeling,  where  it  is  called,  by  the  Lepchas, 
Dinj-j/it-pho. 

,,  p.  411,  No.  266. — Tephrodornis  grisola.  This  is  the  same  as 
Hyloterpe  philomela,  Temminck,  according  to  Blyth,  (in  epist.) 
and  is  ranked,  says  he,  by  Wallace  as  a  Fachycephala.  I  can 
hardly  assent  to  that. 

„  p.  427,  No.  278,  bis. — DicrUTUS  longUS,  Horsfield.  Resem- 
bling D.  macroce7-cus,  but  with  a  much  longer  tail  and  the  white 
rectal  spot  generally  absent.  Length  of  one  12|  inches  ;  ext. 
18  ;  wing  6  ;  tail  6  ;  another  killed  in  Purneah  was  13  inches 
long;  ext.  18  J  ;  wing  5|  ;  tail  7|. 
Whilst  travelling  through  Dacca  and  Sylhet,  I  wi-ote  to  Mr.  Blyth 
that  1  thought  the  ordinary  King  Crow  of  those  districts  was 
different  from  the  common  one.  That  gentleman  writes  me 
from  London  that  D.  longus  is  barely  distinguishable  from 
the  connnon  Bengal  species.  Now  in  Southern  and  Central 
India  and  the  N.  W.  Provinces,  specimens  are  never  obtained 
with  neaily  such  long  tails  as  in  the  dimensions  given  above, 
and  the  rictal  spot  is  always  present.  The  only  conclusion  that 
I  can  come  to  is  that  the  Eastern  race  is  D.  longus,  and  the 
Peninsular,  macrocercm ;  and  that  the  two  races  intermix  in 
Bengal,  as  the  RoUers  are  known  to  do.  This  species  extends 
West  {IS  far  at  all  events  as  Purneah. 

p.  451,  No.  291. — Leiccocirca  fuscoventris  apud  Sykesand  Adams 
turns  out  to  be  my  pedo7'alis,  as  was  at  once  seen  by  Mr.  Blyth 
on  inspecting  the  specimens  in  the  Museum  of  the  late  E.  India 
House.  It  will  be  noticed  that  I  had  some  doubt  in  my  mind 
as  to  the  Bengal  bird  occurring  so  far  west.  I  doubt,  however, 
that  L.  pectoralis  is  nearly  as  common  as  alho-frontata,  and 
suspect  it  will  chiefly  be  found  on  the  higher  Ghats. 
.,  p.  481,  No.  323,  bis., — Erythrosterna  parva.  Mr.  Blyth  writes 
me  that  Sykes'  species  (Cat.  91)  is  true  parva,  distinct  from 
E.  leucura. 


872  APPENDIX. 

Vol.  II.,  p.  1.  Timalince.  On  more  mature  consideration  of  the  extensive 
and  varied  nature  of  the  birds  of  this  group,  I  now  think  that 
they  should  form  a  distinct  family,  Timalid^. 
„  p.  16,  No.  38G. — Pyctorhis  longirostris.  "This  form,"  writes  Mr. 
Blyth,  "  is  allied  to  Acanthoptila."  In  this  I  quite  agree,  hav- 
ing seen  one  specimen  in  the  possession  of  Captain  Pinwill,  H. 
M.  27th  llegt.,  shot  in  long  grass  in  the  Terai. 

„     p.  29,  No.  401,  bis.— Pomatorhinus  Phayrei,  Blyth, 

must  be  added  to  the  Indian  Fauna,  as  that  gentleman  writes 
me  that  he  has  seen  specimens  from  Nepal.     It  is  descriljed 
1,  e.,  7th  line  from  the  bottom. 

„  p.  56. — Artamus  cucuUatus  o£  Nicholson,  which  has  long  per- 
plexed both  Mr.  Blyth  and  myself,  and  which  I,  in  the  text, 
likened  to  a  species  of  Sibia,  turns  out,  Mr.  Blyth  writes  me, 
to  have  been  founded  on  a  bad  native  drawing  of  Sylvia  orpliea  ! 

,  p.  78,  No.  446. — Hyjmpetes  Ganeesa  turns  out  to  be  the  same 
as  my  Neilghcrriensis,  which  last  therefore  must  be  suppressed, 
although  kept  distinct  by  most  systematists. 

„  p.  127,  No.  485-6,  bis.— PratinCOla  rubetra  (Linn^us) 
iSax.  rubeiroides,  Jameson,  (  MSS.  )  The  Whinchat.  This 
European  bird,  or  a  closelj'^  allied  race,  has  been  procured  by 
Mr.  W.  Jameson  on  the  Salt  range  of  the  Punjab. 

„  p.  128,  No.  487. — The  female  of  Ehodo^MIa  melanoleuca  is 
brown  above,  dirty  white  beneath  ;  and  undoubtedly  cogeneric 
with  Pratincola  ferrea,  No.  486. 

„  p.  146,  No.  508. — Blyth  writes  me  that  Lmciola  cyanura  as 
figured  in  the  Fauna  Japouica  appears  to  be  quite  different  from 
his  lanihia  rnfilata  ;  yet  Pallas'  cyanura  appears  to  me  the 
same. 

„  p.  157,  No.  518. — Arundinax  olivaceus=Salicariaaedon,  Pallas, 
fid.,  Blyth  in  epist.,  and  must  therefore  stand  as  A.  abdon. 

„  p.  159,  No.  520. — This  species  should  be  named  the  Streaked 
Reed  Warbler,  the  lesser  Reed  Warbler  having  been  already 
applied  to  another  species,  516. 

„       p.  161. — The  genus  2^/-i6z«-(c=  Lusciniopsis. 

„      p.  162,  No.  525. — This,  writes  Blyth,  is  "  apparently  the  same 

as  my  adult  state  of  Neornisjlavolivacea" 
„       p,  1 63.— -The  genus  Horeites  appears  to  have  only  1 0  tail-feathers. 


APPENDIX.  873 

Vol.  II.,  p.   185,  No.    550. — Burnesia  lepida,  Blytli=J/af«tri«s  gracilis, 
Rlippell,  fid.  Blytli  in  cpist. 
„       p.    190,    No.    554. — Phylloscopus   tristis,    Blyth,  is,  writes  that 

gentleman,  P.  brevirostris,  Strickland. 
„      p.  191,  No,  555. — Phylloscopus  fiiscatusz=: Sylvia  sibirica,  Mid- 

deudorf. 
„       p.    197,   No.     565. — Sliould  stand  as  Reguloides  sicperciliosa, 

(Gmeliu). 
„  Do. — No.  566,  is  true  Motacilla  proregahis,  Pallas. 

„       p.  218,  No.  591. — This  species,  says  Gould,  is  not  true  Dukhu- 
nensis  of  Sykes  ;  and  he  has  named  and  figured  it  as  Motacilla 
PERSON  ATA,  Birds  of  Asia,  pt.  XIII.  ;  Sykes'  M.  Dukhunensis, 
will  therefoi'e  be  an  addditional  species,   591  bis.     It  is  said 
to  differ  in  its  rather  large  size,  and  to  have  more  white  on  the 
secondaries  and  greater  wing-coverts  than  3f.  alba.     The  geo- 
graphic boundaries  of  this  and  the  other  allied  races  of  Wagtail 
are  desiderata, 
„       p.  225,  ]^o.    594. — This   is,   writes   Mr.    Blyth,   distinct   from 
Budytes  citreola,  vera,  and  will  stand  as  Budytes  citbeoluides, 
Hodgson. 
„       p.  228,  No.  596. — According  to  Blyth,  Sykes'  Anthus  agilis  is 
true   ARBOREUS,  and  the  comn}on   Indian  race  therefore  will 
bear  Hodgson's  name  maculatus. 
„       p.   297,    No.    662. — Comes   tcnuirostris  must  be   expunged,  as 
I'll.  Blyth  has  ascertained  that  it   is  the   Malaj-au  corvusenca, 
'  Horsfield,  and  certainly  not  from  India. 
p.  309,  No.  671. — This  species  should  stand  as  Urocissa  occi- 
pitalis, Blyth.     It  is  said  by  Gould  to  differ  from  sinensis  in 
having  the  tail-feathers  more  broadly  tipped  with  white,  and 
wants  the  white  spot  on  the  inner  web,   possessed  by   sinensis  ; 
the  nape  too  is  purer  white.     It  is  confined   to  the  Himalayas 
from  Kumaon  to  the  eastern  portion  of  Nepal,  where  it  is 
replaced  by  U.  Jlavirostris. 
„      p.   310,  No.  672. — The  Western  yellow-billed   race  is  now  con- 
sidered by  Gould  to  be  distinct  from  Jlavirostris  of  Sikim,  and 
has  been  named  Urocissa  cucullata  by  Gould,  who  has  figured 
it  in  the  birds  of  Asia,  Pt.  XIII.  pi,  5.     It  differs  ivova  Jlavi- 
rostris in  having  the  crown  alone  and  not  the  back  of  the  head 


874  APPENDIX, 

black,  and  iu  the  legs  being  shorter  and  stouter  ;  the  tail  too 
is  more  widely  tipped  with  white,  and  the  white  is  purer  than 
in  the  Eastern  race.  It  is  said  to  occur  in  Kulu,  and  the 
N.  W.  of  Kamaon  ;  also  still  further  west  up  to  Cashmere. 
Vol.  II.,  p.  316,  No.  676. — This  is,  writes  Mr.  Blyth,  distinct  from  true 
Dendrocitta  sinensis,  and  that  naturalist  suggests  for  it  the 
name  of  Dendeocitta  Himalayana,  Blyth. 

„  p.  372,  No.  714. — This  supposed  species,  Embeiiza  Straclieyi, 
Moore,  must  be  suppressed,  as  it  is  simply  the  summer  plumage 
of  E.  cia, 

„  p.  403,  No.  744. — Blyth's  Propasser  frontalis,  must  also  be  aban- 
doned, Mr.  Blyth  writes  me,  as  it  is  the  same  as  P.  thura. 

„  p.  422,  No.  759. — Blyth  writes  me  that  this  is  probably 
Ammomanes  pallida,  Shrenberg. 

„     p.  427,  No.  761,  bis.  — Meianocoryplia  torquata,  Blyth. 

This  fine  Lark  occurs,  I  am  informed  by  Dr.  Jameson,  iu  large 
flocks  in  the  Pu.ujab  in  the  cold  weather,  extending  into  the 
N.  W.  Provinces  during  February  and  March.  Many  are  found 
at  this  season  near  Saliarunpore,  and  are  killed  for  the  table, 
being  equally  good  with  the  Bagheyri  lark. 

„     p.  427.— Melanocorypha  tartarica,  (Pallas.)  This  bird 

was  killed  by  Dr.  Jameson  within  our  limits  at  Gildoung,  on 
this  side  of  the  Niti  pass.     He  saw  many  in  scattered  flocks. 

„  p.  517,  No.  806. — The  Kumaon  species  of  Horned-j)heasant,  I 
find,  is  Cerio7'nis  satyra  and  not  ^ndanocephala,  which  ap- 
parently does  not  extend  farther  east  than  Simla. 

„  p.  524,  No.  808. — Blyth  writes  me  that,  apparently  Pucrasia 
NiPALENSis  is  a  good  species,  which  must  therefore  be  added 
to  the  list  of  the  birds  of  India,  if  not  also  P.  castanea,  which 
probably  occurs  in  the  most  western  portion  cf  the  Himalayas 
within  our  limits. 

p.  627.  No.  840,  bis.— CurSOriuS  gailiCUS,  Linus.  The 
European  Courier  Plover.  Descr. — Forehead  and  upper  ])\\x- 
mage  generally  pale  isabelline  or  sandy-yellow;  top  of  the 
head  pale  grey  ;  a  broad  superciliaiy  white  band  from  the  eye  to 
the  occiput,  with  a  narrower  black  line  beneath  it ;  both  widen 
out  at  the  occiput,  which  is  sub-crested,  mixed  black  and  white  ; 
quills  black  ;   tail  concolorous  with  the  upper  plumage,  with  a 


APPKynix,  875 

broad  dark-browu  terminal  band,  broadly  tipped  with  white 
on  all  except  the  central  feathers  ;  beneath,  as  above  but  paler, 
and  albescent  towards  the  vent  and  under  tail-coverts  ;  lower 
wing-coverts  deep  brown.  Bill  black  ;  legs  yellowish  white. 
Length  10  inches  ;  wing  6 J  ;  tail  2| ;  bill  at  front  -| ;  tarsus  2^. 
This  bird  was  found,  many  years  ago,  by  Dr.  W.  Jameson,  in 
various  parts  of  the  Punjab,  in  small  flocks  on  bare  sandy 
plains  ;  and  it  was  noticed  by  him  in  a  Report  on  the  Birds  of 
the  Punjab  sent  in  to  Government.  It  does  not  correspond  pre- 
cisely with  the  descriptions  I  have  access  to  of  the  European 
bird,  being  altogether  paler,  and  more  albescent  beneath  ;  and  if, 
on  comparison,  it  should  be  found  distinct,  I  would  call  it  Cui'- 
sorius  Jiimesoni.  Four  of  the  additions  to  the  Indian  Avi-fauna, 
given  in  this  Appendix,  have  been  collected  by  this  gentleman 
alone  :  and  he  has  given  me  much  valuable  information  on  many 
other  rare  birds. 
Vol.  11,  p.  690. — Blyth  writes  me  that  "  the  common  little  stint  of 
this  country  is  Tringa  Subminuta,  Middendorf,"  but  pro- 
bably T.  minuta  also  occurs  in  Western  India. 

„  p.  722,  No.  908. — The  measurements  of  Porzana  cdool  are  by 
some  mistake  very  erroneous.  The  length  sliould  be  10  inches  ; 
wing  5  ;  tail  2  ;  bill  at  front  1-|  ;  tarsus  2  ;  mid-toe  2. 

„  p.  775,  No.  944.— Mr.  Blyth  writes  me  that  Phoenicopterus 
minor ^  from  Africa,  appears  exceedingly  like  the  lesser  Indian 
race  and  may  yet  require  to  be  added  to  the  Indian  Avi-Fauna. 

„  p.  837,  No.  984,  bis.— Hydrochelidon  nigra  will  require 
to  be  added  to  the  Birds  of  India,  Mr.  Blyth  having  seen  Indian 
examples  collected  by  Dr.  L.  Stewart. 
Thus  twelve  species  are  added  in  this  Appendix,  exclusive  of  -Bubo 
maximiis,  Tringcl  minuta,  vera,  and  Pluenicoptenis  minor,  which 
possibly  may  also  require  to  be  added,  whilst  only  four  are  Hup- 
pressed,  making  the  total  number  of  species  described  in  the 
Birds  of  India  1016.  Of  these  I  consider  as  somewhat  doubtful 
the  following  fifteen  species  : — 

NTo.     ^^,  Cotyle  sub-soccata. 

„     105,  Otothrix  Hodgsonii. 
„     182,  Brachyptemus  dilutus. 

,,     2G2,   lianius  arenarius. 


876  APPENDIX. 

No.  298,  Alseonax  terricolor. 

„  311,  Muscicapula  gestigma.  / 

„  495,  Ptuticilla  phsenicura  (as  distinct  from  phcenicuroides). 

„  533,  Priuia  Adamsi. 

„  537,         „     cinereocapilla. 

„  548,  Suva  faliginosa. 

„  557,  Phylloscopus  trochilus  (as  Indian). 

„  658,  Corvus  tibetanus. 

„  675,  Dendrocitta  pallida. 

„  764,  Otocoris  longirostris. 

„  906,  Galliuula  Burnesii. 


THE  END. 


Printed  at  the  Military  Orphan  Press,  6,  Bankshall  Street. 


INDEX. 


A. 

Abroenis 
Ab.  afBiiis 

—  alhiventris    ") 

—  alboi^iilaris    j 

—  albo-superciliaris 

—  castaiieoceps... 

—  clilorontitus   ... 

—  erochroa 

—  fl;iviventris    ... 

—  Sodgsoni 

—  melanotis 

—  polio^enys     ... 

—  pulckra 

—  seliisticeps    ... 

—  tenuiceps 

—  ocanthotjasfer 

—  xaiitlioschistos 
Acanthiza  arrogans 

trocMloides 

ACANTHOPTILA      ... 

Ac.  Nipalensis    ... 

ACANTHYLIS 

Ac.  caudacuta 

—  fiisca  .. 

—  gigiintea 

—  sylvjitica 

ACCENTOE 
Ac.  alpinus   ") 

—  altaicus   $ 

—  atr/igulai'is    ... 

—  cacharensis  ... 

—  himalayanus 

—  Huttoiii 

—  immaculatus^ 

—  onollis  ) 

—  nipalensis 

—  rubec'uloides... 

—  stropliiatus    ... 

—  variegatiis 

ACCENT0RIN,E       ... 

ACCIPITER 

Ac.  affinis') 

—  hesra   ) 

—  dnkhiinensis  ... 

—  dussumierii   ... 

—  fringillarius  ... 


Page. 


Vol. 


A. 


Page. 


II 

201 

Ac.  fringillaroides 

Vol.  I, 

49 

'J 

•201 
ih. 

—  ni-wsimilis     ") 

—  Nisua             3 

„ 

51 

" 

—    sat  tun  lis 

•  ••                    f) 

49 

„ 

•202 

—    siihtypicus 

•••                    >> 

51 

51 

2('.o 

—    Viri^atus 

•  ••                   ,f 

52 

,, 

197 

AccrPiTREs 

•  ••                    ^f 

1 

,, 

199 

AOCIPITRIN^ 

43 

203 

ACEROS 

•  •*                    J? 

250 

206 

A.  nipalensis 

•  >  •                    ^f 

ih. 

J? 

201 

ACRTDOTHEEES     ... 

II 

••324 

5? 

0(|;< 

Ac.  fusciis 

'••                    1? 

327 

19) 

—    ^insiiiianus  ... 

...                    ,, 

826 

,, 

201 

—     (jriseas 

») 

327 

,, 

193 

—    trislis 

•  ••                   ^^ 

325 

,, 

192 

Acrohales  brunnescens 

>•«                    )t 

154 

11 

2i  2 

AciiOCEPKALUS    ... 

...                    )i 

ih. 

200 

vl.  atri-ic-nluS 

156 

J 

196 

—  arundinaceus ... 

"ii,  i54'& 

155 

11 

o7 

—  brunnescens    ... 

II 

154 

//;. 

—  dumetorum 

—  montanus     y 

155 

l', 

170 

1) 

>J 

173 

ACTINODURA 

...                  ^) 

52 

11 

ih. 

A.  Eirpi'ioni         .  . 

...              ,, 

ih. 

>> 

172 

—  nipalensis 

...              ,, 

53 

170 

ACTITIS 

...              ,, 

697 

li, 

285 

A.  empu.'ia 

...            ,, 

6!)9 

287 

—  ulareola 

697 

»» 

—  liypoleiicos 

...              ,, 

G99 

,, 

Ov'i'^ 

—  ochropus 

,, 

698 

11 

'286 

^GIALITIS 

,, 

638 

11 

2,s7 

M.  cantianus 

...                ^, 

640 

11 

288 

—   GeoflVoyi 

1, 

6:J8 

280 

—    minutus 

11 

641 

'' 

—   Pjiilippensis  ... 

...              „ 

640 

,, 

ih. 

