HANDBOOK TO THE BIRDS OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY, BY LIEUT. H. EDWIN BARNES, D.A.C., BOMBAY COMMISSARIAT DEPARTMENT, MEMBER OF THE BRITISH ORNITHOLOGICAL UNION AND BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. PUBLISHED BY THE CALCUTTA CENTRAL PRESS CO., LD., 5, COUNCIL HOUSE STREET. 1886. f,* JtT THB CALCUTTA CKNTBAL PBES8 CO., 5, COUNCIL HOUSB 8TBBBT. Z5" LIBRARY > BIOLOGY 7- K* COLONEL CHARLES SWINHOE, F.L.S., F.Z.S., THIS WORK BY HIS GRATEFUL tarn OBEDIENT SERVANT THH AUTHOR. u 9832567 * S L/Tft CL 6 «) PREFACE. »T IS with extreme reluctance that I have been induced to publish the following unpreten- tious volume, and I could have wished that the task had fallen into more able hands ; but, believing that a work of this kind is much needed, and no one else apparently being willing to undertake it, I venture with some diffidence to place it before the public, hoping that it will meet with a favorable reception. Its object is to place, at a cost within the reach of all, a book that will enable them to identify any bird they may meet with. When I first commenced taking an interest in ornitho- logy, I was much hindered by the difficulty -expe- rienced in obtaining works dealing with the subject, those extant being so costly as to be quite beyond my means ; and it was only by practising rigid economy, and the exercise of much self-denial, that I obtained them. Even then my difficulties were not ended ; the infor- mation was scattered throughout so many volumes, and I met with so many perplexing contradictions that the books were often a hindrance rather than a help to me. I conceived the idea of compiling a hand-book for private use, dealing exclusively with that portion of India proper garrisoned by Bombay troops. Many friends, to whom I showed the compilation, expressed a wish to have a similar one, and strongly urged me to publish it; it is in deference to these wishes that the book appears. U( VI PREFACE. I have followed Jerdon as closely as possible, and have deviated from his descriptions only when such appeared really necessary ; and for these alterations I am mainly indebted to Mr. A. 0. Hume, whose numerous works on Indian Ornithology are so well known. The Bombay Presidency falls naturally into three divisions, — Sind, Rajputana, (including Guzerat, Kutch, and portions of Central India), and the Deccan. For information relating to the Birds of Sind, I am indebted to many papers scattered throughout "Stray Feathers," and also to Mr. Murray's valuable work on the Vertebrate Zoology of Sind. For similar information regarding Rajputana, I am .mainly indebted to Major Butler, whose able papers on the " Avifauna of Northern Guzerat and Mount Aboo" appeared in " Stray Feathers," Volumes III, IV, and V, I am again indebted to this gentleman for his exhaus- tive resume of the " Birds of the Deccan," compiled from papers by various authors published in " Stray Feathers," and supplemented to a great extent by his own researches. I have quoted largely from the above authors, and trust that this general acknowledgment will be deemed suffi- cient. I would add, in conclusion, that my long residence in India, embracing a period of 20 years (during which time I have been located at most of the military stations in the Bombay Presidency) has afforded me ample opportunities for the careful study of bird-life in all its various phases. L CONTENTS. *^ Jerdon'a Number. POPULAR NAME. SCIENTIFIC NAME. Page. 1 The Cinereous Vulture ... Vultur monachus, Lin. 2 2 The Indian King Vulture. Otogyps calvus, Scop. 3 Sbis. The Bay Vulture ... Gyps fulvescens, Hume 4. 4 Ms. The Long-billed Pale H Brown Vulture ... „ pallescens, Hume *£ 5 The White-backed Vul- ture ... ... Pseudogyps bengalensis, Gm. 6 6 The White Scavenger Vulture ... ... Neophron ginginianus, Lath. 7 7 The Lammergeyer ... Gypaatus barbatus, Lin. . . 8 8 The Peregrine Falcon ... Falco peregrinus, Gm. 9 9 The Shaheen Falcon ... „ peregrinator, Sund. . . 11 10 The Saker Falcon ... „ sacer, Gm. 12 11 The Laggar Falcon ... „ jugger, J. E. Or. . . 12 12 The Red-can Falcon babvlonimis /3«««« 13 ERBATA. 16 Page 204, line 13, for " tringi" read :< Kingi." <46 „ 307 J5 29 „ " Setraonidae" read " Tetraonidffi." m 17 17 The Kestril ... Uerchneis tinnunculus, Lin.... as 18 The Lesser Kestril ... „ naumanni, Fleisch. W 1 Rbis 20 19 The Red-legged Falcon ... „ vespertina, Lin. ... 20 22 & The Crested Goshawk ... Astur trivirgatus, Tern. •••~^ 23 The Shikra ... „ badius, Gm. ../"<*•• 24 The Sparrow Hawk ... Accipiter nisus, Lin. 24 25 The Jungle Sparrow Hawk ... ... ,, virgatus, jfoz'fl 10. ... 24 26 The Golden Eagle ... Aquila chrysaetus, Lin. 25 27 The Imperial Eagle ... „ mogilnik, 8. G. Gm. 26 28 The Spotted Eagle ... „ clanga, Pall. ... 28 29 The Tawny Eagle ... „ vindhiana, FranJcl. ... 29 31 The Dwarf Eagle ... Hieraetus pennatus, Gm. ... 30 32 The Black Eagle ... Neopus malayensis, JReinw. 31 33 The Crestless Hawk Eagle. Nisaetus fasciatus, Vieill. ... 32 35 The Crested Hawk Eagle. Limnaetus cirrhatus, Gm. ... 33 37 The Rufous-bellied Hawk Eagle ... ... „ kieneri, Gerv. ... 35 38 The Common Serpent Eagle ... ... Circaetus gallicus, Gm. 36 39 The Crested Serpent Eagle ... ... Spilornis cheela, Lath. 37 J* OM ^— • — ^ To/tT IOA.UU d n */ VI PREFACE. I have followed Jerdon as closely as possible, and have deviated from his descriptions only when such appeared really necessary ; and for these alterations I am mainly indebted to Mr. A. 0. Hume, whose numerous works on Indian Ornithology are so well known. The Bo.mbay Presidency falls naturally into three divisions, — Sind, Rajputana, (including Guzerat, Kutch, and portions of Central India), and the Deccan. For information relating to the Birds of Sind, I am indebted to many papers scattered throughout "Stray Feathers," and also to Mr. Murray's valuable work on the Vertebrate Zoology of Sind. For similar information regarding Rajputana, I am * mainly indebted to Major Butler, whose able papers on the " Avifauna of Northern Guzerat and Mount Aboo" appeared in " Stray Feathers," Volumes III, IV, and V, I am tive rest papers b<7 _ and supplemented to a great extent by his own researches. I have quoted largely from the above authors, and trust that this general acknowledgment will be deemed suffi- cient. I would add, in conclusion, that my long residence in India, embracing a period of 20 years (during which time I have been located at most of the military stations in the Bombay Presidency) has afforded me ample opportunities for the careful study of bird-life in all its various phases. L Jerdon'a Number. 1 2 Mis. 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 15 16 17 18 ISbis. 19 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 31 32 33 35 37 38 39 CONTENTS Pale Vul- POPULAR NAME. The Cinereous Vulture ... The Indian King Vulture. The Bay Vulture The Long-billed Brown Vulture The White-backed ture The White Scavenger Vulture ... The Lammergeyer The Peregrine Falcon . The Shaheen Falcon The Saker Falcon The Laggar Falcon The Red-cap Falcon The Barbary Falcon The Hobby The Merlin The Red-headed Merlin The Kestril The Lesser Kestril The Red-legged Falcon The Crested Goshawk The Shikra The Sparrow Hawk The Jungle Sparrow Hawk ... The Golden Eagle The Imperial Eagle The Spotted Eagle The Tawny Eagle The Dwarf Eagle The Black Eagle The Crestless Hawk Eagle. The Crested Hawk Eagle. The Rufous-bellied Hawk Eagle The Common Serpent Eagle ... The Crested Serpent Eagle ... SCIENTIFIC NAME. Vultur monachus, Lin. Otogyps calvus, Scop. Gyps fulvescens, Hume pallescens, Hume ... Pseudogyps bengalensis, Gm. Neophron ginginianus, Lath. Gypsetus barbatus, Lin. Falco peregrinus, Gm. „ peregrinator, Sund. „ sacer, Gm. „ jugger, J. E. Or. „ babylonicus, Qurn. „ barbarus, Lin. „ subbuteo, Lin. „ assalon, Tunst. „ chiquera, Daud. Cerchneis tinnunculus, Lin. „ naumanni, Fleiscfi. „ pekinensis, Swinh. „ vespertina, Lin. ... „ amurensis, Eadde Astur trivirgatus, Tern. „ badius, Gm. Accipiter nisus, Lin. ,, virgatus, Eeinio. ... Aquila chrysaetus, Lin. „ mogilnik, S. G. Gm. „ clanga, Pall. „ vindhiana, FranJcl. ... Hieraetus pennatus, Gm. ... Neopus malayensis, Eeinw. Nisaetus fasciatus, Vieill. ... Limnaetus cirrhatus, Gm. ... „ kieneri, Gerv. ... Circaetus gallicus, Gm. Spilornis cheela, Lath. 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 36 37 Vlll CONTENTS. Jerdon's Number. POPULAR NAME. The Southern Harrier 40 41 Eagle ... The Osprey The White-tailed Sea SCIENTIFIC NAME. Page, Spilornis melanotis, Jerd. ... 37 Pandion haliaetus, Lin. ... 38 Eagle ... ... Polioaetus ichthyaetus, Horsf. 39 42 The Ring-tailed Sea Eagle. Haliaetus leucoryphus, Pall. 39 425/5. The European White- tailed Sea Eagle ... „ albicilla, Lin. 40 43 The Gray-backed Sea Eagle ... ... „ leucogaster, Qm. 42 45 The Long-legged Buzzard. Buteo ferox, S. O. Gtn. 42 48 The White-eyed Blizzard. Butastur teesa, Frankl. 44 51 The Pale Harrier ... Circus macrurus, 8. O. Qm. 45 52 Montagu's Harrier ... „ cineraceus, Mont. ... 49 53 The Pied Harrier ... „ melanoleucos, Forst. 52 54 The Marsh Harrier .. ,, asruginosus, Lin 52 55 The Brahminy Kite ... Haliastur Indus, Bodd. 54 56 The Pariah Kite ... Milvus govinda, Sykes. 54 56bis. The Large Pariah Kite ... „ melanotis, Tern, and ScTil. 57 57 The Honey Buzzard ... Pernis ptilorhynchus, Tern.... 57 59 The Black-winged Kite ... Elanus ceeruleus, Desf. 59 60 The Indian Screech Owl ... Strix javanica, Qm. 60 61 The Grass Owl ... „ Candida, Tick. 61 63 The Brown Wood Owl ... Syrnium indranee, Sykes. ... 62 65 The Mottled Wood Owl ... „ ocellatum, Less. ... 62 67 The Long-eared Owl ... Asio otus, Lin. 63 68 The Short-eared Owl ... „ accipitrinus, Forst. ... 64 69 The Rock-horned Owl ... Bubo bengalensis, Frankl. ... 65 70 The Dusky-horned Owl ... „ corornandus, Lath. ... 66 72 The Brown Fish Owl ... Ketupa ceylonensis, Gm. ... 68 74 The Indian Scops Owl ... Scops pennatus, Hodgs. ... 70 74:sepl . The Striated Scops Owl ... ,, brucii, Hume. 71 75ter. „ bakkamuna, Forst. ... 72 75quai f. The Malabar Scops Owl ... „ malabaricus, Jerd. ... 74 76 The Spotted Owlet ... Carine brama, Tern. 75 77 The Jungle Owlet ... Glaucidium radiatum, Tick. 76 78 The Malabar Owlet ... ,, malabaricum, Ely. 76 81 The Brown Hawk Owl ... Ninox lugubris, Tick. 77 82 The Common Swallow ... Hirundo rustica, Lin. 79 84 The Wire-tailed Swallow „ filifera, StepTi 79 85 The Red-rumped Swallow „ erythropygia, Sykes 80 86 The Indian Cliff Swallow „ fluvicola, Jerd. 81 87 The European Sand Mar- tin .... .., Cotyle riparia, Lin. 82 89 The Indian Sand Martin „ sinensis, J. E. Cr. ... 82 90 The Dusky Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne concolor, Sykes. ... 83 91 The Mountain Crag Martin „ rupestris, Scop. ... 83 CONTENTS. ix Numb!?. POPULAR NAME. SCIENTIFIC NAME. Page. Qlbis. The Pallid Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne obsoleta, Cab. 83 92 The English House Mar- tin ... ... Chelidon urbica, Lin. ... 84 95 The White-rumped Spine- tail ... ... Chsetura sylvatica, Tick. ... 85 98 The Alpine Swift ... Cypsellus melba, Lin. ,.. 85 99 The European Swift ... „ apus, Lin. ' ... 85 100 The Common Indian Swift „ affinis, J. E. Gr. 86 101 The White-clawed Swift „ leuconyx, Tick. ... 86 102 The Palm Swift ... „ batassiensis, J. E. Gr. ... 87 103 The Indian Edible-nest Swiftlet ... ... Collocalia unicolor, Jerd. ... 87 104 The Indian Crested Swift Dendrochelidon coronata, Tick. ... ... 88 107 The Jungle Night Jar ... Caprimulgus indicus, Lath. 89 108 The Neilgherry Night Jar „ kelaarti, Ely. 89 109 The Large Bengal Night Jar ... ... ,, albonotatus, Tick. ... 90 111 The Ghat Night Jar ... „ atripennis, Jerd. ... 90 lllbis. Unwin's Night Jar ... „ unwini, Hume. 90 112 The Common Indian Night Jar ... „ asiaticus, Lath. 91 113 Sykes' Night Jar ... „ mahrattensis, Sykes ... 92 114 Franklin's Night Jar ... „ monticolus, Frankl. ... 92 115 The Malabar Trogon ... Harpactes fasciatus, Forst. 93 117 The Common Indian Bee- eater ... ... Merops viridis, Lin. ... 93 118 The Blue-tailed Bee-eater „ philippinus, Lin ... 94 119 The Chesnut-headed Bee- eater ... „ swinhoii, Hume. ... 95 120 The Egyptian Bee-eater „ persicus, Pall. ... 95 121 The European Bee-eater „ apiaster, Lin. ... 95 122 The Blue-necked Bee- eater ... ... Nycticornis athertoni, Jard. and Sell. ... ... 96 123 The Indian Roller ... Coracias indica, Lin. ... 97 125 The European Holler ... „ garrula, Lin. ... 98 127 The Brown-headed King- fisher ... ... Pelargopsis gurial, Pears. ... 98 129 The White-breasted King- fisher ... ... Halcyon srnyrnensis, Lin. ... 99 130 The Black-capped Purple Kingfisher ... „ pileata, Bodd. *<* 100 132 The White-collared King- fisher ... ... „ chloris, Bodd. ... 100 I. CONTENTS. POPULAR NAME. SCIENTIFIC NAME, Page. 133 • The Three-toed Purple Kingfisher ... Ceyx tridactylus, Pall. ... 101 134: The Common Indian Kingfisher ... Alcedo bengalensis, Om. ... 101 134fo'«. The European Kingfisher „ ispida, Lin. ... 102 ISS^watf.Beavan's Kingfisher ... „ beayani, Wald. ... 102 136 The Pied Kingfisher ... Ceryle rndis, Lin. ... 103 140 The Great Hornbill ... Dichoceros caratus, Shaw. ... 104 141 The Malabar Pied Horn- bill ... . . . Hydrocissa coronata, Bodd. 105 144 The Common Grey Horn- bill ... ... Ocyceros birostris, Scop. ... 106 145 The Jungle Grey Hornbill Tockus griseus, Lath. ... 106 147 The Alexandrine Paroquet Paheornis eupatria, Lin. ... 108 148 The Rose-ringed Paroquet „ torquatus, Bodd. 108 149 The Rose-headed Paro- quet ... ... „ purpureus, P.L.S. Mull. ... 109 151 The Blue-winged Paroquet „ columboides, Vig. 110 153 The Indian Loriquet ... Loriculus vernalis, Sparr. ... Ill 158 The Sind Woodpecker ... Picus sindianus, Gould. ... 112 160 The Yellow-fronted Wood- pecker ... ... „ mahrattensis, Lath. ... 112 164 The Southern Pigmy Woodpecker ... Yungipicus nanus, Vig. ... 113 165 The Heart-spotted Wood- pecker ... ... Hemicercus cordatus, Jerd. 114 IQQbis. The Southern Large Golden-backed Wood- pecker ... ... Chrysocolaptes delesserti, Malh. ... 114 167 The Black-backed Wood- pecker ... ... „ festivus, Bodd. 115 169 The Great Black Wood- pecker ... ... Thriponax hodgsoni, Jerd.... 116 171 The Small Green Wood- pecker ... ... Gecinus striolatus, Ely. ... 116 175 The Southern Yellow- necked Woodpecker ... Chrysophlegma chlorigaster, Jerd. ... 117 178 The Bengal Rufous Wood- pecker ... ... Micropternus pha3oceps, Bly. 118 179 The Madras Rufous Wood- pecker ... ... „ gularis, Jerd.... 118 180 The Golden-backed Wood- . pecker ... ... Brachypternus aurantius, Lin. ... 118 181 The Lesser Golden-backed Woodpecker ' ... „ puncticollis, Malk. ... 119 188 The Common Wryneck ,., Yunx torquilla, Lin. ... 120 CONTENTS. xi jTumbe'r POPULAR NAME. SCIENTIFIC NAME. Page. 193 The Common Green Barbet Megalaima caniceps, Franlcl. 121 193fo>. The Western Green Barbet Megalaima inornata, Wald. 121 194 The Small Green Barbet „ viridis, Bodd. ... 122 197 The Crimson-breasted Bar- bet ... ... Xantholaema hasmacephala, Mull. ... 122 198 The Crimson-throated Bar- *bet ... ... „ malabarica, Ely. 123 199 The Cuckoo ... Cuculus canorus, Lin. ... 124 201 The Small Cuckoo ... „ poliocephalus, Lath. 124 202 The Banded Bay Cuckoo „ sonnerati, Lath. ... 125 203 The Indian Cuckoo ... „ micropterus, Qould. 125 205 The Common Hawk Cuckoo ... ... Hierococcyx varius, Vahl. ... 126 208 The Indian Plaintive Cuckoo ... ... Cacomantis passerinus, Vahl. 127 210 The Drongo Cuckoo ... Surniculus lugubris, Horsf. 128 211 The Emerald Cuckoo ... Chrysococcyx maculatus, Qm. 128 212 The Pied Crested Cuckoo Coccystes jacobinus, JBodd. 129 213 The Red-winged Crested Cuckoo ... ... „ coromandus, Lin. 130 214 The Indian Koel or Black Cuckoo ... ... Eudynamis honorata, Lin..~. 130 216 The Small Green-billed Malkoha ... ... Rhopodytes viridirostris, Jerd. ... 131 217 The Common Concal ... Centropus rufipennis, III. ... 132 2 \lqiiint.ThQ Large Crow Pheasant „ maximus, Hume. 133 218 The Lesser Indian Concal ,, bengalensis, Gm. 133 219 The Southern Sirkeer ... Taccocua leschenaulti, Less. 134 220 The Bengal Sirkeer ... „ sirkee, Gray. ... 134 224 The Little Spider Hunter Arachnothera longirostra, Lath. ' ... 135 226 The Violet-eared Bed Honey-Sucker ... JEthopygia vigorsi, dykes. 135 232 The Amethyst-rumped Honey-Sucker ... Cinnyris zeylonica, Lin. ... 136 233 The Tiny Honey-Sucker „ minima, Sykes. ... 136 234 The Purple Honey-Sucker „ asiatica, Lath. ... 137 235 The Large Purple Honey- Sucker ... .. „ lotenia, Lin. ... 137 238 TickelTs Flower-Pecker ... Dicaeurn erythrorhynchus, Lath. ... 138 239 The Neilgherry Flower- Pecker ..." ... „ concolor, Jerd. ... 138 240 The Thick-billed Flower- Pecker ... ... Piprimosa agile, Tick. ... 139 246 The Spotted Grey Creeper Salpornis spilonota, Frankl. 139 250 The Chesnut-bellied Nut- hatch ... ... Sitta castaneiventris, Frankl. 140 xii CONTENTS. Jfufnber POPULAR NAME. SCIENTIFIC NAME. Page. 253 .' The Velvet-fronted Blue Nuthatch .. ... Dendrophila frontalis, Horsf. 140 25-4 The European Hoopoe ... Upupa epops, Lin. ... 141 255 The Indian Hoopoe .. ,, ceylonensis, Reich. .. 142 256 The Indian Grey Shrike Lanius lahtora, Sykes. ... 143 257 The Rufous-backed Shrike „ erythronotus, Viq. ... 143 259 The Black-headed Shrike „ nigriceps, Frankl. ... 144 260 The Bay-backed Shrike... „ vittatus, Vol. ... 144 ZGObis. The European Red-backed Shrike ... ... „ collurio, Lin. ... 145 261 The Brown Shrike ... „ cristatus, Lin, ... 145 262 . The Pale Brown Shrike... „ isabellinus, Hemp, fy Elir. ... 146 264 The Malabar Wood-ShrikeTephrodornis sylvicola, Jerd, 147 265 The Common Wood- Shrike ... ... „ pondicerianus, Qm. ... 147 267 . The Little Pied Shrike ... Hemipus picatus, Sykes. ... 148 268 The Black-headed Cuckoo Shrike ... ... Volvocivora sykesi, Strickl. 148 269 .The Dark Grey Cuckoo- Shrike ... ... „ melaschista, Hodgs. 149 269quat.. Hypocolius ampelinus, Bp. 149 270 The Large Cuckoo Shrike Graucalus macii, Less. ... 150 271 The Large Minivet ... Pericrocotus speciosus, Lath. 151 272 The Orange Minivet ... „ flammeus, Forst. 151 273 The Short-billed Minivet „ brevirostris, Vig. 152 276 .The Small Minivet ... „ peregrinus, Lin. 152 277 The White-bellied Minivet „ erythropygius, Jerd. ... 153 278 The Kingcrow ... Buchanga atra, Rerm. ... 154 280 The Long-tailed Drongo Shrike ... ... „ longicauda, Hay. 154 281 The White-bellied Drongo „ casrulescens, Lin. 155 282 The Bronzed Drongo ... Chaptia senea, Vieill. ... 155 284 The Large Racket-tailed Drongo ... ... Dissemurus grandis, Qould. 156 285 The Malabar Racket-tailed Drongo ... ... „ paradiseus, Lin. 156 286 The Hair Crested Drongo Chibia hottentota, Lin. ... 157 287 The Ashy Swallow Shrike Artamus fuscus, Vieill. ... 157 288 The Paradise Flycatcher Muscipeta paradisi, Lin. ... 158 290 The ' Black-necked Blue Flycatcher ... Hypothymis azurea, Bodd. 159 291 The. White-throated Fan- tail ... ... Leucocerca albicollis, Vieill. 160 292 The .White-browed Fan- tail ... „ aureola, Vieill.... 160 293 The White-spotted Fan- tail ... ... „ leucogastcr, Cuv. 1C1 CONTENTS. Xlii Number. POPULAR NAME. SCIENTIFIC NAME. Page. 295 'The Grey-headed Fly- . catcher ... . Culicicapa ceylonensis, Sws. 162 297 The Southern Brown Fly- catcher ... ... Alseonax latirostris, Raffi.... 163 2996/s. , The Cherry Chopper ... Butalis grisola, Lin. ... 163 301 The Verditer Flycatcher Stoporala melanops, Vig. ... 164 304 The Blue-throated Red- breast ... ... Cyornis rubeculoides, Tiff.... 164 306 Tickell's Blue Redbreast . „ tickelli, Ely. ... 164 307 . The Rufous-tailed Fly- catcher ... ... „ ruficaudus, Sws. ... 165 309 The White-bellied Blue Flycatcher ... „ pallipes, Jerd. ... 165 310 The White-browed Blue Flycatcher ... Muscicapula superciliaris, Jer d. 166 323 The White-tailed Robin Flycatcher ... Erythrosterna albicilla, Pal. 167 323fo's. The European White- tailed Flycatcher ... „ parva, Bechst. 167 326 .The Little Pied Fly- catcher ... ... „ maculata, Tick. 167 342 The Malabar Whistling Thrush ... ... Myiophoneushorsfieldi, Vig. 168 345 The Yellow-breasted Ground Thrush ... Pitta brachyura, Lin. ... 169 351 The Blue Rock Thrush.. Monticola cyaneus, Lin. ... 169 353 The Blue-headed Chat Thrush ... ... „ cinclorhynchus, Vig. 170 354 The White-winged Ground Thrush ... .. Geocichla cyanotis, Jard. Sf 355 The Orange-headed Ground Sel. ... 171 Thrush ... ... „ citrina, Lath. ... 171 356 The Dusky Ground Thrush „ unicolor, Tick.... 171 857 Ward's Pied Blackbird... Turdulus wardi, Jerd. ... 172 359 The Black-capped Black- bird ... ... Merula nigropilea, Lafr. ... 173 365 The Black-throated Thrush „ atrogularis, Tern. ... 173 385 The Yellow-eyed Babbler Pyctoris sinensis, Gm. ... 174 386/er. The Grey-throated Bab- bler ... ... „ griseogularis, Hume 174 389 The Neilgherry Quaker Thrush ... ... Alcippe poiocephala, «7er d..*. 175 390 The Black-headed Wren Babbler ... ... „ atriceps, Jerd. ... 175 395 TheYellow-breastedWren Babbler ... ... Mixornis rubricapillus, Tick. 176 397 The Rufous-bellied Bab- bler ... ... Dumetia hyperythra, FranJcl. 176 398 The White-throated Wren Babbler ... ... „ albogularis, Bly..... 177 XIV CONTENTS. POPULAR NAME. SCIENTIFIC NAME. Page. 399 The [Spotted Wren Bab- bler ... ... Pellorneum ruficeps, Sws.... 177 404 The Southern Scimitar Babbler ... ... Pomatorhinus horsfieldi, Sykes ... 178 404ter. Hume's Scimitar Babbler „ obscurus, Hume. 178 432 The Bengal Babbler ... Malacocercus terricolor, Hodgs ... 179 433 The White-headed Bab- bler ... ... „ griseus, Lath. 179 434 The Jungle Babbler ... „ malabaricus, Jerd. ... 180 435 The Rufous-tailed Bab- bler ... ... „ somervillii, Sykes. 180 436 The Large Grey Babbler „ malcolmi, Sykes 180 437 The Kufous Babbler ... Layardia subrufa, Jerd. ... 181 438 The Striated Bush Bab- bler ... ... Chatarrhaea caudata, Dum. 181 439 The Striated Keed Bab- bler ... ... „ earlii, Ely. ... 182 441 The Grass Babbler ... Chgetornis striatus, Jerd. .., 183 442 The Broad-tailed Eeed Bird ... ... Schcenicola platyurus, Jerd. 183 443 The Long-tailed Reed Bird ... ... Laticilla burnesi, Ely. ... 184 446 The Ghat Black Bulbul Hypsipetes ganesa, Sykes .. 185 450 The Yellow-browed Bul- bul ... ... Criniger ictericus, Strickl. 185 452 The White-browed Bush Bulbul ... ... Ixus luteolus, Less. ... 185 455 The Ruby-throated Bul- bul ... ... Rubigula gularis, Qould. ... 186 457 The Grey-headed Bulbul Brachypodius poiocephalus, Jerd. ... ... 186 459 The White-eared Crested Bulbul ... ... Otocompsa leucotis, Gould. 187 460fo's. The Southern Red-whis- kered Bulbul ... „ fuscicaudata, Gould. 187 461 The Common Bengal Bulbul ... ... Pycnonotus pygaBUS, Rodgs. 188 462 The Common Madras Bulbul ... ... „ hasmorrhous, Gm. 188 463 The Common Green Bul- bul ... ... Phyllornis jerdoni, Ely. ... 189 464 The Malabar Green Bul- bul ... ... „ malabaricus, Gm. 190 468 The White- winged lora lora tiphia, Lin. ... 190 468fo*. The Western lora ... „ nigrolutea, Marsh. ... 191 469 The Fairy Blue Bird ... Irena puella, Lath. ... 192 470 The Indian Oriole ... Oriolus kundoo, Sykes. ... 193 470$w. The Golden Oriole ... „ galbula, Lin. ... 194 CONTENTS. XV Nufnbe'r. POPULAR NAME. SCIENTIFIC NAME. Page. 471 The Black-naped Indian Oriole ... ... Oriolus indicus, Jerd. ... 195 472 The Bengal Black-headed Oriole ... ... „ melanocephalus, Lin. 195 473 The Southern Black- headed Oriole ... „ ceylonensis, Ep. ... 196 475 The Magpie Eobin ... Copsychus saularis, Lin. ... 