—   pyrihothorax 

...            )1 

639 

, 

2ns 

^GITHALISCUS       .. 

270 

») 

287 

M.  erytlii-ocephalus 

It 

ih. 

ih. 

—   iouscliistos     ... 

11 

271 

2S3 

—    nivpotrularis    .. 

...              ,, 

272 

'i, 

oO 

JEfii  1  halus  Jiammiceps 

., 

267 

52 

u^t/_i/pii(f^  niger    ... 

I, 

0 

^THOPTGA 

)) 

362 

49 

JE.  Oouldia; 

...              1) 

5364 

b\SL  5.>  [ 

—    Horsfieldii    ... 

...              tf 

367 

61  &  52  j 

—  igaieauda 

...                      nf 

365 

u 


INDEX. 


A. 


Page. 


A. 


Page. 


^.  miles 

Vol.  I,    362 

A.  leucocephala  ...           Vol. 

I,    222 

—   Nipalensis     ... 

„    366 

—  nigiicans 

,.    231 

—   saturata 

„    367 

—  pileata 

.,    226 

—   vigorsii 

363 

—  purpurea 

„    229 

Agkodeoma 

II,  231 

—  rudis 

„    232 

A.  campestris 

„      ib. 

—  sacra 

„    228 

—  cinnamomea   ... 

.,    2-?.5 

—  tridactyla 

„    229 

—  sordida 

„    236 

Alcippe               

II,     17 

Alatjda    

„    432 

A.  atriceps 

„      19 

Al.  arenaria 

„    426 

—  uipalensis 

„      18 

—    arvensis 

II,  433   &434 

—  poiocephala      .. 

„      ih. 

—    hifasciata 

II,  438 

Alcurus 

„      81 

—  hrachydactyla  \ 

—  calandrella      j 

4-^6 

A.  Nipalensis  \ 

—  striatus        3 

ih 

l,       -i-U 

}*            tC/. 

—    chendoola 

II,  4-20  &  436 

ALLOTRItTS             

„    246 

—    coelipeta 

II,  433 

A.  cenobarbus     

.,      ih. 

—    ccelivox 

„    434 

Alseonax            

I,    459 

—    cristata 

436 

A.  ferrugineus    ... 

„    460 

—    deserti 

„    422 

—  latirostris 

„    459 

—    desertorum    ... 

„    438 

— ^-''terricolor        

;,    460 

—    deva 

II,  432  &  436 

Alsocomus 

11,  461 

—    duhhunensis  ... 

II,  426 

A.  Hodgsonii      

„    463 

—    dulcivox 

„    433 

—  puniceus         

„    462 

• —    galerita 

„    436 

Amadina punctularia    ... 

M    354 

—    gangetica 

„    434 

Ammopitila  charadroides 

„    658 

—    gingica 

„    424 

Ammomanes        

„    421 

—  gracilis 

,,    434 

A.  lusitanica 

„    422 

—    grisea 

„    424 

—  pallida 

„    874 

—    gulgula 

II,  434  &  436 

—  pba^uicura 

„    421 

—    isahellina 

II,  422 

Ammoperdix      

,.    567 

—  japonica 

„    433 

A.  Bonhami 

„      ih. 

—    lei  op  us 

„    434 

AMPELIDiE    

„    240 

—    lusitanica 

„    422 

Ampelin^ 

.,    290 

—    malabarica    ... 

„    436 

Anas        

„    797 

—   penicillata    ... 

„    429 

A.  acuta  ... 

„    803 

—  pispoletta  \ 

—  raytal        ) 

„    428 

—  anser  ... 

„    779 

—  arcuata 

„    789 

—    triborhyncha 

„    4.33 

—  haikal 

„    808 

AliAUDALA 

„    428 

—  boscbas           

„    798 

A.  raytal 

„      ih. 

—  caryopbyllacea           II,  789  &  800 

Alcedinin^ 

1,    230 

— casarca 

II,  791 

AlCEDO 

„      ib. 

—  caud acuta 

„    803 

A-  atricapilla 

„    226 

—  circia   ... 

„    807 

—  bengalensis     ... 

„    230 

—  Clypeata 

„    796 

—  hraina 

„    226 

—  coromandeliana 

„    786 

—  chlorocephala  .. 

„    228 

—  crecca  ... 

„    806 

—  cccrulea 

„    -231 

—  ferina  ... 

„    812 

—  collaris 

228 

—  fisiularis 

„    804 

—  Coromandeliana 

227 

— formosa 

.,    808 

—  erythaca 

:::     ;;  229 

— fuligula 

,.    815 

—  euryzona 

„    231 

—  glocitans 

„     SOS 

— fusca 

„    224 

—  Javanica 

„    789 

—  grandis 

„    231 

—  marila 

„    814 

—  guttata 

„    234 

—  nyroca 

„    813 

—  ispidioides 

„    230 

—  Penelope 

,.    804 

INDEX. 


m 


Page. 


A. 


Page. 


A.  poocilorhyncha 

Vol.  II, 

799 

A.  irivialis 

Vol.  II, 

229 

—  qucriiiiedula    ... 

,, 

>S0G 

Aquila 

I, 

55 

—  rubra  ... 

'... 

,, 

791 

A.  hifasciata 

...                      s* 

57 

—  rufina 

>i 

811 

—  Bonelli 

•  ••                      *» 

67 

—  rutila 

... 

791 

—  Chrj/saetos 

...   I,  o5 

&57 

—  strepera 

,, 

80-2 

—  clauga 

L 

59 

—  tadorna 

,, 

794 

—  da2')hcenia 

„ 

55 

AXASTOMATIN^     ... 

., 

764 

—  fulvescens") 

—  fuse  a          5 

60 

Anastomus 

... 

M 

ih. 

,, 

A.  alhus      "^ 

—  Jiastata 

,, 

62 

—  oacitans  > 

,, 

765 

—  heliaca       7 

—  Imperialis  ) 

.-.T 

t?/p2l.^         J 

0/ 

ANATID^ 

J, 

79o 

—  intermedia 

M 

68 

Anatin.?e 

■5 

796 

—  melanaetus 

,, 

59 

Anotjs     

1> 

845 

—  minuta 

... 

63 

A.  leucocapillus 

846 

—  nasvia               ...    - 

„ 

59 

—  stolidua 

,, 

845 

—  nosvioides 

... 

60 

—  tenuirostris    ... 

!) 

846 

—  Nipalensis 

...                        ,, 

67 

Anskr 

779 

—  nohilis 

...                        ^, 

55 

A.  albifrons 

., 

780 

—  pennata 

63 

—  'orachyrhynchus 

., 

ih. 

—  perniger 

,, 

05 

—  cinereus 

•: 

779 

—  punctata  7 

—  vindiana  ) 

60 

—  erythropus     ... 

,, 

781 

,, 

— fcrus    ... 

J, 

779 

—  vittata 

,, 

59 

—  ludicus 

... 

,, 

782 

Aquiline 

., 

54 

—  viedius 

., 

781 

Aeachnechthea 

,, 

370 

—  minutu.s 

.,, 

ih. 

A.  Asiatica 

,, 

ih. 

—  ph(V>iicopus 

1' 

780 

—  lotenia 

,. 

372 

—  viiJqaris 

.. 

779 

Arachnotheba  ... 

,, 

360 

ANSERIDiE     .. 

,, 

778 

A.  affinis 

., 

361 

Anserine 

., 

ib 

—  chri/sopus 

360 

Anthipes 

I, 

477 

—  inornata 

I,  36o'&  361 

A.  gularis      \ 
—  moniliger  J 

V 

ih. 

—  magna 

—  pusilla 

I, 

860 
361 

Antiieopoides  ... 

n, 

665 

Aeboricola 

II. 

576 

A.  Virgo 

^t 

666 

A.  rufogularis     ... 

,, 

578 

Anthus    ... 

?» 

•237 

—  torqueola 

., 

577 

A.  agilis  ... 

ri, 

228  & 

232 

Archibuteo 

I, 

93 

—  aquaticus 

IL 

237 

A.  cryptogenys     \ 
—  liemiptilopus  j 

94 

—  arboreus 

II, 

228  & 

229 

,, 

—  cervinus 

II, 

237 

Aedea 

II, 

739 

—  cinnamomeus    .. 

1? 

235 

A.  affinis 

...           ,. 

749 

— japonicus 

,' 

237 

—  aiha 

., 

744 

—  maculatus 

228 

—  antigone 

," 

662 

—  malaiensis 

,, 

23J 

—  argala 

730 

—  montanus 

,, 

2:50 

—  asha 

It 

747 

—  pratensis 

„ 

237 

—  hotaurus 

,, 

757 

—  Richardi 

!• 

231 

—  brag 

., 

741 

—  rosaceus 

237 

—  buhulcus 

,, 

749 

—  rufescen.'! 

a, 

230  & 

23-1 

—  eahoga 

1. 

ih. 

—  riifo-superciliaris 

II, 

237 

—  ciconia 

,. 

73o 

—  rufulus 

ii 

232  &  234 

—  cinerea 

., 

741 

—  similis 

II, 

235 

—  cinnamomea    ... 

,, 

755 

—  sordidu.i 

... 

„ 

236 

—  coromanda 

749 

—  striohitu.^          7 

—  thermophilus  ) 

233 

—  egrctta 

,, 

744 

V 

—  egrettoides 

... 

745 

IV 


INDEX. 


A. 


Page. 


Page. 


A.flavicoUis 

Vol.  II, 

753 

A.  iudiciis            ...            Vol. 

I. 

47 

— Jiavirostris 

II,  744  & 

745 

—  Kienierii 

55 

74 

— f'lfica 

II, 

740 

—  paliimbarius  ... 

45 

—  garzetta 

,, 

74fi 

—  triviri^atus 

,, 

47 

—  goliath 

,, 

7:^9 

Athene   

-'5 

141 

<— grayii 

751 

A.  Brama            

ib. 

—  gi'isea 

...           ,, 

7n8 

—  castatwptera  ... 

>5 

144 

—  griis 

,, 

()(i4 

—  cuculoides 

1» 

145 

—  Indira 

ij 

731 

—  mnlnbarica      ,.. 

'5 

144 

—  insignis 

,, 

740 

—   Malayensis    ... 

55 

147 

—  inlcrmedia 

,, 

745 

—  E;idiata           

143 

"—  javnnica 

M 

75-i 

Attagen  ... 

II5 

8o2 

—  tepid  a 

755 

A.  nqinliis 

'5 

853 

—  leucocephala  ... 

>> 

7:J7 

ATTAGENID^ 

8.r2 

—  leucoptera    ") 

751 

Aythya 

li, 

811 

—  malaccensis  ) 

,, 

A.  ferina  ... 

J, 

812 

—  minufa 

>> 

7oG 

—  nyroca 

i» 

813 

—  modest  a 

„ 

744 

—  nehidosa 

•••                   >» 

755 

B. 

—  nigra 

,, 

75-i 

—  nigrirostris 

,, 

745 

Baiiiopus  irenoides 

T, 

476 

—  nohi/is 

•••                   ,> 

7:^9 

Bathyrhgnchus  hrevirostris 

II, 

4 

—  orientalis 

•••                   ,» 

74(i 

Bateachostomus 

I, 

188 

—  oscitans 

,, 

765 

B.  mouiliger 

55 

189 

—  pi  da 

753 

Baza         

110 

—  jDurpurea 

»> 

743 

B.  lophntes          

,, 

111 

—  putea 

•••                    5, 

745 

Bernicla  girra    ... 

II, 

786 

—  rectirostris 

,, 

74(1 

'J 

782 

VfUXVL'U/     *••                  ••* 

— russata 

,, 

749 

Bhringa             ...    -     ... 

I, 

434 

—  siriensis 

,, 

755 

B.  remifer        \ 

ib. 

—  stellar  is 

,, 

757 

—  tecti'-ostris  J  "■ 

5' 

—  Sumntrana 

,, 

7-1.1 » 

Bhuchanga  annectans    ... 

I> 

430 

—  sgnnalophoriis 

744 

«  ThJ!^'  ^4  ..  ^ 

11 

4-27 

— — _     (Xl-OtVlCZUS       >•■ 

—  to7-ra 

,, 

ih. 

Blagrus  leucogaster 

15 

84 

• —  Virao 

•••                    >? 

066 

BoTAURua 

II, 

757 

AEDEIDiE 

738 

B.  stellaris 

55 

ib. 

Aedeola 

,, 

750 

Brachglophus  hengalensis  ") 

I 

295 

A.  leucoptera 

,, 

751 

— — • igniceps        .i 

■'-1 

Akdetta 

11 

753 

sericeicoll 

„ 

289 

A.  cinnamomea    .. 

V 

75o 

».^■..^^«.^.^....                      "^ 

287 

—  flavicoUis 

51 

75:i 

xanthopygius  I 

M 

—  minuta 

...                   ,, 

756 

Brack  i/nl us  'palustris 

126 

—  sinensis 

)} 

755 

BRACHYPODID^    ... 

ii 

75 

Argala  immigraforia 

It 

732 

Beachypodius   ... 

!5 

89 

wigratoria 

,, 

730 

B.  poioreplialiis  ... 

ih. 

ArTAMINjE 

I, 

440 

Beaciiypteenus 

i'. 

295 

Aetamus 

55 

441 

B.  auraritius 

!5 

ib. 

A.  fuscus 

ih. 

—  clirysonotus  ... 

55 

296 

Aeundinax 

li 

156 

—  diiutus 

57 

297 

A.  olivaceus 

«5 

1-.7 

—  micro  pus     ") 

296 

Asio  hrachgotus  ... 

...                     I, 

126 

— pujicticollis) 

55 

otus  ... 

,) 

125 

Beachypteeyx  ... 

,, 

494 

AsiONINiE 

,5 

ih. 

B.  alriceps 

II, 

19 

ASTUR 

.  • .                  5, 

44 

—  aurifrons  \ 

I, 

495 

A.  hifasclatui 

•••                  »J 

49 

—  cruralis     ) 

•"-  hyder 

•  •  ■                   J» 

92 

™  hyperytlira     

»» 

ib. 

J  N  1>  E  i . 


B. 


Page 


B.  Nipalensia 

Br  achy  pus  gularis 

leacogeni/s 

■  melaiwcephalus  \ 

p  lu  m  if  era  \ 

Urachypus  rubineus 

■ xantholmmus 

Uradypter  us  phcenicuroides 

Bkanta 

B.  rufina 

Bubo  maxinnis    .. 

orientalis  ... 

BuBOyiN.E 

Bucco  Asiatica    ... 

harhiridits... 

cceruligula... 

caniceps 

ci/anops 

JiavicoUis  ... 

Fraiiklini  ... 

grandis 

igniceps 

Indicus 

linealiis 

luteu 

.1\J  alaharicus 

j)hilippens'is 

virens 

vin'dis 

' zeylaniciis  ... 

Buceros  alhirostris 

' ■     hicornis . . . 

cavatus 

cineraceus 

coronatus 

gingalensis 

gir.ginianus  \ 

— griseus  ) 

homrai  ... 

■ leucogaster 

malaharicus 

monoceros 

7iipalensis 

— oxyurus 

' pica 

■ pyrrhopygus 

BUCEEOTIDJi: 
Bucia  nipalensis 

BUDYTES 

B.  beema 

-  calcaratus    1 

-  citreola         >  ... 

-  citreoloides  J 

-  dub  ins 

-  Jiava 
— fulviventer 


Vol.  I. 
II, 


B. 


494 

87 

„   90 

„   88 

„  87 
„  85 
I.  497 
II,  ^\0 
,.  8]1 
„  870 
I,  131 
„  127 
„  313 
„  317 
„  313 
„  310 
„  313 
„  310 
„  314 
„  3ii« 
„  314 
„  315 

I,  309  &  310 
I,  315 
,,-317 
„  315 
.,  308 
„  311 
„  310 
..  247 

I,  242  &  •24>s 
I,  24.' 
„  248 
„  245 
„  250 

„  248 

„  242 

,.  247 

I,  245  &  247 

I.  245 

„  250 

,,  248 

„  245 

„  250 

„  '239 

211 

221 

2-22 


B.  mela)iocephal% 

—  neglecta 

—  scJiisticeps 
■ —  viridis 
Dulaca  moniicola 


newarensts 


BUPHUS 

B.  coromandus    ... 

BURNESIA 

B.  lepida 
Butalis  Mutui 

2>07iticerianus 

rufescens 

terricolor 

Butaquila  strophiala 

BuTEO        

B.  aquilinus 

—  bacha 

—  caneseens 

—  communis 

—  cristatus 

—  cirtensis 

—  hemilaaius 

—  leucocephala   ... 

—  longipes 

—  melanotis 

—  plumipes 

—  pygnt(zus 

—  rufinus 

—  rufiventer 

—  teesa 

—  vulgaris 

BuTEONIN^ 
BUTORIDES 

B. javanica 


II, 


225 


)es  ) 

7(5  \ 


Page. 


Vol.  II,  222 

I,  121 

,,  ib. 

„  749 

„  ib. 

„  1S5 

„  ih. 

I,  460 
„  459 
„  460 
„  ib. 
„  63 
,.  87 
„  90 
„  77 

88 

„  87 

,.  m 

II,  869 

„  870 

„  90 

„  88 

„  77 

„  91 

„  88 

„  87 

„  92 

„  87 

„  86 
II,  752 

„  ib. 


Caccabis 
C.  cliukor 
Calamoheepin;e 
Calandeflla     ... 
C.  brachydactyla 

—  raytal 
Caliuuis 
C.  arenaria 
Callacanthis    ... 
C.  Burtoni 
Callene 

C.  frontalis 

—  rufiventris 
Calliope 

C.  Kamtschatkensis  ) 

—  Lathami  j 

—  pectoral  is 


II, 

563 

564 

>■, 

153 

11 

426 

,1 

426 

,, 

428 

694 

ib. 

4o7 

,^ 

ib. 

I, 

496 

ib. 

ib. 

II. 

149 

1, 

150 

11 

ib. 

INDEX. 


Page. 


Page. 


Calobates 
C.  sulphurea 

Vol.  II 

220 

ib. 

C.  affinis           ") 
—  bengalensis  ) 

Vol,  I, 

350 

CALiENINiE 

,, 

486 

—  bicbuius           7 

348 

Campephaga  SyJcesii 

I, 

414 

—  castanopterus^ 

•1 

Campephagin^  ... 

,, 

413 

—  cuculoides 

...          ^^ 

353 

Campephilin.e   ... 

,, 

279 

—  dimidiatus'l 

—  lepidus        ) 

350 

Capito  cyanicollis 

,, 

313 

,, 

CAPEIMULGID^ 

n 

187 

—  philippensis    . . . 

,, 

348 

CAFKIMULGINiE    ... 

191 

—^ pumilus  7 
—  pygyncEus) 

Caprimulgus 

., 

192 

11 

350 

C.  albonotatus     ... 

,, 

194 

—  pyrrliop terus  ... 

,, 

348 

—  arenai'ius 

,, 

197 

—  rechinguis 

...          ., 

350 

—  Asiaticus 

'5 

ib. 

—  ruflpennis 

348 

—  atripennis 

196 

—  sirkee  ... 

,, 

353 

—  cinerascens     ... 

,, 

192 

—  tolu      \ 

350 

—  gangeticus 

11 

194 

—  Yiridis> 

,, 

—  gymnopus 

,, 

198 

Cephalopteus    ... 

II 

267 

—  Indicus 

,, 

19-2 

C.  flammiceps 

,, 

ib. 

—  Kelaarti 

...               ., 

193 

Ceecomela 

...           ,, 

133 

—  macrourus 

. ..                ,, 

195 

C.  f^sca    

134 

—  Mahrattensis ... 

,, 

197 

—  melanura 

133 

—  monticolus 

,, 

198 

Ceeioenis 

,, 

515 

—  saturatior 

11 

192 

C.  melanocephala 

IT 

517 

—  spilocircus 

.. 

196 

—  satyra  ... 

••                            ^1 

616 

Carbo  alhiventer... 

II, 

862 

Ceethia   

I, 

379 

cormoranus 

,, 

861 

863 

C.  Asiatica 

—  coccinea    7 

—  eruentata) 

I,  370  &  380 

,, 

I, 

373 

■ leucogaster 

,1 

862 

melanognatlius 

...               ,, 

863 

—  discolor 

., 

381 

Caeduelis 

., 

407 

—  erythrorhyncha 

„ 

374 

C.  Jjurtoni 

,, 

ib. 

—  himalayana     ... 

...           ^, 

380 

—  canicepg 

11 

408 

—  lotenia 

...           ,, 

372 

—  spina  ides 

409 

—  muraria 

,, 

383 

Cakpodactts 

,, 

397 

—  nipalensis 

381 

C.  erythrinus 

,, 

398 

—  piirpurata 

,, 

372 

—  grandis 

,, 

401 

—  spilonota 

,, 

381 

>^—  roseus 

n 

398 

—  TicTcellicB 

...           ,, 

374 

—  rubicilla 

., 

397 

—  Zeylonica 

>» 

368 

—  Sophia 

.. .                ,, 

401 

CERTHIADiE... 

378 

Carpophaga 

n 

455 

CERTHIN.3E 

,, 

379 

C.  ayiea 

11 

ib. 

CEETHILArDA       ... 

...         II, 

438 

—  ciiprea      7 

457 

C.  Boysii  ... 

...           ,, 

436 

—  insignis    \ 

•,1 

—  desertorum     ... 

...           ,, 

438 

—  pusilla    > 

—  sylvatica^ 

455 

Ceryle     

I, 

232 

11 

C.  guttata 

,, 

234 

Carvanaca  grisea 

...              ), 

652 

—  rtidis  7 

—  varia  ) 

232 

Casaeca 

...                ^1 

791 

,, 

C.  leucoptera 

1» 

793 

Cetx        

1, 

229 

—  rutila 

.. .                *1 

791 

C.  microsoma  7 
—  tridactyla  ) 

ib. 

Cathaetin^ 

I, 

11 

., 

Caulodromus  Gracei 

...              1, 

493 

Ch^moeeoenis  ... 

II, 

143 

Cehlepyris  canus... 

„ 

414 

C.  leucocephala  .  . 

11 

ib. 

— — fimhi'iatus 

I,  414  &415 

Ch5:toenis 

...           ,, 

71 

luguhris 

I, 

415 

C.  striatus 

72 

CENTBOrODINiE    ... 

...          ,, 

348 

Chcetura  nudipes 

ii 

173 

Centeopus 

ib. 

Chaitaris  grandis 

11 

476 

INDEX 


Vll 


C. 

Ckaitaris  sordidus  Vol. 

Chalcophaps     

C.  Indicus 

Chatakrhcea      

C.  caudata 

—  Earlci  .. 
Charadkius 
C.  Asiaticus 

—  atrogiilaris     ... 

—  hilohus  .. 

—  calidn's 

—  cantianus 

—  cirri  pi  desmos  .. 

—  coromandelicus 

—  Duvaucelei 

—  GeoJJ'royi 

—  firegaria 

—  hiaticula 

—  Jiiaticuloides... 

—  Leschenaidtii  ... 

—  longipes 

—  minor  ... 

—  minutus 

—  orient  alis 

—  PJiilippensis  ... 

—  pluvialis 

—  pyrhothorax  ... 

—  7'ujicollis 

—  vent  r  alis 

—  virginieus 

—  Wagleri 

—  xantJiocheilus... 
Chaulelasmus  ... 
C.  streperus 
Chelidon 

C.  Cashmiriensis... 

—  Nipalensis 

—  urbica 

Chelidoehynx    .. 
C.  chrysoschistos  \ 

—  hypoxantha     J 
Chettusia 

C.  gregaria 

—  inornata 

—  leucura 

Chibia      

C.  casta  7 

—  holtentota) 

—  malaharoides  ... 
Chleuasicus 

C.  ruficeps 
Chloropsis  aurifront 

auriventris 

•    ccesmarhynchos 

chrysogaster    ... 

cochinsinensis ... 


Page. 

I,  473 

II,  484 
M  ib. 

„  67 

„  i7j. 

„  68 

„  634 

„  638 

.,  648 

„  649 

„  694 

,,  640 

,,  639 

„  6-26 

,,  656 

,.  638 

„  644 

„  640 

„  ib. 

„  638 

„  636 

„  641 

M  ih. 

„  636 

„  640 

V  636 

M  639 

„  ib. 

„  644 

„  636 

„  644 

.,  636 

„  801 

,.  802 
I,  166 

„  167 

„  168 

„  166 

„  454 

„  455 

II,  644 

„  ib. 

„  646 

„  ib. 
I,  438 

,.  439 

„  435 

II,   7 

„  ib. 

,,  98 

„  100 

„  97 

„  ]00 

„  97 


Chloropsis  curvirostris 

cyar 

JHdrdi 

Malabaricus 


rvirostris  1 
anopterus  > 
urdwickii  J 


Page. 


Vol.11,  100 


Chrtoscoccyx    ... 
C.  chalcitcs         1 

—  Hodgsoni       ( 

—  lucidus  r 

—  smaragdinusj 
Chrysocolaptes 
C.  Goensis     \ 

—  melanotus  _)     "■ 

—  sultaneus 
Cheysomitkis    ... 
C.  spinoides 
Chrysomma  sinensis 
CHRYSONOTtIS       ... 

C.  intermedius    ... 

—  Shorei 

—  rubropygialis 
Cheysophlegma 
C.  chlorolophus 

—  chloropliaues 

—  flaYimicha 

CiCONIA  ...  

C.  alba     

—  calva        "^ 

—  capillata  ( 

—  cristata    f 
— javanica  ) 

—  leucocephala  ... 

—  marabou, 

—  nigra  ... 

—  nudifrons 

CICONIL^     

Cinclidia  2yunctata 
Cinclosoma  albigula 

carulatum  ... 

capistratum 

erythrocephalum 

grisaure 

melanocephalum 

melanurmn 

mouiliger    ... 

Nipaleusis  ... 

ocellatus 

rufimentum 

setaferum    ... 

variegatum 

Cinclus  maculatus 

Pallasii 

tenuirost 

Cinnyricinclus  melasoma 
CINNYKIDiE 
Cinnyris  Assamensis    ... 
concolor 


us  ") 

•ris) 


I, 


11, 


.,      98 

I,  337 

„     338 

„    281 
„    282 

,.    281 

II,  409 
.,      ib. 

15 
298 
299 
298 
299 
288 
289 
290 
289 
735 
736 

732 

737 

730 

735 

730 

729 

496 

38 

36 

54 

43 

39 

54 

46 

40 

53 

41 

47 

51 

45 


I, 
II, 


I,  506 

II,  122 
I,    359 

,.    367 
„    363 


vm 


INDEX. 


c. 

Cinnyris  currucaria 

^ epauletta 

ffoalpariensis  ... 

Gouldice 

■  ignicauda 

■  lepida ... 

•  loiiffirostris     ... 

—————magna 

mahraUensis  ... 

miles    ... 

minima 

• Nipalensis 

' orientalis 

■  polita 

Tuhricaudata  .. 

—  saturata 

sola 

Vigorsii 

Clorhynchus  struphiatus 

CiRCAETUS 

C.  Gallicus  

—  Nipalejisis  ) 

—  iindulatus    )  '" 

ClECUS      ...  

C.  ^ruginosus   ... 

—  Albescens 

—  cineraceus 

—  cyaneus 

—  dalmaticus 

—  melanoleucos 

—  Moniagiii  \ 

—  Nipalensis  ) 

—  pallidits      7 

—  Swaiiusonii  ) 
, —  Sylesii 

—  ieesa    ... 
• —  variegatus 

CiSSA 

C.  Sinensis     ") 

—  venotoria  ) 

CiSTICOLA  

C.  cursitans 

—  erythrocephala 

—  schsenicola  ) 

—  sjih-himalayana  \ 

—  Tytleri  

Coccothrausfes  carnipes 
eaticasieus  ... 

fortirostris... 
icterioides  ... 
melanoxanthos 


--  spieculigerns 


COCCTSTES 

C.  coromandus  ... 
—  melanoleucos  . . . 
Coccyzura  tusedia 


Page. 

Vol.  I,  370 

„  ih. 

„  362 

.,  364 

„  365 

„  368 

„  361 

„  360 

„  370 

„  36-2 

„  369 

„  366 

,,  370 

„  37-2 

„  3f5o 

„  367 

„  368 

.,  36.3 

IT,  685 

I,  7.3 
„  76 

,.  77 

„  94 

„  99 

„  96 

„  97 

,.  9o 

„  96 

„  98 

„  97 

„  96 

„  99 

„  92 

„  99 

II,  311 

,.  812 

V  174 

M  ih. 

„  175 

„  174 

„  176 

3«7 

„  397 

„  3S6 

„  3S4 

.,  380 

,.  387 

3.^9 

341 

339 

473 


C. 

Cocayzus  chrysogaster 

COCHOA     ... 

C.  purpurea 
—  viridis 
CoLiEUS     ... 
C.  raonedula 
COLIID^ 

COLLOCALIA 

C.  nidifica 

Collurio  eryihroyioius 

HardxoicJcii 

jounotus 

-_ Inhtora 

nigricep)s 

tephronotus 


I, 


I, 


n, 


COLUMBA 

C.  agricola 

—  hadia  ... 

—  ca,mhayensis     ... 

—  Elpliinstonei  ... 

—  gelastes 

—  Hardjoichii     ... 

—  Hodgsonii 

—  humilis 

—  indica    

—  intermedia 
— javanica 

—  leptogrammica 

—  ieucouota 

—  livia 

—  meena  •-- 

—  milltans 

—  yipaletisis 

—  anas     ... 

—  Phneni  copter  a  .. 

—  pulchricollis    ... 

—  risoria  .. 

—  rupestris 

—  rupicola 

—  siiperciliaris    •- 

—  suratcnsis 

—  turtur  ...         •  • 
COLUMBID^  ... 
Coi-umbiNjE 
COLYMBIDiE  .. 
COMIHOSTRES 

CONOSTOMA 

C.  cBinodium 
Connrus  Himalayanus 

COPSTCHUS 

C.  saularis 

CoKACIAS 

C.  affinis  ... 

—  bengalensis 

—  garrula 

—  iudica  ... 


Page. 

Vol.  I,  353 
II,  242 

„  243 
„  ih. 
„  302 
ih. 
356 
„  182 
„  lb. 
„  402 
„  40.5 
„  402 
„  400 
„  404 

403 

II,  469 
„  476 
„  457 
„  478 
„  465 
„  476 
„  447 
„  463 
„  482 
„  484 
„  469 
„  484 
„  473 

471 

II,  469  &  470 
II,  476 
„  447 
„  463 
.,  469 
„  447 
„  465 
„  481 
„  470 
„  476 
„  484 
„  479 
„  480 
„  460 
„  467 
,.  820 
„  291 
„  10 
ib. 
2(51 
114 
ib. 
213 
217 
214 
218 
214 


I, 
II, 


INDEX. 


IX 


C.  orientalis 

COEACIADiE 

COBVIDiE       

CoEVINiE  

COEVUS      

C.  halicassms 

—  corax  ...         

—  corone... 

—  culminatus 

—  dauriciis 

—  frugilegus 

—  hotteniotus 

—  impudicus 

—  intermedius    ... 

—  leucolophus 

—  macrorhynchos 

—  monedula 

—  orientalis 

—  pyrrhocorax  ... 

—  rufus  ... 

—  Sinensis 

—  speciostis 

—  splendens 

—  tenuirostris     ... 

—  tibetanus 

COEYDALLA  

C.  Eichardi 
— rufula 

—  striolata 
Corythus  sipahi 

• subhemachalus 

CopypJius  caudatus 

CoTUENICIXjE       

COTUENIX  

C.  argoondali 

—  chinensia 

—  communis 

—  coromandelica 

—  dactylisonans.., 

—  erythrorhyncha 

—  excalfactoria   \ 
— jiavipes  J 

—  Indicns 

—  pentah... 

—  Philippensis  ... 

—  textilis... 

COTYLE  

C.  concolor 

—  riparia 

—  Sinensis 

—  subsoccata 

CRACID^        

Crataionyx  Jlava 
Crateropics  cachinnans  .. 

Delesserti ") 

■    griseiceps  j  " 


1 

Vol.  I, 

^age. 
219 

. 

213 

II, 

292 

1' 

~'ih. 

•                      •! 

293 

I, 

430 

.        TI, 

293 

u 

295 

11 

ih. 

?J 

298 

.J 

302 

I, 

4.-?9 

11, 

298 

J> 

297 

5» 

35 

•                      ,» 

295 

»                      J, 

302 

M 

295 

319 

>> 

314 

*                    1? 

316 

,> 

312 

.                    1' 

298 

5, 

297 

29J 

'7 

231 

ih. 

It 

232 

n 

233 

11 

394 

,, 

396 

•              ,' 

67 

•              T 

585 

•              J) 

586 

?» 

583 

'.1 

591 

i> 

586 

•              li 

588 

'J 

586 

584 

11 

591 

n 

586 

jj 

581 

11 

591 

'?» 

588 

I, 

102 

!> 

165 

»1 

163 

11 

164 

163 

li, 

492 

282 

15 

48 

11,37 

&48 

Page. 


Crateropus  Lafrestiayii  Vol.  II, 

48 

puniceus 

,, 

ih. 

Crex  pygmaa 

•  ••                        9^ 

723 

Ceiniger 

•  .  .                        ,, 

82 

C.  flaveolus 

5, 

83 

—  ictericus 

...                           ^^^^ 

82 

—  sj)]endens 

I, 

439 

—  Tickelli 

...            II, 

84 

Ceocopus 

446 

C.  Chlorigaster  ... 

,, 

448 

—  Phcenicopterus 

447 

Ceyptolopha     ... 

fi 

455 

C.  auri-capilla    ... 

...            II, 

199 

—  cinereocapilla  ) 

—  poioicephala    } 

I, 

455 

CUCULID^     ... 

...              ^, 

318 

CUCULIN.E 

319 

CUCULUS 

„ 

321 

C.  affinis 

», 

328 

—  Bartlettii 

,, 

324 

—  canorus 

„ 

322 

—  collaris            \ 

—  Coromandtis    ) 

,, 

341 

—  ejulans 

,, 

329 

— jiavus 

,, 

333 

— •  fug  ax 

...              ,, 

329 

—  Himalayanus  ...  I, 

323,  324  &  3-25 

—  Laihami 

...          I, 

329 

—  maculatus 

...          ,) 

342 

—  micropterus    ... 

,, 

326 

—  3Iindanensis  ... 

,, 

342 

—  niger 

"i,  333  &.342 

—  orientalis 

...           I, 

342 

—  poliocephalus... 

11 

324 

—  pravatus 

,, 

325 

— ■  pyrommatus  ... 

,, 

333 

—  rufovittatus    ... 

,, 

325 

—  sat ur at us 

,, 

323 

—  sc.olopaceus    ... 

,, 

342 

—  Sonneratii 

11 

325 

—  sparverioides ... 

»i 

331 

—  striatus 

,, 

328 

—  tenuirostris    ... 

I,  329  &  335 

—  varius 

I, 

329 

— venustus 

,, 

325 

—  viridis 

350 

CULICIPETA 

'.'.'.      li, 

199 

C.  Burkii 

I, 

ib. 

— cantator 

11 

200 

CULTIROSTEES 

728 

CuUrunguis  Jiavipes 

.■■."      I,' 

133 

nigripes 

ib. 

Curruca  cinerea... 

::."    li, 

209 

gar  Tula 

„ 

ib. 

Jerdoni 

CURSORID.E  ... 

11 

2i»8 
626 

INDEX 


.!■- 


C. 

CUESORITJS 

C.  Asiaticus  *) 

—  coromandelicus  > 

—  gallicus 

CUTIA 

C.  I^ipalensis 
Cyaniccula 
C.  fastuosa 

—  I),dica 

—  suecica 

—  suecicoides  _ 
Cyanops 
C.  Asiatica 

—  Franklinii 
CYGNID^       ... 

Cyohnis  

C.  cequalicauda  ... 

—  banyumas 

—  mat;t)irostris  ... 

—  pallipes 

—  ruficauda 

—  rubeculoides  ... 

—  Tickelliaj 

—  unicolor 

Cypselin^  

Cypselus 

C.  affinis 

—  apus     ... 

—  batassiensis    ... 

—  concolor 

—  giganteus 

—  leuconotus 

—  leuconj'x 

—  melba 

—  wonianus 

—  murarius    ) 

—  JSipalensis  ) 

—  pulmarum 

D. 

Dafila 

D.  acuta  ...         ... 

Dahila  docilis     ... 
Dasyornis  loeustelloides 
Decurus  fidiginosus 
Delichon  JSipalensis 
Demj-egeexta 

D.  aslia    ... 
Dendkochelidon 
D.  coronatus  ^ 

—  schisticolor> 

—  velafus        ) 
Dendeocitta 
D.  aliirostris 


Page. 

Vol.  II,   626 

„      ih. 


I, 


874 

247 

ih. 

151 

47- 


frontalis 


'is ") 


II,  152 

I,  312 
„  313 

„  314 

II,  7 
I,  465 

„  46S 

„  460 

„  46t) 

.,  ib. 

„  468 

„  466 

„  4t)7 

„  465 

„  16S 

„  175 

„  177 

„  th. 

„  181) 

„  183 

„  172 

„  173 

„  179 

„  175 

,.  177 

„  ih. 

„  180 


11,  803 

„  ib. 

M  115 

»  7--! 

„  183 

I,  168 

II,  747 

„  ib. 

I,  lS5 

„  ib. 

II,  313 

»  317 


D. 

D.  leucogastra   ... 

—  pallida 

—  rufa     ... 

—  Sinensis 
Dendeociltin^ 
Dendrocopus  Darjellensis 

JElliotii     ... 

moluccensis 

fyrrliice'ps 


Dendeocygna 
D.  affinis... 

—  arcuata  \ 

—  awsuree  3 

—  major      7 

—  vagans    ) 
Dendeophila    ... 
D.  frontalis 
DENTIllOSTEES      .. 

DlCJEUM 

D.  chrysoc7ilorum\ 

—  chrysorhceum  ) 

—  coccineum 

—  concolor 

—  erythronotum 

—  minimum 

—  rubricapillum 

—  sanguinifrons 
D1CEUEIN.E         

DiCEUEUS 

D.  a'tratus 

—  affinis  \ 

—  balicussius  )  "' 

—  coerulescens   ... 

—  cineraceus 

—  criniger 

—  Indicus 

—  intermedius    ... 