197 476 The Shama ... Kittacincla macroura, Om. 197 479 The Indian Black Robin Thamnobia fulicata, Lin. ... 198 480 The Brown-backed Indian Robin .. ... „ cambaiensis, Lath 198 481 The White-winged Black Robin ... ... Pratincola caprata, Lin. ... 199 483 The Indian Bushchat ... „ indica, Ely. ... 200 484 The White-tailed Bush- chat ... ... „ leucurus, Ely. ... 200 4855/5. Stoliczka's Bushchat ... „ macrorhyncha, Stol. ... 201 488 The Indian White-tailed Stonechat ... Saxicola opistholeuca, StrickL 201 489 The Pied Stonechat ... „ picatus, Ely. ... 202 489fo's. Hume's Pied Stonechat ... „ alboniger, Hume .. 202 490 The White-headed Stone- chat ... ... „ morio, Hemp. $• Ehr. 203 490fo's. The Hooded Stonechat ... „ monachus, Eupp 203 491 The Wheatear ... „ isabellinus, Eupp. ... 203 4915/s. The Red-tailed Wheatear „ kingi, Hume ... 204 492 The Black-throated Wheat- ear ... „ deserti, Eupp. ... 205 492ter. The Grey-backed Warbler JEdon familiaris, MM. ... 205 493 The Black-tailed Rock- chat ... ... Cerconiela melanura, Hupp. 206 494 The Brown Rockchat ... „ fusca, Ely. ... 206 497 The Indian Redstart ... Ruticilla runVentris, Vieill... 207 507 ... Larvivora superciliaris, Jerd. 208 512 The Common Ruby-throat Calliope camtschatkensis, Gm. ... 209 514 The Indian Blue-throat... Cyanecula suecica, Lin. ... 209 515 The Large Reed Warbler Acrocephalus stentorius, Hemp. Sf Ehr. 210 516 The Lesser Reed Warbler „ dumetorum, Ely. 210 517 The Paddy Field Warbler „ agricolus, Jerd. 211 51Sbis. The Moustached Grass Warbler ... .,. Lusciniolamelanopogon,Tew. 211 Hume's Grass Warbler ... „ neglecta, Hume ... 212 5lSter. Cetti's Bush Warbler ... Cettia cetti, Marm. ... 212 520 The Streaked Reed Warb- ler ... ... Locus tella hendersoni, Cass. 213 530 The Indian Tailor Bird ,,, Orthotomus sutorius, Font. 214 xvi CONTENTS. Jerdon's POPULAR NAME, SCIENTIFIC NAME. Page. Number. 532 The Yellow-bellied Wren Warbler ... ... Prinia flaviventris, Deless.... 215 533 The White-bellied Wren Warbler ... ... „ adamsi, Jerd. ... 215 534 The Dark Ashy Wren Warbler ... ... „ socialis, Sykes ... 215 535 Stewart's Wren Warbler „ stewarti, Ely. ... 216 536 Franklin's Wren Warbler „ gracilis, FrankL ... 216 538 The Malaber Wren Warb- ler ... ... „ hodgsoni, Ely. ... 217 539 The Kufous Grass Warb- ler ... ..* Cisticola cursitans, Jfrankl. 217 543 The Common Wren Warbler ... ... Drymoipus inornata, Sykes 218 5445/s. The Great Kufous Wren Warbler... ... „ rufescens, Hume 219 545 The Jungle Wren Warb- ler ... ... ,, sylvaticus, Jerd. 220 546 The Allied Wren Warbler „ neglectus, Jerd. 220 54:9quint ... Blanfordius striatulus, Hume 221 550 The Streaked Wren Warbler ... ... Burnesia gracilis, Lickt. ... 221 5505w. The Streaked Scrub Warbler... ... Scotocerca inquieta, Rupp.... 222 651 The Rufous-fronted Wren Warbler... ... Franklinia buchanani, Sly. 223 553 Sykes' Tree Warbler ... Hypolais rama, Sykes ... 224 The Booted Tree Warbler „ caligata, Licht. ... 224 The Pale Tree Warbler... „ pallida, Hemp, fy Ehr. ... 225 ... „ languida, Hemp, fy Ehr. ... 225 The Desert Tree Warbler „ obsoleta, Sev. ... 226 554 The Brown Tree Warbler Phylloscopus tristis, Ely ... 227 554fo>. Hume's Tree Warbler ... „ neglectus, Hume 227 556 The Large-billed Tree Warbler ... ... „ rnagmrostris, Ely. 228 558 The Dull Green Tree Warbler... ... „ lugubris, Ely. ... 228 559 The Bright Green Tree Warbler ... ... „ nitidus, Lath. ... 228 560 The Greenish Tree Warb- ler ... ... „ viridanus, Ely. 229 561 TickelPs Tree Warbler ... „ affinis, Tick. ... 229 562 The Olivaceous Tree Warbler... ... „ indicus, Jerd. ... 229 The Sind Tree Warbler... „ sindianus, .Z?r00&s. 229 563 The Large Crowned Warbler ... ... Reguloides occipitalis, Jerd. 230 565 The Crowned Tree War- bler ... ... „ superciliosus, Pall. 230 CONTENTS. XV11 Jerdon'a Number. 570 581 582 582bis. qua 5SBbis. 589 590 591 591/er. 592 593 593/er. 594 594W*. 595 596 597 POPULAR NAME The Brown-headed Wil- low Warbler The Lesser Black-browed Warbler ... The Large Black-capped Warbler., The Allied Grey Warbler Hume's Lesser White- throat The Himalayan Lesser White-throat f.The Grey Warbler The Desert Warbler ... The Pied Wagtail The White-faced Wag- tail The Black-faced Wagtail Sykes' Grey and Black Wagtail The European White. faced Wagtail The Grey and Yellow Wagtail The Slaty-headed Field Wagtail The Black-cap Field Wagtail ... The Grey-headed Field Wagtail ... The Yellow-headed Wag- tail SCIENTIFIC NAME. Page. Eeguloides humii, Brooks ... 231 Abrornis cantator, Tick. ... 231 Sylvia jerdoni, Ely. ... 232 „ affinis, Ely. ... 232 „ minuscula, Hume ... 232 „ althea, Hume ... 233 „ rufa, Bodd. ... 233 „ nana, Hemp, fy Ehr. 234 Motacilla maderaspatensis, Gm. 234 leucopsis, Gould.... 235 personata, Gould. ... 236 The Grey-backed Yellow • Wagtail ... The Black-breasted Wag- tail The Indian Tree Pipit ... The European Tree Pipit The Water Pipit 605£Ma£.Blakiston's Pipit 600 The Indian Titlark 601 The Large Titlark 602 Tho Stone Pipit 603 The Rufous Rock Pipit... 604 The Brown Rock Pipit ... 631 The White-eyed Tit ... 645 The Indian Grey Tit ... 646 The White-winged Black Tit „ dukhunensis, Sylces 236 „ alba, Lin. ... 237 Calobates melanope, Pall. ... 237 Budytes cinereocapilla, Savi. 238 „ melanocephala, Licht. 239 „ flava, Lin. ... 239 „ calcarata, Hodgs. ... 240 „ citeola, Pall. ... 241 Limonidromus indicus, Gm. 241 Anthus maculatus, Hodgs..*, 242 „ trivialis, Lin. ... 242 „ spinoletta, Lin. ... 243 „ blakistoni, Swinh. . . 244 Oorydalla rufula, Vieill. . . 244 „ striolata, Ely. . . 245 Agrodroma campestris, Lin 245 „ similis, Jerd. . . 246 „ sordida, Hiipp.. . 246 Zosterops palpebrosa, Tern.. . 247 Parus nipalensis, Hodgs. . . 248 ,, nuchalis, Jerd. ... 248 xv CONTENTS. Jerdon'8 ft umber. POPULAR NAME. SCIENTIFIC NAME- 647 The Yellow-cheeked Tit... Machlolophus xanthogenys, Viff. ... „ aplonotus, Ely. Corvus lawrencii, Hume ... „ macrorhynchus,JFayZ. „ umbrinus, Hedenb ... splendens, Vitill. ... 648 6576/5, 660 QQObis. 663 674 The Southern Yellow Tit The Indian Raven ... The Indian Corby ... The Brown-necked Eaven The Common Indian Grow 681 GSlbis. 684 685 687 688 689 690 692 694 695 6-96 697 698 699 700 701 703 704 705 706 707 709 711 716 718 719 720 721 722 The Common Indian Mag- pie ... ...» The Common Starling ... The Lesser Starling ... The Common Myna ... The Bank Myna ... The Southern Dnsky Myna ... ... The Black-headed Myna The Grey-headed Myna... The White-headed Myna The Rose-colored Pastor The Southern Hill Myna The Common Weaver- Bird ... ... The Striated Weaver- Bird ... ... The Black-throated Weaver-Bird ... The Black-headed Munia The Chesnut-bellied Munia The Spotted Munia ... The Rufous-bellied Munia The White-backed Munia The Plain Brown Munia The Red Waxbill ... The Green Waxbill ... The House Sparrow ... The Willow Sparrow ... The Rufous-backed Sparrow ... ... The Yellow-throated Sparrow Dendrocitta rufa, Scop. ... Sturnus vulgaris, Lin. ... „ minor, Hume ... Acridotheres tristis, Lin. ... „ ginginianus,£flrM. „ mahrattensift, SyJces ... Sturnia pagodarum, Gm. ... „ malabarica, Gm. ... „ blythi, Jerd. ... Pastor roseus, Lin. ... Eulabes religiosa, Lin. ... Page. 240 249 250 250 251 251 252 253 254 254 255 255 256 256 257 257 258 Ploceus philippinus, Lin. ... 259 „ manyar, Horsf. ... 260 „ bengalensis, Lin. ... 261 Amadina malacca, Lin. ... 262 „ rubronigra, Hodgs. 262 „ punctulata, Lin. ... 262 „ pectoralis, Jerd ... 263 „ striata, Lin. ... 263 „ malabarica, Lin. ... 263 Estrelda amandava, Lin. ... 264 „ formosa, Latli. ... 265 Passer domesticus, Lin. ... 265 „ hispaniolensis, Tern. 266 „ pyrrhonotus, "Ely. ... 266 ... „ flavicollis, Franlcl. ... The Grey-necked Bunting Emberiza buchanani, Biy. ... The White-capped Bunting ... ... „ stewarti, Ely. .. The Grey-headed Bunting „ fucata, Pall. ... The Striolated Bunting ... „ striolata, Licit. .. The Black-headed Bunt. ing ... ... The Red-headed Bunting Euspiza melanocephala, Gm. „ luteola, Sparr. .. 267 268 269 269 269 271 271 CONTENTS, XIX JercVon's Number, 724 7325/5.- 738 756 757 758 759 760 7605*5. 761 ing The Desert Bull-finch 762 762* 765 7655/5. 767 769 770 773 775 780 784 786 787 788 7885/5. 792 793 794 795 796 797 798 799 POPULAR NAME. SCIENTIFIC NAME. The Crested Black Bunt- Melophus melanicfcerus, Gm. Bucanetes githagineus, Licht, The Common Rose Finch Carpodacus erythrinus, Pall. The Red-winged Bush- Lark > ... Mirafra erythroptera, Jerd.... The Singing Bush-Lark „ cantillans, Jerd. ... The Rufous-tailed Finch- Lark ... ... Ammomanes phcenicura, Frankl. The Pale Rufous Finch- Lark ... ... „ deserti, Licht. ... The Black-bellied Finch- Lark ... ... Pyrrhulauda grisea, Scop. ... The Black-necked Finch- Lark ... ... „ melanauchen, Gab. ,.. Calandrella brachydaetyla, Leisl. ... Melanocorypha bimaculata, Mene. .. Alaudula raytal, Bly. , adamsi, Hume ... The Social Lark The Indian Sand-Lark The Little Sand-Lark The Small Crown-crest Lark ... ... Spizalauda deva, The Large Crown-crest Lark ... ... „ malabarica, Scop. The Indian Sky-Lark ... Alauda gulgula, Frantt. ... The Large Crested Lark Galerida cristata, Lin. The Desert Lark ... Certhilauda desertorum, Stan. The Bengal Green Pigeon Crocopus phosnicopterus, Lath. The Southern Green Pigeon ... .., „ chlorigaster, Bly. .. The Grey-fronted Green "Pigeon ... ... Osmotreron malabarica, Jerd. The Green Imperial Pi- geon ... ... Carpophaga cenea, Lin. ... The Himalayan Cushat ... Palumbus casiotis, Bp. ... The Neilgherry Wood- pigeon ... ... „ elphinstonii, SyJces The Indian Stock Pigeon Palumboena eversmanni, Bon. Pago. 272 273 274 274 275 276 276 277 277 279 279 280 280 281 282 282 283 284 285 285 286 287 287 The Blue Rock Pigeon The Rock Dove The Ashy Turtle Dove ... The Rufous Turtle Dove The Little Brown Dove... The Spotted Dove The Common Ring Dove The Ruddy Ring Dove Columba intermedia, Strickl. „ livia, Bp. ... Turtur pulchratus, Hodgs. „ meena, Sykes ' ... „ senegalensis, Lin. ., „ suratensis, Gm. ... „ risorius, Lin. tranquebaricus, Herm. The Bronze-winged Dove Chalcophaps indica, Lin The Large Sand Grouse Pterocles arenarius, Pall. 288 288 289 289 290 290 291 291 291 292 293 XX CONTENTS. Jerdou'g Number. 800 SOOfos. 801 801M*. SOlfcr. 802 803 812 813 814 815 818 819 820 821 822 826 827 828 829 830 832 834 835 836 POPULAR NAME. SCIENTIFIC NAME. Page. The Painted Sand Grouse Pterocles fasciatus, Scop. ... 295 The Close-barred Sand Grouse ... The Large Pin-tailed Sand Grouse The Spotted Sand Grouse The Coronetted Sand Grouse ... ... The Common Sand Grouse The Common Peacock The Red Jungle Fowl The Grey Jungle Fowl The Red Spur Fowl The Painted Spur Fowl The Black Partridge lichtensteini, Tern. 296 alchata, Lin. senegallus, Licht. The Painted Partridge The Chukar Partridge The Seesee Partridge The Grey Partridge The Jungle Bush Quail,. The Rock Bush Quail ... The Painted Bush Quail The Large Grey Quail ... The Black-breasted Quail The Black-breasted Bus- tard Quail The Large Button Quail The Small Button Quail The Indian Bustard , coronatus, Licht. , exustus, Tern. Pavo cristatus, Lin. Gallus ferrugineus, Qmel. ... ,, sonnerati, Tern. Galloperdix spadiceus, Om. „ lunulatus, Val. Francolinus vulgaris, StepJi. „ pictus, Jard. Sf Selb. Caccabis chukar, J. E. Or, Ammoperdix bonhami, Qray. Ortygornis pondiceriana, Cm. Perdicula asiatica, Lath. „ argoondah, Sykes. Microperdix erythrorhynchus, Sykes Coturnix communis, Bon. ... „ coromandelica, Gm. 837 The Houbara Bustard Turnix taigoor, Si/Jces „ joudera, Hodgs. ,, dussumieri, Tern. Eupodotis edwardsi, J. Or. E. 297 297 299 300 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 Houbara macqueeni, J. E. Or. ... ... 321 839 The Lesser Florican ... Sypheotides aurita, Lath. ... 322 840 The Indian Courier Plover Cursorius coromandelicus, Gm. ... ... 324 840fo'f. The Cream-colored Cour- ser ... ... „ gallicus, Om. ... 324 842 The Large Swallow Plover Glareola orientalis, Leach. ... 325 8425*5. The Collared Pratincole... „ pratincola, Lin. ... 326 843 The Small Swallow Plover „ lactea, Tern. ... 326 844 The Grey Plover ... Squatarola helvetica, Lin. ... 327 845 The Indian Golden Plover Charadrius fulvus, Gm. ... 328 8456/s. The European Golden Plover ... ... „ pluvialis, Lin. ... 328 845^Ma^.The Caspian Sand Plover ^Egialitis asiatica, Pall. ... 329 846 The Large Sand Plover... „ geoffroyi, Wag. ... 329 847 The Lesser Sand Plover „ mongola, Pal. ... 330 848 The Kentish Ringed Plo- ver ... ... „ cantiana, Lath. .^ 330 CONTENTS. xxi Number8 POPULAR NAME. SCIENTIFIC NAME. Page. 849 The Indian Ringed Plover ^Egialitis dubia, Scop. ... 330 850 The Lesser Ringed Plover „ minuta, Pall. ... 331 851 The Crested Lapwing ... Yanellus vulgaris, Bechst. ... 332 852 The Black-sided Lapwing Chettusia gregaria, Pall. ... 332 853 The White-tailed Lapwing „ villotrci, And. ... 333 854 The Grey-headed Lapwing „ cinerea, Ely. ... 333 855 The Red-wattled Lapwing Lobivanellus indicus, Bodd. 334 856 The Yellow-wattled Lap- wing ... ... Lobipluvia malabarica, Bodd. 335 857 The Spur-winged Lapwing Hoplopterus ventralis, Cuv. 335 858 The Large Stone Plover..* ^sacus recurvirostris, Cuv. 336 859 The Stone Plover ... (Edicnemus scolopax, 8. S. Qm. ... ... 337 860 The Turnstone ... Strepsilas interpres, Lin. ... 338 861 The Crab Plover ... Dromas ardeola, PayTc. ... 339 862 The Oyster Catcher ... H^matopus ostralegus, Lin. 339 863 The Sarus ... ... Grus antigone, Lin. ... 340 864 The Snow-wreath ... „ leucogeranus, Pall. ... 341 865 The Common Crane ... „ communis, Bechst. ... 341 866 The Demoiselle Crane ... Anthropoides virgo, Lin. ... 342 867 The Woodcock ... Scolopax rusticola, Lin. ... 343 868 The Woodsnipe ... Gallinago nemoricola, Hodgs. 344 870 The Pin-tailed Snipe ... „ sthenura, Kuhl. ... 344 871 The Common Snipe ... „ galHnaria, Gm. ... 345 872 The Jack Snipe ' ... „ gallinula, Lin. ... 346 873 The Painted Snipe ... Rhynchasa bengalensis, Lin.... 347 875 The Black-tailed Godwit Limosa aegocephala, Lin. ... 348 S75bis. The Bar-tailed Godwit ... „ lapponica, !£%. ... 349 876 The Avocet Sandpiper ... Terekia cinerea, Gm. ... 351 877 The Curlew... ... Numenius lineatus, Cuv. ... 351 878 The Whimbrel ... „ phjeopus, Lin. ... 352 880 The Ruff ... ... Philomachus pugnax, Lin.... 352 SSlbis. Temminck's Knot ... Tringa crassirostris, Tern $ Schl. ... 353 882 The Curlew Stint ... „ subarquata Cm. ... 354 883 The Dunlin ... „ alpina, Lin. ... 354 884 The Little Stint ... „ minuta, Leisl. ... 355 885 The White.tailed Stint ... „ temmincki, Leisl... 355 886 The Broad-billed Stint ... Limicola platyrhyncha, Tsm. 356 888 The Sanderling ... Calidris arenaria, Tern. ... 356 890 The Red-necked Phalarope Lobipes hyperboreus, Lin.... 357 891 The Spotted Sandpiper... Rhyacophila glareola, Qm. ... 357 892 The Green Sandpiper ... Totanus ochropus, Lin. ... 358 893 The Common Sandpiper Tringoides hypoleucos, Lin.... 359 894 The Green-Shanks ... Totanus glottis, Lin. ... 359 895 The Little Green- Shanks „ stagnates, Bech. ... 359 896 The Spotted Red-Shanks „ fuscus, Lin. ... 360 897 The Red-Shanks ... „ calidris, Lin. ... 360 898 The Stilt ... ... Himantopus candidus, Bp... 361 899 The Avocet ... Recurvirostra avocetta, Lin. 362 900 The Bronze-winged Jacana Parra indica, Lath. ... 363 xxii CONTENTS. Jerdon'a Number. POPULAR NAME. SCIENTIFIC NAME. Page. 901 The Pheasant-tailed Jacana ... Hydrophasianus chirurgus, Scop. 364 902 The Purple Coot ... Porphyrio poliocephalus, Lath. 365 903 The Coot ... ... Fulica atra, Lin. 366 904 The Water Cock ... Gallicrex cinereus, Gm. 367 905 The Water Hen ... Gallinula chloropus, Lin. ... 368 907 The White-breasted Water Hen ... Erythra phcenicura, Penn. ... 368 908 The Brown Rail ... Porzana akool, SyJces. 369 909 The Spotted Crake ... „ maruetta, Leach. ... 370 910 Baillon's Crake ... „ bailloni, VieilL 370 910fo's. The Little Rail ... „ parva, Scop. 371 911 The Ruddy Rail ... „ fusca, Lin. 372 913 The Blue-breasted Banded Rail ... Hypotamidia striata, Lin. 372 914 The Indian Water Rail ... Rallus indica, Bly. 373 915 916 Tho Adjutant ... Leptoptilus, argalus, Lin. ... The Hair-crested Stork... „ javanicus, Horsf. 374 374 917 The Black-necked Stork Xenorhynchus asiaticus,Za^. 375 918 The Black Stork ... Ciconia nigra, Lin. 376 919 The White Stork ... „ alba, Bechst. 376 920 The White-necked Stork Dissura episcopa, Bodd. ... 376 923 The Blue Heron ... Ardea cinerea, Lin. 377 924 The Purple Heron ... „ purpurea, Lin, 378 924fo's. The Large White Heron Herodias alba, Lin. 379 925 The Large Egret ... „ torra, B.-Ham. ... 379 926 The Smaller Egret ... „ intermedia, Hass. 379 927 The Little Egret ... „ garzetta, Lin. 380 928 The Ashy Egret ... Demi-egretta gularis, Bosc. 380 929 The Cattle Egret ... Bubulcus coromandus, Bodd. 381 930 The Pond Heron ... Ardeola grayii, Sykes 381 931 The Little Green Heron Butorides javanica, Horsf.... 382 932 The Black Bittern ... Ardetta flavicollis, Lath. ... 883 933 The Chesnut Bittern ... „ cinnamomea, Om. 384 934 The Yellow Bittern ... „ sinensis, Om. 384 935 The Little Bittern ... „ minuta, Lin. 385 936 The Bittern ... Botaurus stellaris, Lin. 385 986&M. The Malayan Tiger Bittern Goisakius melanolophus, Eaffl. 386 937 The Night Heron ... Nycticorax griseus, Lin. ... 387 938 The Pelican Ibis ... Tantalus leucocephalus, .Fbrstf. 387 939 The Spoonbill ... Platalea leucorodia, Lin. ... 388 940 The Shell Ibis ... Anastomus oscitans, Bodd* 389 941 The White Ibis ... Ibis melanocephala, Lath. ... 390 942 The Black or Warty-" headed Ibis ... Inocotis papillosus, Tern. ... 390 943 The Glossy Ibis ... Falcinellus igneus, Gm. ... 391 944 The Flamingo ... Phcenicopterus antiquorum, Tern. 392 CONTENTS. xxill Jerdon's Number. POPULAR NAME. SCIENTIFIC NAME. Page. 9445/5. The Lesser Flamingo ... Phcenicopterus minor, Geof. 393 944/er. The Mute Swan ... Cygnus olor, Gm. ... 394 945 The Grey Goose ... Anser cinereus, Meg. ... 394 947 The White-fronted Goose „ albifrons, Scop. ... 395 949 The Barred-headed Goose ,, indicus, Lath. ... 395 950 The Black-backed Goose Sarcidiornis melanonotus, Penn. ... 396 951 The Cotton Teal ... Nettopus coromandelianus, Gm. ... 397 952 The Whistling Teal ... Dendrocygna javanica, Horsf. ... 398 953 The Large Whistling Teal .., .,, fulva, Gm. ... 399 954 The Ruddy Shieldrake ... Tadorna casarca, Pall. ... 400 956 The Shieldrake ... „ cornuta, 8. G. Gm. 400 957 The Shoveller ... Spatula clypeata, Lin. ... 401 958 The Mallard ... Anas boschas, Lin. ... 402 959 The Grey Duck ... „ poecilorhyncha, For at. 403 960 The Pink-headed Duck ... Bhodonessa caryophyllacea, Lath. ... 404 961 The Gadwall ... Chaulelasmus streperus, Lin. 405 9615/5. The Marbled Teal ... „ angustirostris, Mene. ... 406 962 The Pintail Duck ... Dafila acuta, Lin. ... 407 963 The Widgeon ... Mareca penelope, Lin. ... 408 964 The Common Teal ... Querquedula crecca, Lin. ... 409 965 The Blue-winged Teal ... „ circia, Lin. ... 410 966 The Clucking Teal ... „ formosa, Gear. 411 967 The Bed-crested Pochard Fuligula rufina, Pall. ... 412 968 The Red-headed Pochard „ ferina, Lin. ... 412 969 The White-eyed Pochard „ nyroca, Guld. ... 413 970 The Scaup Pochard ... „ marila, Lin. ... 413 971 The Crested Pochard ... „ cristata, Kay. ... 414 $7 1 bis. The Golden Eye ... Clangula glaucium, Lin. ... 415 972 The Merganser ... Mergus merganser, Lin. ... 416 9725/s. The Bed-breasted Mergan- ser ... ,, serrator, Lin. ... 416 973 The Smew ... Mergellus albellus, Lin. ... 417 974 The Crested Grebe ... Podiceps cristatus, Lin. ... 418 9745/5. The Black-necked Grebe „ nigricollis, Sund.... 419 975 The Little Grebe ... „ minor, Gm. ... 420 976 Wilson's Petrel ... Oceanites oceanica, Kuhl. ... 421 9765/5. The Persian Shearwater Puffinus persicus, Hume ... 421 filter. The Skua ... Stercorarius asiaticus, Hume 422 9785/5. The Yellow-legged Her- ring Gull ... Larus cachinnans, Pall. ... 423 978/er. The Lesser Herring Gull „ affinis, Eeinw. ... 424 979 The Great Black-headed Gull ... „ ichthyaetus, Pall. ... 424 980 The Brown-headed Gull „ brunneicephalus, Jerd. 425 981 The Laughing Gull ... „ ridibundus, Lin. ... 425 XXIV CONTENTS. Jerdon'a Number. SSlquat 982 983 984 985 987 987M*. 989 990 POPULAR NAME. The Sooty Gull » •• The Caspian Tern The Gull-billed Tern .. The Small Marsh Tern .. The Large River Tern .. The Black-bellied Tern .. The White-cheeked Tern Saunder's Little Tern .. The Large Sea Tern .. The Smaller Sea Tern ., 992 The Brown-winged Tern The Sooty Tern 993 The Noddy 995 The Indian Skimmer ... 999fo>. The Indian Tropic Bird... 9965w. The White Booby 1003 The Lesser White Peli- can 1004 The Grey Pelican 10045t>. The White Pelican 1005 The Large Cormorant ... 1006 The Lesser Cormorant ... 1007 The Little Cormorant ... 1008 The Indian Snake Bird .. SCIENTIFIC NAME. Larus hemprichi, Bp. „ gelastes, Licht. Sterna caspia, Pall. „ anglica, Mont. Hydrochelidon hybrida, Pall. Sterna seena, Sykes „ melanogastra, Tern. „ albigena, Licht. „ saundersi, Hume ... „ bergii, Licht. „ media, Horsf. „ cantiana, Gm. ... „ anaetheta, Scop. „ fuliginosa, Gm. Anous stolidus, Lin. Rhynchops albicollis, Sivs.... Phaeton indicus, Hume Sula cyanops, Sund. Pelecanus javanicus, Horsf. „ philippensis, Gm. „ crispus, Bruch.... Phalacrocorax carbo, Lin. ... „ fuscicollis, Steph. ... fi pygma3us, Pall. ... Plotus melanogaster, Pen. ... APPENDIX. — List of birds collected or observed Kbaodesh by J. Davidson... m Page. 426 426 428 428 427 429 429 430 430 431 432 432 433 433 433 434 434 436 437 438 436 438 439 439 440 442 INDEX TO THE ABBREVIATIONS OF THE NAMES OF AUTHORITIES CITED. And. J. V. Andouin. Sanies. Sir Joseph Banks. Bechst. J. M. Bechstein. B. Ham. Fr. Ham. Buchanan-Hamilton Sly. Edward Blyth. Bodd. M. Boddaert. Boie. H. Boie. Bonn. L'Abbe Bonnaterre, Bosc. L. A, Q. Bosc. Bp. Prince Charles Lucian Bona- parte. Briss. Brisson. Brooks. "William Edwin Brooks. Bruch, Bruch. Cab. Dr. Jean Cabanis. Cas. John Cassin. Cuv. George L. C. F. D. Cuvier. Baud. W. M. Daudin. Deless. Adolphe Delessert. Deaf. R. L. Desfontainea. Dum. A. M. C. Dumeril. Ehr. C. G. Ehrenburg. Eversm. Dr. Edouard Eversman. Fleisch. E. G. Fleischer. For st. John Reinhold Forster. FranU, James Franklin, Geor. J. G. Georgi. Gerv. Paul Gervais. Gm. Jo. Fred. Gmelin, Gm. S, G. S. G. Gmelin, Gould. John Gould, Gr. G. R. George Kobert Gray. Gr. J. E. John Edward Gray. G. St. Hill, Isodore Geoffrey St. Hillaire. Giild. Ant. J. Giildenstadt. Gurn. J. H. Gurney. Hardw, General Hardwicke. Hass. Van Hasselfc. Hay, Lord Arthur Hay. After- wards Lord W~alden and later Marquess of Tweed- dale. Heden. Hedeoborg. Hem. F. G. Hemprichi. Herm. J. Hermann. Hodgs. Brian H. Hodgson. Hors. Dr. Thomas Horsfield. Hume. Allan Oscar Hume. III. C. Illiger. Jard. Sir William Jardine. Jerd. Dr. T. C. Jerdon. Eaup, J. J. Kaup. Kuhl. Heinrich Kuhl, Lace. B. G. Lacepede. Lafr. Raron Frederic de Lafresnnye Lath. John Latham. Leach. William Elford Leach. Leisl. J. P. A. Leisler. Less. Rene Primevere Lesson. Licht. Heinrich Lichtenstein. Lin. Carl v. Linne. Main. Alfred Mulherbe. Harm. Alb. de la Marmoree. Marsh. Capt G. F. L. Marshall, R. E. Menetr. Ed. Men^tries. Mey. Bern. Meyer. Mont. George Montagu. Mull., P. L. S.Ph. L. Sfc. Muller. MM.. 8. S. Muller. Pall. P. S. Pallas. Payk. Gust. Paykull. Pears, Dr. J. T. Pearson. Penn. Thomas Pennant, Eadde. Professor Gustav Radde. Raffi. Sir Thomas Stamford Rafflea. Reich- H. G. L. Reichenbach. Retnh. Professor J. Reinhardt. Reinw. Reinwardt. Rupp. Dr. Edward Riippell. Sav. J. Ces. Savigny. Savi. P. Savi. Schl. Dr, Herman Schlegel. Scop. J. Ant. Scopoli. Selb. Prideaux John Selby. Sharpe. Robert Bowdler Sharpe. Shaw. G. Shaw. Sparr. Anders Sparrmau. Stanl. Edward Stanley. titeph. James Francis Stephens. Stol. Dr. Ferdinand Stoliczka. Storr. C. T. Storr. Strickl. H. E. Strickland. Sund. Carl. J. Sundevall. Stvinh. Robert Swinhoe, Sws. William Swainson. Sykes. Col. W. H. Sykes. Tern. C. J. Temminck. Tick. Col. S. R. Tickell. Tunst. Tunstalt. Vahl. Mart. Vahl. Valenc. A. Valenciennes. Vieill. L- P. Vieillot. Viff. N. A. Vigors. Waql, Dr Joannes Wagler. Wa'ld. Viscount Walden, Earlier Lord Arthur Hay ; later Marquess of Tweeddale. LIST OF REFERENCES. THE BIRDS OP INDIA, by T. C. Jerdon. STRAY FEATHERS, \7ols. I to X, edited by A. 0. Hume. GAME BIRDS OF INDIA, BURMAH AND CEYLON, by Messrs. Hume and Marshall. MY SCRAP BOOK, by Allan 0. Hume. THE VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY OF SIND, by J. A. Murray, Curator, Frere Hall Museum, Karachi. NESTS AND EGGS OF INDIAN BIRDS, by A. 0. Hume. BIRDS NESTING IN INDIA, by Capt. G. F. L. Marshall, R. E. IBIS, 1885, edited by Messrs. Sclater and Saunders. F.E.K. WEDDERBUHN. 