—  longicaudatus 

—  longus 

—  macrocercus  ... 

—  fyrrliops        ... 

—  retifer 

DIDID^  

Digenea  leucocyanea 

leucomelanura 

rubro-cyanea    . 

tricolor... 

Dimorplia    dlbogularis . 

aurictdaris  . 

moniliger     .. 

superciliaris 

Deomadin.e 

Deomas 

D.  ardeola 

Drymoica,  brevicaudata,. 

— ~ Franklinii 


Page. 

Vol.  II,  317 

„    315 

„    314 

„    316 

313 

270 

282 

277 

272 

788 

786 


I, 


II, 


789 
790 


I, 

388 

..       ,, 

ib. 

••       M 

396 

>1 

373 

11 

374 

1) 

373 

1> 

375 

11 

373 

,% 

374 

••       11 

373 

..               II, 

267 

.       I, 

425 

H 

426 

11 

433 

I,  430  &  427 

I, 

432 

It 

430 

"         11 

439 

J) 

427 

5J 

430 

• '        1^ 

ib. 

II, 

871 

I,  427  &  430 

I, 

4o0 

•  "                    'il 

437 

..        II, 

487 

..    I, 

480 

11 

479 

..    ,, 

480 

11 

478 

If 

470 

••    J} 

475 

..    j> 

477 

f, 

480 

.    II, 

657 

'? 

ib. 

••        ?» 

658 

,, 

188 

99 

180 

INDEX, 


Zl 


D. 


Page. 


Drymoica  Jerdoni 

Vol.  II, 

180 

D.  pithyornis 

lepida 

,, 

185 

—  pusilla 

• Nipalensis 

,, 

180 

—  simillima, 

sylvatica 

,, 

182 

—  sordida 

Drymoipus 

i> 

178 

—  spodocephala  ... 

D.  inornatus 

...          ,, 

lb. 

—  Straclie}'! 

—  longicaxidatus 

„ 

180 

—  Stewarti 

—  sylvaticus 

>> 

181 

—  suhcristata 

—  neglectus 

,, 

18-2 

EMBERIZINiE 

Dryoiomus  jiavigu  la 

I. 

•289 

Enicuetjs 

Ducula  insignis  ... 

...        II, 

457 

E.fuliginosus 

DUMETIA 

,j 

25 

—  heterurus 

D.  albogularis     ... 

,, 

26 

-  immaculatus   ... 

—  hyperj'thra    ... 

...          „ 

ib. 

—  maculatus 

DUMETICOLA 

,, 

\51 

—  niiirifrons 

D.  afEnis       7 
—  thoracica) 

...  <       ,, 

158 

—  schistaceus 

—  Scouleri 
Ephialtes 

E. 

E.  lempigi 

—  pennatus           \ 

—  spilocephalus    J 

Edolius 

I, 

435 

JS.  harbatus 

...         J, 

4:i9 

Erodia  amphilensis 

—  cristatellus     ... 

•••         99 

437 

Erolia  (red-billed) 

—  dentirostris'[ 

—  grundis 

436 

E.  varia 

,, 

EliPORNIS 

—  krishna 

i> 

439 

\l.  xantholeuca    ... 

—  Malabaricus  ... 

...          J, 

437 

Eryihaca  jiavolivaeea 

—  paradisseus    ... 

,, 

435 

Tytleri 

Elanus 

...          ,t 

11-2 

Erythropus 

E.  melanopterus  "> 
—  minor               5 

ib. 

E.  Cenchris 

,, 

—  Vesper tinus  ... 

Embkuiza 

...      ir, 

370 

Erythrosteena 

E.  aibida 

,, 

ib. 

E.  acornaus 

—  aureola 

,, 

380 

— leueura 

—  baghaira 

„ 

426 

—  maculata 

—  brunniceps 

,, 

378 

—  piirva 

—  Buchanani     ... 

II,  372  &  373 

—  pusilla 

—  canicejjs 

...         II, 

374 

EsACINiE 

—  chlorocephala 

), 

ib. 

Esacus     

—  eia        

II, 371  & 

375 

E.  recurvirostris... 

—  crlstata 

...         II, 

381 

ESTEELDA 

—  dalmatica 

„ 

370 

E.  am  an  da  va 

—  erythroptera  ... 

381 

—  formosa 

—  Jlavogularis   ... 

,, 

3S0 

EsTRELDINjE 

—  fucata 

,, 

375 

EUDYNAMYS 

—  hortulana 

372 

E.  oi'ientalis 

—  Huttoni 

i> 

373 

EULABES 

—  icterica 

,> 

378 

E.  Indica 

—  Lathami 

...          „ 

381 

—  iiiterme.iia 

—  lesbia 

...           ,, 

Mb 

—  veligiosa 

—  hucocephala  ... 

,, 

370 

Etjmyias 

—  melanocephala 

,, 

:i78 

E.  albicaudiita     ... 

—  Tiieliinops 

„ 

374 

—  uielanops 

—  jS'ipalensis 

„ 

3«1 

Euflectes  albirostris 

—  olivacea 

,, 

426 

bengalensis 

—  personata 

...          „ 

374 

Jlavicepg 

E. 


Page, 


Vol.  II, 

370 

*                    5> 

376 

•                    J) 

878 

5> 

376 

?> 

374 

372 

i> 

374 

'                  '? 

381 

•                  :» 

369 

•                  ?* 

2il 

«                   •>■> 

212 

•                   •, 

214 

•                  i) 

213 

•                  »5 

212 

•                   >» 

213 

t' 

214 

'                  It 

214 

I, 

136 

5? 

138 

•                  >I 

136 

•                II, 

6.58 

Si 

685 

'                 M 

689 

••                    19 

264 

*                    9» 

ib. 

'                    1> 

148 

146 

i. 

39 

,, 

40 

n 

ib. 

5> 

481 

11 

483 

11 

481 

48-i 

li, 

871 

)i 

482 

'      i> 

653 

M 

ib. 

>5 

ib. 

•                   ,, 

3.59 

*                  JI 

ib. 

,» 

361 

M 

3.51 

I, 

342 

,, 

ib. 

II, 

337 

>» 

ib. 

5, 

339 

•                  '1 

337 

I, 

463 

„ 

464 

1' 

463 

■                11, 

349 

348 


tn 


INDEX. 


E. 


Page. 


F. 


Page. 


Euplectes  flavigula         Vol. 

n, 

349 

F.  gallinarius 

striahis 

>5 

348 

—  halicetus 

Eup  locomus  melanotus  . , . 

1> 

5:U 

—  herhce.cola 

Edpodotis           

1' 

607 

—  ichthycehis 

E.  Edvvardsii       

'i 

i6. 

—  Imperialis 

EURYCERCUS          

»5 

74 

—  Indus 

E.  Burnesii 

t> 

ib. 

—  interstinctus    . . . 

EUEYLAIMID^       ... 

I, 

235 

—  juggur      ) 
— luggur      ) 

Eurylaimus  DalJioiisice 
psitt  acinus 

236 

" 

—  lanarius 

EUEINOEHYNCHUS 

II, 

692 

—  Lathami 

E.  griseus        ") 

—  leucogaster 

—  ori'entalis     >  ... 

)> 

693 

—  limnoetus 

—  pygmaus      } 

—  lithofalco 

EUEYSTOMUS          

h 

219 

—  lophotes 

E.  calornyx      1 

—  Macei 

—  cyanicollis   \  ... 

»» 

ib. 

—  Malaiensis     ... 

—  orientalis     j 

—  maritimus 

EUSPIZA                 

II, 

377 

—  melanoleucos 

E.  aureola 

380 

— '  Melanop  terus 

—  Lathami         

?> 

381 

—  melanonotus    ... 

—  luteola...         .  . 

1' 

378 

—  micrurus 

—  melanocephala 

», 

ib. 

—  milvipes 

ExCALFACTOKIA    

» 

590 

—  mogilnik 

E.  chmensis 

591 

—  noevius 

Falco      

il 

20 

—  niger   ... 

—  Nisus 

F. 

—  nevius 

—  Palmnbariiis ... 

F.  JEruginosus    ... 

I, 

99 

—  peiinatus 

—  (Esalon 

5) 

35 

—  peregrinator  ... 

—  Alaudarius     

J> 

38 

—  peregrinus 

—  albidiis             ...              I, 

77  &  95 

—  ptilorhynchus 

—  Aldrovandi    ... 

I, 

34 

—  pygargus 

—  babylonicus      

it 

32 

—  rujipedoides    ... 

—  hadius  ... 

,, 

48 

—  rufiis   ... 

—  blagrus 

jj 

84 

—  Sacer 

—  BoiielU 

>» 

67 

—  severus 

—  hracJiydactylws 

?? 

76 

—  sJiaheen 

—  Brownii 

)) 

48 

—  Subbuteo 

—  ccesius 

112 

—  sultaneus 

—  calidus 

?> 

21 

—  themophihis    ... 

—  Cenchris 

,, 

40 

—  tinnunculoides 

—  cheela  ... 

>» 

77 

—  tinnunculus    ... 

—  Chicquera 

36 

—  trlvirgatus 

—  Cherrug            

5» 

29 

—  Vesper^tinus    ... 

—  Chrysaetos 

?' 

55 

—  Virgatus 

—  cineraceus 

5> 

97 

FALCONID^  ... 

—  cinereus 

1» 

87 

FaLCONINjE 

—  cirrhatus 

V 

71 

Falcinellus 

—  communis 

21 

F.  bengalensis     ... 

—  Cristatellus    ... 

?, 

71 

—  Cuvieri 

—  cyaneus 

'» 

95 

—  igneus 

—  dimidiatus 

>, 

84 

FISSIEOSTRES 

—  Biissumierii    ... 

JJ 

48 

Feancolinus     ... 

^  Gallicus           

>1 

76 

F.  Henrici 

1.1, 

45 

?> 

80 

11 

96 

n 

81 

11 

57 

11 

101 

38 

»» 

30 

.1 

29 

71  & 

111 

I, 

84 

i> 

70 

.i 

35 

111 

11 

82 

'ji 

65 

>i 

84 

11 

98 

^) 

112 

^) 

55 

21 

29 

>j 

57 

11 

59 

.) 

55 

>> 

51 

11 

70 

11 

45 

9) 

63 

11 

25 

^ 

21 

^» 

108 

>1 

95 

11 

34 

11 

99 

U 

29 

91 

34 

25 

11 

33 

1j 

25 

1» 

30 

J? 

40 

1» 

38 

47 

jj 

40 

1> 

52 

1> 

18 

20 

II, 

770 

Jl 

ib. 

>> 

689 

*  J 

770 

I, 

153 

II, 

558 

>> 

ih. 

INDEX. 


xm 


R 

F.  nivosun 

—  pictus 

—  vulgaris 
Feanklinia 
F.  Buchanani 
Feegilinje 
Fkegilus 

F.  graculus         \ 

—  Himalayamis^ 
Feingilla 

F.  amandava 

—  bengalensis 

—  crucigera 

—  erythrophry.'i 
— Jiavicollis 

—  hispaniolensis 

—  leuconota 

—  inanyar 

—  montana 

—  montifringilla 

—  pyrrh  optera   . . 

—  rhodochroa     ., 

—  rhodopepla 
— -  ruhrifrons 

—  salicicola 

FEINGILLArCA     .. 
F.  longipennis    } 

—  nemoricola     ^ 
FRINGILLID^ 

FeINGILLINjE 
FULICA 

F.  atra     

—  chloropus 

FULIGULA 

F.  cristata 

—  marila 

FuLIGULINjE 


G. 


Galeeida 


Galgidus  Sinensis 

Galliceex 

G.  cristatus 

Galling 

Gallinago 

G.  gallinula 

—  nemoricola 

—  scolopacinus 

—  solitaria 

—  stenura 
Gallinula 
G.  akool 


1 

Vol.  II, 

^age. 
543 

•    i» 

561 

•    »> 

558 

n 

186 

i> 

ib. 

•        5» 

318 

•        Jl 

ib. 

M 

319 

'> 

412 

J) 

359 

?J 

343 

424 

V 

407 

'        M 

368 

364 

•        >) 

356 

•       )J 

348 

»> 

366 

1» 

412 

>> 

367 

H 

402 

•        )> 

400 

1» 

410 

>1 

364 

•» 

413 

»? 

414 

'        '5 

341 

!> 

383 

•         '» 

715 

ib. 

1^ 

718 

)> 

814 

•      u 

815 

'> 

814 

n 

810 

.     II, 

436 

>5 

ib. 

1> 

312 

1> 

716 

'     'iy 

ib. 

•     ?> 

535 

5t 

671 

•      '> 

676 

672 

>J 

674 

>> 

673 

674 

1» 

718 

[,  718  &  722  j 

G. 

G.  Bailloni 

—  Burnesii 

—  chloropus 

—  cristata 

—  euryzonoides ... 

—  Javanica 

—  lugubris  ... 

—  modesta 

—  parvifrons 

—  phoeiiicura 

—  rubiginosa 
Gallopebdix 
G.  lunulosa 

—  spadiceus 
Gallophasis 

G.  albocristatus  ,., 

—  melauotus 

—  Gallus 

G.  bankivzis         ) 

—  ferrugineus    > 

—  Sonneratii 
Gampsoehynchus 
G.  rufulus 
Gaeeulax 

G.  affinis 

—  albogularis     ... 

—  C£Brulatus 

—  Delesserti 

—  imbricatus 

—  Jerdoni 

—  leucolophus  ... 

—  McLellandi  ... 

—  onelanutis 

—  moniliger 

—  ocellatus 

—  pectoralis 

—  ruficollis 
Gaeeulin/^ 
Gaeeulus 
G.  albifrons 

—  bispecularls  ... 

—  gului'is        ) 

—  lanceolatus  ) 

—  nccvius 

—  ornattis 

—  striatus 

—  Vigor  si  i 
Gecininje 
Gecinulus 
G.  grantia 
Gecinus 

G.  occipitalis 

—  squamatus     ... 

—  striolatus 
Gelochelidon  ... 
O.  anglicus 


Page. 

Vol.  II,  723 

„  719 

„  718 

„  716 

„  725 

„  720 

„  716 

„  722 

„  718 

„  720 

„  724 

„  541 

„  543 

„  541 

„  531 

„  532 

„  534 

„  536 

,,  ib. 

„  539 

„  13 

„  14 

„  34 

„  45 

„  38 

„  36 

»  37 

„  51 

„  49 

„  35 

„  40 

„  39 

„  40 

„  4i 

„  39 

„  38 

„  306 

„  307 

„  64 

„  307 

„  308 

I,  214 

II,  307 

„  308 

I,  285 

„  292 

„  ib. 

„  285 

„  287 

„  286 

„  287 

II,  836 

„  ib. 


XIV 


F  N  I>  E  ;!C  . 


G. 


Par/e. 


GKMTTOKES  ...  Vol    TT,  441 

GKOflfMII-A  

G.  citriiKi 

—  cyaiK^tiiH 

—  duRimilis 

—  iinicolor 
Gkk()nth;iih 

(j.    TlUJjilloHUS         

GLAIiKOLID/l'] 

Gi.AUCiniuM 
G.  Jirodiici 

GOURIIMO       

Gracula  crislafcUd 

ffryllivora 

•  inlermadiu 

minor     ... 

rel,i(/u>sa  1 1 , 


naularix 


GaACVLVH 

Q.  ciirbo   ... 

—  .TavariiouH 

—  SiiicriKiH 
GRALLATOJIKS 

GlUMINICOLA 

G.  hc'ii^alcnsiH     ... 

GltAMMA'IDl'TriiA 

G.  HlriaLa 

GUANI>AI,A 

(t.  catlicolor       if 

—  schlslucca     \ 

(illAHCAMIH 

G.  Maooi 
GUUrDyl': 

Griih 

G.  ttiiLif^oiic 

—  ciiuTca 

—  IcucogoranuH 

—  oricnialu 

—  l<)r<iiial(t 
(iryliivora  inUrmcdia 

lonf/icaudu 

GYMNOUKIilNA;    ... 
GrrAH'i'iNii-. 

GVI'AICTIIS 

G.  l)arl)atuK  "^ 

—  (Jrandis  > 

—  hcmachalanus) 
Gyi'S 

G.  IJongalonsis    ... 

—  fulvuH 

—  ludicuH 

H. 
HTF'^MATOPODID^i: 

lliKMATOl'ODI.N*;... 


IT.  ofltralogus       ...  Vol. 

Ifdmalnvma  cafcr 

pufindo-cafer  f 

pusiflus         ) 

— -  undulalUH    ... 

II;HMAT<)HPIZA      ... 
]f.  hocUmenmit   7 

—  hipalii  5 
Ifmrnorrlious  roue  its 

Halcyon 

II.  airiauroptxTUK 

—  Atricai)illuH    ... 

—  hrunniceps 

—  ralijn/cfa 

—  (•apc.nnin 

—  (JorornandoliaiuiH    \ 

—  Coromandcr  ) 

—  fuHCUS  ... 

—  aurial  i 

—  rcucooeplialuH  J 

—  lilaaina        ") 

—  Schlcf/elii     ) 

—  Smi/rnensiH    ... 

nAL(jyoNiDyio 

Hai.cvoni.N4': 

II  Ai.i/i-rruH 

//.  alhijxis  '\ 

—  f'ulvivonter     > 

—  laiiccoUtI ux   3 

—  loiicogaHlor 
J,    417     —  Macci 

ih.     —  jiltimhcus 
0(1 1     —  ponliccriawuH  ... 
i'tiVl     IIamahtuu 

(;r.2  k  0(i4     II.  InduH 

I  I,  (i'ili     Ildlid'.us  upicanus 
()(;;i     llAiiODitoMiN^;    ... 
(!(')2     IIaim'actks 
iO.  j  II.  fasc.iatus 
114     —  IIodgHonii       ...       '  ... 

IK)    IIemk'IUCMjs        

li'JO     11.  canon  to    \ 
11}    —  corddtu.'i  ) 
ih.      IlEMKIIKI.inoN   ... 
If.  frrriitjinosum., . 
ih.     —  f'uliffiiiOHa 

ll('mil,ophu.i  ]fo(l(fsonii  ... 
H     Hfimipodiu.s  atrof/ulari.s 

10      Du.H.sumierii 

8 plumhipi:.s   ... 

9 puf/nax       II 

taif/oor 

Hkmtpuk 
G')5     II.  picatiiK 
O.'i'J    Hemixos 
ih.    H.  flavala 


10 
,;  617 
„  ih. 
„  55il 
„  -1 10 
ir.  709 
.,       ih. 

I,  M.O 
..  140 

II,  AH',i 
„  .'327 
„  .TJ-) 

,.  -yM 

,.  :W7 
.'J37  &  .'l''H) 
II,  114 
„  «01 
„      ih. 

.,    80;} 

„    H(Vi 

,.  fio'i 
..  177 
„  ih. 
„  11 
„  //.. 
,,119 

„      ih. 


Page. 

II,  05I> 

„  94 

„  ih. 

I,  77 

II,  394 

,,  ih. 

.,  :m 

I,  221 

.,  *224 

,.  226 

„  222 

„  227 

,.  222 

„  '227 

„  224 

,.  222 

„  227 

,.  224 

„  2-20 

,.  221 

„  82 


II. 


„  84, 

„  82 

„  81 

„  101 

,,  ih. 

„  ib. 

I'i,  827 
T,    201 

„  ih. 
.,  202 
„    280 

„      ib. 

„    458 

„    4,60 

„    458 

284 

597 

„    599 

597 

595  &  597 

II,  69-> 

I,  Ul 
.,    412 

II,  80 
ib. 


n. 


INDEX. 


XV 


H. 


Pajrc. 


Heeouias 

Vol.  11,  744 

H.  NipaUinsif 

H.  alba 

„      ih. 

—  Panai/a7ia 

—  ogrettoidcs     ... 

„    IV, 

—  riparia 

—  pjarzctta 

„    746 

—  ri( pes  Iris  7 

~-  immarulata    ... 

„      ih 

—  rupirvla  5 

—  pannosa 

„    747 

—  ruHtira 

—  plnmifcra 

„    74.-. 

—  tSincn.si.s 

HlCSlMOHU'IIONA    ... 

„    384 

—  Tyt'eri 

11.  allinis 

„    3H5 

—  unicolor 

—  icterioides 

„     384 

—  urlnca 

HnTKKOMOltlMIA... 

G 

lIoUCiSONIUS 

M.  caniccps 

„       r> 

n.  ])luoiiicuroidcH 

—  riificrps 

—  unicolor 

„     ih. 

IIoM  KAIL'S 

n 

II.  bicornlH 

Hrtcroph axia  cuculopsis 

„      55 

ll(M'i,()i"n;in;,s 

Hftkuuka 

„    230 

11.  veiitralis 

11.  Hylvaiia 

„      ih. 

KoiuaTiCK 

Iliat inula  riijinu... 

„    038 

II.  bnitmoirrons  .. 

HiEKAX     

1,      42 

—  major 

IT.  hoifialeusls  7 

„      ih. 

■ —  pollicaris 

—  KiilolrnoH     S 

—  Hchi.slilaliis    .. 

Hikh()<(k;cyx 

„    328 

lIoIIOItMS 

H.  iiiHicoloi- 

„    3;j() 

11.  (lavivcutriH     .. 

—  Hi)arv(Tioi(ic8... 

„    •*531 

rurtipoH 

—  variuH 

.,    329 

—  ('uligiiiivcnlcr 

HIMANTOPIDii:       . 

11,  703 

-     All  vi  venter    .. 

IIl.MANTorU8 

,,    7o4 

HoilllARA 

//.  asialicus         '\ 
—  candidus         [ 

ir.  jMacquceiiii   .. 

„      ih. 

HUHUA 

—  inicnnediu-t    j 

H.  NipaleriHiH? 

llippo/ais  Sivfiinnoni 

.,     193 

—  pvcloralin    ^ 

HIKlINDliNIUyi':       .. 

1,     1.'54 

IIyduoiiata 

UlUIINDlNINil';      ... 

„     1.55 

11.  AHiatica 

HlUUNUO 

„     150 

—  cashmiricnsiB 

//.  alpcs/iis 

„     100 

—  einclus 

—  alpina 

.,     175 

—  Hordida 

—  apus 

.,     177 

irYDUOCIIELIUON 

—  hreviraudata ... 

„     104 

H.  Indiea 

-  hrcint'ostris    ... 

M    182 

IIVUUOCIHSA 

—  caudncula 

„    173 

11.  aflinirt 

—  coiicolor 

,,    105 

—  alhiro.slris 

—  cor  omit  a 

„    185 

—  coronata 

—  Daurica 

,.    160 

llYI)UUI'II\SIA^L■M 

—  doraicola 

„     15H 

11.  (;liiriir'.;uH 

—  erylhropyiiia... 

„     160 

IhDICOUNIH 

—  Jiliraadala  7 

„    159 

n.  IS'ipaleiiHis     .. 

—  filifera          ji 

llvroi'icrs 

—  iliivicola 

„    101 

11.  Iiy])(  rythrus  .. 

—  (jutturalis 

„    157 

Jlvi'OTUIOKCUia 

—  inornatu 

„    100 

][.  (Ksalon 

—  Javanica 

„    157 

—  CJiicciuoja 

—  Jewan... 

„    1.57 

—  sovenis 

—  melha  ... 

„    175 

—  Suhbutco 

—  minuta 

„     104 

IIVP.'JIPKrES 

—  montati" 

„     166 

H.  Gancesa 

—  nid\fica 

„     182 

—  McLcllandii  .. 

H. 


Page. 


Vol.  I, 

100 

,, 

157 

11 

163 

,. 

160 

. 

157 

164 

11, 

870 

1, 

182 

,, 

166 

,, 

497 

51 

ih. 

1» 

242 

ih. 

rh 

650 

,, 

ih. 

,^ 

1 6.3 

,, 

ih. 

11 

)6l 

u 

163 

ih. 

., 

161 

^ , 

lOJ 

ih. 

,, 

ih. 

,, 

ih. 

,, 

on 

^1 

612 

1, 

131 

M 

ih. 

aoh 

M 

506 

,» 

007 

1) 

.7,. 

>h. 

li, 

8;i7 

,^ 

ih. 

I, 

245 

247 

,, 

ih. 

,, 

245 

n, 

709 

ih. 

i', 

502 

,, 

ih. 

If 

27b 

11 

276 

n 

33 

.35 

>i 

:J6 

^1 

34 

1^ 

33 

n, 

77 

^, 

78 

79 

vn 


INDEX. 


H. 

H.  Neilgherriensis 
—  psaroides 


Page. 


Vol.  II, 


78 
77 


I. 

Ianthia  

I.  cyanura         

— Jlavolivacea    ... 

—  hyperythra    ... 

—  rufilatus 

—  superciliaris  ... 
lanthocincla  alhogularis 

chrysoptera 

lunaris 

pecf oralis  . . . 

phcEnicea  ... 

ruficollis    ... 

rufogularis 

sqaamata  ... 


Ibidoehynchus. 
I.  Struthersii 
Ibis    hengala ") 

—  Macei        i   '" 

—  papillosa 

—  religiosa 

Ibisin^ 

Ichthymtus  hicolor 

cuUrungis 

Morsfieldii  \ 

lucarius      y 

Indicator  

I.  xanthonotus    ... 

Indicatokin^s;    

INSESSOEES 

loEA  

I.  mclaccps 

—  typhia... 

—  Zeylonica        

Ieena       

I.  Indica  \ 

—  puella  j  

Ieenin^ 

Ispida  hicincta       \ 

bitorquata  J 

Ithaginis  

I.  cruentus  

Ixops  Nipalensis 

rufifrons   ... 

Ixos  ...         

J.  Cafer 

—  leucotis 

—  luteolus 

—  monticolits 

—  plumigcrus 

—  pyrrhotis        


II,  146 

„  ib. 

.,  148 

„  147 

„  146 

„  148 

.,  38 

..  43 

„  38 
II,  39  &  40 

II,  48 

„  38 

„  47 

„  46 

„  685 

..  ib. 


7t)S 

769 

768 

767 

81 

84 


I, 


81 


.,  306 

.,  ih. 

„  305 

..  149 

II,  101 

„  ib. 

„  103 

„  101 

„  105 

„  ib. 

„  104 

I,  232 

II,  522 

„  ib. 

„  53 

„  52 

„  84 

„  94 

„  91 

„  84 

„  92 

„  90 

,,  92 


I.  vriescens 

—  xantholscmus ... 

IxuLUs     

I.  flavicollis 

—  occipitalis 

—  striatus 


Vol. 


K. 


Keroida  Indica  . 

Ketupa    ... 

K.  Ceyloneusis  . 

—  flavipes 

—  Leschenaultii. 
Kitta  venatoria  . 
Kittacincla 

K.  macroura 


Lamellieostees 
Lamprotornis  spiloptervs 

LaMPEOTOENINtE 

LANIADiE       

LaNIANvE 

Lanius     ...         

L.  auUguanus 

—  arenarius 

—  boulboul 

—  burra    ... 

—  caniceps 

—  cristatus  

—  Enter  ia 

—  erythronotus  ... 

—  erythropteriis  ... 
— ferrugiceps 

— fmgah  ... 

—  griseus  ... 

—  Hardwickii 
— jocosus 

—  lahtora... 

—  Malabaricas  ... 

—  muscicapoides 

—  nasutus     \ 

—  nigriceps  ) 

—  ]\Hpalensis       ... 

—  pluenicurus 

—  silens    ... 

—  superciliosus    ... 

—  tephronotus    

—  tricolor 
LAKIDiE  

LaEINjK     ... 

Laeus 

L.  hrunnicephalus 

—  fuscus  , 


Page' 

II,     84 

„  85 
„  258 
„  ih. 
„  259 
„    260 


I,  410 
„  133 
„  tb. 
„  135 
,,  133 

II,  312 
„  116 
..  ib. 


II,  773 

„  336 

„  335 

I,  399 
„  400 
„  ih. 
„  404 
„  407 
„  525 
„  400 
„  402 
„  406 

II,  92 

I,  402 

II,  245 

I,  406 
„  432 
„  410 
„  405 

II,  92 

I,  400 
„  437 
„  410 

„  404 

„  403 

„  406 

„  415 

„  40G 

„  403 

.,  404 

II,  828 
„  829 
„  830 
„  832 
„  830 


INDEX. 


XVll 


Page. 


Page. 


Z.  icJithycetus 

—  kro'ikocephalus  ' 

Vol.  II 

,  831 

Z.  cinereus         ...          Vol. 
—  goensia 

646 
648 

—  ridihundus 

,, 

832 

—  inornatus 

jj 

646 

Larvivoua 

..•                ), 

145 

LoCUSTELLA           

y> 

159 

L.  brunnea 

n 

ih. 

L.  certliiola 

ib. 

—  cyana  ... 

■ib. 

—  liaii    ... 

ib. 

—  ho  mn  dim  a 

f, 

495 

—  rubescens       

IfiO 

LATITOIIES     ... 

11 

,  70() 

Lonchura  cheet  ... 

357 

L-iYAUDIA 

L.  subrufa 
Leiocincla  plumosa 

GO 
ib. 
51 

...      7  _   .  -      _.,  7.  -  7  _ 

353 
;3.i4 
668 

...             ,, 

» 

;i 

Tiisonct 
LONGIROSTllES      ... 

" 

Leioptila 

...                            y^ 

248 

LoPIIOPHANES      

27.) 

L.  aimectans 

ib. 

L.  iieavani           

^, 

275 

Leiotiuchin^     ... 

„ 

24.1 

—  dichrous 

11 

273 

Leiothkix 

)» 

•J  00 

—  melaiiolophus 

ih. 

L.  argentauris 

1) 

•Jol 

—  rubidiveiitris  ... 

1» 

274 

—  chrysocephala... 

11 

202 

—  rufonuclialis 

ib. 

—  lepida  ... 

...              11 

2i3 

LoPHOPHOBUS      

5ii9 

—  luteu.s 

>1 

2o() 

L.  Iinpeyauus     ... 

510 

—  ornala  ... 

1, 

•-'04 

—   nigeUi 

,, 

549 

—  sif^nata 

...    I, 

47. i 

—  refill  gens 

.•3  10 

Leptocoma 

»1 

3G8 

Lophotes  Iiidicus 

i,' 

111 

L.  luiniina 

1> 

3G9 

LoiUCULUS             

^ 

2G4 

—  Ze\  lonica 

oG« 

L.  vernalis           

,, 

•j6o 

Leptoptilos 

!"      li, 

7-29 

I..OXIA        

II, 

S91 

L.  artjala 

11 

7-M 

L.  bengalensis 

11 

.•;49 

— juvauica 

„ 

7:52 

—  bicoJor 

,, 

357 

Lf-ptosomus  ater  ... 

I, 

339 

—  eri/thvina 

,, 

398 

Lestridinje 
Leuwa     

..     If, 

1> 

8-' 8 
5-">o 

—  Uimalayana  \ 

—  liimalayeiisis  \ 

i> 

393 

L.  nivicola 

...              ,1 

ib. 

—  Mahibat'ica   ... 

,j 

3.j7 

Leucoceeca 

I, 

4.51 

—  Malacca 

M 

3.V2 

Xi.  albofrontata  ... 

11 

452 

—  vubicilla 

.S97 

—  fuscoventris    ... 

M 

431 

—  striata 

,, 

356 

—  pectoralis 

45o 

—   totta    ... 

11 

3n8 

Limicola  indiaiia 

"."      ii, 

G^2 

—  xmdulata 

11 

354 

pygmcea 

11 

692 

Limnaetus 

I, 

7i> 

L.  Cristatellus     ... 

,, 

71 

M. 

—  Kieuierii 

n 

74 

—  INipalensis 

11 

7;3 

Machlolophus 

n, 

Q79 

—  iiiveus 

70 

M.  Jerdoni 

,, 

2  SO 

—  unicolor 

11 

G2 

—  spilinotua 

^, 

•-'81 

Ll-MOSA      ... 

...     II, 

C«l 

—  xanihogenys 

,, 

•i79 

L.  ae^ocephala 

1> 

ib. 

Macropteri/x  longipennis 

I, 

18.3 

—  Hardwickii    ... 

»1 

G87 

Macropvgia        

III 

473 

—  Horsjieldii     ..- 

7ul 

M.  tua.dia 

11 

ib. 

—  leucuphcea        ^ 

Macbokamphus 

,, 

679 

—  melauura         > 

,, 

(81 

i\r.  .semi pal matu3 

11 

ib. 

—  melanuroides  ) 

^lacrolarsius  bilorguatus 

6 -'7 

—  recurvirostra 

—  tereic                 " 

682 

Maina  ajffinis 

,, 

0  30 

„ 

cristatelloides     ... 

11 

327 

LlMOSIN'^ 

„ 

679 

sijloexiris... 

3J9 

Linoiafusca        \ 
suiurata  ) 

405 

tristoides... 

Malacocircus 

)i 

3  .'5 
58 

LoDIVANELLUa     ... 

» 

647 

M.  abiioriait       

>> 

U4 

XVIU 


I27DEX. 


M. 


Page. 


If.  qfftnis... 

—  hengalensis') 

—  C'lnorus        j 

—  Earlei      \ 

—  geucki'ous) 

—  fjriseus 

—  Hnttoni 

—  Malabaricus  ... 

—  Malcolriii 

—  orientaUs 

—  Somervillei    ... 

—  ten'i  color 
Malcicocincla  Ahhotii    ... 
3Ialucolophiis  melanochrysos 
Malurus  marginalis 
Makec/(l 

M.  awsiiree 

—  Penelope 
Megal.uma. 
M.  caiiiceps 

—  liodgsonii 

—  liiieata 

—  vireas 

—  viridis 

MEGALAIMID./E      ., 
Megalurus 
M.  ixahellinus     ... 

—  palustris 

—  ritjiceps 

—  striatus 
Meiglyptes  hacUus  ) 

brachyurus   ) 

Melanochloua  ... 
M.  siiltaneus     7 

—  Suniatraiia  ) 
Melanocoryplia  calandra 


Vol.  11, 


I. 
II, 


I, 


]•■ 


II, 


GO 
59 

68 

60 

67 

6-2 

64 

6-2 

6i 

5!) 

17 

'295 

70 

804 

789 

804 

3i)8 

•.i  1  0 

309 

308 
311 
■MQ 

70 
67 
70 


1> 

/  - 

I, 

294 

11, 

281 

)5 

282 

M.  tartarica 

—  torquata 
Melcagris  satyra 
Ilelias  tridis 
Melophus 

M.  melanicterus 
Meniceuos 
M.  bii-ornis 

MEliGEtLU3 

M.  albplliis 
MERGID.^       .. 
MEUGlTOPvES 

Mekgus 

31.  alhelliis 

—  castor         ") 

—  merganser)-  ... 

—  orienfalis   ) 
MEKOPID^    ... 
Mebop3   ... 


11,4 
..     4 


■2s  & 

:27    & 

II, 

I. 
II, 

i', 
I'i, 


I, 


427 
S74 
874 
o!6 
343 
381 

ih. 
248 

ih. 
81  s 

ih. 
816 
819 
SI- 
SIS 

817 

20-t 
ib. 


M. 

M.  ^cryptius         ... 

—  apiaster 

—  Aihertoni       7 

—  cyanogularis  \ 

—  erythrucephalus 

—  ferrugiceps  \ 

—  I II  die  us         j  ■■■ 

—  travanieus 

—  orient  all  s 

—  Persicus 

—  Pliilippensis  ... 

—  qiiinticolor    ... 

—  iorquatiis 

—  ty picas 

—  nrica  ... 

—  viridis 
Merula   ... 
AL.  alhociiicta 
— '  boulboul 

—  hraehiipus 

—  castanea 

—  ninjropileus      . 

—  niviciillis 

—  siniilliina 
MEUULID^    ... 
Meuulin^ 
!\Ierva  Jerdonii  ... 
Metopidius 
M.  Iiidicus 
Metoponia 
A[.  pu.silla 

ivIlCRONISUS 
-M.  batbus 
Micropalma  Tacksanoics 
iMiClJOrTICENUS  ... 

M.  gularis 

—  pliaioceps 
Microura  squamata 

MlLViN.E 

ATiLvus    ... 
M.  afer         ") 

—  cheele       { 

—  Govinda  f*     '" 

—  Indicas    ) 

—  ponticeriaims     "i 

—  rotundicaudus    J 

MlNLA       

M.  castaniceps    ... 

—  cinerea 

—  ignotincta 

MiRAFEA 

-M .  alHijis 

—  assaniica 

—  cautillans 

—  erytliroptera 


Page. 


Vol.  I, 


kii 


II, 

i', 

li, 
I, 


II, 


209 
210 

211 

208 
205 

207 

2ii5 
209 
207 
208 

205 
2u7 
2o8 
205 

o-n 

626 
525 
o23 
o26 
o23 
526 
.024 
485 
510 
493 
7o8 

ib. 
410 

ib. 

48 

ib. 

679 
293 
294 
ib. 
488 
1(10 
104 


101 

254 

255 
ib. 
254 
416 
417 
416 
420 
418 


INDEX. 


SIX 


M. 


Page. 


M.  JTayii 

—  Javamea 

—  pha^nicura 

—  p/icenicuroides 

MiXORNIS  

31.  chluris  "J 

■ —  pulai'is  f 

—  rubicMpillus  f 

—  riijiceps  ) 
j\I  NIOTILTIN^  ... 

3fo?]  tifringilla  vemoricola 
3Iorp/inits  hastatus 

MOTACILLA  

M.  aiha       I 

—  alhuides\ 

—  aniorea 

—  hist  ri gal  a^ 

—  hoanihi     ^ 

—  calliope 

—  canlator 

—  ceraitnia 

—  cerrina 

—  citreola 

—  ccErulectda 

—  curruca 

—  cyaiiitra 

—  dukliunensis  ... 

—  dumelicola 

—  erjiilu'ogaslra 

—  fiOiciita 

—  Indica 

—  leucomela 

—  leucopsis 

—  longicauda     ... 

—  liizoniensis 

—  Madera!»patana 

—  cenanthe 

—  person.ita 

—  phcenicura 

—  picala... 

—  proref/ulns 

—  subniiidis 

—  suerira 

—  sulphitrea 

—  sijlviella 

—  irochilus 

—  ^yp^'iii 

—  viiriegata 

—  viriilis 

—  Zcylonica 
M0TACILLIN.E 
Mui-LEKIPICC3    ... 
M.  Hodi^sonii     ... 