29 MAY. 8 J HANDBOOK TO THE BIRDS OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY. INTRODUCTION. THE Animal Kingdom consists of five divis>ous>,the first cf which, the Vertebrates, falls naturally into four classes : — ' I. — MAMMALIA. ;>•*,,,., II. — AVES. III. — REPTILIA. IV. — PISCES. The second of these only comes within the scope of this work ; it has been divided into the following orders :— I. — RAPTORES. II. — INSESSORES. III. — GEMITORES. IV. — RASORES. V. — GRALLATORES. VI. — NATATORES. This arrangement is considered by many to be far from perfect, but it is the system adopted by Jerdon in his Birds of India, in accordance with which nearly every collection in India is arranged, and it has at least the merit of being simple and easily understood. ORDER, Raptores. Bill strong, covered at the base with a cere or naked membrane, strongly hooked at the tip; nostrils open ; legs strong and muscu- lar ; toes four, three in front and one behind, on the same plane, more or less rough beneath, and with strong, generally well- curved, and sharp claws. FAMILY, Vulturidse. Bill rather long, compressed, straight at the culmen, curved towards the tip, upper mandible never toothed, sometimes sinuate ; cere very large ; tarsus reticulated with small scales, somewhat short, stout, usually feathered at the knee, sometimes slightly elevated ; middle-toe long ; outer-toe joined to the 2 VULTURIN.E. middle one by a membrane ; hind-toe short ; claws rather blunt, strong, not much curved. SUB-FAMILY, Vulturinae. Bill large, thick, strong, higher than broad, hooked only at the tip ; cere large ; nostrils naked, transverse ; head and upper part of neck naked, or covered only with down; wings long, first quill short, third and fourth quills sub-equal, fourth longest ; tail moderate or rather short, with twelve or fourteen tail feathers ; tarsus reticulated, with some large scutse near the claws. GENUS, Vultur, Lin. Tail with twelve feathers ; bill rather short, strong, deep, curving from the end of cere ; nostrils round or oval ; tarsus feathered from more than half its length ; claws strong, rather -'acute.', / r :-/r \ ; The neck ; raff advances upwards towards the hinder part of ;l*sad; and-, there is a transverse occipital crest of down ; otherwise -as ra the characters of the sub-family. Vultur monachus, Lint 1. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 6 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 441 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 62 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 53 ; Hume's Scrap Book, p. 1. THE CINEREOUS VULTURE. * Length, 42 to 45 ; expanse, 96 to 118 ; wing, 29'5 to 32 ; tail, 13 to 16 ; tarsus, 4'8 to 5'5 ; bill from gape, 3'6 to 4. Bill horny, dusky black at tip, paler at base of upper mandible ; cere pale-mauve ; naked part of neck delicate bluish-white, occasionally shaded pink ; irides brown ; legs creamy-white. The whole body, including the wings, is a rich, very dark, chocolate-brown, beneath darker ; quills and tail nearly black ; ruff conspicuous, dense, feathers lengthened and lanceolate, rather lighter in color than the back ; lores, cheeks, chin, throat, and crown covered with dark-brown fur-like feathers, sparse below but dense and soft on the upper parts of the head. This fine Vulture is comparatively rare ; it has not as yet been recorded from the Deccan or South Mahratta country. Butler only observed a single specimen in Guzerat, Murray states it to be a winter visitant to Sind, and Jerdon notes its occurrence in Central India, where I have myself occasionally met with it. Of its nidification in this country nothing appears to be known, GENUS, Otogyps, Gray. Head and neck bare, sides of neck with a wattle of skin ; bill * All dimensions are in English inches, VULTURIN^E. 3 very thick and strong ; crown of the head flat ; cranium very large, otherwise as in Vultur. Otogyps calvus, Scop. 2, — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 7 ; Butler, Guzerat; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 441 ; Deccan and South Mahratta country ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 369 ; Murray's Verte- brate Zoology of Sind, p. 62 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 53; Hume's Scrap Book, p. 8. THE INDIAN KING VULTURE, Lai Siri Gidh, Hin. Length, 30 to 33 ; expanse, SO to 88 ; wing, 22'5 to 24 ; tail, 9-8 to 11 ; tarsus, 43 to 4*6 ; bill from gape, 2'6 to 3. Bill black; cere naked; head and neck deep yellowish-red, more or less spotted with black ; irides red-brown ; legs dull-red. Dark brown-black, lighter on lower back and rump, brownish on scapulars and some of the secondaries ; quills black ; tail black, shaded with brown ; crop-patch black, a zone of white downy feathers across the breast ; beneath deep-black ; inner side of thigh bare, with a patch of white above the joint. The Indian King Vulture, or, as Jerdon prefers to call it, the Black Vulture, has been recorded from all parts of the region. It is not uncommon as a rule, but only occurs singly or in pairs, rarely more than two being seen together. It is of a very pugnacious disposition, and admits of no companionship, more especially when feeding. I have often seen a score or more of Gyps fulvescens, or other Vulture, patiently waiting until his kingship had gorged himself on a dead cow or other carcass before they dared approach. It is, I believe, a permanent resident, breeding wherever found. Jerdon states that " it is said to breed usually on inaccessible cliffs." Murray also states that " it is said to do so in Sind." This is contrary to my experience, and it may perhaps be noticed that neither of them speak from their own personal knowledge. I found a nest near Deesa in February ; it was a large, compact, cup-shaped structure, composed of twigs, placed in a thick thorny ber-bush, about ten feet from the ground. Later I found two others in similar situations. The locality where I found these nests was a rather extensive plain, studded with ber-bushes, with occasional high trees dotted here and there, and on one side was a range of hills, offering splendid sites to a cliff building bird, which however they did not avail themselves of. In Central India I have found the nests on lofty trees. The egg — there is only one — is pale greenish-white when first laid, but after a time, as incubation proceeds, it becomes more or less stained by the droppings of the parent birds. The texture is moderately fine ; the egg lining is green. They vary from a long oval shape to one nearly spherical, but generally speaking they are broad ovals. They average 3'4 inches in length by 2 '6 in breadth. 4 VULTURIN^:. GENUS, Gyps, Sav. Tail with twelve or fourteen feathers ; bill more lengthened than in Vultur ; culmec more gradually curving, much rounded and compressed beyond the cere ; nostrils oblong, oblique, or transverse ; head and neck clothed with soft down ; the bottom of the neck with a ruff of lengthened feathers. Gyps fulvescens, Hume. 3 bis.— Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 442 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 63 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 53 ; Hume's Scrap Book, p. 19. THE BAY VULTURE. Length, 41 to 47 ; expanse, 94 to 106 ; wing, 27 to 29'5 ; tail (of 14 feathers), 12 to 13'5 ; tarsus, 3*88 to 4'2 ; bill from gape, 3 to 3'2 ; weight, 12 to 18 Ibs. The top of the head, cheeks, chin and throat are covered with dingy yellowish-white hair-like feathers, so closely set upon the top of the head, chin and throat, and with such an admixture of brown that the dark skin, which in the hill bird(6r. himalayensis) shows so plainly through the scant covering, is, in this species, completely hidden. The nape and the whole of the neck (except the back and side of the basal one-fifth or less, which are bare or nearly bare), are closely covered with dense, short, fur-like white or dingy yellowish-white down. The crop-patch is about the same color as in the hill bird, but somewhat more rufous, and the whole of the rest of the plumage is a far more rufous, and deeper fawn or buffy-brown than in 0. himalayensis. The lower plumage is in the adult of a rich rufous-brown, bay, or even dull- chesnut, conspicuously white shafted, whilst the mantle is a warm sandy-brown, unlike the coloring of any of our other Indian Vultures. The feathers of the ruff are almost linear, (the web not so much separated as in the hill bird; usually of a warm wood-brown or rufous-fawn, the feathers conspicuously paler centred. The upper back, the whole of the upper wing-coverts and all but the longest scapulars are a warm wood-brown, or brownish rufous-fawn, yellower and sandier, in some deeper and more of a bay color in others. The secondaries, tertials and longer scapulars, umber (but not dark-umber) brown ; the latter (viz. the longer scapulars) more or less tipped with the rufous or sandy color of the upper back, which color, in some specimens, more or less extends to the tips and outer webs of the tertiaries. Lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts the same color as the upper back, but of a considerably lighter tint, in some mingled with brown, and in some altogether of a pale pure bay. The primaries and tail-feathers are very dark brown ; in some not so dark as the corresponding feathers in G. himalayensis, but in others of an intense chocolate-brown. Lower parts a rich sandy VULTUKIN.E. 5 or rufous, or even a deep bay, (the tint varies in different stages of plumage) each feather conspicuously paler shafted, and most of them ( in the younger birds ) conspicuously, though narrowly, paler centred. — Hume, " Rough Notes." The Bay Vulture does not occur in the Deccan or South Mahratta country, but is not uncommon in Central India, Guzerat, and Sind. Of its nidification, little appears to be known : it is said to breed during January and February, building a large plat- form nest on lofty trees, and laying a single white egg, larger than either calvus or bengalensis, Gyps pallescens, Hume. 4 bis. — Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 442 ; Deccan and South Mahratta country ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 369 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 54. THE LONG-BILLED PALE-BROWN VULTURE. Length, 36 to 39 ; expanse, 85 to 90 ; wing, 23 to 25'5 ; tail from vent, 10 to 11 ; tarsus, 3'5 to 4 ; bill from gape, 2'65 to 2'95 ; weight, 11 to 14 Ibs. Bill and cere pale greenish, yellowish horny on culmen and blackish towards tips of mandibles ; bare skin of head and face dusky ashy-leaden ; irides brown ; legs and feet dingy ashy-leaden ; margins of scales whitish ; claws creamy-horny. In the perfect adult brownish-white hair-like feathers are thinly sprinkled over the head, nape, cheeks, and throat ; the upper half of the back and sides of the neck are perfectly bare ; the crop-patch is closely covered with silky tight-fitting, dark hair-brown feathers ; the whole of the rest of the lower surface is a pale whity-brown, becoming almost a pure white towards the vent and lower tail-coverts ; the ruff is full, soft, and pure white, of very downy feathers, the webs much disintegrated ; the whole mantle is pale earthy -brown, the centres of the lesser, and all but the tips and margins of the larger scapulars being dark hair-brown! The lower back, rump and upper tail-coverts white, tinged with pale earthy brown, many of the feathers, however, especially of the longer tail-coverts, being brown at the base, but so broadly tip- ped and margined with the paler color that little of the brown shows ; the primaries and tail-feathers are deep chocolate-brown ; the secondaries and tertiaries hair-brown, more or less suffused on their outer webs with pale dingy earthy or fulvous-brown. A quite young bird has the top and back of the head, and upper part of the back of the neck, thickly covered with white down ; the rest of the head and neck, as in the adult ; the crop-patch much lighter than in the adult, is covered with pale, dove-colored brown feathers ; the rest of the lower surface is pale brown, becoming albescent towards the vent, each feather broadly centred ( most conspicuously so on the sides and breast), with dingy white ; the ruff, of long, linear lanceolate feathers, is a 6 VULTURIN.E, very pale fulvous-white, faintly margined with brown ; the mantfe a somewhat pale hair-brown, every feather narrowly, but con- spicuously, centred with fulvous- white ; the quill-feathers and tail-feathers chocolate-brown, darkest on the primaries and rec- trices ; the lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts are nearly pure white, only a few of the longest being tinged with brown. In an intermediate stage the crop-patch is intermediate in color between that of th'e adult and of the young, as is also the color and character of the ruff, and indeed of the whole plumage. This bird differs at all ages' from bengalensis in having fourteen instead of twelve rectrices. — Hume, " Hough Notes." With the exception of Sind, this Vulture is common through- out the Presidency. It breeds on cliffs during December and January ; the egg is usually very pale greenish-white, but is occasionally spotted and blotched with pale-reddish or faint purplish-brown. They average 3'61 in length by 272 in breadth. GENUS, Pseudogyps, Sharpe. Tarsus shorter than middle toe ; tail of twelve feathers. Pseudogyps bengalensis, Gm. 5. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 10; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 442 ; Deccan and South Mahratta country ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 369 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 63 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 54 ; Hume's Scrap Book, p, 26. THE WHITE-BACKED VULTURE, Gidh, Hin. Length, 33 to 37 ; expanse, 83 to 88 ; wing, 22 to 24 ; tail, 9 to 11 ; tarsus, 3'5 to 3*9; bill from gape, 2'65 to 2'9 : weight, 9 to 13 Ibs. Bill horny, dusky on cere; irides red-brown; legs dusky- black. Adult : above cinereous-black ; back and rump white, beneath dark -brown ; the feathers centred lighter ; the short feathers of the crop deep-brown ; ruff whitish, the feathers short and downy ; head and neck nearly bare, with a few scattered hair-like feathers. The young is paler, with the head and neck more or less clothed with whitish down; bill and cere horny-black; legs black; irides brown. The White-backed is the commonest Vulture we have ; it occurs in great numbers all over the country ; they breed during December, January, and February, choosing lofty trees in the neighbourhood of villages, in the tops of which they make huge platform nests, sometimes as many as twelve or fourteen in a single tree. Jerdon says : " It breeds by preference on rocky cliffs." I doubt this, as I have found the nests on trees, adjacent to cliffs, in every way suitable. I have never found more than a NEOPHRONIN^f 7 single egg, or a single nestling, in a nest ; this would seem con- clusive, but others state that they lay one or two eggs. The color of the egg is white, with a greenish tinge, and is generally much discolored ; they are often spotted and blotched, with various shades of reddish-brown. The texture is moderately fine, the shell thick and strong, and the lining a deep green. They vary much in size and shape, some being moderately long ovals, while others are nearly spherical. They average 3'26 inches in length by 2'42 in breadth. SUB-FAMILY, Neophroninae. Bill lengthened, slender, straight, hooked suddenly at the tip ; cere very long, occupying nearly two-thirds of the whole bill ; nostrils longitudinal, nearly in the middle of the bill ; part of the head and face naked ; neck with acuminated feathers ; wings ample, pointed, the third quill longest ; tail moderate, wedge- shaped, of twelve or fourteen feathers ; legs moderate, toes much united at base by membrane. GENUS, Neophron, Sav. The characters are the same as those of the sub-family. Neophron ginginianus, Lath. 6. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Yol. I, p. 12 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 442 ; Deccan and South Mahratta country ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 369 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 64 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 54 ; Hume's Scrap Book, p. 31. THE WHITE SCAVENGER VULTURE. Length, 26 to 29 ; wing, 19 ; tail, 9 to 10 ; tarsus, 3 ; bill from gape, 2-5. Bill horny -brown ; cere and face turmeric-yellow ; irides reddish- brown ; legs and feet yellowish- white. Adult : yellowish or creamy-white ; quills black ; neck feathers long, lanceolate, and tinged rusty ; secondaries dark brown, ashy- white at base. The young bird has the plumage dirty-brown, with the quills blackish-brown ; the back and rump albescent or tawny ; the inner edge of the secondaries and of some of the primaries cinereous ; the nude parts of head and cere greyish ; feet cine- reous. In an intermediate stage the birds are mottled-brown and white. The White Scavenger Vulture is another very common species, and is found throughout the whole district ; it breeds during March and April, generally on trees but occasionally on rocky 8 GYPAETIN.E. cliffs, old buildings and such like places. It makes a large nest of twigs, lined with old rags and rubbish ; straggling, if built on a cliff or a building — rather more compact if on a tree. In the latter situation, the nest is generally placed at the junction of a large limb with the trunk, but sometimes on a horizontal branch, very rarely in a fork. The eggs, two in number, are very handsome ; they are somewhat chalky in texture, greyish- white in color, richly blotched and clouded with deep brownish- red. They vary much in shape, size and color. They average 2*6 inches in length by T98 in breadth. SUB-FAMILY, Gypaetinae, Bonn $ Gray. Bill strong, lengthened, compressed, straight ; upper man- dible ascending in front of cere, then curved, with the tip much hooked ; nostrils oval, vertical, covered with dense rigid recumbent bristles ; lower mandible with a beard, or tuft of rigid setaceous bristles directed forward ; head closely feathered ; wings very long, the first quill rather shorter than the second, the third longest ; feet short, stout ; the tarsus hirsute to the toes ; the thigh-coverts lengthened ; the three front toes slightly united by membrane, middle-toe very long, hind-toe short ; claws strong, moderately curved ; tail cuneate, long, GENUS, Qypaetus, Storr. The characters are the same as those of the sub-family. Gypaetus barbatus, Lin. 7. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 12 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 64 ; Hume's Scrap Book, p. 35. THE LAMMERGEYEE. Length, 44 to 49 ; expanse, 99 to 110 ; wing, 30 to 34 ; tail, 21 to 25 ; tarsus, 3'9 to 47 ; bill from gape, 4 to 47. Bill bluish-horny, dusky at tip ; irides pale-orange or straw color; sclerotic membrane blood-red; feet plumbeous; claws black. Head whitish with dark stripes, tinged rufous ; cheek-stripe and supercilium black ; feathers of the nape lengthened, creamy- white, tinged wiih bright tawny; upper parts black; the back and rump paler, with white shafts, and the coverts with white streaks; greater-coverts, wing and tail ashy-black, with darker edges and white shafts to the feathers ; beneath dull orange or ferruginous, with a more or less marked black pectoral collar (not always present ), paling below the breast, and becom- ing albescent or nearly white on the lower belly and under tail-coverts. The Lammergeyer or Bearded Vulture only occurs in the northern parts of Sind. FALCONING. 9 FAMILY, Falconidse. Bill usually short and compressed, tip elongated, curved, and sharp ; margin of upper mandible toothed or festooned ; wings more or less pointed ; tail various, generally rather long ; leers and feet strong ; tarsus bare, or feathered ; toes generally un- equal, with the claws lon besides the subterminal one which is not wider than the others. A little later a buffy fawn-colored tinge spreads over the whole head and sides of the neck, a few of the feathers of the breast get a faint tinge of the same color, and these exhibit a linear shaft 3 34 AQUILINE. stripe ; on the abdomen many of the feathers get a fawn-colored spot towards their tip, and a tint of the same color pervades portions of the vent-feathers and lower tail-coverts. " Later, again, the whole head, nape, and sides of neck become a warm fawn brown, all the feathers now showing narrow, blackish shaft stripes. The lower parts are still chiefly white, but almost all the feathers of the breast and abdomen have a more or less triangular brownish, fawn-colored spot at the tip, and show a tendency to a dark shaft stripe ; and in some birds at this time several of the feathers of the lower throat have conspicuous narrow black shaft-stripes. " The sides become fawn-brown, though the feathers still are mottled white at the bases and the shafts are darker ; the thighs, vent-feathers, and lower tail-coverts are now a warm, but brown- ish fawn color, somewhat irregularly barred with white ; the tail has now only four bands besides the subterminal one, which has become conspicuously broader. (Sometimes the young bird, before exhibiting any black streaks on the side of the neck or on the throat, become nearly uniform warm fawn color on the entire lower surface, and even retains this plumage until it has acquired the adult tail.) " Then (to return to the normal stage of progression) the black striping of the head, back, and sides of the neck, becomes more conspicuous ; a black central throat stripe begins to be indicated, the warm fawny tint of thighs and vent becomes re- placed by a wood- brown, the black shaft stripes of the breast become more oval, and the tail begins to approach the normal type with only three transverse bars besides the subterminal one. " Gradually the brown of the vent and flanks creeps up to the lower breast ; the breast spots grow larger and larger, and ulti- mately the white margins of the feathers almost wholly assume the brown tint of the abdomen. The entire white chin and throat have the feathers so broadly striped, centrally, with black, that only just enough white peeps through to give indications of separation between a black throat stripe, and two broad black moustachial stripes. " The brown of the head and sides of the neck, though still warm, has lost the fawny tinge of the younger stages, and the black centres of the feathers have greatly increased in size. " The tail has a very broad terminal band, of say T8 and inter space of 2, and three other bands each about an inch broad. The crest, quite black and untipped, grows to a great length. While these changes have been going on the whole upper plumage has been growing darker. " As to the white tipping to the crest this is very irregular, the youngest birds and the oldest generally want it ; birds of inter- mediate stages generally have it." The Crested Hawk Eagle is confined to the hilly tracts of the AQUILINE. 35 Deccan, where it is not uncommon ; it is more plentiful at Ratna- giri. It is a permanent resident, but nothing certain is known in regard to its nidification. It has been observed at and near Aboo, but has not yet been recorded from Sind. Limnaetus kienerii, Oerv. 37. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 74 ; Hume's Scrap Book, p, 216. THE RUFOUS-BELLIED HAWK EAGLE. Length, 22 to 29; expanse, 50; wing, 15 to 17'5 ; tail, 10 to 12'5 ; bill from gape, 1'5 ; tarsus, 3. Bill leaden-blue ; cere yellow ; irides brown ; feet yellow ; claws black. " The whole of the top and sides of the head, including the lores, cheeks, and ear-coverts, the back and sides of the neck, the back, scapulars, rump, and upper tail-coverts, and lesser and median wing-coverts, a nearly uniform blackish brown ; the feathers all with more or less of metallic reflections, some green- ish, some purplish ; in some lights the whole of these parts appear to be almost, if not quite, black. The tail-feathers are a dark chocolate brown ; the central ones, with two or three faint irregular paler patches, traces of where bars may have been ; the lateral ones, with broad, but faint and irregular, paler and mottled transverse bars. The under surface of the tail-feathers, a sort of silver-grey ; the shafts white, a broad ill-defined dusky terminal patch, and in all, but the exterior feathers, four or five somewhat narrow transverse dusky bars above this ; the quills are of two colors, the one set which appear to be older, dingy hair-brown ; the others, almost blackish-brown, with faint green or purple reflections. The inner webs in all are paler, except quite at the tips ; and above these, there are dim transverse darker bars. The first five quills are conspicuously notched on the inner web, and the second to the fifth are emarginate on the outer web. The chin, throat, and breast are white ; the feathers tinged towards the tips with pale rufous, and most of them with narrow, blackish-brown lanceolate shaft stripes. The whole of the wing-lining, (except the lower greater primary-coverts), axillaries, sides, flanks, abdomen, tarsal and tibial plumes, vent and lower tail-coverts, bright ferruginous ; most of the feathers dark shafted, and many of those of the wing-lining, abdomen and sides with a conspicuous narrow, black, shaft stripe, and a few of the feathers just above the base of the tibia, very broadly tipped with blackish-brown, forming a very conspicuous patch." — Humes Stray Feathers, Vol. I, p. 311. Jerdon remarks in his Birds of India, that " this beautiful Hawk Eagle has been found in Central India, and in the Hima- layas, but appears very rare. No other observer appears to have met with it within the district. 36 AQUILINE. GENUS, Circaetus, Vieillot. Bill rather short, gently curving from the base, much hooked at the tip ; culmen rounded, compressed at the sides ; commissure nearly straight ; nostrils oval, oblique ; wings long, the third quill longest, or second and third sub-equal, fourth nearly as long, the first three quills emarginate ; tail long, nearly even ; tarsi long, plumed below the heel, clad with small, hexagonal scales; feet small ; toes short, scutellate at the base of the claws ; the lateral toes about equal ; claws tolerably curved, rather short, of nearly equal length. Circaetus gallicus, Gm. 38,— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 76 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 446 ; Deccan, &c., Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 373; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 79; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis> 1885, p. 57 ; Hume's Scrap Book, p. 217. THE COMMON SERPENT EAGLK Jean le Blanc. Sampmar, Hin. <$. Length, 2575; expanse, 70; tail, 1175; wing, 20'8 ; tarsus, 37. $ . Length, 29 ; expanse, 76 ; tail, 13'25 ; wing, 22. Bill pale greyish-blue at the base, blackish horny at the tips ; cere small, whitish, with a tinge of bluish-grey in places ; irides deep yellow ; legs dirty pale yellow ; claws black. Young : head and nape whitish ; the feathers brown streaked ; back and wings pale earthy-brown, lightest on the wing-coverts-; quills dusky-black ; tail pale ashy-brown, with darker bands, and the inner webs almost white ; beneath chin to breast fulvous, with narrow longitudinal brown streaks ; from the breast to the vent white, with a pale brown streak on the centre of each feather. The adult is darker brown above and on the head ; and the lower parts white ; the feathers all marked with brown stripes, or spots, tending to form a denser zone on the throat and breast. The head is large, full and puffy ; the feathers of the head and neck rounded, not lanceolate ; the wings reach to the end of the tail ; the inner edge of the centre claw is conspicuously dilated into a cutting edge. This Eagle is known by several trivial names, one of the best known being Jean-le-Blanc ; it was called the Common Serpent Eagle, by J~erdon, on account of its penchant for snakes, to which habit also it owes its Hindustani appellation ; it is also called the Short-toed Eagb. It is found throughout the region, frequenting open plains, but eschewing the more densely-wooded districts. It breeds during the first three months of the year ; the nest is generally built on trees, and is a large, loose, straggling structure, composed AQUILINE. 37 of sticks and twigs. The egg, there is only one, is a broadish oval, of a pale bluish-white color ; the egg lining is a peculiar bright sap-green. The size of an average egg is 3 inches by 2*35, GENUS, Spilornis, Gray. Bill straightish at the base ; wings short ; head crested ; other- wise as in circaetw& Spilornis cheela, Lath. 39.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 78 ; Butler, Deccan, &c. ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 373 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 80 ; Hume's Scrap Book, p. 222. THE CRESTED SERPENT EAGLE, 2bis. — Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 83; Hume's Scrap Book, p. 253. THE EUROPEAN WHITE-TAILED SEA EAGLE. c?. Length, 36 ; expanse, 72 ; wing 24 ; tail, 1T5 ; tarsus, 4. ?. Length, 40; expanse, 80 ; wing, 27'5 ; tail, 12 ; tarsus, 4'5. Male. — The cere and bill are pale yellow ; the irides bright yellow ; the tarsi and toes gamboge ; the claws black with a tinge of greyish-blue ; the plumage of the head, neck, forepart of the back and breast, with the upper wing-coverts greyish-yellow ; the feathers all greyish-brown at the base, of the other parts greyish-brown, edged with yellowish-grey ; the scapulars and feathers of the rump glossed with purple, those of the abdo- men, tibiae, and subcaudal region inclining to chocolate-brown ; the quills and alular feathers brownish-black, with a tinge of grey ; the inner secondaries inclining to greyish-brown ; the shafts of all white towards the base ; the lower surface of the quills and the larger coverts tinged with greyish-blue ; upper tail-coverts and the tail are white, (generally freckled with dusky grey at the base) ; the down on the breast is pale grey, that on the sides darker. Female. — The female does not differ from the male in color, and her superiority in size is often not remarkable. AQUILINE. 41 Young.— The bill is brownish-black ; the cere greenish-yellow ; the feet yellow ; the claws black ; the bases of all the feathers are brownish- white ; their middle parts light reddish-brown ; their tips only blackish-brown ; the head and nape are dark brown ; each feather with a minute brownish-white spot on the tip ; on the middle of the back and on the wings light reddish-brown is the prevalent color ; the black tips of comparatively small extent ; on the third part of the back there is much white, that color ex- tending further from the base ; the quills and larger wing-coverts are blackish-brown, with a tinge of grey ; the tail feathers brown- ish-white in the centre, black towards the margins, with irregular white dots ; the lower parts are of the same color as the back, or are pale reddish-brown, marked with longitudinal streaks and spots of dark brown ; the lower wing-coverts brown ; the tail- coverts white, with light-brown tips. Progress towards Maturity. — In the second year the young exhibits little difference, being, however, of a darker tint on the back and wings. An individual at this age has the bill brownish- black, tinged with blue ; its base and the cere greenish -yellow ; the iris hazel-brown ; the feet gamboge ; the claws brownish-black ; the head and nape are dark brown ; the base of all the feathers, on the upper parts, is white ; on the hind-neck and foreparts of the back that color, tinged with yellowish-brown, prevails, a lanceolate or obovate deep brown spot, being on each feather towards the end ; on the middle of the back the brown prevails, on the hind part white, and the rump and upper tail-coverts are light brown, tipped darker ; the scapulars are dark brown with a purplish tinge ; the wing-coverts dark brown at the end, but most of the larger pale brown in the greater part of their extent ; the quills black, with a purplish-grey tinge, the secondaries gradually becoming more brown, and all faintly variegated with light grey and brown on the inner webs ; the tail is brownish-black, with a tinge of grey, and more or less finely mottled with whitish ; the lower parts may be described as brownish-white, longitudinally streaked with dark brown, there being a lanceolate patch of the latter on each feather ; the lower wing-coverts and feathers of the legs dark brown ; the lower surface of the quills bluish-grey ; the lower tail-coverts white, tipped with brown ; the down on the breast pure white. Remarks. — In this species the bill and iris change from dusky-brown to pale yellow, and the plumage, at first white at the base, and dark brown at the end, gradually loses its white, while the dark parts become paler and more extended, the final coloring being more uniform. The tail forms no exception, for its basal white also diminishes but the white, which is gradually substituted for the brownish- black, spreads from near the end to the base. — Macgillivray. The European White-tailed Sea Eagle occurs along the banks of the Indus ; they are mostly immature specimens, 42 BUTEONINJE. Haliaetus leucogaster, Gm. 43. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 84 ; Butler, Deccan and South Mahratta Country ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 373 ; Hume's Scrap Book, p. 259. THE GREY-BACKED SEA EAGLE. Female. — Length, 30 ; expanse, 84 ; tail, 11 '5 ; wing, 23 ; tarsus, 4 ; bill from gape, 2'65. Male. — Length, 2675 ; expanse. 74 ; tail, 9 "8 ; wing, 21 ; tarsus, 4 ; bill from gape, 2 '4. Bill, upper mandible pale leaden-brown, bluish at junction with cere ; lower mandible pale blue, brownish at tip ; irides brown ; cere and gape pale leaden color ; legs and feet white, tinged more or less greenish-brown. Adult : head, neck and entire under parts pure white ; mantle ancT wing pale blue-grey ; quills and tail cinereous black, the latter Broadly tipped with white. The young bird has the mantle and wing-coverts brown, the white parts fulvous-white, tinged with rusty-brown, and dusky, especially on the head, breast and middle of the abdomen ; and the tail is dark with spots and speckles. Wings reach beyond the end of the tail, which is much rounded or somewhat wedge-shaped. Its talons have trenchant inner edges, and the feet are rough beneath. The Grey-backed Sea Eagle is not uncommon on the Sea-coast. A large colony frequents and breeds upon Pigeon Island. They appear to subsist chiefly upon sea snakes, as the ground beneath their nests ( which are generally built upon high trees) is strewed with their bones. It is also called the White-bellied Sea-Eagle. SUB-FAMILY, Buteoninae. Bill small or moderate, rather weak ; wings long or moderate ; tail short, or moderately long in a few; tarsi rather long, with scuta3 both in front and behind; feet short ; hind-toe short. GENUS, Buteo, Cuvier. Bill short, sloping from the base, tip hooked, margin of the upper mandible very slightly festooned ; nostrils large, oval, trans- verse ; gape, wide ; lores clothed with hair-like feathers ; wings long, with the third and fourth quills sub-equal and longest, fifth quill nearly as long ; the inner web of the first four quills strongly notched ; tail moderate, or short, even or rounded ; tarsi rather long, feathered on the upper third or further ; tarsal scales broad, transverse ; toes with four or five large scales at their extremity only ; lateral toes very unequal ; all toes short. Buteo ferox, S. G. Gmelin. 4*5.~-Buteo canescens, Hodgs.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, BUTEONIN^E. 43 p, 88 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 447 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 374 ; Murray's Verte- brate Zoology of Sind, p. 85 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 57 ; Hume's Scrap Book, p. 274. THE LONG-LEGGED BUZZARD. Chuhamar, Hin. webs ; lower surface of the tail exterior feathers nearly uniform pale fawn, with only an indistinct trace of three ill-defined bars ; the four next feathers umber- brown, with fulvous-white tips, and two well marked, fulvous- white, broad bars ; the two centre feathers with scarcely a trace of paler tipping, and with three narrower greyish bars. The Pale Harrier is a very common cold weather visitant to all parts of the district ; it arrives in October, and leaves about the end of March, and does not therefore breed anywhere within our limits. Circus cineraceus, Mont. 52.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 97 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 374 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p 88 ; Circus pygargus, Lin. ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 57 ; Hume's Scrap Book, p. 303. MONTAGUE'S HARRIER. c?. Length, 16'5 to 17 7 ; expanse, 40 to 43'5 ; wing, 14'5 to 15'3 ; tail, 9'3 to 10-2; tarsus, 217 to 2'35 ; bill from gape, 1 to 112. 50 BUTEONINJ2. ?. Length, 18-6 to 19'5 ; expanse, 41'8 to 439; wing, 15 to 16 ; tail, 9'87 to 10'5 ; tarsus, 2'28 to 2'46 ; bill from gape, 1 07 to 1-2. Male : above throat and breast darkish blue-grey, darkest on the back ; the first six quills black, the next one lighter, changing to grey ; secondaries grey, with a black bar ; tail grey, the outer two feathers barred on their inner webs with bright rufous, the other three with dusky ; belly, vent, under tail-coverts, and under wing-coverts white, with bold dashes of rich chestnut or reddish- brown. The female chiefly differs from the female of the last in color, by the lower parts being whiter, and the streaks much larger, and more rufous-brown. Such is Jerdon's description. To this I add Mr. Hume's description, which is much more detailed and is taken from his " Scrap Book" Description. — Legs and feet yellow ; claws black ; irides bright yellow in the adult, sometimes brownish-yellow in the female, almost white in one young one examined ; bill black, dusky in the young ; cere greenish-yellow, yellower in the young. Plumage, Adult Male. — The whole head, chin, threat, neck all round, breast, back, scapulars, wings, (except the first seven primaries which are blackish) , and central tail-feathers grey, of different shades ; the neck, cheeks, and ear-coverts bluish ; crown of the head and occiput (below which there is a white mottled nape-patch, owing to the white bases of the feathers showing through), here and there tinged with rufous brown ; the scapulars infuscated and brownish; the back darker and more ashy, and the wings and centre tail-feathers more silvery ; the secondaries have a broad, blackish, transverse band across both webs, forming a conspicuous wing-band (not unlike that of the common pigeon 0. intermedia), and with traces of another, or in some specimens, two other bands on the inner webs ; the central tail-feathers unbarred, the laterals with four very broad, transverse, dark bars on the inner webs, and traces of the same on the outer webs of some of the feathers, the grey fading as the feathers recede from the central ones, and to pure white on the exterior ones, and the dark brown bands changing gradually •to dull chesnut on the latter ; a broad circle round the eye whitish ; the lower parts from the breast downwards, and the whole wing-lining (except a few of the longer lower-coverts, which are ashy-grey with large white spots), pure white ; the feathers of the abdomen with narrow, rather pale chesnut central streaks ; there are lanceolate chesnut dashes in the wing-lining ; the axil- laries are broadly and irregularly barred with blotches, and lower tail and thigh-coverts have the shafts of the same color, a few faint streaks of which are also generally to be seen mingling with the blue-grey of the breast. Adult Female. — Forehead, and a band round the eye, slightly BUTEONIN.E. 51 rufous-white ; crown and occiput rufous-brown, streaked with dark hair-brown ; a streak from the base of the lower mandible, widening so as to involve the whole ear-coverts, darkish brown, in some very dark ; some of the feathers, commonly, very narrowly margined rufous ; back, wings, scapulars, and central tail-feathers dark umber-brown ; the quills and central tail-feathers darkest ; the lateral tail-feathers paling as they recede from the central ones, which are unbarred, with four or five broad transverse, lighter and generally more rufous-brown bars, often more or less obsolete on the outer webs ; the whole of the lower parts are light rufous-buff, with narrow, deeper rufous, shaft stripes ; rump and upper tail-coverts mingled white, rufous-buff, and reddish-brown. " Young 'male of the second year killed while undergoing his second moult." The top of the head, and the feathers round the cheeks, a mixture of brown and rufous ; ear-coverts grey ; occiput varied with white ; the nape, back, scapulars, tertials, and upper tail- coverts lead-grey ; upper surface of all the tail-feathers, except the two in the middle, barred with shades of brown and rufous ; middle tail-feathers, with the outer webs, uniform pearl-grey ; the inner webs with fine dark brown bands on a greyish ground ; wing primaries and secondaries blackish-brown ; greater wing- coverts dark browu ; lesser wing-coverts lighter brown, varied with rufous and two or three grey feathers; chin, and front of neck, pearl-grey ; breast, belly, thighs, and under tail-coverts white, with a longitudinal rufous stripe on the centre of each feather ; under surface of tail-feathers barred with greyish-white and brown ; legs, toes, and claws, as in the adult male. A young male of the year : a narrow frontal band, a line above, and a patch below and behind the eye, arid two broad patches on either side of the nape white, the feathers of the latter with brown shafts ; chin and throat whitish, bristles, at point of chin, black ; the top of the head rusty-rufous ; the feathers with more or less narrow, lanceolate or linear, dark brown shaft stripes ; ear-coverts and a line extending to them from the base of the lower mandible dark brown, the feathers mostly narrowly mar- gined with ferruginous ; wings, back, and scapulars rich brown of different shades, palest on the upper back ; rump, and lesser wing-coverts, more umber on the secondaries and longer scapu- lars, and greyer, except at the extreme tips, on the primaries ; all the quills, the primary greater-coverts, back, rump, and scapu- lars, narrowly but conspicuously margined at the tips with rufous buff, or faintly rufous-white ; the lesser and most of the median- coverts more broadly margined with brighter rufous. The first few primaries silvered on their outer webs towards their bases, and with three or more irregular, dark, transverse bars on the inner webs, (which are mostly brownish-white above the notches), and faint traces of these on the grey-brown, outer. 52 BUTEONINyE. webs, above the emarginations ; all the tail-feathers tipped with pale rufous, most broadly on the external feathers ; the central tail-feathers deep brown, with four broad, transverse, greyish- brown bars, greyer at the bases and broader towards the tips ; the lateral tail-feathers similar in character, but the grey-brown bars change, as the feathers recede from the central ones, to rufous-grey, rufous, and rufous-white ; and the deep brown inter- spaces change similarly to nearly pure cinnamon-rufous ; the upper tail-coverts are absolutely pure white in some, in others with very narrow, rufous-brown, shaft stripes. From the throat, the whole lower parts, including the wing-lining, are pure, pale cinna- mon-rufous ; some of the feathers of the sides of the breast, with linear, dark -brown shaft stripes, and all the feathers with the shafts slightly deeper colored than the webs. Montague's Harrier occurs throughout the Deccan, Rajpootana and Sind. I did not meet with it in Guzerat ; it is of course a seasonal visitant only. Circus melanoleucus, Forst. 53. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 98 ; Hume's Scrap Book, p. 307. THE PIED HARKIER. Length, 17 to 18; wing, 14; tail, 8 ; tarsus, 2'9 ; mid-toe and claw, 1*6. Bill and cere black ; irides yellow ; legs yellow. Whole head, neck, breast, back, upper scapulars, middle wing- coverts and primary quills black ; the greater-coverts and second- aries, and some of the scapulars, beneath the others, pale grey ; the lesser-coverts and shoulders partially white mixed with some grey ; upper tail-coverts mixed white and grey ; beneath from the breast pure white ; tail pure grey, unbarred, paling on the outer feathers. The wings reach nearly to the end of the tail. Sexes alike. Dr. Jerdon remarks that the Pied Harrier is rare in the Deccan and Central India, but common in Bengal. Circus seruginosus, Lin. 54. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 99 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 447 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 374 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 89 ; Swin- hoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 58 ; Hume's Scrap Book, p. 314. THE MARSH HARRIER. , ••• 25th October, 1877 25th March, 1878. Hyderabad, Sind 5th November, 1878 10th March, 1879. » » 8th November, 1880 5th April, 1881. Mhow ... 15th October, 1881 Poona 25th October, 1881 20th March, 1882. Neemuch ... 4th December, 1 883 9th April, 1884. ,, ... 