—  pulveruleiiLua 
Mtjnia    


Vol.  II, 


II. 

II. 


II.  217  & 
II, 


I, 


432 
418 
•i-21 
422 
23 

ih. 

289 

414 

02 

2  Hi 

218 

139 

2 'JO 

15(» 

'JOO 

139 
•J:i7 
2.'.-) 
1  •-' 
•J  "9 
14G 
21.^ 
•-•'7 

l-'l 
22(J 
i;il 
218 
10< 
218 
217 
1S2 

87;h 

1.16 
217 
197 
10:3 
1.V2 
2-'(» 
2«9 
192 
103 
226 
222 
101 
210 
283 
284 
ih. 
S52 


M. 

M.  ncutieauda     ... 

—  llneovenier 

—  Miilabarica    ... 

—  Miitacca         

—  moliicca 

—  pectoralis 

—  rubroiiigra 

—  striata 

—  lui.lulata 
Muscicapa  acornaus 

a'uliiima 

alhicaudata 

albiciUa 

hanyumas    ... 

hi  li  neat  a 

varulea  ...1 

ccEraleo-eephala^ 

cantalrix    ... 

copi  talis 

cinereorapilla 

erythropi/gia 

Jlummea 

Jutmorhous 

hemileucura 

hi  I  undinacea 

hijacinthina 

latirostiis   ... 

huroscJiisia 

lei'cura 

maculata    ... 

meliinops 

occipitalis  ... 

■ pulUpes 

jiaradisi 

parra 

Philippensis 

piccEcolor  ) 

picata        \ 

pondieeiiana 


Page. 

Vol.  II,  3.-16 

„  354 

„  357 

„  3.2 

„  ;i56 

,.     ,,3-3.5 

„  353 

„  3^6 

..  354 

I,  482 

„  471 

„  46<t 

„  481 

„  4()6 

ir,  )99 

I,  4.:0 

„  466 

„  412 

„  4.;5 

M  424 

420 

94 

470 

412 

4G7 

46.5 

459 

483 

481 

483 

463 

II,  193 

4b') 

469 

445 

481 

410 

412 


II, 
I, 


I, 


poouen^is 

riihec/ila 

rujicanda 

riijlcjastra   ... 

rufala 

sannio 

svperciliaris 

. thalassina  ... 

tyraiDiides  ... 

MUSCTCxiPIDiE 

McsClCAPINi      

MUSCICAPULA.       ... 

M.  sestigma 

—  hyperj/ihra    ... 


„  410 
,.  459 

I,  466  &  468 


I, 


468 
466 
462 
451. 
470 
463 
412 
443 
457 
470 
471 
480 


XX 


INDEX. 


M. 

If.  melanoleuca  ... 

—  ruheciila         ...      '    ... 
• —  sapphira 

—  sui^erciliaris   ... 
Mitscijoeta  hrevirostris    ... 

Indica 

Musci-si/lvia  leucara 

alboguloris 

MUSOPHAGIU.^      ... 

MyCEEOBAS 

I\I.  cariiipes 

—  mehiioxantlios 

IMycteiua  

j\I.  australis 
Myiagra 
]\i.  azurea  ) 

—  ccerulea) 

I\lYIAGRINiE 

]\1yiomela 
M.  leucura 

Myiopiionus      

M.  Horsfieldii 

—  Teiuniinckii   ... 

MYIOTHERIN.a; 

Myzanthe 
M.  igiiipectus 

—  inornaia 
.IMyzorms 
M.  pyrrhoura     ... 

N. 

NapopJi'ila  meropina 

NATATORES  

NECTAEINID.'E 

■  JS^ECTAIUNINiE       

Nectar inia  Goalpanensis 

' Hodcfsonii     ... 

J/oj-sJleldii  ... 

minima       .  ... 

pJicenicura    ... 

Nemura  cijanura 

rufdata 

Nemohicola       

N.  Indica 

—  N'palensis 

Neophron  

N.  percnopterus 

ne0phronin.s: 

Neopxjs 

N-  Malaiensis     

Neoenis  ...         

N.  cacharensis  \ 

—  fluvolivacea  3 

—  strigiceps 


Fage. 

Vol.  I, 

483 

?i 

480 

J> 

47  i 

il 

470 

4-il 

445 

II, 

118 

I, 

4.;1 

.. 

•i->5 

li, 

•,\srj 

»> 

n87^ 

733 

, 

7:U 

I, 

449 

„ 

450 

444 

li, 

118 

ih. 

i, 

498 

>> 

499 

•t 

oOd 

4S5 

,, 

377 

,, 

ih 

374 

11, 

•J(i3 

5> 

ib. 

I, 

211 

11, 

772 

I, 

;io9 

91 

360 

>» 

363 

M 

367 
ih. 

1> 

374 

;iGo 

li, 

146 

?i 

ih. 

226 

>> 

ih. 

67-2 

i, 

!•?. 

It 

ih. 
11 

64 

*ii 

65 

II, 

188 

>5 

ib. 

»> 

200 

N. 

Nettapus 

]S.  coromandelianus 

NiLTAVA  ... 
N  bt^evipes 

—  fall gi venter    ... 

—  graudis 

—  Macgrigorise  ... 

—  suudara 

NiNos      

N.  NipaJensis'} 

—  scutellatus)  "" 

NlSAETUS... 

N.  lioiielli     ) 

—  grandls     \ 

—  Nijialensis 

—  niveu.t ... 

—  ovirorus 

—  paUidu.s 
--  Bulcher 

NiTlDULA 

N  CamphelU  \ 

—  Hodgsonii  \ 
Noctua  aunbarbis 

Brodicei  ... 

cuculoides 

Indica    ... 

perlineata 

tarayensis 

tubiger    ... 

NUCIFRAGA 

N.  Iieniispila 

—  inuliiinaculata 

NuMIONINjE 
NUMENIUS 

N.  arqnata 

—  pliseopiis 

—  variabilis 
Nycticorax 
N.  griseus 
Nyctiarms 

N.  amherstiana    ] 

—  Atliertoni        ^ 

—  ccerulea  j 


o. 

OCHROMELA 

O.  nigroi'ufa 
Ocypterus  leucoliynclios 

rufiventer 

Ocyris  oinopus     ... 

ffioiCNEMUS 

CE.  crepitans 
—  recm'virostris 
(Enanthe  rufiventria 


Page. 

Vol.  II,  786 
„  ih. 
I,  473 
.,    466 

I,  475  &  477 
I,  476 
„  475 
„  473 
„     146 

1-17 

67 

,,      ib. 

„  73 

„  6^ 

„  65 

70 

73 

„  472 

„      ib. 

„     145 

146 

I,  143  &  145 
141 
143 
141 
146 
:)03 
.•U14 

ib. 
683 

ib. 

ib. 
684 
690 
758 

ib. 
21! 


I. 


II, 


I, 


I, 


ib. 


402 
ib. 

441 


II,  n76 
„  653 
„  654 
.,  652 
»    137 


INDBX. 


XZl 


O. 


Page. 


o. 


Page. 


Onychopbiok     ... 

Vol.  II 

843 

Otocompsa 

O.  aniisthsetus     ... 

)» 

8-14 

O.  jocosa ... 

■ —  melanauchen... 

i> 

ib. 

—  ieucogenys 

Oreocincla 

I, 

b-rl 

—  leucotis 

O.  daunia 

5:3.3 

Otocokis             

—  niollisRcima    ... 

» 

ib. 

0.  loiiyirostris     ... 

—  nilj^iriensis     ... 

» 

5.i4 

—  I)enicillatu3 

—  parviyostris     .. 

•> 

5:)3 

OroGYPs 

OlilOLIN^ 

II 

!()(; 

().  calvus              

Oriolus 

>» 

ih. 

OrOTHRIS              

0.  aureus 

J5 

1(.'7 

O.  Hadgsonji      

—  ceylonensis    ... 

)» 

111 

Otus        

—  chinensis 

10<) 

0.  hengalensis     ... 

—  furccttus 

i,' 

43u 

—  brat-hyotus     

—  galhuia         ") 

—  galbuloides  ) 

II 

1(»7 

—  vulj,airis           

Oxi/lophus    ater              J 

—  Jndicus 

"'                      9^ 

li'D 

edolius        \ 

—  kundoo 

—  maderaspatanus^ 

—  McCushii             >     . 

107 

^_j  .J  ^  ^ 

)» 

110 

—  inelanoceplialus  ) 

—  ocdlatus 

••                        5> 

597 

P. 

—  Traillii 

••                         »J 

11-2 

Orites   erythrocepJialus. 

•no 

Pachtglossa     

• rdveogidaris 

•» 

•21 1 

p.  melanoxantha 

Okocetes 

I, 

514 

Pal.eorms 

0.  ciuclorhynchus 

••                         >> 

515 

P.  AU'xandri 

—  erythrogastra... 

514 

—  hengalensis 

Orthotomus 

'.      li, 

\Qr, 

—  columboides  ... 

0.  Bciinetlii 

•                      5) 

ib. 

—  ci/anocepJialus     ) 

—  coronatus 

>» 

16s 

— Jiaricollans          ) 

—  lingoo            1 

—  Javanieus       

—  longicaudus  j 

—  inelaiiorhijnchus 

—  palia              )• 

,                      jj 

165 

—  nigriiosb'is     ... 

—  splienurus 

—  Nipalensis 

—  sutoria 

—  rosa 

Ortygoenis 

»> 

569 

—  schisticeps      

0.  gularis 

JJ 

5  7 -J 

—  torquatu3 

—  Poiiticerianus 

>> 

569 

Paltmbin^        

OSMOTRERON         

449 

1  AT.UMBCENA 

0.  hicincta 

t> 

ib. 

P.  LCversnianni 

—  flavotrularis   ... 

'                      )> 

452 

—  osnicapilla        j 

—  malabarica     ... 

'                      H 

4.VO 

PALUMBrjS               

—  Phavrei          

"                      99 

4.n 

P   casiotis            

OTIDID^E 

•                      1? 

60R 

—  Elpliinstonei  ... 

Otix  auriia 

(519 

—  pulc'hricollis  ... 

• hengalensis  ") 

616 

—  iorquatus 

deliciosd        ) 

., 

Pandion              

Ed^cardsii  ... 

>» 

607 

P.Jiuviatilis    ' 

fuha 

fil9 

—  lialiffitus 

Himalayana 

»> 

616 

—  Indicus         1 

lucioneiisis  ... 

■                      99 

607 

—  lineatus 

Macqueenii  ) 

612 

Paradisea  tristis 

marmorata   ) 

» 

Paradoxoenis   

nigricept     ... 

»» 

607 

P.  caniceps 

Vol.  II. 


1. 


90 

9-2 

90 

91 

4J9 

431 

4.9 

7 

ih. 

190 

ih. 

lib 

l-'8 

126 

r->5 

339 


I. 

.S77 

» 

378 

»> 

255 

» 

•J  56 

» 

2.-)9 

>) 

•261 

» 

259 

» 

262 

» 

ih. 

»> 

•263 

»> 

2^6 

>> 

•259 

99 

261 

-.'57 

11, 

4()l 

,, 

467 

„ 

ib. 

461 

,, 

ib. 

» 

4H5 

,j 

ib. 

9» 

464 

I, 

79 

II,  325 


xxu 


INDEX. 


Page. 


Page. 


P.  flavirostris      ...  Vol. 

—  gularis 

—  rufifeps 
Panxoma  vireoides 
Parra  cenea     ) 

at  rata  )'" 

goensis     ... 

Jndica 

sinensis    ... 

snperciliosa 

VAUlllVJS:         

Paeuin^s; 

Pahus      

P.  oemodiiis 

—  apluiwfiis 

—  Atkinsoni 

—  atriceps  "^ 

—  ccesius      > 

—  cincreusj 

—  dichrous 

—  ertjihroceplnilus 
— Jiavocristalus 

—  iujtschistos 

—  Jerdoni 

—  melanolophos  ... 
• —  winittus 

—  nionticolus 

—  Xvipalensis 

—  inielialis 

—  peregrinus 

—  ruhidiventris 

—  rnfonuchalis  ... 

—  sericophrgs 

—  sinensis 

—  spilinotus 
-—  siiltunens 

—  xanlhogenys      II,  279,  28f 
Passer 
P.  ciimamoineus... 

—  domesiiciis 

—  flavicoUis 

—  Indicus 
■ —  montanus 

—  piisillus 

—  pyrrhouotus  ... 

—  pyrrliopterus  ... 

—  salicicoUis 
Passtrina  cvlluris 
Passerin^e 
Pastoe 
p.  Bfgfliii 

—  caniceps  \ 

—  cinereus  y 
— fuscus 

—  gregicolus 


II,      4 

P.  nri?eus 

Vol.  II, 

327 

5 

—  jalla 

M 

323 

„       ih.  t 

—  Muhratiensis 

II,  326  &  3-27 

I,    376 

—  Mtilaharicus  ... 

II, 

:i.n 

II,  7o8 

—  nigriceps 

„ 

.r.'9 

—  }oseug  ... 

» 

3:?3 

„    648 

—  ferri  color 

,, 

59 

„    708 

—  TraiUii 

,, 

11-2 

„    709 

—  iristis  ... 

...           „ 

32.5 

„    70S 

Pavo         

...           ,, 

fjOC, 

„    ^^7 

P.  c-ristatus 

,, 

ib. 

„      ih. 

Pavonin.e 

,, 

ib. 

„    276 

PELlLCANIDiE 

,, 

8',-i 

„      ib. 

Pi'.I.ICANOIDES       ... 

...           ,, 

827 

„    279 

P.  uriiiatrix 

...           ,, 

ib. 

„    276 

Pelecani^s 

...           ,, 

85-i 

P.  aquiliis 

ib. 

„    278 

—  calurh>jncJms  .. 
-fther    ' 

...           ,, 

...           ,, 

857 
8.51 

»    273 

—  Javanicus 

••.           ,, 

^57 

„    270 

„    2^<2 

—  leucocephitlus... 

—  manillensis    ... 

...           ,, 

853 
8.58 

„    271 

—  mlvur  ... 

...           ,, 

857 

„    280 

—  niitratus 

...           ,, 

856 

„    27.S 

—  onocro  talus     ... 

...           ,, 

854 

„    -^67 
■„    277 

—  j.Iiilippeasis    ... 

—  'jyiscator 

1, 

858 
85-i 

„    278 
„    279 

—  pygmaus 

—  roseus  ... 

863 
857 

I,    423 

—  rufescens 

,, 

858 

II,  274 

—  snla 

M 

851 

„      i'^- 

Pellorneum 

)> 

27 

„    267 

P.  olivaceuin     7 

ib. 

„      ^5 

—  luficops        ) 

,, 

„    2.S1 

PeRDICINjE 

„ 

548 

„    282 

Perdicul.4. 

,, 

580 

0,  &  2-i 

P.  .Asiatica 

...                      ,, 

583 

II,  -.m 

—  Canibayensis  ... 

...                       ,, 

.581 

„    86-. 

—  erytlirovhyncka 

...                       ,, 

584 

„    362 

—  rithicula 

...                      ,, 

581 

„    368 

Perdix  Asiatica.., 

...                      ,, 

5  8 -J 

„    362 

Po  nil  ami 

,, 

567 

.'ill*? 

...                       „ 

5.^1 

561 

chiikor      7 

„    365 

groBca       ) 

••                      if 

„    367 
„    364 

griseogularis 

gnlaiis    ... 

„ 
„ 

567 
572 

»    3S0 

HardwicTcii 

...                      ,, 

543 

„    362 
„    33-i 

HephuniicB 

lenua 

»» 
...                      „ 

558 
555 

,    331 

luntilosa 

»» 

643 

>» 

„    330 

olivacea       } 

677 

„    327 

orienialis 

l> 

569 

„    326 

picta 

...                      „ 

561 

INDEX. 


xzm 


Page. 


Page. 


Perdix  Ponticeriana 
•  ruhiginosa 

torqaeola 


Vol.  II, 
II,  581  ct 
..         II, 


Pekicrocotcs 
p.  brevirostris     ... 
P  erythropygiua 

—  flanimeus 

—  peregriiius 

—  roseus 

—  Solaris 

—  speciosus 
Peunis      ...  .  . 
p.  bharateiisis  \ 
— cristiitca           ( 

—  ElUotii         r 

—  maculosa      ) 
Petrocincla  a /finis 

ctnclorhyncha 

erythroyastra 

Jerrur/i  neo-ventris 

' lutigirosiris 

maal 

' pandoo 

rufiventris  ...  „ 

Petrocossyphus  ...  „ 

P.  cyaneus  ...  •••  „ 

PUAETON  II, 

P.  cethereus         ...  ...  „ 

—  caiididus      ") 

—  Jlavirostris  )  '"  " 

—  lubi-icauda  J  '"'  " 
PHAETONIDiE          .. 
Phalacrocoras  fuscicollis      "1 

Jilaineniosus  >  ,, 

leucoiis  ) 

PH:ALAUOPiir.E     ...  ...  » 

Ph.\l.\uopu8        ...  ...  M 

P.  fuliuurius         ...  ...  „ 

—  liyperboreus  ...  ...  ,, 

—  pl.ali/rhijnrhus  ••■  „ 
Pltaiopicus  Blyihii  ...  1, 
p.  Jerdoni           ...  ...  i> 

—  riifunotus        ...  ...  >) 

PHAPINyE  II, 

PH.1SLANID.E 

Phasianus  ...  ...  „ 

p.  alhocvistatus  ...  ••.  „ 

—  criientus  ...  •••  ,> 

—  gallus  ..  ...  •••  ,) 

—  Gardneri       ...  ...  „ 

—  Hainillonii     ...  •••  „ 

—  Jmpej/anus     ...  •••  „ 

—  Indicus  „ 


5r.9 

583 
577 
418 
4-'l 
4-'-l 
4-20 
4  •-'.•( 
4->2 
ib. 
419 
lU8 


511 
515 

514 
ib. 

511 

5U 
510 
51  I 
8-19 
ib. 

850 

849 
ib. 

8G2 

8G3 
(i94 
C95 

ib. 
6'Jo 
095 
294 

ib. 

ib. 
484 
505 
5-27 
5i52 
522 
5. $9 
52J 
5:J.' 
510 
539 


P.  Nipaleiisis     ...           Vol. 

n, 

517 

—  pucrasia 

}, 

524 

—   Storei 

527 

—  AVallichii  S     

" 

Phene  ossifraga... 

I, 

13 

PlIlLO.MACnUS 

n, 

687 

P.  ])iigiiax 

)» 

ib. 

P hilomela  orpliea 

2()8 

PnODlLUS              

I, 

119 

P.  badius 

,, 

ib. 

PlIiENICOPHAINiE 

344 

P/i!(:e«?Vojo/m«<.ylongicaudatus 

I 

345 

P.   montanus 

) " 

PIKENlCOPTERIDJi: 

II, 

774 

PncENICOPTEKUS 

)i 

ib. 

P.  antiquus  ] 

—  minor       \ 

M 

775 

—  roseus      J 

Phamicornis  affinis 

I, 

421 

Jlammeus 

„ 

420 

miniatus  ... 

>) 

421 

pnnceps 


II, 


Phoznicura  atrata 

coeriileocephala 

• frontalis      ...  „ 

falininosa    ...  „ 

leucocepJtala  „ 

lineoventris  „ 

major           ...  I, 

MacgrigoricB  „ 

plumbea       ...  II, 

Eeevesii       ...  ,, 

ruheculoides  I, 

rubricaitda  ...  II, 

superciliaris  ,, 

tricolor        ...  „ 

Phragmaiicola  olivacea  „ 

PlIYLLOPNEUSTE                 ...  „ 

p.  affinis             ...         ...  „ 

—  Jiaccolus         ...          ...  „ 

—  Indicus            ...          ...  „ 

—  tiilida  ...          ...          ...  „ 

—  Qccijyitalis       ...         ...  ,, 

—  raniii      ..         ...         ...  ,, 

—  reguloides       ...  II,  19(>  & 

—  rnfa      ...          ...          ...  II, 

PJIYLLOENITHIN.E             ...  „ 

PlIYLLOKNIS          ,, 

p.  aurifrons         ...          ...  ,, 

—  Uardwickii      ...         ...  „ 

—  Jerdoni            ...         ...  „ 

—  Malabaricus  ...          ...  „ 

Phylloscopi>'JE             ...  „ 

Phvlloscopus     .  „ 

P.  alfini.s i  ,1 


419 
137 
141 
ib. 
142 
143 
14-2 
496 
475 
142 
139 
466 
14i 
145 
!41 
157 
189 
193 
19-2 
191 
197 
196 
189 
197 
193 
96 
97 
99 
100 
97 
98 
187 
190 
194 


aExiv 


INBJB2.. 


P. 


Page. 


P. hrunneus  ) 

Vol.  II, 

191 

—  fuseatus    j" 

—  qriseolus 

194 

—  Indicus     j 

...          ,, 

—  Javanicus 

,, 

191 

—  lugubris 

,, 

192 

—  niairnirostris   ... 

,, 

191 

—  nitidus 

„ 

19.3 

—  tristis 

)> 

190 

—  trofhilus 

II,  191  &  192 

—  viridanus 

II, 

193 

Pica 

o(i.5 

P.  bottanensis 

., 

ib. 

—  erylhrorhyncha 

„ 

.3(9 

—  megalopiera    ... 

305 

—  ru/iveniris 

314 

—  tihetana 

,, 

305 

—  vaqahitnda 

.•n4 

PICiD^ 

I,' 

267 

J^ICINiE      

269 

Piculux  ruffrons 

300 

PlCUMNIN^ 

ib. 

Picumnus  innominatus 

ib 

I'icus 

269 

p.  auvantiits 

,1 

2i)5 

—  aurocristatiis... 

It 

•J  74 

•—  hadins... 

„ 

294 

-^  barbatus 

287 

—  bruuneifrona  ... 

...          ,, 

273 

—  canenie 

280 

—  catlipluiriiis     ... 

...          ,, 

271 

—  chlung aster    ... 

290 

—  chlorolopkus   ... 

„ 

289 

-^  chlorofhanes  ... 

29i' 

—  chrjisorKjtus 

29G 

-^  cinereigula 

278 

-^  dimidiatus 

„ 

286 

—  Goei'sis 

282 

—  gr  antra 

» 

•.'92 

—.  guttacristaius... 

„ 

2sl 

-—  hcBmosomus 

., 

•.'74 

—  Hardwichii     ... 

278 

—  hewipodiiis 

29' 

—  Hinialavauus  ... 

269 

—  Hodgsonii 

„ 

271 

—  Horsfieldii 

5, 

284 

—  Jiyperytlirus    ... 

276 

—  Javeunis 

284 

—  iMacei 

... 

272 

—  Mackloti 

... 

284 

—  Maliratteusis  ... 

274 

—  ma  j  oroides 

...                      „ 

270 

—  mentalis 

...                    S» 

29<> 

•—  Miirhelli 

•••                        »J 

277 

-r-  Moluccensis    ... 

» 

278 

[I 


p.  Nipalensis     ... 

—  nuchalis 

—  occipitalis 

—  piilverulentus ... 

—  pyfpiKeut 

—  pyrrhotis 

—  rufus 

—  Sclndianus 

—  Sliorei 

—  sqiiamatus 
•—  strenuus 

—  sir  ictus 

—  sulta7ieus , 

—  iibetanus 

—  tiga 

—  trisulensis 

—  viiriegatus 

—  zizuki 

PiPASTES 

P.  Hgilis    ... 

—  arbor  ens 

—  montamis 
Pipra  scjiialida   ... 
PIPiilUiE 

PlPRIN^ 

PlPRISOMA 

P.  agile    ... 

PISCATOEES 

Pitta 

P.  bengalensis  "> 

—  brachyuius  ) 

—  cucullata    | 

—  nigricollis  \ 

—  JS'ipalensis^ 

—  nuchalis     ^ 

—  rhodogaster    ... 

—  triostegus 
Planesticus 
P.  atrogularis 

—  fuseatus 

—  pilaris 

—  ruficoUis 
Platalea 

P. leucorodia 

—  pygii^cEO, 
Plata  LEiNiE 

PLEOTKOPTERTNiE 

Ploceal auda  typica 
Ploceinje 

Ploceus  

P.  atrigula 

—  aureus 

—  baya    ... 

—  beiigalensis    ... 

—  manjar 


Page. 

Vol.  I,  289 

„  295 

„  287 

„  284 

„  277 

„  291 

„  294 

„  -73 

„  298 

„  286 

,.  281 


)> 

29.5 

299 

?  J 

277 

>> 

278 

277 

it 

228 

9f 

ib. 

229 

230 

i', 

.376 

II, 

240 

9) 

291) 

I, 

376 

ib. 

li, 

848 

I, 

503 

ib. 


504 


j02 


,, 

504 

503 

5» 

528 

H 

529 

5» 

530 

i1 

ib. 

., 

528 

II. 

763 

M 

ib. 

»» 

693 

19 

763 

S> 

784 

416 

M 

342 

>> 

343 

M 

ib. 

?» 

349 

Jl 

343 

5> 

349 

348 

INDEX. 


Page. 


Page- 


P.  passerinus 

—  P/tilijjpinus  ... 
Plotus 

P.  mt'lanogaster  ... 

Pnoepyga 

P.  caudata 

—  longioaudata  ... 

—  pu.silla 

—  squaraata  > 

—  uni  color     J 
Podargus  affinis 
Javanensls 

PODICEPS 

P.  eristatus 

—  minor  ) 

—  philippensi.s    J 
PODICIPIDJE  ... 

POLIO^TUS 

P.  ichthj'cetus 

POLIORNIS 

p.  teesa    ... 
PolophUus  Lathami 
POLYBORID^ 

1  OLYPHASIA 

P.  Nigra 

—  teuuirostris    ... 
Polyplectron  Northice 
Polypteryx  cupido 

PoMATORHINUS     ... 

P.  erythrogenya  ) 

—  ferrugilatus    ) 

—  forruginosus  ... 

—  Horsfleldii     ... 

—  leucogaster  | 

—  oUvaceus      j 

—  Phayrei 

—  ruficollis 

—  scliisticeps 

PoEPHYUIO 

P.  poliocephalus... 

POBZANA 

P.  akool... 

—  ceylonica 

—  fusca    ... 

—  maructta 

—  pygmaja 
Pkatincola 
P.  atrata  ... 

—  caprata 

—  ferrca 

—  Indica 

—  insignia 

—  leucura 

—  ni'oetra 

—  saturatior 
PRESSIliOSTKES 


Vol.  II, 


I, 


34.3 
ih 

865 
ih. 

488 

490 

ih. 

489 


>» 

488 

190 

„ 

189 

II, 

821 

>■> 

ih 

» 

822 

8-20 

I, 

81 

^> 

ih. 

91 

92 

350 

17 

33-2 

3:i3 

3.3.J 

n. 

541 

I, 

6 

n, 

28 

„ 

31 

29 

>) 

31 

,, 

30 

» 

872 

29 

ih. 

713 

ih. 

T22 

»» 

ih. 

»» 

725 

724 

72-2 

723 

123 

,, 

124 

123 

127 

124 

» 

127 

12fi 

»» 

872 

,, 

124 

„ 

605 

Prima     Y 

ol.  II, 

lfi9 

P.  Adamsi 

)> 

170 

—  hrunnifron.s) 

—  Buchanani  \ 

5> 

18G 

—  ciuereo-capilla 

)5 

172 

—  cursitans 

174 

—  flaviventris 

169 

—  Franklinii' 

— fusca            I 

„ 

178 

—  gracilis            ...         II, 

172  & 

173 

—  Hodgsonii      

II 

173 

—  macroura        ...         II, 

178  & 

180 

—  neglecta 

II 

182 

—  >"itfiffons 

^, 

186 

—  socialis 

170 

—  Stewarti 

171 

—  sylvatica 

181 

Procarduelis 

405 

P.  Nipalensis 

ih. 

Procellaria  tridactyla  \ 

827 

PllOCELLARIDiE      ... 

824 

PllOMEROPID^       ... 

I, 

359 

Propards            

II, 

256 

P.  chrysasus  ") 
—  chrysotis  y 

ih. 

?J 

—  viuipectus       

>> 

257 

Propassee           

399 

P.  frontalis 

>> 

403 

—  Murray! 

404 

—  pulcherrimus 

J) 

402 

—  rliodochlamys 

J) 

401 

—  rhodoclirous 

402 

—  ihura  ... 

j> 

400 

Propyrehula 

)y 

39.5 

P.  ruheculoides  ... 

406 

—  subhimachalor 

395 

PSARISOMCS 

I, 

236 

P.  Dalhousiae     

ih. 

Psarolophus  Traill/' i     ... 

I'i, 

112 

Psilorhinus  alhicapillus 

309 

4J  ,,,,*, /...*„ 

„ 

310 

occipitalis    ) 

sinensis        ) 

309 

" 

PSITTACID^ 

I, 

2.53 

Psittarus  Alexandri 

256 

7^ 7.  „  J  _ ,  .      "x 

Javanicus  f 

262 

—  ,,-,^^« ,.  i     •*• 

>, 

osbecki      j 

„ J,,  J,. « 

j> 

265 

^^ 4^ .,.'„ 

,, 

9fi'> 

£d\J.^ 

rasa     ... 

J' 

259 

257 

vernalis 

265 

Ptebocles 


II,  495 


XXVI 


IKD  EX. 


P.  alcliata  ...  Vol. 

—  arenarius 

—  exustus 

—  fasciatus         7 

—  quadricinctus^ 

—  Senegallus 
PTEEOCLII)^ 
Pterodi'oma  macroptera 

PiERrxHius        

P.  erythropterus 

—  inelanotis        ...         ... 

—  rufiventer 

—  ccanthocMoris 
PtiUnopus  ElphinMonei 

PCCBASIA  

P.  macrolophal 

—  Nipalensis  j 
Puffinaria  Garnottii     ... 
Pycjtonotin^     ... 
pvcxonotus 

p.  henfjalensis") 

—  cafer  _  ) 

—  Jlavi)'ich(S 

—  ha?morhous    ... 

—  pygffius 

Ptctoehis  

P.  longirostris    ... 

—  sinensis 

Pyrehocobax     

P.  alpinus 

PTBEHOrLECTES, 

p.  epanletta 

Pyeehospiza      

P.  punicea 

Pyeehula  

P.  axirantiaca      

—  erythaca 

—  erythrocepliala 

—  iS^ipalensis 

—  rhodochlamys 
Fyrrhulinota  roseata    ... 
PyrrhuJoides  epauletta... 

Pyeehulauda    

P.  grisea 


QUEEQUEDULA 

Q.  circia  ... 

—  crecca... 

—  glocitaus 


EALLID^ 
Hallin^  ... 
Eallits  ... 


Q. 


K. 


IP  age. 

II,  500 

„  496 
„  502 

„  498 

„  504 

„  494 

„  826 

„  244 

„  245 

„  246 

„  245 

„  246 

„  465 

„  524 

„  ih. 

„  827 
„  76 
„   93 

„  ih. 

„  84 

„  94 

„  93 

„  15 

,  16 

„  15 

„  319 

„  lb. 

„  391 

„  392 

„  406 

„  ib. 

„  388 

„  390 

„  389 

„  ih. 

„  390 

„  401 

„  398 

„  392 

„  423 

„  424 


II,  806 

„  807 
„  806 
„  «08 


II,  712 
„  721 
„  725 


E. 

H.  ceylonicus 

—  fuscus... 

—  gularis 

—  Indicus 

—  maruetta 

—  phcenicurxis 

—  porzana 

—  rufescens 

—  striatus 
EAMPHASTID^ 
EAPTOEES      ... 
EASOEES         ... 
Haya  ruhropygia 

sericeo-gula 


Eecurvieostea 
E.  avocetta 

Eeguloides        

E.  cliloronotus   ... 

—  erpchroa 

—  modestus 

—  occipitalis 

—  proregulus 

—  trocliiloides    ... 

—  viridipennis    ... 

Eegultjs 

JS.  cristatus  ") 

—  Himalayensis  5 

—  inornatus} 

—  modestus)     '" 
Ehinoptilus 
E.  bitorquatus  ) 

—  hicinctus       ) 
Rhipidura  alhofrontata 

fuscoventris  .. 

■—— kypoxantha  .. 

Ehodophila      

E..  melanoleuca   ... 

Ehynch^a         

E.  bengalensis'J 

—  cape)isis        { 

—  orientalis     t 

—  varia  } 
Ehynchops 

E.  albicollis         

Eimatoe...         

E.  malacoptilus  ... 
Pidieciila  Tytleri 

EUBIGULA  

E.  flaviventris     ... 

—  gularis 

EUTICILLA 

E.  aurorea 

—  coeruleocepliala 

—  erythrogastra... 

—  frontalis 

—  fuliginosa 


Page. 

Vol.  II,  725 

»  724 

„  726 

„  ib. 

„  722 

„  720 

„  72-2 

„  716 

„  726 

I,  355 

1 

II,  488 

I,  238 
„  236 

II,  705 
„  706 
„  195 
„  197 
„  199 
„  197 
„  196 
„  197 
„  196 
„  198 
„  206 

„  ih. 

„  197 
„  627 
„  628 

I,  452 

„  451 
„  455 

II,  128 
„  ih. 
„  677 

„  ib. 


JJ 

846 

847 

I, 

492 

1? 

493 

5) 

481 

II, 

87 

5> 

88 

1> 

87 

J> 

135 

J> 

139 

?» 

141 

,) 

139 

141 

95 

142 

INDEX. 


XXVU 


K. 


Page. 


Fage. 


R.  grandis 

Vol.  II, 

139 

SCOLOPAX 

Vol.  II, 

6fi9 

—  Hodgsonii 

>) 

138 

S.  cegooephala 

,, 

681 

—  Indira... 

»» 

137 

—  bengalensis 

• . .          ,, 

677 

—  letico^ptcra 

••          J) 

139 

—  bicluvus\ 

—  hurha     ) 

674 

—  melauura 

••                      5' 

141 

...          ,, 

• —  nigrogularis    ... 

>? 

140 

—  ccdidH.s 

...          ,, 

702 

—  phsenicura 

5> 

136 

—  cinerea 

,, 

682 

—  pha3nicuroidcs 

•  '                      1^ 

ib. 

— fusca    ... 

•  ■•          ,> 

702 

■ —  ruSventris 

>> 

137 

—  glottis  ... 

700 

—  schisticeps 

••                      >> 

140 

—  gallinago 

„ 

674 

—  simplex 

••             >y 

142 

—  gallinula 

... 

676 

—  tithys  ... 

••                     5) 

136 

—  lieterura      '' 

—  Jlorsjieldii  )  '" 

,, 

674 

S. 

—  Indicus 

,, 

670 

—  yiigra   ... 

„ 

702 

Salicaria  affinis ... 

..           II, 

158 

—  rusticola 

• ..          ,, 

670 

Salpoknis 

I, 

382 

—  salina  ••• 

" 

690 

S.  spilonotus 

ib. 

—  stenura 

674 

Sarkidioknis 

'.'.      li, 

784 

—  sumatrana  ) 

682 

S.  melanonotiis   ... 

••       i» 

785 

—  tey^ek            ^  "' 

...          ,, 

Saeciophoeus    ... 

>> 

649 

—  tot  anus 

. . .          ,, 

701 

S.  bilobus 

;i 

ib. 

—  uniclavus 

674 

Saeaglossa 

•'       ?> 

336 

Scojjs  Aldrovandi 

1, 

136 

S.  spiloptera 

ib. 

griseus           ^ 

Sasia        

i' 

301 

javanicus       j 

S.  ocliracea 

•                    71 

ib. 

lettia              }- 

...          ,, 

138 

Satyra  cornuta     ") 
Lathami  j 

.         II, 

516 

lettioides         \ 

malaharicus  J 

—  macrolophci 

>, 

524 

malayanus'\ 

>, 

517 

pennata      I 

T/ietcmoccp/iucci   . 

136 

Fennantii 

J) 

516 

sunia           t" 

...          „ 

Saxicola 

••          j> 

129 

zoi'ca          ) 

S.  atrogiilaris     ... 

3) 

132 

Seena      

II, 

838 

—  hicolor 

••                      )> 

123 

S.  aurantia 

•    •                    » J 

ib. 

—  deserti 

"                      J, 

132 

Seeilophus 

I, 

237 

—  erythropygia  \ 
— fruticola          \ 

123 

S.  rubropygia 

238 

,5 

Serinus  aurifrons 

li, 

410 

—  leucomela 

•  •                   ?J 

131 

SERPENTAEID^ 

I, 

18 

—  leucura       \ 

—  leucuroides)    "" 

130 

SiBIA           

...      II, 

54 

,» 

S.  capistrata  ) 
—  nigriceps  y 

ib. 

—  melaleuca 

„ 

123 

,, 

—  nigrorufa 

I, 

462 

—  picaoides 

,, 

55 

—  cenanthe 

II, 

132 

SiPHIA      

I, 

478 

—  olivea  ... 

I, 

487 

S.  erythaca 

J, 

486 

—  oinstJioleuca    ... 

..                II, 

130 

—  leucomelanura 

. ..       ,, 

479 

—  pallida 

5> 

438 

—  superciliaris    ... 

...       ,, 

480 

—  picata 

131 

—  tricolor 

...       ,, 

478 

—  rubecidoides  ... 

i', 

481 

SiTTA 

...       ,, 

384 

—  ruhicola 

..      II, 

124 

S.  castaneoventris 

...       ,, 

386 

SaxiColin^ 

„ 

114 

—  cinnaraomeoventris 

,, 

387 

Saxicoloides  erytkrurus. 

122 

—  corallina 

,, 

388 

SCANSOKES  ... 

Z 

252 

—  formosa 

387 

ScHtENICOLA 

..     II, 

73 

—  frontalis 

...       ,, 

388 

S.  platyura 

', 

ib. 

—  liimalayana  ) 

—  Indica          5 

'{SI 

SCOLOPACID^ 

••      ,> 

669 

...      ,, 

OutJ 

ScoIopacinj: 

)> 

ib. 

—  leucopsis 

•••       >) 

ib. 

INDEX. 


Faye. 


Fage. 


S.  Nipalensis 

Vol.  I, 

38.5 

S.  pelecanoides    .. 

—  velata  ... 

,, 

388 

—  roseata 

—  vitticauda 

...          ,, 

385 

—  seena    ... 

SiTTINJE 

384 

—  .si  mi  lis 

Siva  cyanouropiera 

;.'.*    li 

253 

—  stolida 

yipahmis  ... 