5th October, 1884 31st March, 1885. Most of these nests were observed inside cantonment limits ; indeed, in the breeding season, there is scarcely a compound, containing a suitable tree, that is not tenanted by a pair of these birds ; in fact, they have a decided penchant for breeding in the vicinity of man. This, considering the persecution they receive at times, on account of the havoc they make in a brood of chickens, MILVINJ:. 57 is not a little to be wondered at. A pair of kites with their hungry brood are not desirable neighbours near a poultry yard. I am inclined to think that they have two broods in a year ; more especially as I notice in Poona that a nest in a neem tree in my garden was occupied twice in the same season, whether by the same birds or not I cannot say. The nests are more numerous in the months of November and February than at other times ; this also points to two broods in th^ year. The nests are clumsy structures, often of large size, built generally in a stout fork, or junction of the limbs, but occasion- ally on a horizontal bough of a tree. The eggs are usually two (rarely three) in number, broad oval in shape, greyish-white in color, boldly and handsomely blotched, streaked, and spotted bright red-bro?yn. They vary much in coloring. In size they average 2'2 inches in length by about 1'8 in breadth. Milvus melanotis, Tern fy ScU. 56fo's. — Milvus major, Hume. — Sind, Stray Feathers, Vol. I, p. 160 ; Butler, Bombay ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 375 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 91 ; Hmne's Scrap Book, p. 326. THE LARGE PARIAH KITE. Length, 2675, 2775 ; wing, 21, 21 '5 ; tail, 13'3, 1375 ; tarsus, 2'5, 2-4; bill at gape, 175, 178. Adult Female. — Bill and claws horny-black ; legs dull yellow ; toes mingled dingy-greenish and yellow. Plumage. — General plumage much as in the common kite. There appears to be a set controversy regarding the distinct- ness of this from M. govinda. I have never met with the bird myself, although I have constantly been on the look-out for it. Mr. Hume saw several specimens in the dhunds of Upper Sind, and obtained one in Bombay Harbour. GENUS, Pernis, Cuvier. Bill rather small, gently curving from the base, the tip very slightly hooked ; margin of the upper mandible almost straight, or very feebly simiated ; nostrils narrow, oblique ; the lores covered with small scale-like feathers ; wings moderate, fourth quill longest, the second to the sixth sinuate internally ; tail rather long, slightly rounded ; tarsi short, half plumed in front, covered with small reticulated scales ; toes with transverse scales, entire at the roots of the nails, elsewhere divided ; lateral toes about equal, free, or barely united to the mid-toe ; nails unequal, only moderately curved ; middle-claw dilated internally. Pernis ptilortiynchus, Tern. 57. — Pernis cristata, Cuv. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 108; Butler, Guzerat; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 448 • 58 MILVINJE. Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 375 ; Svvinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 58 ; Hume's Scrap Book, p. 330. THE HONEY BUZZARD. 3. Length, 24 to 25 -5 ; expanse, 49 to 54 ; wing, 15 '5 to 16 ; tail, 10'3 to 11 ; hill from gape, T4 to T45. 9. Length, 26 to 28; expanse, 55 to 57; wing, 1575 to 17*25 ; tail, 11'5 to 1275 ; bill from gape, 1'63 to 176. Young bird : brown above, the feathers more or less edged lighter ; head and neck usually paler, sometimes rufous-brown, at other times whitish, with central dark streaks, more or less developed ; beneath white, sometimes only faintly streaked, at times with large streaks, more rarely with large oval brown drops, and with or without a dark central chin-stripe, and two lateral ones. In some birds, especially those from Southern India, there is a .well marked occipital cresf; "of several graduated feathers, general- ly deep brown or almost black. In a further stage the brown above becomes darker and more uniform ; and the lower parts assume a pale rufous brown tinge, with the central streak more or less developed, according as it was in the young bird, and the incomplete tail bands are more clouded. The adult has the plumage above rich brown ; the head and lores generally, but not always, suffused with ashy-grey, arid the lower parts uniform darkish-brown, with the dark streak almost obliterated ; the tail is brownish-ashy, faintly clouded with dusky, and with two wide dark black bars, and a third, almost concealed by the upper tail-coverts ; the terminal bar is tipped white or greyish. The wings reach to about three inches from the end of the tail ; the gape is short, only reaching to the anterior part of the eye. In most birds in a transition state the feathers of the lower parts are banded brown and white, especially on the lower abdomen, thigh-coverts, &c., and some of these feathers are generally to be found at all ages. Mr. Hume, after giving very detailed descriptions in his " Scrap Book," adds : " Almost every possible combination of the varying plumage, and shades of color, of different parts, above described, may be met with." Jerdon omits giving the colors of the soft parts ; the omission has been well supplied by Mr. Hume, whom I now quote : — " The legs and feet, which are very full and puffy, vary from dingy yellowish-white in the young to bees wax-yellow in old adults ; scutellation well marked and reticulate (the plates somewhat concave, especially at back of tarsus), except about three or four transverse scutae at the tip of all the toes ; a mere trace of a connecting membrane between the central and out- ward toes at the base ; claws black, and except the mid-toe claw, MILVIN^E. 59 compressed ; hind-claw much curved, and mid-claw with the interior margin usually much dilated, especially towards the tip ; irides brilliant yellow, duller or slightly brownish in younger birds ; cere black, greenish at nostrils and towards commissure ; gape and two- thirds of the commissure from gape, and greater portion of lower mandible, pale blue ; greater portion of upper mandible and tip of lower black ; a small dingy-greenish patch on each side of the lower mandible towards the base ; tongue moderate, obtuse, entire, rather stiff and membraneous towards the tip (where it is slightly emarginate) and margins." With the exception of Sind, the Honey Buzzard is more or less common throughout the region ; it occurs more plentifully in well-wooded districts ; it is a permanent resident, and breeds during May and June. The nest is generally placed at some height in a fork of a tree, and is composed of twigs, lined with dead leaves ; the eggs, two in number, are very broad oval or nearly spherical in shape ; they are white, or buffy- white, in color, thickly clouded, blotched, or capped with deep reddish-brown or blood-red; they measure 2 inches in length, by about 17 inches in breadth. GENUS, Elanus, Savigny. Bill very small, wide at the base, compressed at the tip, which is much hooked and lengthened ; edge of upper mandible slightly sinuated ; cere short ; nostrils large, oval, longitudinal ; wings very long, pointed, second quill longest, the first emarginate near the tip ; tail short, almost even, or emarginate ; tarsi short, thick, weak, plumed above, covered with reticulated very small roundish scales beneath ; toes thick, soft, free, unequal ; outer toe shorter-than the inner one ; claws rather large, middle on< keeled, others rounded. Elanus cceruleus, Desf. 59. — Elanus melanopterus, Daud. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 112; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, L ,)W p. 449 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 375 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 92 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 58 ; Hume's Scrap Book, p. 338. THE BLACK-WINGED KITE. Length, 12 to 13 ; expanse, 34 to 35 ; wing, 10 to 1175 ; tail, 5'25 to 575 ; tarsus, 11 to T3 ; bill from gape, 0*95 to 115. Legs and feet bright yellow ; claws black ; bill black, cere and base of lower mandible yellow; irides bright crimson in the adult, yellowish-pink or bright yellow in the young. Plumage. — Adult : forehead a narrow streak above the dark supercilium ; the anterior portion of the lores, the chin, cheeks, ear-coverts, throat and whole lower parts, wing-lining, edge of the wing, and all but the central tail-feathers white ; the external webs of all, but the two exterior on each side of these, more or less 60 STRIGINJ:. faintly tinged grey ; posterior portion of lores, a narrow super- cilium, a small patch of coverts just at the origin of the primaries, nearly hidden by the winglet, (which is grey and not black, as Dr. Jerdon gives it), and the whole of the lesser-coverts, and the median, secondary, and tertiary coverts black ; the wing patch more or less glossy, with the browner bases of the feathers showing through, and usually with more or less of a greyish bloom most conspicuous over the forearm ; the rest of the upper plumage grey, (of very different shades in different individuals, but always darkest on the primaries, scapulars and interscapulary region) which varies from a full slate-grey to a pale almost pearl -grey. The Black-winged Kite is more or less common throughout the whole district ; it is a permanent resident, but I have been unable to ascertain anything in regard to its breeding, and the published accounts are at present misleading. FAMILY, Strigidse. Head large, densely feathered; eyes surrounded with a radiating circle of feathers, forming the facial disc, which is bounded in some by a ruff of close set feathers ; eyes large, directed forwards ; bill short, usually covered by recumbent setae ; ears large ; feet usually feathered to the toes ; outer-toe reversible, generally shorter than the inner one. SUB-FAMILY, Striginae. Head very large, disc complete, occupying the whole face ; ear- conch very large ; ears operculated ; wings long ; tail short ; tarsus long, more or less plumed ; toes reticulated, with one or two scutse at the root of the claws. GENUS, Strix, Linnceus. Bill rather long, straightish at base, curved at the tip, somewhat shallow and feeble, with large nasal fossae, and long lunated nostrils ; operculum somewhat tetragonal ; wings reaching beyond the tail, which is short, and nearly even, or slightly rounded ; second quill longest, first nearly equal to it, third only a little shorter ; tarsi long and slender, rather scantily feathered ; toes moderate, scutellate above, slender ; nails sub-equal, large, well curved, middle one pectinated ; outer-toe shorter than the inner, united to the middle one by a membrane, and reversible. Strix javanica, Gm. 60.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 117; Butler, Guzerat; Stray Feathers, Vol III, p. 449 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 375 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 101 ; Strix indica, Blyth ; Hume's Scrap Book, p. 342. THE INDIAN SCREECH OWL. Length, 13 to 15 ; expanse, 37 to 43 ; wing, 11 to 12 ; tail, 575 to 6'2 ; tarsus, 2'5 to 2'8 ; bill from gape, T5 to 175. SYRNIINyE. 61 Above, pale yellow-buff, beautifully mottled with light grey, each feather tipped with a white spot, edged darker ; quills and tail darker and somewhat fulvous, with distinct mottled bands and specks between them ; disc white, with a patch of rufous at the inner corner of the eye ; ruff yellow and brown ; all beneath, including the under wing-coverts, white in some, pale yellowish- buff in others ; the feathers of the breast and abdomen with small black specks and spots. The tarsus is feathered to the feet, but the feathers become very sparse and bristly towards the latter, and are little more than bristles at the foot ; the toes are fleshy or dirty white, or light- brown with a pinkish tinge, thinly covered on the whole upper surface with whitish bristles ; the claws horny -brown, tinged only with brown on the ridges ; bill slightly yellowish-white, faintly tinged with pinkish towards the cere, which is fleshy ; irides brown, sometimes almost black. The Indian Screech Owl occurs throughout the region, but is nowhere common, except perhaps in the Deccan. It is a permanent resident, and breeds from February to June, in holes of trees, rocks, and similar situations ; the eggs, three or four in number are less spherical than those of Owls usually are, measuring 175 inches in length by 1'3 in breadth ; they are white with a creamy tinge. SUB -FAMILY, Syrniinae. Head not so large as in the last family and the disc incomplete above ; no ear-tufts ; wings moderate, somewhat rounded ; the first four or five quills emarginate ; tarsus short, stout, well feathered ; mid- toe longer than the inner one ; claw dilated internally, as are the toes also partially ; tail slightly lengthened, and rounded or graduated. Strix Candida, Tick. 61. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 118; Hume's Scrap Book, p. 345. THE GRASS OWL. Length, 14 ; wing, 14 ; tail, 4'5 ; tarsus, 3'5. Bill horny ; irides very dark brown ; legs livid, above tawny yellow ; the feathers brown, yellowish at base and with a terminal white spot ; the quills fulvous-yellow, with distinct brown bars ; tail pale yellow, with four dark brown bars, the terminal one mottled at the ending ; disc fulvous-white, with a dark brown spot at the inner angle of the eye ; ruff dark fulvous ; beneath yellowish- white, with small brown specks ; tarsus and toes with a few scattered bristles, scarcely plumed at the knee ; the wings reach three inches beyond the tail ; the claws are blunter and less curved than in the last. Dr. Jerdon procured the Grass Owl in Central India, as did 62 SYRNIIN.E. also Colonel Tickell. Neither Colonel Svvinhoe or myself met with it there. GENUS, Syrnium, Savigny. The characters are the same as those of the sub-family. Syrnium indranee, SyJces. 63.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 121 ; Butler, Decc an ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 375 ; Bulaca indranee, Sykes ; Hume's Scrap Book, p. 347. THE BROWN WOOD OWL. Length, 19 to 21 ; wing, 13 to 14 ; tail, 8 to 9 ; tarsus, 2'4. Toes feathered for three-quarters of their length, and with strong scutse beyond; the inner claw is the largest, the outer one about equal to the hind-claw ; the wings reach nearly to the end of the tail. Above, hair-brown, darkest on the head and neck, the greater- coverts, scapulars, and tertiaries banded with white, the outer scapulars being almost white with brown bars ; rump and upper tail-coverts also faintly barred with fulvous ; quills brown, barred with pale fulvous on both webs and with narrow whitish bars and a white tip ; disc, black round the eye, with a pale whitish upper edge or supercilium, rufous externally ; ruff brown with some white markings ; throat below the ruff white ; body beneath pale rufous-white, narrowly and closely barred with brown ; quills and tail beneath dusky -brown, with white iJars ; bill pale greenish ; irides deep brown ; claws horny-reddish. The Brown Wood Owl appears to be very uncommon, and is confined to the Western Ghats and forests in the vicinity. It has been procured at Ratnagiri and at Mahableshwar. Nothing appears to be known in regard to its nidification ; in fact, Mr. Hume and others seem somewhat to doubt the distinctness of this and S. newarense, but as Jerdon points out the present is a considerably smaller bird. Syrnium occellatum, Less. 65. — S. sinense, Lath. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 123 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. V, p. 208 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 376 ; Hume's Scrap Book, p. 353. THE MOTTLED WOOD OWL. Length, 17'9 to 19'2; expanse, 45 to 50'5 ; wing, 13 to 15; tail, 7 to 8'5 ; tarsus, 2 to 2*4 ; bill from gape, 1'6 to 17. Bill black, paler, and greyish on lower mandible ; eyelids orange ; irides brown, deep in some, lighter in others ; claws sharp, slightly curved, middle claw dilated on inner edge. General plumage : above, rich tawny-yellow, the feathers of the head and nape spotted with black and white, each plume having a blackish tip, and crossed by an interrupted white band ; feathers of ' V\ ASIONIN.E. 63 the back, scapulars, wing-coverts, and upper tail-coverts beautifully mottled and speckled with dusky and white ; quills tawny at their base, dusky at the tip, with pale mottled bands ; inner webs tawny, with brown bands ; tail much the same, the mottled bars on both webs of the centre tail-feathers, but on the outer web and tip only of the others ; disc mottled white, brown, and fulvous ; the ruff dark-brown, beneath the chin whitish ; the rest of the body beautifully banded white and brown, each feather being white, with numerous narrow bars of brown ; tarsal feathers the same ; the toes clad nearly to the end. Some specimens are much tinted with fulvous beneath. The Mottled Wood Owl is not uncommon in the Deccan, and it has been obtained in Guzerat. I procured it at Neemuch in Central India, but it has not, as yet, been recorded from Sind. It is a permanent resident where found, and breeds during the month of March ; the eggs, two in number, are deposited in a cavity in a tree, or in tne depression at the fork of two large branches. There is no nest to speak of, except, perhaps, a few dead leaves that appear to have fallen there by accident ; the eggs are rather roundish ovals, white in color, occasionally with a faint tinge of cream ; they measure 2 inches in length by about 17 in breadth. SUB-FAMILY, Asioninse. Head large, with two aigrettes, or plumes of lengthened feathers on each side of the forehead ; orifice of the ears large, lunate, operculate ; wings long, second quill longest, and third quill sub- equal to it ; tail moderate, or longish, nearly even ; facial disc nearly perfect ; bill short, strong, curved from the base ; upper mandible sometimes festooned, well protected by bristles ; tarsus stout, moderate, or short, feathered, as are the toes as far as the scales in front of the nails, which are sub-equal. GENUS, Asio, Stride. The characters are the same as those of the sub-family. Asio otus, Lin. 67. — Otus vulgaris, Flem. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Yol. I, p. 125 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 99 ; Hume's Scrap Book, p. 361. THE LONG-EARED OWL. Length, 14 to 16 ; expanse, 36 to 40 ; wing, 11 to 12'5 ; tail, 5-5 to 6 ; tarsus, T4 to T6 ; bill, 11. Bill blackish-brown or dark -horny ; cere fleshy ; claws blackish- horny ; irides from bright yellow to orange. Above : the forehead finely mottled, dusky and tawny ; the ear- tufts, about 175 inches long, deep brown, edged with tawny ; the disc pale tawny, with a narrow black stripe along the inner side of the eye ; the ruff blackish ; the head, neck, and breast 64 BUBONINJE. dark -brown ; the feathers edged tawny-yellow, broadly so on the neck and upper part of the breast ; rest of the plumage above brown, mottled whitish, the feathers tawny at the base ; the quills tawny, with a few dark brown bars, changing to mottled fulvous- white, and dusky towards the tip ; tail pale tawny with brown bands, mottled at the tip ; beneath, from the breast, tawny \vith dark brown dashes, and a few cross stripes ; vent and under tail-coverts and tarsal feathers unmarked. At present, within our district, this Owl has only been recorded from Hyderabad, Sind, where it was obtained by Captain Butler, Mr. Doig, and myself. It is by no means common. Asio accipitrinus, Pall 68. — Otus brachyotus, Gmel. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 126 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 449 ; Dec- can, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 377 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 100 ; Hume's Scrap Book, p. 354. THE SHOKT-EARED OWL. #. Length, 14*5 to 15; expanse, 36'5 to 40; wing, 1175 to 12-5 ; tail, 6 to 6'8 ; tarsus, T4 to 18 ; bill from gape, 1 to T25. ?. Length, 15 to 16; expanse, 40 to 42 ; wing, 12 to 13'3 ; tail, 6'25 to 7 ; tarsus, 1'4 to 1*8 ; bill from gape, 1 to 1*25. Bill blackish ; irides yellowish. Above : head and neck brown, the feathers broadly margined with pale tawny ; wings and back the same, but more tawny on the scapulars and back, and the brown more irregular, tending to become narrow in parts, and to extend into bars in other parts ; quills deep tawny, with broad brown bars ; tail light ful- vous, also brown banded, and light tipped ; the disc pale fulvous, much streaked blackish ; the ruff mottled tawny and brown, beneath pale fulvous, with narrow long stripes, wider on the throat and breast ; the ' under tail-coverts and the tarsal plumes unspotted. The Short-eared Owl occurs during the winter months, through- out the region, but is nowhere very common. SUB-FAMILY, Buboninae. Head moderate, furnished with two long ear-tufts on the forehead ; orifice of the ears rather small or moderate, without an operculum ; wing moderate or longish ; tarsus short, usually feathered ; toes and nails strong. GENUS, Bubo, Auct. Bill slightly lengthened, scarcely arched from the base, com- .pressed, strong, black ; nostrils ovoid, transverse ; wings long, 3rd quill longest aud 4th quill sub-equal to it ; tail rather long, nearly even ; tarsi and toes feathered ; tarsi moderate, fairly strong, and claws sub-equal. BUBONIC. 65 t Bubo bengalensis, Frankl. §§.— Urrua bengalensis, Franklin.