•■     1) 

18 

—  tenuirostris     .. 

—^  occipitalis  ... 

j» 

259 

—  Torresii 

singula 

,, 

252 

—  velox    ... 

vinipectus     .. 

57 

■257 

Steekixje 

Spatula  

...                    9^ 

796 

SlEEyCLA 

S.  clypeata 

...                    >1 

ih. 

S.  minuta 

Spermestes  pectoralis 

,, 

35d 

STEEP3ILAS 

Sphenoceeccs    ... 

,, 

45-2 

S.  interpres 

S.  apicauda 

,, 

454 

Steepsilix-E 

—  cantillans  '\ 

—  sphenurusj 

453 

STKIGID^      .. 

J. 

STB1GIX.E 

Spilornis 

I, 

77 

Steix        

S.  cheela... 

ih. 

S.  hadia  ... 

Spizaetus  alhogularis 

5> 

74 

—  hrachyotus 

miltoides 

...                  ,1 

63 

—  hrcima... 

51 

62 

—  Candida   ") 

—  copensis  ) 

•  rufitinctus 

... 

47 

SPIZALArDA 

II, 

431 

—  Ceylonensis     .. 

S.  deva     

...                    J, 

4:3-2 

—  Coromanda  .  .. 

SQrATAEOLA 

685 

—  delicatula 

S.  Helvetica 

...                    ,1 

ih. 

—  dumeticola 

Stachtbis 

...                    )f 

■20 

— fiammea 

S.  chryssea 

,, 

22 

—  Sardidckii    .. 

—  nigriceps 

„ 

21 

—  hirsuta 

—  pyrrhops 

M 

ih. 

—  indranee 

—  ruficeps 

...                      ,) 

2-2 

—  Javanica 

Steatobnikx 

I, 

188 

—  lempigi 

Stekxa    

...                   II, 

839 

—  lesch^naultii  .. 

S.  aeuticauda 

...                      ,, 

840 

—  longimemhris  .. 

—  affinis  ... 

,, 

843 

—  lugubris 

—  anastkcetiis 

844 

—  orient  alis 

—  anglica 

...                      t, 

836 

—  Radiata 

—  antarciica 

,, 

844 

—  scutellata 

—  aurantia 

*••                      J5 

838 

—  sinensis 

—  hengalensis 

...                      ,, 

843 

STEUTHIOXES 

—  Bergii 

•••                      )> 

842 

STUENID^    ... 

—  hrecirostris     ... 

838 

Stcen-inj: 

—  casp>ia  ... 

...                      ,, 

835 

Stuexop-istob    .. 

—  cristata 

...                      ,) 

842 

S.  contra  

—  grisea  ... 

...                      ,, 

837  i 

STUByrs    .. 

—  JN'irundo 

,, 

839  1 

S.  capensis    '[ 
—  contra       $ 

—  hijhrida 

55 

837 

—  infuscata 

844 

—  Indicus 

—  Javanica 

,, 

84U 

—  unicolor 

—  leucopareia 

'••                      5> 

837 

—  vulgaris 

—  splendens 

—  marginata 

»> 

844 

—  media  ... 

...                      ,, 

843 

SrLA         

—  melanaucTien  ... 

...                      ,j 

844 

S.  Candida 

—  melanogaster  ... 

51 

840  ; 

—  fiber 

—  minuta 

II.  S40  & 

844  ■ 

—  pisL-ator 

—  pan'iyana 

II, 

all 

SULID^ 

Vol.  n 

842 

*       i> 

838 

)' 

ih. 

55 

837 

J5 

845 

'•                  5' 

846 

•                  5' 

843 

••                  » 

842 

5. 

833 

jy 

840 

•                 »» 

ih. 

•                  55 

656 

ih. 

,, 

655 

.!                I, 

114 

'                  »> 

116 

>J 

ih. 

» 

119 

•                  5) 

126 

•                  55 

141 

55 

118 

J, 

133 

55 

130 

'                      '5 

117 

51 

133 

5> 

117 

•                      99 

133 

•                      >» 

147 

,j 

121 

I,  117  &  118 

I, 

138 

133 

•                    )5 

lis 

■                   '5 

147 

'                  55 

123 

143 

5> 

147 

123 

.'     li, 

603 

320 

5> 

321 

'                      5' 

3-23 

•                      55 

ib. 

•                      J> 

321 

55 

323 

51 

321 

5' 

322 

J5 

321 

• 

851 

•                    55 

852 

J5 

851 

5» 

852 

55 

850 

INDEX. 


XXIX 


SUBNICtTLtrs 

S.  dicruroides     ... 

SUTHORA 

S.  fulvifrons 

—  I^ipalensis 

—  poliotis 

SUTA 

S.  atrogularis 

—  crini^er 

—  fuliginosa 
Sylochelidon  ... 
S.  caspia       ") 

—  strenua    } 

Sylvia    

S.  aiEnis  ... 

—  agricola 

—  Burkii 

—  Cambaiensis  ... 

—  castaneo-coronata 

—  eurruca 
— guzurata 

—  hippolais 

—  Indica... 

—  montana 

—  orphea 

—  rama  ... 

—  rujicapilla 

—  sibilalrix 

—  trochilns 
SYLVIAD^     ... 
Sylviin^ 
Sylviparus 

S.  modes tus 
Synor7iis  joulaimus 
Sypheotides 
S.  auritus 

—  bengalensis     ... 

SYENIINiE 

Syenium 

S.  ind ranee 

—  newarense 

—  nivicolum 

—  ocellatuin 


T. 

Taccocca 

T.  aeSnis 

—  infuscata 

—  Leschenaultii 

—  sirkee  ... 
Tachydromus  orientalis 
Tadoena... 
T.  Bellonii        \ 

user     3 


vulpaus 


1 
I, 

^age. 
336 

9) 

ih. 

140 

li, 

7 

9 
8 
9 

)» 

182 

1) 

184 

5» 

ih. 
835 

>l 

ib. 

>1 

J1 

207 
209 

51 

156 
199 

•  J 

1-22 

I. 

487 

II, 

•209 

;1 

165 

2  &  193  1 

II, 

194 

155 

It 

•-'08 
189 
165 
193 

J> 

190 

113 

207 

5> 

266 

267 

I,' 

481 

II, 

615 

}) 

619 

616 

i,' 

1-20 

ih. 
121 

17 

122 

124 

II, 

870 

I, 

352 

)) 

354 

353 

y-i 

352 

353 

I'i, 

6-26 

„ 

794 

j» 

ih. 

Tadornin^ 

TANTALID.E  ... 

Tantalus 

T.  gavgeticus       ") 

—  leucocephalus ) 

—  mel  anocephnliDi 
Taesigee  .. 

T.  chrysa-us 

TCHITREA 

T.  affiiiis 

—  paradisi 
Temuoris  atrifrons 
•^—^^  fulv  if  I  '0  ?is 

Nipalensis 

TENUIROSTEES 
Tenthaea  leucurus 

pelvica 

Tepheodoenis  ... 
T.  grisolus 

—  pelvica 

—  pondicerianus  ) 

—  siqjercifiosits    ) 

—  sylvicola 

Tebekia  

T.  cinerea 

Tesia       

T.  auriceps 

—  castaneo-coronata 

—  cyaniventer    ... 

—  Jlaviventer 

—  rufiventer 
Tetrao  arenariiis 
chinens^is  ... 

coromandelicus 

ferrugineus 

ffincoUnus 

manillensis 

Ponticenanus 

spadiceus 

Tetraogallus     ... 

T.  Himalayensis  ) 

—  niqeUi  ) 
TETEAONIDiE 
Thalassideoma  ... 

T. ? 

Thalasseus 

T.  bengalensis    ... 

—  cristatus  ... 
Thalassites 
Thamnobia 

T.  Cambaiensis  ... 

—  fulicata      \ 

—  leucoptera)   '" 

—  scajjularis  ... 
Thamnocataphus 
T.  picatus 


Page. 

Vol.  II,  788 

„  760 

„  761 

„  ih. 

„  768 

„  148 

„  149 

I,  444 
„  448 
„  445 

II,  8 

„  .9 

,,  ib. 

I,  357 
»  410 

„  409 

„  408 

„  411 

„  409 

„  410 

,.  409 

II,  682 
„  ib. 

I,  486 
„  487 
„  ih. 
„  ih, 
„  ib. 
.,  488 

II,  496 
„  591 
„  588 
„  536 
„  558 
„  591 
„  569 
„  541 
„  549 

„  ih. 

„  546 

„  826 

„  827 

„  841 

„  843 

„  842 

„  838 

„  120 

„  122 

„  121 

„  122 

„  13 

,M  13 


XXX 


INDEX. 


T.  Fiuje. 

T.  senilis Vol.  II,  14 

Theeskioknis    „  767 

T.  melanocephalas         ...  ,,  768 

TiCHODEOMA       I,  382 

T.  muraria  "J 

—  Nipalensis          f  ooo 

—  phcenico])tera      t     '"  " 

—  siih-himalayana) 

TiCKELLIA             II,  205 

T.  Hodgsoni       „  20G 

TiMALIA „  24 

T.  bicolor  -■         ...         ...  „  15 

—  chatarrli(Ba     ...         ...  ,,  67 

—  grisea  ...         ...         ...  „  60 

—  Sorsjieldii      ...          ...  ,,  15 

—  liyperythra      ...          ...  „  26 

—  hypoleuca        ...         ...  ,,  15 

—  leucotis  ..         ...          ...  „  57 

—  Malcohni        ...         ...  ,,  64 

—  Nipalensis  \  r^ 

—  pellotes        i   '"         '"  " 

—  pileata ,,  24 

—  plaiyura          ...          ...  „  7<3 

—  pcecilorhyncha            ...  ,,  66 

—  poiocephala     .  .          ...  ,,  18 

—  suhriifa           ...         ...  „  66 

TINAMID.^     „  593 

TiNNUNCULUS      I,  38 

T.  Alaudarius     ...         ...  ,,  ih. 

TocKUs „  249 

T.  gingalensis     „  250 

ToDIKAMPUUS      ,,  227 

T.  collaris           _ „  228 

Tori  a  Nipalensis            ...  II,  445 

TotaniNjE            „  696 

ToTANUS „  699 

T.  affinis „  697 

—  calidris            ,,702 

—  fuscus   ..         ...          ...  ,,  ih. 

—  fflareoloides    ...          ..  ,,  697 

—  glottis       I                 ^^^  7QQ 

—  glottoides  j      "'  " 

—  Indicus           ...         ...  „  687 

—  Javanicus       ...          ...  ,,  682 

—  Lathami         ...         ...  „  701 

—  leucurus          ...         ...  „  698 

—  nivigula          ...         ...  „  700 

—  ocellatus         ...         ...  „  702 

—  stagnatilis      ...         ...  „  701 

Tragopan  Duvaucelii    ...  „  524 

Hastingii  „  517 

Treeon „  445 

T.  apicaudus       ...         ...  ,,  454 

—  Chlorigaster\  .  ^g 

—  Jevdoni          )             *"  " 

—  malahai'ica     ...       II,    451  &.  452 


Page. 


T.  Niijalensis      ...            Vol. 

II, 

445 

—  fovipadoura    ... 

,> 

452 

TEEEONID^ 

,, 

444, 

Teibuea  ... 

,, 

161 

T.  luteoventris    ... 

,, 

ih. 

Teichastoma     

,, 

16 

T.  Abbotti           

>, 

17 

Tricophorusjlaveolus     ... 

„ 

83 

Indicus    ... 

), 

82 

striatus    ... 

,, 

81 

^, -^,,-/  7.  ^  ^.  «  ^J-^„, 

,, 

83 

Teinga 

?? 

688 

T.  alpina 

690 

—  canutus           

J, 

688 

—  chinensis 

?, 

680 

—  chirurgus 

,, 

709 

—  cinclus 

,, 

690 

—  cloroides 

?, 

692 

— falcinella 

,, 

689 

— fasciata 

5, 

498 

— ftdiearia 

J, 

695 

—  gamhetta 

S» 

702 

—  glareola 

,5 

697 

—  Jlelvetica 

635 

—  hyperhora 

,, 

696 

—  hypoleuca 

,; 

699 

—  interpres 

)> 

656 

—  heptuschka     ...         ... 

,) 

644 

—  minuta 

,, 

690 

—  ochropus 

5J 

698 

—  platyrbyncha 

,) 

692 

— pugnax 

), 

687 

—  pusilla 

5, 

690 

—  squatar^ola 

J» 

635 

—  subarquata 

,, 

689 

—  minuta 

,, 

690 

—  Temmincliii    ... 

J, 

691 

—  vanellus 

643 

Tkoglodytes     

t' 

491 

T.  Nipalensis      

,» 

ib. 

—  pimctatus 

,, 

492 

—  sub-himalayanus 

,, 

491 

Trogon  erythrocephalus . . . 

,' 

202 

fasciatus 

,, 

2(»1 

maculatus 

,, 

338 

Malaharicus     ... 

5, 

201 

TEOGONID^ 

,, 

200 

TUEDULUS              

J, 

520' 

T.  cardis 

,J 

521 

—  Wardii 

J, 

520 

TUEDUS    

,, 

531 

T.  alhicollis      \ 
—  alhocincius  y 

J5 

526 

—  atrogularis     ... 

,, 

529 

—  cardis 

,, 

5-21 

—  citrinus           

>> 

517 

INDEX. 


XXXI 


t] 


T.  coUaris 

—  cijaneus 

—  ctjanotus 

—  dauma 

—  dubiits 
• —  erythrurus 

—  eionomns 
— fuscatus 

—  ginginianus 

—  griseus 

—  Hodgsoni 

—  iliacus 

—  Kamtschatkensis 

—  lividus 

—  Macei 

—  macrourus 

—  Malaharicus  ... 

—  microjms 

—  Naumanni 

—  nigropileus 

—  oreochicloides 

—  pacilopterus   ... 

—  2)agodarum 

—  picoides 

—  pilaris... 

—  roseus ... 

—  rostratus 

—  rubecidus 

—  ruhrocanus 

—  ruficolUs 

—  simillimus      ... 

—  speciosus 

—  suratensis 

—  unicolor 

—  varius 

—  viscivorus 

—  JVardii 
TUENICIN^ 

TUENIX 

T.  hcngalensi-s 

—  Dussumierii     ") 

—  Joudera  } 

—  ocellatus 

—  Sykesii 

—  taigoor 

—  tancki  ... 

—  variabilis 

TuETUE 

T.  Cambaycnsis  ... 

—  ceyloncnsis 

—  hixmilia 

—  maculicollis    ... 

—  meeua  ) 

—  orientalis     >  ... 

—  pttlchrala    } 

—  risoria 


Page. 

Vol.  I,  5-26 

„  511 

„  517 

„  533 

„  529 

„  528 

„  530 

„  ib. 

II,  326 

„  60 

I,  531 
„  532 

II,  150 

I,  517 

II,  116 
II,  98  &  330 


I, 


11, 
I, 


II, 
I, 


520 
530 
523 
533 
5-25 
329 
520 
530 
li,  333 

I,  509 
„  517 
„  526 
.,  628 
;,  524 
„  419 

333 
519 
533 
„  531 
„  520 

II,  594 
„  ib. 
„    595 

„  599 

V  597 

„  600 

„  595 

„  599 

„  600 

„  475 

„  478 

„  479 

„  482 

„  478 

„  476 

„  481 


T. 


T.  rupicolus 

—  senegalensis 

—  suratensis 

—  tigriiia 

—  vilticollis 
TcTETUEINiE 


u. 


Up0pa     

U.  epops  ") 

—  Indica)  " 

—  minor  1 

—  nigripennis     >■ 

—  Senegalensis  J 

UPUPlDyE 

UPUPINiE 

URINATOEES 

Ukocissa... 
XJ.  cucullata 

—  flavirostris 

—  occipitalis 

—  sinensis 
Ueeua     ... 

U.  bengalensis ") 

—  Cavearia     ) 

—  Coromanda  ") 

—  umbrata       i 


V. 


VAGATORES  ... 

VaNELLINjE 

Vanellus 
V.  cristatus 
— Jfavipes     1 

—  leucurus    3 

—  ventralis 
Vanga  Jtaviventris 
Venilia  ... 

V.  pyrrkotis 
Vinago  affinis 
aromatica 

bicincta  ... 

cantillans 

militaris . , , 

—  sphenura... 

vernans 


Page. 

Vol.  II,  476 
„  478 

„  479 

„  476 
„  475 


I,  390 

„  ib. 


„  392 

„  390 

1,  ib. 

II,  807 

„  309 

„  873 

„  310 

„  873 

„  309 

1,  127 

»  128 

„  130 


unicolor 
Viralva  Indica 
VlVIA         ... 
V.  innominata  } 

—  Nipalcnsis  j 

VOLVOCIVOEA 

V.  melascliistos 

—  Sykesii 


II,  823 

„  643 

„  tb. 

„  ib. 

„  646 

„  650 

„  88 

I,  291 

„  ib. 

I      II,  450  &  451 

„  449 

„  453 

„  448 

„  453 

„  449 

„  837 

I,  300 

„  ib. 

„  414 

„  415 

„  414 


INDEX. 


Page. 


Y. 


Page. 


VULTUR., 

V.  an'ianus 

—  harhatus 

—  bengalensis 

—  calvus  .. 

—  changouii         ... 

—  cinereus  ... 

—  fulvus  ... 

—  ginginianus    ... 

—  Indicus 

—  colhl     ... 

—  leuconotus 

—  monachus 

—  percnopterus  ... 

—  Ponticerianus 

—  stercorarius    ... 

—  tenuiceps  ") 

—  tenuirostris      j 
VULTURID^... 

VULTUKIN.E 


Xantholjema 

X.  Indica 

—  Malabarica 

XiPHOEAMPHUS 

X.  superciliaris 


Vol.  I, 


n, 


6 

YUHINA 

Vol.  II 

260 

ih. 

Y.Jiavicollis 

...          » 

258 

13 

—  gularis 

•  ••          » 

261 

10 

—  nigrimentum ... 

...          ,j 

26-2 

7 
10 

—  occipitalis 

YUNGIN^ 

!.*."      I, 

261 
302 

6 

YUNGIPICUS 

... 

276 

8 

12 

9 

Y.  cinereigula     ... 

—  gymuoplithalmos 

—  Hardwickii    ... 

...     II, 
i, 

871 

ih. 
278 

8 
lu 

—  pygmseus 

—  rubricatua 

•  ••                      5> 

277 
276 

6 

YUNX          

...                      ;t 

303 

12 

Y.  Indica 

>» 

304 

7 
12 

—  torquilla 

Z. 

,. 

303 

9 

Zanclostomtjs  ... 

I, 

345 

3 

Z.  sirkeer 

•••                                            >» 

352 

5 

— tristis  ... 

•••                                            )> 

345 

—  viridirostris    ... 

346 

Zenaidince 

!.*.'     li, 

486 

ZoOTHEBA 

I, 

508 

315 

Z.  melatioleuca   ... 

•  ••            j^ 

520 

ih. 

—  monticola 

•••                      »7 

509 

317 

ZOSTEEOPS 

...         II, 

2G5 

33 

Z.  maderaspatanus' \ 
—  paplebro8U3         , ' 

ih. 

lb. 

„ 

en 


a 


rr 


^  ^ 


CO 


o    0> 
*->  1 

o