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 128 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 450 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 376 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 93 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 58 ; Hume's Scrap Book, p. 366. THE ROCK-HORNED OWL. Ghugu, Hin. Length, 20 to 23 ; expanse, 44 to 58-; wing, 14 to 16 ; tail 8 25 to 9 ; tarsus, 2'4 to 3'25 ; bill from gape, T5 to 175. Bill horny black ; irides intense orange-yellow ; legs and feet feathered. Above : the feathers of the head and neck are tawny, fading into white, each with a broad stripe of rich dark-brown; forehead brown-black, with a few tawny and white spots ; aigrettes rich black-brown, edged on the inner sides with fulvous ; back, shoul- ders, and greater coverts are varying shades of dark-brown, with pairs of mottled or freckled spots or incomplete bars of white, buff, or whity-buff ; the tertiaries are similar, but have a lighter or more rufous ground-color ; the primaries are a rich rufous-buff, tipped dusky-brown, gradually diminishing in extent inwards ; the outer webs of the first two are banded brown and rufous-buff, freckled with brown, but in the succeeding ones the rufous-buff above the tips is nearly pure, except for two or three narrow, irregular spots, or incomplete bars ; the dusky tips are themselves a good deal freckled and banded, more especially towards the secondaries, which latter want the dusky tips, and have four or five brown bars on the outer, and three or four much narrower ones on the inner webs, the buff between the bars being freckled with brown and dashed with white; the inner webs are clear salmon color, inclining to white on the outer edges; the wing-lining is pale buff, mottled with white, the lesser lower- coverts being banded with faint, wavy, zigzag, brown lines or bars ; the two centre tail-feathers resemble the outer webs of the secondaries, aud the lateral ones their inner webs ; the lores and sides of the upper mandibles are occupied with dense tufts of white bristly feathers, having the webs much disunited, with the extreme tips black and prolonged, and a broad band of similar feathers, tinged with pale buffy-brown, bounded posteriorly by a narrow dark brown band, from the base of the aigrettes, behind and below the eye ; the under parts are rufous-buff (whitish on the throat and neck), the breast with conspicuous dark-brown stripes, and the abdomen, sides and lower tail-coverts with nu- merous narrow, transverse, wavy, rufous-brown bars, darkest and closest on the sides, and almost wanting on the vent'; the thigh- coverts, tarsi, and toe-feathers are buffy or sullied white, unspotted. The Rock-horned Owl is fairly common in all parts of the presidency, 5 66 BUBONINJE. It frequents, by preference, rocky hills, ravines, and river banks, particularly if the latter are partially covered with brushwood. As noticed by Jerdon, it may frequently be seen in the early morning, seated on the ledge of a rock, looming large against the sky. It breeds during February, March and April, but eggs are occasionally found both earlier and later. The eggs, three or four in number, are deposited on the bare ground, either in a small cave or on a projecting edge of a cliff generally near water. A favorite breeding place is the preci- pitate bank of a river facirig westward, where the sun seldom or never penetrates ; the eggs, though rarely, have been found on the level ground. They are broad oval in shape, and white in color, with a faint creamy tinge, fairly glossy, and average 2'1 inches in length by 1*73 in breadth. Bubo coromandus, Lath. 70. — Urrua coromanda — Jerdon's Bird's of India, Vol. I, p. 130 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 450 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 94 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 58 ; Hume's Scrap Book, p. 37L THE DUSKY-HORNED OWL. Jangli Ghugu, Hin. Of a glossy cinereous-brown or mouse-brown color, darkest on. the head, wings, and tail, and tinged with steel-blue or green, paler beneath. The Edible -nest Swiftlet is a hot weather visitant to the Vingorla Rocks, where it breeds ; it has not been recorded from any other part of our district. GENUS, Dendrochelidon, Bole. Hallux posterior, not reversible ; tarsus short, naked, or feather- ed ; wings very long, the first two feathers sub-equal ; tail long, forked ; head crested. Dendrochelidon coronata, Tick. / 104.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 185; Butler, Deccan ; vUfS Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 380 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central . India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 60. ^Ai/^K7 ^HE INDIAN CRESTED SWIFT. 7 Length, 9 to 10 ; expanse, 14 to 157; wing, 6 '05 to 6'35 ; / tail, 3-16 to 5-25 ; tarsus, 0'28 ; bill from gape, 07 to 0'8. Bill black ; irides deep-brown ; legs blue-black ; soles of feet reddish-white. Above bluish-grey, somewhat darker on the head, clearer on the back and rump, and glossed throughout with greenish ; wings anteriorly with a slight purple gloss ; beneath pale ashy, whitening on the middle of the belly and lower tail- coverts ; ear-coverts ferruginous in the male, (connected with the chin by a line of the same color), black in the female, with a whitish line bordering the throat. The Indian Crested Swift is common at and near Mhow in Central India, and has also been obtained along the Sahyadri range ; it has not been recorded from any other portion of the region. FAMILY, Caprimulgidae, Vigors. Bill small or moderate, (large in a few), weak, curved ; gape, very wide, extending below the eyes, generally with numerous and strong bristles ; wings, and their coverts, long ; tail moderate, or long, of ten feathers ; tarsus short, scutellate, often feathered in front ; feet feeble ; hallux in some reversible ; head broad, flat ; plumage soft, light, mottled ; eyes large ; of nocturnal habits. SUB-FAMILY, Caprimulginae. Bill small, weak, flexible ; nostrils tubular ; wings long, usually the second quill longest ; tail usually long ; lateral toes short, equal or nearly so ; middle toe long with the claw pectinated on the inner margin ; hallux short, sometimes reversible. GENUS, Oaprimulgus, Lin. Bill * very short, flexible, broad at base, compressed and bent CAPEIMULGIN^:. 89 at the tip ; rictal bristles very strong, numerous, directed for- wards ; other characters as in the sub-family. Caprimulgus indicus, Lath. 107.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 192; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 454 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 380. THE JUNGLE NIGHT-JAR. Length, 12 ; wing, 7'5 to 7'9 ; tail, 5'5 to 6. v Prevalent hue light ashy, with dusky pencillings and black streaks to the feathers of the middle of the head, back, scapu- lars, rump, and upper tail-coverts, and fulvous blotches on the wing-coverts ; the quills with dark rufous spots or interrupted bars ; the tail cinerascent, more or less dark, and the outer feathers more or less tinged with rufous, with narrow black bars, and numerous dusky mottlings ; the lower parts rufescent- ashy with dark bars and mottlings. Some specimens are darker in their ground color than others, and the rufescent markings are deeper. The male has the cheek-stripe, throat band, the spots or - interrupted bands on the first three primaries, and the tips of all the outer feathers, white, the latter ended by a narrow dusky tip ; the female has these marks more or less rufescent, or- fulvescent, and wants the white terminations to the tail-feathers ; the primaries are strongly mottled towards their tips ; the first primary almost equals the fourth ; the tail is slightly rounded, and the wings reach to about one inch from its end. The Jungle Night-jar is not very common ; it affects forest and hilly districts in the Deccan, and is fairly common at Mount Aboo ; it is believed to be a permanent resident. It does not occur in Sind. Caprimulgus kelaarti, Sly. 108.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 193; Butler, Deccan; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 380. THE NEILGHERRY NIGHT- JAR. Length, 11*5; wing, 7'25 ; tail, 5'75 ; tarsus, 0*6. Plumage generally light cinereous, much mottled with black and dusky, and in parts tinged with light fawn and cream-color ; ears black, edged with light rufous ; line below the ears extend- ing along the gape and throat spot white ; small white marks on the inner webs only of the first four quills ; all the tail- feathers, except the four centre ones, tipped with white, with a dusky margin ; the primaries are slightly mottled at their tip ; the wings do not reach to the end of the tail. The Neilgherry Night-jar is very rare, and has only been recorded from the Konkan and the forest tract to the west of 90 CAPRIMULGIN.E. Belgaum. It is only doubtfully distinct from C. indicus, and might I think with advantage be suppressed. Caprimulgus albonotatus, Tick. 109.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 194. THE LARGE BENGAL NIGHT-JAR. Length, 13 ; expanse, 25 ; wing, 9 ; tail, 7. Crown and tertiaries cinerascent, minutely mottled and marked with a stripe of black dashes along the middle of the crown ; upper range of scapularies black, more developed in the male, and bordered more broadly externally with rufescent white ; a broad white patch in front of the neck, as in several allied species ; a double spot, or interrupted band of white on both webs of the first four primaries contracted and rufescent in the female ; two outer tail feathers broadly tipped with white in the male, tinged with fulvous, or rufescent, in the female ; rictorial bristles white at the base, black tipped ; altogether the females are usually paler, more brown, and less ashy than the males. According to Tickell (quoted by Jerdon) the large Bengal Night-jar is common in the jungles of Central India. Caprimulgus atripennis, Jerd. 111. — Jerdon's Birds of of India, Vol. I, p. 196 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 380. THE GHAT NIGHT-JAR. Length, 10'5 to 11; wing, 6'5 to 7'5 ; tail, 5'5 to 6. Males have the crown and nape dark brownish-ashy, minutely mottled with black dashes along the crown ; margins of the scapulars and wings white ; breast and forepart of the abdomen dark, contrasting strongly with the light buffy tint of the hind part of the belly ; vent and lower tail-coverts, which last tend to whitish in some ; nape, breast, and back suffused with a russet tinge, not seen in the other species of the group ; quills pure black, not mottled at the tip ; ear-coverts ferruginous. In females the quills are mottled at the tips ; the Ghat Night- jar has been obtained in the forest tract to the west of Belgaum, but has not been recorded from any other portion of our limits. Caprimulgus unwini, Hume. 111&2S.— Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 105. UNWIN'S NIGHT-JAR. Length, 975 to 10'37 ; expanse, 20 to 21'5 ; wing, 675 to 7-25 ; tail, 4*5 to 5 "25 ; bill at front, 0'25 to 0'43 ; bill at gape, 1-18 to 1-31. Very similar to C. europceus, a description of which I give below : — Caprimulgus europaus. — Plumage above and that of the throat ashy-grey, thickly streaked and spotted with brown, mostly of 91 a yellowish tinge ; head and neck with longitudinal blackish streaks; a white stripe beneath the base of the lower mandilble extends along each side of the lower part of the head, and there is a central patch upon the throat ; primaries, secondaries, and tertiaries dark-brown ; the outer webs blotched with reddish- brown and the three exterior feathers \uth a large white patch near the tips of the inner webs ; tail irregularly marked amd indistinctly barred with blackish-grey and yellowish-brown ; the two external feathers on each side white at their termination ; plumage of under parts yellowish-brown ; tarsi paler ; female like the male, the white spots on the quills and tail feathers absent. The following is a description of G. unuini : — • This species has the upper three-fourths of the tarsus feathered in front. In both sexes the two outer feathers on each side are tipped with white, but the tippings are about 1 55 and TO broad in the male on the outer and penultimate feathers respectively, and only about 075 and 0*44 in the female, and in the latter sex the white is less pure ; both sexes have a white spot on the inner webs of the first three, and a corresponding one on the outer webs of the second and third primaries ; but here again, while the spots on the inner webs of the male are about one inch broad, those of the female are about half the size. Within our limits, this Night-jar has only been obtained in Sind, where it is very common. Caprimulgus asiaticus, Lath. 112. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 197 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 455 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 380; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 106 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 60. THE COMMON INDIAN NIGHT-JAR. Length, 9 ; expanse, 18 ; wing, 5'5 to 6 ; tail, 4'5. Pale rufescent-ashy, the feathers finely mottled with dusky; the top of the head (as usual), marked narrowly with black ; a distinct rufescent collar with black marks ; the black markings on the scapulars not extended, but they are much edged with buff, as are all the wing-coverts ; back not streaked with black ; quills with a white spot on each of the first four feathers and mottled at the tip ; the outermost feathers are tipped with white, and there is a white spot on the neck ; the lower parts are lightly mottled and barred. The Indian Night-jar is common throughout the district and is a permanent resident, breeding during April and May. •The eggs (there is no nest) are two in number, and are laid on the bare ground ; they vary from a warm pinkish stone-color to a deep salmon-pink, and are clouded, blotched, and streaked with 92 TROGONID.E. different shades of pale reddish and purplish brown ; they average 1'04 by 077 inches. Caprimulgus mahrattensis, SyJces. H3._Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 198; Butler, Guzerat; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 455 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 381 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 107. SYKES' NIGHT-JAR. Length, 875 to 9'5 ; wing, 675 to 7 ; tail, 4'5 to 5'5. Pale ashy-grey, variegated and waved with brown and ferrugi- nous ; the breast, the three outer quills in the centre, and the two lateral tail feathers on each side marked with white. This Night-jar occurs pretty well throughout the district, and is a permanent resident at all events in Sind, where it breeds in February and March, laying two eggs, upon the bare ground. Caprimulgus monticolus, FranU. 114.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 198; Butler, Guzerat; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 455 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 381. FRANKLIN'S NIGHT-JAR. Length, 10 ; expanse, 24 ; wing, 8 ; tail, 4'25. Pale ashy-brown, variegated with rufous and dusky ; the abdo- men banded with rufous and black ; primaries brownish-black, the four outer ones with a broad white band, the six middle tail- feathers with slender black undulations, the two outer ones on each side entirely white, tipped with brown. The female has a rufous band on the first four primaries, and the tail is all of one color without any white ; she is also generally paler than the male. The general hue of this species is more uniform than in any of the others ; tarsus naked. Franklin's Night-jar is not uncommon in well- wooded portions of the Deccan and South Mahratta country, and it is also common at Mount Aboo, Mhow and Neemuch, but has not been recorded from Sind. FAMILY, Trogonidae. Bill short, stout, somewhat triangular, strong, curved from the base ; tip, and sometimes the margin, toothed ; gape wide ; nostrils and base of bill concealed by long tufts of bristles ; wings moderate or sjj£r.t ; tarsus short, partially feathered ; toes short, feeble, two before and two behind, the inner toe being turned backwards ; tail long and broad, of twelve feathers ; plumage soft ; skin very thin. GENUS, Harpactes, Swains. Bill strong, broad and deep, conic much curved ; margins of the mandibles smooth ; nostrils partially covered by tufts of MEROPID.E. 03 hair-like feathers ; tarsus half feathered ; anterior toes of equal length, barely joined at the base ; a naked skin round, the eyes. Harpactes fasciatus, Forst. 115.— Jerdon's Birds" of India, Vol. I, p. 201 ; Butler, Deccan Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 381. THE MALABAR TROGON. Length, 12 ; expanse, 16 ; wing, 5 ; tail, 6 ; bill at front, 0'5 ; bill at gape, 1. Bill deep blue ; orbital skin smalt-blue ; irides dark-brown ; feet light lavender-blue. Male, entire head and neck black ; the rest of the upper plumage castaneous olive-brown; the lesser wing-coverts, ter- tiaries, and some of the secondaries finely streaked with black and white ; breast, belly and lower parts fine crimson red ; the tail with the centre feathers the same color as the back but more chesnut ; the lateral feathers black and white. The female wants the black head and neck, which are con- colorous with the body ; the tertiaries and coverts are finely banded black and brown, and the lower plumage is ochreous- yellow instead of red. The Malabar Trogon occurs sp aringly in the forest tracts of the Deccan and South Mahratta country, but does not occur in any other portion of the district. FAMILY, Meropidae. Bill lengthened, rather slender, slightly curved throughout, sharp pointed ; wings long and pointed ; tail generally even, moderate or long, with the central-feathers frequently elongated. GENUS, Merops, Lin. Bill very long, slender, slightly curved, depressed at base, somewhat compressed for the rest of its length; culmen keeled ; tip entire, sharp, not bent down ; nostrils partially covered by a tuft of bristles ; some small rictal bristles at the base of the bill ; wings long and pointed ; first quill longest ; tips of the lesser quills emarginate ; tail somewhat lengthened, nearly even, the two centre feathers occasionally lengthened ; tarsus very short ; feet short with the two lateral toes much syndactyle ; outer-toe much longer than the inner one ; claws acute, strong, well-curved. Merops viridis, Lin. 117. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 205 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 455 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 381 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoo'.ogy of Sind, p. 107 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 60. 94 MEROPID.E. THE COMMON INDIAN BEE-EATER. Hurrt'al, Hin. Length, including centre tail-feathers, 8'5 ; expanse, 10; wing, 3*5; tail, 4 ; tarsus, 0'36 ; bill at gape, 1'3 ; bill at front, 1 ; the centre tail feathers exceed the others by 1'25 to 2 '5 inches. Bill black ; irides blood-red; feet plumbeous, Plumage, above bright grass-green ; the head, nape, and hind neck burnished with golden ; a black eye-streak from the base of the bill through the eye to the top of the ear-coverts ; quills with a reddish tinge, especially on the inner wreb, and all tipped dusky ; tail duller green, the webs dusky at their inner edge ; the two central tail-feathers elongated ; chin and throat verdigris-green, and a black collar on the top of the breast ; the rest of the lower parts bright green, mixed with verdigris, paler and more coerulescent on the lower abdomen, and under tail-coverts. The Common Indian Bee-eater occurs abundantly throughout the district ; it is a permanent resident, breeding during April and May. They usually excavate holes in sand banks or earthy cliffs, but occasionally make them in leve 1 ground ; these holes vary in depth from 1^ to 5 feet, according to the nature of the soil ; the eggs, four or five in number (more rarely six), are spherical in shape, white in color and are highly glossy when fresh, but as incubation proceeds the gloss disappears and they become dead white ; they measure 078 in length by about 07 in breadth. Merops philippinus, Lin. 118. — Merops philippensis, Lin. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 207 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 456 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 381 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 108. THE BLUE-TAILED BEE-EATER. Length, 12 to 12'5 ; wing 5'25 ; tail, 575 ; tarsus, 0'5 ; bill at front, 1*6. Bill black ; irides crimson ; feet plumbeous. Head, neck, back, wing-coverts, and tertiaries dull grass-green, with more or less rufous gloss; rump and upper tail-coverts bright azure-blue ; a black eye-streak from the base of both mandibles to the end of the ear-coverts, with a pale blue line beneath ; quills dull green-rufous towards the edge of the inner webs, and black tipped ; tail dull blue ; chin yellow- white ; throat dark ferruginous, extending to the sides of the face and neck as far as the end of the ear- coverts ; breast and upper abdomen green, glossed with rufous ; lower abdomen and vent paler, and with a blue tinge and the under tail-coverts pale blue ; the tail is nearly even, with the centre pair of feathers elongate and the pair next them slightly shorter. The Blue-tailed Bee-eater occurs sparingly throughout the greater portion of our district. MEROPID.E. 05 Merops swinhoii, Hume. .— Merops quinticolor, Vieillot. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 208 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 382; THE CHESNUT-HEADED BEE -EATER. Length, 8'5 ; wing, 4'3 ; tail, 3'25 ; bill at front, 1'3. Bill black ; irides fine crimson-red ; legs and feet plumbeous. Whole top of the head, nape, hind-neck, and upper part of back rich chesnut ; wing-coverts, interscapulars, and tertiaries bight green, the latter tinged with blue ; rump and upper tail-coverts pale azure-blue ; quills dull green, tending to rufous on the inner web, and black tipped ; tail, with the centre feathers, blue on the outer web, all the rest dull green, tipped dusky ; tail even, or slightly emarginate, with the centre feathers not elongated ; beneath, the chin, throat, and sides of the neck up to the ear-coverts, pale yellow, below which is a band or collar of ferruginous, edged with black ; the breast bright green ; abdomen, vent, and under tail-coverts the same, tinged with blue; wings within rufous-brown. The Chesnut-headed Bee -eater occurs sparingly on the Western Ghats and in the jungles adjoining. Merops persicus, Pall. 120. — Merops cegyptius, Vieill. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 209; Butler, Guzerat; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 456; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 382 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 1 08 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 61. THE EGYPTIAN BEE-EATEK. Length, 12 to 12'5; expanse, 18*5; wing, 6'21 ; tail to the end of the central tail-feathers, 5*5 ; tarsus, 0€ 44 ; bill at gape, 2-34 ; bill at front, 1-6. Bill black ; irides crimson ; feet dark-plumbeous. Above, including wings and tail, green mixed with verdigris- blue on the back, rump, and upper tail-coverts ; forehead with a narrow line of yellowish- white, succeeded by a pale blue band, which continues over the eyes ; a dark line through the eyes to the ear-coverts, which are mixed greenish blue and dusky ; below this from the gape is another narrow white line, edged with pale blue ; chin yellow ; throat deep chesnut ; rest of the lower parts blue-green ; tail even, with the two centre tail-feathers elongated. The Egyptian Bee-eater is a common seasonal visitant to all parts of Sind, but occurs less commonly in Guzerat, Rajpootana and Central India, and is extremely rare in the Deccan. Merops apiaster, Lin. 121. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 210; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 108. 96 CORACIAD.E. THE EUROPEAN BEE-EATER. Length, 10 to 11 ; expanse, 17 to 18 ; wing, 5 '5 to 6 ; tail, 375 to 475 ; tarsus, 0'5 ; bill at front, T2. Bill black ; irides red ; legs reddish-brown ; forehead pale whitish-blue ; body above maroon-red, passing into rufous-yellow on the rump ; a black eye-streak from the base of the bill, through the eye, nearly meeting another black band which crosses the lower part of the throat ; chin and throat rich yellow ; wings blue-green, or greenish blue, with most of the coverts and the secondaries chesnut, the latter black tipped, as are the primaries, though faintly ; tertiaries blue-green ; tail dull green, the tips of the centre feathers bluish ; lower parts verdigris-blue. Mr. Murray, in his Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, states that the European Bee-eater " occurs as a bird of passage in Sind, Kutch, Kattiawar, Rajpootana, and the Deccan." I have myself never met with the bird in India, but further north in Afghanistan, I found it very common. GENUS, Nycticornis, Swainson. Bill moderately long, well curved, strong, compressed ; ridge flattened towards the base, with a parallel groove on each side ; nostrils concealed by setaceous feathers ; wings moderate, full, rounded ; fourth quill longest ; tail longish, nearly even ; feet short, much as in Merops ; plumage lax, soft and dense, with a plume of long stiff pectoral feathers differently colored. Nycticornis athertoni, Jard. & Selby. 122. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 211 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 382. THE BLUE-NECKED BEE-EATER. Length, 14 ; expanse, 18 ; wings 5 '5 ; tail 6 ; bill at front, 17 ; tarsus, 0*6. Bill bluish-plumbeous, with black tip ; irides deep yellow ; legs and feet dusky-greenish. General color bright vernal-green, shaded on the belly and vent with buff ; forehead blue ; gular hackles rich ultramarine- blue, formed of a double series of long drooping plumes, ranged opposite each other or either side of the median line ; lining of wings, the wings internally, under tail-coverts, and lower surface of the tail buff. The Blue-necked Bee-eater was obtained by Mr. Laird in the forests to the west of Belgaum. This seems to be the only re- corded instance of its occurrence within the district. FAMILY, Coraciadse. Bill moderate or rather long, strong, broad at the base, com- pressed towards the tip, which is hooked, and sometimes slightly notched ; the gape is large, with or without rictal bristles ; tarsus short, stout ; feet moderate ; toes free, or slightly syndactyle ; CORACIANIN^J. 97 wings moderate or long, broad ; tail variable, sometimes short and even, at other times with very elongated outer tail-feathers. GENUS, Coracias, Lin. Bill large, moderately thick, lengthened; straight, strong, some- what broad at the base, compressed towards the tip ; culmen sloping, hooked abruptly ; the nostrils basal, oblique, linear, apert ; gape very wide, with strong rictal bristles ; wings tolerably lengthened, the second quill longest, or the second and third sub-equal ; tail even or slightly rounded, short ; tarsus stout, shorter than the middle- toe ; outer-toe nearly free to the base, much longer than the inner-toe ; hind-toe shorter than the inner-toe ; tarsus and toes strongly scutate. Coracias jndica, Lin. 123,— Jerdon's Birds of India, ToTT, p. 214 ; Butler, Guzerat; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 456 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 382 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 109 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 61. THE INDIAN ROLLER. Nilkant, Hin. Length, 12 to 13'5 ; expanse, 23'3 to 25 ; wing, 7'25 ; tail, 51 ; tarsus, 0'98 ; bill at gape, 17 ; bill at front, 1*1. Bill dusky-brown ; irides dark red-brown ; eyelids yellow ; legs dusky orange-yellow. Head above and nape dingy greenish-blue, the forehead tinged with rufous ; hind-neck, scapulars, inter-scapulars and tertiaries dull ashy-brown with a green gloss, and tinged with vinous on the hind-neck ; back blue ; rump and upper tail- coverts deep violet-blue ; lesser-coverts and shoulders deep co- balt-blue ; the other coverts dingy greenish -blue ; the winglet, greater coverts and quills pale sky-blue, with a broad band of violet-blue on the middle of the wings, occupying the terminal half of the secondaries and last two or three primaries ; the first seven primaries tipped dark blue ; tail, with the two centre feathers, dull green, the others dark violet-blue, with a broad pale-blue band, occupying the greater part of the terminal half of the tail, and widening exteriorly ; beneath, chin, throat, and breast, light vinous-purple ; the feathers with pale fulvous shafts passing into tawny-isabella, with light streaks on the abdomen ; lower abdomen, flanks, vent, and under tail-coverts pale blue ; wings beneath entirely pale blue, with a broad violet band. The Roller, or as Europeans prefer to call it, the Blue Jay, is generally distributed throughout the district ; it is a perma- nent resident, but retires to the better-wooded portions of the country to breed. At and near Hyderabad, Sind, I found many nests and have several times taken them in Central India. They breed during April, May and June, in holes in trees, old 7 98 HALCYONIN.E. walls and roofs ; the size of the nest depends mainly on the size of the hole, and is composed of grass, feathers, and bits of rags, &c. ; the eggs, generally four in number, are broad oval in shape, glossy china- white in color, and measure 1'3 in length by 1-06 in breadth. Coracias garrula, Lin. 125. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 218 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 109. THE EUROPEAN ROLLER. Length, 13 ; wing, 775 ; tail, 5 ; tarsus, 0'98 ; bill at front, 1-37. Bill blackish ; irides red-brown ; feet yellow-brown. The whole head, neck, and lower parts pale blue, duller on the head, brighter on the chin and throat, and streaked paler ; back, scapulars and tertiaries chesnut-bay ; shoulders and lesser- coverts violet-blue ; the greater-coverts pale blue ; quills deep violet blue ; the lower part of the back violet-blue ; upper tail- coverts light blue ; tail with the two centre tail-feathers dull ashy-blue, the others pale azure, dull dark blue at their base, which color increases in extent towards the centre ; the two outer feathers are tipped with dark blue. The European Roller occurs as an occasional seasonal visitant to Sind ; but has not been recorded from any other portion of the district. FAMILY, Halcyonidse, Vigors. Bill very long, stout, angular, straight pointed, broadish at base, acute at tip ; gape wide ; rictus smooth ; wings moderate, rounded ; tail usually short ; tarsus and toes very small, feeble, the latter much syndactyle, especially the outer one to the middle ; one toe sometimes wanting. SUB-FAMILY, Halcyoninae. Mostly of large size ; bill strong, thick, broad at the base, straight ; culmen slightly inclining at the tip ; gape smooth ; wings short, broad. GENUS, Pelargopsis. The characters are the same as those of the sub-family, but the culmen is flattened. Pelargopsis gurial, Pears. 127. — Halcyon leucocephalus, Gmel. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 222 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 382 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 61. THE BROWN-HEADED KINGFISHER. Length, 16; expanse, 22 ; wing, 6 ; tail, 4 ; tarsus, 075 ; bill at gape, 4 ; bill at front, 3 '4, HALCYONINJE, 99 Bill dark blood-red, dusky at tip, lighter on gonys ; irides brown ; legs and feet coral-red. Head : lores, cheeks, and hind-neck in part light olive or fulvous- brown ; the sides and lower part of the back of the neck buff; lower part of hind-neck and scapulars dingy brownish-green ; the wing-coverts, quills, the sides of the lower part of the back, upper tail-coverts, and tail dull bluish-green ; the primary quills tipped dusky -black and the inner webs of all dusky ; the back, from the shoulders to the rump, light silky azure-blue ; chin and throat pale yellowish-white, passing into the buff of the ' sides of the neck ; rest of the lower plumage orange-buff, deepest on the flanks. The young has the buff of the lower parts edged with brown, and the colors generally duller. The Brown-headed Kingfisher occurs as a somewhat rare straggler in the Deccan. I met with it at Neemuch, and Colonel S win hoe found it near Mhow, Central India. It has not been recorded from Guzerat, neither does it occur in Sind. GENUS, Halcyon, Swains. Bill long, straight, deep, and broad, somewhat quadrangular ; culmen, in some, inclining towards the tip, near which the margin is slightly sinuated ; lower mandible angulated ; gonys ascending towards the tip ; wing rather short, third quill longest, fourth and fifth nearly equal ; tail short, rounded, or even ; feet with the outer toe nearly as long as the middle one, syndactyle for more than half its length ; scales of the tarsus obsolete. Halcyon smyrnensis, Lin. 129. — Halcyon fuscus, Bodd. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 224 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 456 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 382 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 110 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 61. THE WHETE-BREASTED KINGFISHER. Length, 10'5 to 1T5 ; expanse, 14*25 to 16'5 ; wing, 4 '5 to 5 ; tail, 3'2 to 37 ; tarsus, 0'6 ; bill at front, 2'25 ; bill at gape, 27 to 3. Bill rich coral-red, dusky at tip ; irides brown ; feet vermilion-red. Head : face^sides of neck and body, abdomen, and under tail- coverts, deep rich brown-chcsnut ; scapulars and tertiaries dul- greenish-blue ; back, rump^ancllipper tail-coverts bright ccerulean blue ; wings, with the lesser-coverts, chesnut, median-coverts black, and the greater-coverts and winglet dull blue ; quills blue, with a broad black tip diminishing to the last primary ; and the inner webs of all dusky black, with a broad oblique white bar on the inner webs of the primaries, extending over nearly the whole feather in the last primary, small in extent on the first ; 100 HALCYONIN^I. chin, throat, middle of the back, breast and abdomen pure white ; tail blue, the centre feathers slightly tinged with greenish. The White-breasted Kingfisher is generally distributed through- out the district ; it is a permanent resident and breeds from March to the commencement of July and even later ; it pierces a hole in the bank of a river, or side of a well or tank ; there is no nest, and the eggs, five or six in number, are nearly spherical in shape, pure white in color, highly glossy when freshly laid, but becoming discolored and dull as incubation proceeds. They measure 112 inches in length by T03 in breadth. Halcyon pileata, Bodd. 130. — Halcyon atricapillus, Gmel. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 226 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 382. THE BLACK-CAPPED PURPLE KINGFISHER. Length, 11*5 to 12*5 ; expanse, 18 to 19 ; wing, 5 to 5'3 ; tail, 3 25 to 375 ; bill from gape, 3. Bill coral-red ; hides red-brown ; legs dusky brownish-red. Head, lores, face, ear-coverts and nape black ; whole upper parts rich violet purple, brighter on the back and rump ; wings with the coverts, except those of the primaries, black ; quills tipped black, with a white wing-bar on the inner webs, and the inner webs of the rest black ; chin, neck, and throat all round •white, with a tinge of fulvous ; the middle of the breast and abdomen also white ; rest of the lower parts, including the under wing-coverts, rich rusty. This beautiful Kingfisher was obtained by Mr. Vidal at Ratnagiri, and is the only recorded instance of its occurrence within the region. Halcyon chloris, Bodd. 132. — Todiramphus collaris, Scop. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 228 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 383. THE WHITE-COLLARED KINGFISHER. Length, 10'25 ; expanse, 14 to 15 ; wing, 4'25 to 4'5 ; tail, 2'8 to 3 ; tarsus, 0'6 ; bill from gape, 1*6 to 2*3. Bill black, livid-reddish at base beneath ; irides reddish-brown ; legs shining greenish-grey. Head, ears and nape dull bluish-green, darker on the ear- coverts and nape, forming a sort of collar, or coronet, slightly separated from the cap by some white feathers mixed with the others ; upper back and scapulars blue-green ; the lower back and rump bright pale blue ; wings and tail blue, more dull on the coverts, and slightly tinged greenish beneath, and a broad collar all round the neck, white. The White-collared Kingfisher has been obtained by Mr. Vidal on two or three occasions at Ratnagiri ; it has not been observed in any other portion of the district. ALCEDINIM. 101 GENUS, Ceyx, Lacepede. , , , , Bill, as in Halcyon, large, wide, barely grooved'; -goriy'tf i-ncline'd upwards; culmen flattish ; tail very short , feet with cr.ly three toes, two in front, one behind, the inner-toe being> absent* •".•' '•». " " Ceyx tridactylus, Pallas. 183.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 229 ; Butler, Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 383. v THE THREE-TOED PURPLE KINGFISHER. Length, 5 to 5'5 ; expanse, 8 ; wing, 2'25 ; tail, 075 ; bill at front, 1'25. Bill fine coral-red ; irides brown ; legs and feet red, Head rufous, with a lilac gloss, a violet spot behind the ear, and a white patch below that ; a small dark blue patch at the base of the bill ; interscapulars and wings deep blue, the quills black ; back dark blue, with some lustrous blue streaks ; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts, rich rufous, with a lilac shine on the middle; cheeks and lower parts ferruginous, paler on lower belly ; chin and throat white. The Three-toed Purple Kingfisher was observed by Major Butler at Khandalla, and has been recorded from other parts of the Deccan, but it is very rare, and only occurs along the banks of the mountain streams that issue from the more densely- wooded parts of the Sahyadri range. SUB-FAMILY, Alcedininse. Bill longer, more slender and compressed, acute, grooved near the culmen for the greater part of its length ; gonys nearly straight. GENUS, Alcedo, Lin. Bill long, slender, straight, compressed, tip acute ; culmen sharp, carinated, not inclined ; commissure straight, second and third quills sub-equal, third slightly the longest, first very little shorter ; tail very short, even ; feet weak ; inner-toe very short, equal to the hind-toe, both lateral toes syndactyle. Alcedo bengalensis, Gm. 134. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 230 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 456 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 383 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. Ill ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 61. THE COMMON INDIAN KINGFISHER. Length, 6 to 6'5 ; expanse, 9'5 to 10 ; wing, 275 to 2*9 ; tail, 11 to 1*3 ; tarsus, 0*4 ; bill from gape, 1*9 ; bill at front, 1'4. Bill blackish on culmen, orange beneath towards base ; irides dark brown ; legs and feet orange-red. 102 ALCEDININ.E. Head and hind -rieck dusky, the feathers edged with pale blue a ifou- !){^ from the base of the nostrils to the end of the ^ear-coverts^; 'below this a dark band, extending down the Aides'. . 01 tK^'nec^ . followed by a white patch; scapulars dull green;' 'back, rump, "and upper tail-coverts pale blue ; wings and tail dull green-blue ; the wing-coverts speckled with pale blue ; quills dusky on their inner edges ; chin and throat white, the rest of the lower plumage bright ferruginous. In young birds a bluish-green tinge is the prevalent tint ; in adults a pure blue. The Indian Kingfisher is commonly distributed throughout the district, but it occurs more rarely in Sind, where it is replaced by the next species ; with this exception it is a permanent resident, breeding from March quite to the end of May and occasionally later ; the nest-hole is pierced in the bank of a stream, invariably according to my experience over running water ; the eggs, five or six in number, are broadish ovals, white and beautifully glossy. They measure 0'8 in length by 0'68 in breadth. Alcedo ispida, Lin. 134fo's. — Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 111. THE EUROPEAN KINGFISHER. Length, 6'8 to 7'5 ; expanse, 10 to 11 ; wing, 2*95 to 3' ; bill, at front, 1'4 to I '6. Bill above blackish-brown, at base and beneath reddish- orange ; irides hazel ; legs orange-red. A broad bright orange stripe from the bill to the ear-coverts margined on the sides of the gape and crossed below the eye by a narrow black streak ; sides of the neck with a white patch commencing from behind the ear-coverts ; chin and throat white ; head, nape, neck behind, a broad streak from the base of the lower mandible and lesser wing-coverts, greenish-blue ; the feathers edged with bright light blue, and forming narrow bars or spots of that color ; scapulars and exterior webs of the primaries greenish-blue, the inner webs of the latter dusky brown ; back, rump, and upper tail-coverts rich azure-blue ; tail deep blue ; breast and entire under surface of the body bright orange. The European Kingfisher occurs commonly in Sind, where it takes the place of A. bengalensis ; the latter, however, is not altogether absent, but only occurs as an occasional seasonal visitant. Its nesting arrangements are similar to those of its relative, A. bengalensis. Alcedo beavani, Wald. —Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 383. ALCEDININJ?. 103 BEAVAN'S KINGFISHER. Length, 6'25 to 6'5 ; expanse, 9'25 to 975 ; wing 2'55 to 2'62 ; tail, 1-4 to 175 ; tarsus, 0'3 to 0'35 ; bill from gape, T9 to 2'05 ; bill at front, 1-4 to 1'6' Bill, (?, black, orange at gape ; ? , deep red, clouded with dusky. Chin and throat creamy-white, washed faintly with rufous ; remainder of under surface and the under tail-coverts deep bright rufous, paler in some than in others ; feathers of the head black, with a penultimate bright blue band, those of the cheeks all bright blue ; back and upper tail-coverts bright blue ; wing-coverts black, washed with blue, each feather tipped with, bright blue ; scapulars and rectrices black, washed with blue. Major Butler had a specimen in his possession that was shot in the forests west of Belgaum; this is the only record I can find of its occurrence within the region. GENUS, Ceryle. Bill long, straight, compressed, acute at tip ; culraen obtuse, somewhat flattened, and margined on each side by an indented groove ; tail slightly lengthened, rounded ; wings long, second and third quills nearly equal ; inner- toe longer than the hinder one which is very short. Ceryle rudis, Lin. 136.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 232 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 456 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers' Vol. IX, p. 383 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 112 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 61. THE PIED KINGFISHER. Length, 11 to 11 '5 ; expanse, 18*5 to 20; wing, 5*4 to 5'8 ; tail, 3 ; tarsus, 0;5 to 07; bill at front, 2'3 ; bill from gape, 31. Bill black ; irides dark brown ; legs and feet blackish-brown. Head and ears black, white-streaked, with also a white supercilium ; back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and wings black, white-edged ; lower parts and the sides of the neck white, with a streak of black down the sides of the neck from the ear-coverts ; breast with a broad interrupted band of black in both sexes, and below this another complete but narrow band in the male only ; wings with a white band, formed by the bases of some of the quills, and the greater-coverts ; primary- coverts and winglet black; tail white at the base, broadly black at the end, and tipped white. The Pied Kingfisher is another very common species, generally distributed throughout our limits. It is a permanent resident and breeds from February to April, in holes pierced in the banks of rivers ; the eggs, four to six in number, are broad oval in shape, white in color, and are highly glossy. They measure 115 in length by about 0'92 in breadth. This Kingfisher never resorts to wells and tanks, as H. smyr- 1 104? BUCEROTIMI. nensls and A. bengalensis do, but only occurs on rivers and the larger lakes. FAMILY, Bucerotidae. Bill enormous, arched or curved, often with an appendage or casque on the upper mandible ; nostrils small at the junction of the casque with the bill, or near the culmen, when there is no casque ; wings short, rounded ; tail long, of ten feathers ; tarsus short, stout ; feet moderately large, syndactyle ; hind-toe short ; claws short, thick, well curved. GENUS, Dichoceros. GENUS, Homraius. Bill with a broad flat casque, extending backwards over the head, for more than half the length of the bill, and descending to meet the bill at a right angle, of large size ; plumage black and white. Dichoceros cavatus, Shaw. 14,0. — Homraius bicornis, Lin. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 242 ; Butler, Deccan, &c. ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 383. THE GKEAT HORNBILL. 1 P- 461 J Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 389 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 117 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 63. THE INDIAN KOEL. THE BLACK CUCKOO. Rod, Hin. i •• 8-6 106 3-66 6-4 0-62 098 05 u »» 8-56 10-58 3-66 6-1 0-6 1-04 0-C6 n 8-58 10-25 3-44 4-98 0-66 104 064 g •i 18-12 10-8 3-8 13-5 0-62 1-18 068 1 » • 17-78 11 1 3-81 135 062 1-08 0-62 • 19-1 10-5 355 14-6 0-62 1-06 0'64 V White 2175 1125 375 17 066 1-2 0-7 fj )t 10-42 10-7 36 5-8 0-6 11 0-64 M 1375 10-8 368 9-1 062 1-06 066 195 112 3-81 1525 066 1-16 0-66 H H 19 1025 37 14-6 0'64 1 0-64 Bill cobalt-blue ; irides deep brown ; eyelids cobalt-blue ; legs pale lavender-blue. Adult male. — Whole head with the full crest, neck and throat, glossy green-black, the rest of the plumage white, the feathers more or less black shafted ; primaries and secondaries black, with the outer webs white, and also the edge of inner webs of the innermost quills ; head with a full crest of elongated feathers ; two central tail-feathers greatly elongated. The adult female is similar to the male ; its middle tail-feathers are only slightly elongated. The^ younger male has the head, neck, and throat, glossy black, the abdomen white, and the rest of the plumage light chesnut. The young female has the same, without the long tail. In a still younger state, the throat, breast, upper part of abdo- men, and the flanks are ashy. The Paradise Fly-catcher is probably a permanent resident throughout the district, but is very locally distributed. It is some- what rare in Sind. I found it breeding near Neemuch in Central India. GENUS, Myiagra (Hypoihymis) Vigors. Bill of moderate length, broad, triangular, suddenly narrowed, straight; tip well hooked and distinctly notched ; rictal bristles long, slender, numerous ; nostrils small, basal, plumed at the base and overhung by a few fine hairs ; wings moderate, broad, fourth and fifth quills about equal and longest ; tail rather long, even or slightly rounded ; tarsus rather short ; feet very small ; outer-toe much longer than inner one, much syndactyle. Hypothymis azurea, Bodd. 290. — Myiagra azurea, Bodd. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I. p. 450; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 395. THE BLACK-NAPED BLUE FLY-CATCHER. Length, 6 to 6'5 ; expanse, 8'5 ; wing, 275 to 2'85 ; tail, 275 160 AIYIAGRINNE. to 3 ; tarsus, 0'6 to 075; bill from gape, 071 to 0'8; bill at front, 0-4. Bill dark cobalt-blue, edges and tip black, edges of eyelids blue ; eyelids plumbeous ; irides deep brown ; legs ranging from cobalt- blue to plumbeous. Above pale lazuline-blue, with the head and neck paler but brighter blue ; a large occipital spot of short erectile feathers, and a slender jugular one, silky-black ; throat, neck, and breast, pale blue ; abdomen, vent, and under tail-coverts, bluish-white. The female is bluish-ashy above ; the head and neck pale blue, and the abdomen white ; and it has neither the occipital crestlet nor jugular black streak. The Black-napped Blue Fly-catcher within our limits is confined to the Ghats region. It has been recorded from Belgaum, Nagar, and Ratnagiri. It oceurs sparingly all along the Sahyadri Range as far north as Khandalla. GENUS, Leucocerca, Swains. Bill rather long, depressed, wide throughout, except at tip, which is slightly hooked and notched ; nostrils apert, but over- hung by some long nareal bristles ; rictal bristles very long, slender ; wings with the first four quills unequally graduated ; fourth and fifth quills sub-equal and longest ; tail lengthened, wide, rounded or graduated ; tarsus moderate, strong ; feet moderate ; lateral toes unequal, Leucocerca albicollis, Vieill. 291. — Leucocerca fuscoventris, Frankl. — Jerdon's Birds of India* Vol. I, p. 451 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 395. THE WHITE THROATED FANTAIL. Length, 7*5 ; expanse, 9'25 ; wing, 313 ; tail, 4'5 ; tarsus, 075 ; bill at front, 0'3. Bill black ; irides dark-brown ; legs black. Sooty brown-black throughout, tinged with ashy in the abdomen and back, and dusky-brownish on the wings and outer tail-feathers, the three outermost of which are tipped with dirty- white ; a very short supercilium ; chin and throat white. The occurrence of the White-throated Fantail within our limits is doubtful. Franklin is said to have procured it in Central India. Adams, who evidently mistook it for L. aureola, says it is common at Poona. Colonel Sykes includes it in the Birds of the Decuan. Leucocerca aureola, Vieill. 292.— Leucocerca albofrontata, Frankl.— Jerdon's Birds of India, _ Vol. I, p. 452 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, cM MYIAGRIN^E. 161 p. 466 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 396 ; Rhipidura albofrontata, Frankl. ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 129 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 66. THE WHITE-BROWED FANTAIL. Length, 7'5 ; expanse, 10 ; wing, 33 ; tail, 375 ; tarsus, 07 ; bill at front, 0'3. , Bill black ; irides deep-brown ; legs black. Above the head and neck deep-black ; a. broad frontal band, extending over the eyes to the nape, pure white ; back ashy-black ; wings and tail dusky-black, the wing-coverts with some white spots ; the tips of all the tail-feathers, except the central ones, broadly white ; beneath, the chin and throat black, more or less spotted and lined with white ; the breast and abdomen white. The White-browed Fantail Fly-catcher is common throughout the region, excepting, perhaps, the hilly and more wooded tracts, where it is replaced by the next species. It is a permanent resident and breeds from February to August, but March and July are the months in which most nests are to be found. They have at least two broods in the year, and if undisturbed use the same nest for the second brood. The nest is generally placed on the upper surface of a horizontal bough, and is difficult to find, as it appears to be a mere excrescence on the branch, with which it assimilates in color. In shape it is a rather deep cup, about If inches in diameter, and rather more than an inch in depth ; it is rarely more than one-quarter of an inch thick. It is generally composed of fine grass or vegetable fibres, coated on the outside with cobwebs. After their eggs are laid, these little birds become very fussy and courageous, darting out and attacking any bird that approaches the nest, no matter how large. The eggs, three in number, are broad ovals in shape, and vary from white to dingy creamy-white or pale yellowish-brown in color, with a belt of greyish-brown and faint inky-purple specks and spots round the larger end. They average 0'66 in length by about 0*5 in breadth. Leucocerca leucogaster, Cav. 293. — Leucocerca pectoralis, Jerd. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 453 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 293 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 396. THE WHITE-SPOTTED FANTAIL. Length, 7 ; wing, 3 ; tail, 4 ; tarsus, 0'38 ; bill at front, 0'3. Bill black ; irides dark-brown ; legs black. Above, the whole head black, with a narrow white supercilium ; the rest of the upper plumage brownish-dusky ; wings dusky ; the coverts very slightly tipped with albescent ; tail dusky, all but the middle feathers passing gradually into dirty-whitish towards their extremity ; beneath, the throat and belly white ; the under tail-coverts edged with rufous ; the sides of the throat, and the 11 162 MUSCICAPIN/E. whole breast, black, the middle of the latter marked with oval white spots. The White-spotted Fantail Fly-catcher is found in various parts of the Deccan ; it is also common at Mount Aboo ; it is a permanent resident, and breeds during March and April. The nest is placed in a fork of some low thick bush, generally a cowranda bush, and is a neat, well-made cup, composed of grass stems, and coated on the exterior with cobwebs ; the sides are nowhere more than a quarter of an inch in thickness, but the bottom is often continued to a point. The eggs, three in number, are broad ovals in shape, of a buffy- white color, with a zone of lavender and brownish spots towards the larger end. They measure 0*67 inches in length by about O52 in breadth. GENUS, Culicicapa. Bill short, broad, suddenly compressed at tip, and much deflect- ed, barely notched ; nareal bristles long and strong ; rictal bristles a little shorter ; wings, with the first quill shorter, and the third longer, the fourth and fifth very little longer ; tail moderate, almost even ; tarsus short ; feet very feeble. Culicicapa ceylonensis, Swains. 295. — Cryptolopha cinereocapilla, Vieill. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 455 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 396 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 66. THE GEEY-HEADED FLY-CATCHER. Length, 4'5 to 475 ; wing, 2'4 ; tail, 212 ; tarsus, 0'5. Bill blackish above, horny-reddish beneath ; irides deep-brown ; feet dingy-red. Above, the head, nape, and ear-coverts, dark-ashy; back, wings, and tail light-yellow green ; quills and tail-feathers dusky internally ; rump and upper tail-coverts tinged yellow ; beneath, the chin, throat, neck, and breast, pale-ashy ; the rest of the lower plumage dingy-yellow, greenish on the flanks. The Grey-headed Fly-catcher is a not uncommon cold weather visitant to Satara, and has been recorded from the Ahmednagar district. It is fairly common in Central India, but does not occur elsewhere within our limits. SUB-FAMILY, Muscicapinse. Bill depressed, moderately wide, slightly hooked and notched at the tip ; rictal bristles moderate ; wings moderate ; tarsus short or slightly lengthened, moderately strong ; feet small or moderate, chiefly of small size. GENUS, Alseonax. Bill much depressed and very shallow, wide at the base, slender and suddenly narrowed at the tip, and faintly hooked and MUSCICAPIN^E. 163r notched ; rictal bristles moderate ; wing longish, the third and fourth quills equal and longest. Alseonax latirostris, Raffles. 297,— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p, 459 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 396. THE SOUTHERN BROWN FLY-CATCHER. Length, 5'5 ; wing, 275 ; tail, 2 ; tarsus, 0'53 ; bill at front, 0'3. Bill dusky-yellow at gape and beneath, and dusky at tip ; Hides deep-brown ; legs brown. Above light brownish-grey, beneath white, tinged with very pale-ashy on the breast, sides of throat, and flanks ; eyelids conspicuously white. The Southern Brown Fly-catcher occurs sparingly throughout the Deccan, but is rather more common at Belgaum and "Ratnagiri. It has not been recorded from either Sind or Guzerat. Butalis grisola, Lin. 299bis.— Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 467 ; Muscicapa grisola, Lin. ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 127. THE SPOTTED-GREY FLY-CATCHER. THE CHERRY CHOPPER. Length, 6 to 6 '3 ; expanse, 10 to 10*5; wing, 3'25 to 3'45 ; tail from vent, 2 '7 5 to 3 ; tarsus, 0'6. Bill black, dark fleshy at base of lower mandible ; irides deep- brown ; legs and feet blackish-brown. The lores and feathers immediately above the nostrils dingy fulvous-white ; head, nape, cheeks, ear-coverts, back and scapulars, pale-earthy or greyish-brown ; the feathers of the head with darker brown central streaks not extending to the tips, and those of the forehead tinged with the fulvous color of the lores ; the rump in some uniform with the back, in others slightly darker ; wings and tail brown, paler and greyer on the tertials and laterals ; all the feathers margined with brownish- white, the greater secondary-coverts and tertials most broadly so ; the tail-feathers, except the exterior lateral ones, very inconspicuously so ; lower parts white, tinged with fawn-color towards the vent, and with narrrow inconspicuous grey-brown streaks on the breast ; axillaries and wing-lining very pale rufous-fawn ; sides and flanks tinged faintly with the same color and dull fulvous. The Cherry Chopper only occurs as a very rare visitant, during August and September, to parts of Sind and Guzerat. It has not been recorded from the Deccan. GENUS, Stoporala, Slyth. Bill short, depressed, perfectly triangular, short, much hooked at tip ; rictal and nareal bristles moderate ; wings rather long ; 164 MUSCICAPIN.E. third, fourth, and fifth quills subequal ; tail moderate, even ; tarsus short, stout ; lateral toes nearly equal. Stoporala melanops, Vig. 301. — Eumyias melanops, Vig. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 463 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p 467 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 396 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 66. THE VERDITER FLY-CATCHER. Length, 6 ; wing, 3'3 ; tail, 275 ; tarsus, 0'6. Bill black ; irides deep-brown ; legs black. Plumage generally verditer-blue, brightest on the forehead, sides of head, chin, throat and breast, also on the rump and upper tail-coverts ; dull on the back of the neck and interscapu- lars ; lores black ; quills dusky internally, dull-blue externally ; tail greenish-blue. With the exception of Sind, the Verditer Fly-catcher occurs as a cold weather visitant throughout the region, but is nowhere very common. GENUS, Cyornis, Bly. Bill feeble, somewhat lengthened, not very wide at the base, tapering, suddenly narrowing and well hooked at tip ;rictal bristles moderate, feeble ; nareal bristles rather long ; wings moderate ; third quill a little shorter ; fourth and fifth quills sub-equal and longest ; tail moderate, nearly even ; tarsus moderate, slender ; lateral toes nearly equal ; middle-toe long. Cyornis rubeculoides, Vig. 304.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 466 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 397. THE BLUE-THROATED RED-BREAST. Length, 575 ; expanse, 9 ; wing, 2'9 ; tarsus, 07 ; bill at front, 0-33. Bill black ; irides dark-brown ; legs brown. Male. — The head, neck, body above, dark-blue ; forehead and shoulder of the wing bright pale-blue ; lores, ear-coverts, and frontal plumes, black ; inner webs of quills, and of the tail- feathers (and the whole under surface of these), dusky-black ; throat dark-blue ; neck and breast bright-rufous ; abdomen white. The female is olive-brown above, with a rufous breast and white belly. The Blue-throated Red-breast is a very rare cold weather visitant to parts of the Deccan, but does not occur elsewhere within our range. Cyornis tickelli, Bly. 305 c?.— Cyornis banyumas, Horsfield. MUSCICAPIN^:. 165 306 $ . — Cyornis tickellice, Blyth. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, pp. 466 and 467 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 468; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 397; Siphia tickellce, Bly. ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 66. TICKELL'S BLUE RED-BREAST. Length, 575 to 6 ; expanse, 9 ; wing, 275 ; tail, 2'5 ; tarsus, 075 ; bill at front, 0'3. . Bill black ; irides deep-brown ; legs brownish. ' Male. — Above rather dark-blue ; forehead, and streak over eye, pale bright-blue ; lores and ear-coverts black ; beneath, the chin, throat, and breast, yellow-ferruginous, passing to white on the middle of the abdomen, and the under tail-coverts pure white ; flanks slightly fulvescent. Female. — Above dull greyish-blue, brighter on the forehead, shoulders of the wings, and upper tail-coverts ; chin white, tinged with fulvescent ; throat and breast light ferruginous ; belly albescent ; under tail-coverts pure white ; bill blackish ; legs pale. Tickell's Blue Red-breast does not occur in Sind, but it has been recorded as more or less rare from all other portions of our district. It is probably a permanent resident in the hilly and forest districts, but elsewhere appears to be a seasonal visitant only. Jerdon in his Birds of India has described the male and female as different species. Cyornis ruficaudus, Swains. 307.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 468 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 469 ; Guzerat, Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 397. THE RUFOUS-TAILED FLY-CATCHER. Length, 5*5 ; wing, 2'8 ; tail, 2'25 ; tarsus, 0'6. Bill dusky ; irides deep-brown. Above, olivaceous-brown ; rump and upper tail-coverts ferru- ginous, and the tail bright dark-ferruginous, the middle pair suffused with dusky, and the outer webs of the other also sullied with fuscous ; beneath, the chin whitish, the rest of the plumage below pale greyish-brown, passing to white on the abdomen and under tail-coverts, which last are faintly tinged with ferruginous. The Rufous-tailed Fly-catcher has been recorded as a very rare cold weather visitant both from Ahmednagar and Sholapur, and also from Mount Aboo. These are the only instances of its occur- rence within our limits. Cyornis pallipes, Jerd. 309. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 469 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 397. 166 MUSCICAPIN^E. THE WHITE-BELLIED BLUE FLY-CATCHER. Length, 6'5 ; expanse, 10 ; wing, 3 ; tail, 2'5 ; bill at front, from edge of feathers, 0'5 ; tarsus, 073. Bill black ; irides brown ; feet and claws vary from pale whity- brown to pale leaden-grey. Entirely of a deep indigo-blue, except on the belly and under tail-coverts which are white ; wings and tail dusky on their inner webs. The above is Dr. Jerdon's description which is very brief and not altogether satisfactory. I therefore subjoin Mr. Hume's description : — The lores and an excessively narrow line across the forehead at the base of the bill black ; above this the forehead and two long superciliary stripes are of a perceptibly paler and brighter blue than the rest of the plumage ; the belly, abdomen, vent, and lower tail-coverts, and greater portion of wing-lining, pure white ; sides and flanks greyish ; chin blackish ; inner webs of the quills, greater-coverts, and tail-feathers, hair-brown ; the rest of the plumage dull blue, indigo in some specimens. The White-bellied Blue Fly-catcher is probably a rare cold weather visitant to the Ghat range only. It has been obtained on the Goa frontier and on the Ghats west of Belgaum. GENUS, Muscicapulse, Blyih. Bill feeble, depressed, moderately wide at the base, gradually narrowing and triangular, very slightly hooked and notched at the tip ; nareal and rictal bristles rather short ; wing moderate ; third and fourth quills sub-equal, fifth very little shorter ; tail moderate ; tarsus slender, slightly lengthened ; toes unequal, middle- toe somewhat lengthened. Muscicapula superciliaris, Jerd. 310.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 470 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 397. THE WHITE-BROWED BLUE FLY-CATCHER. Length, 4 '2 5 ; wing, 2 ; tail, 1/8 ; tarsus, 0'5. Bill black ; irides deep-brown ; legs brown. Above, and the sides of the head, full prussian blue, some of the feathers of the rump with the shaft, and a bar in the middle of the feather, white ; wing and tail black, edged with blue ; the base of the tail-feathers except the centrals, white ; a broad superciliary stripe extending to some distance behind the eyes, and the plumage beneath snowy-white ; a band of blue extend- ing from the sides of the neck more or less across the sides of the breast. The White-browed Blue Fly-catcher is an extremely rare cold weather visitant to the Deccan, it having been obtained at Nagar by Mr. Fairbank, but this is the only record of its occur- rence within our limits. MUSCICAPIN.E. 167 GENUS, Erythrosterna, Bon. Bill moderately wide at the base, depressed, slightly hooked and notched at the tip ; rictal and nareal bristles moderate ; wings moderate, or rather long, third quill nearly as long as the fourth ; tail moderate, even, or emarginate ; tarsus slighly lengthened ; feet moderate, Erythrosterna albicilla, Pall. 323. — Erythrosterna leucura, Gmel. — Jerdon's Birds of India, : Vol. I, p. 481. THE WHITE-TAILED ROBIN FLY-CATCHER. Length, 5 ; wings, 2'6 ; tail, 2 ; tarsus, 07. Bill dusky-brown ; irides dark-brown ; legs pale-brown. Above greyish olive-brown ; wings brown ; tail blackish-brown ; the four outer tail-feathers on each side white for the greater part of their length, broadly tipped with brown ; beneath white, tinged with ashy-brown on the breast and flanks. In spring, by the end of March or the beginning of April, the male by a partial moult assumes a bright orange-rufous chin and throat, and the lores, cheeks, and sides of the neck become tolerably pure ashy. This livery is again cast at the autumnal moult. The occurrence of the White-tailed Robin Fly-catcher within our limits is very doubtful. Erythrosterna parva, Beclist. 3236£s. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Supplementary List ; Ibis, 1872 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol, III, p. 469 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 397 ; Muscicapa parva, Bechst ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 128 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 67. The EUROPEAN WHITE-TAILED FLY-CATCHER differs only from the last in having the ferruginous coloring spread down the breast, instead of being confined to the neck and throat. It is doubtful if the male ever assumes the garb of the female. It is spread generally throughout the district, but only as a rather common cold weather visitant Erythrosterna maculata, Tickdl. 326.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 483. THE LITTLE PIED FLY-CATCHER. Length, 4'5 ; expanse, 7'5 ; wing, 2'4 ; tail, 1'85 ; tarsus, 0'9. Bill black ; irides dark-brown ; legs red- brown. Above, with the lores, cheeks, and sides of neck black ; a broad white eyebrow extending to the nape ; large spot on the wings formed by the greater-coverts, and the edges of the secondaries white, and all the tail-feathers, except the central ones, white for two-thirds of their length ; beneath pure white. 168 MYIOTHERIN.E. The Little Pied Fly-catcher is stated by Tickell to be rare in Central India, and Jerdon surmises that it occurs only during the cold weather. FAMILY, Merulids9. Bill typically moderate, compressed, nearly straight, with the culmen gently curved, and slightly notched or entire ; in a few larger and curved, in some thick and deep ; tarsus moderate or long ; feet strong, fit for progression on the ground. SUB-FAMILY, Myiotherinse, Swains. Bill slender, straight, or slightly curved, stout in a few ; wings typically short ; feet and legs long and strong ; tail short in most. GENUS, Myiophonus, Temm. Bill large, strong, compressed, of moderate length, nearly straight, strongly hooked at tip, and slightly notched ; rictal bristles almost wanting ; nares round, with some frontal plumes and hairs at their base ; wing long, rather pointed ; fourth and fifth quills nearly equal ; fifth longest ; tail moderate, even, or slightly rounded ; tarsus long, stout, entire ; feet strong ; middle-toe long ; laterals short, nearly equal ; claws strong, well curved. Myiophonus horsfieldi, Vig. 342.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 499 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 342 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 398. THE MALABAK WHISTLING THRUSH. Length, 11 ; wing, 6 ; tail, 475 ; tarsus, 0'9 ; bill at front, 1-25. Bill black ; irides dark-brown ; legs brown-black. General plumage black, more or less tinged with deep-blue ; a band on the forehead, not extending to the base of the bill, and shoulders fine, shining cobalt or smalt-blue ; some of the feathers of the breast and abdomen edged with the same. The Malabar Whistling Thrush is a not uncommon permanent resident along the whole of the Sahyadri range ; it occurs also at Mount Aboo. The nest, a large structure composed of roots, moss, &c., is placed under the shelf of a rock, or in some such simi- lar situation. The eggs, three or four in number, are broadish ovals, salmon-pink or whitish-pink in color, speckled and spotted with brownish-pink. They measure 1*22 in length by about 0*96 inches in breadth. It breeds during March and April. GENUS, Pitta, Vieill. Bill moderate ; tip slightly forked ; wings moderate ; the second and third, or third and fourth quills being the longest ; first a little shorter than the fourth. TURBINE. 169 Pitta brachyura, Lin. 345. — Pitta bengatensis, Gmel. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 503 ; P. coronata, Mull ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 470 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 398. THE YELLOW-BREASTED GROUND THRUSH. Nourang, Hin. Length, 7 ; wing, 4'25 ; tail, 1'7 ; tarsus, 1-5 ; bill at front, 0'6. Bill black ; irides hazel-brown ; legs yellowish-pink. Head olivaceous- fulvous, with a median black stripe from the base of bill to the back of the neck, meeting another black band that passes through the ears ; a white superciliary line extending also to the nape, but not quite meeting its fellow ; the whole back, rump, scapulars and wing-coverts, dull blue-green ; the lengthened upper tail-coverts pale-blue ; a pale azure-blue patch on the shoulder of the wing ; quills black, with a white bar on the first six primaries, and the tip of all white or albescent ; secondaries blue- green on the outer margin, increasing in extent inwardly ; tail black, tipped with dull-blue ; beneath, the chin, throat, and the sides of the neck below the ears, white ; the rest of the lower parts isabelline or fulvescent, with the middle of the lower part of the abdomen, the vent, and the under tail-coverts, scarlet. The Yellow-breasted Ground Thrush is not uncommon in the Deccan, during the seasons of migration, viz., April and May, and again in September and October ; it also occurs at Mount Aboo, about the same time, and has not unfrequently been obtained at and near Deesa. It has not been recorded from Sind. SUB-FAMILY, Turdinae. Bill of moderate length, as long as head ; nostrils in a groovf apert ; wings long and broad, somewhat pointed ; first quill ver} short ; third and fourth longest, sub-equal ; tail moderate ; outer- toe longer than inner, and united to middle at base. GENUS, Monticola. Bill moderate or long, mod erately hooked at tip ; nostrils apert ; rictal bristles numerous ; wings long ; third quill longest ; tarsus scutellate. Monticola cyaneus, Lin. 351. — Petrocossyphus cyaneus, Lin.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 511 ; Cyanocincla cyana, Lm.; Butler, Guzerat; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 470 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 398 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 129 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 67. THE BLUE ROCK THRUSH. Length, 8-5 to 9 ; expanse, 13 to 14'5 ; wing, 4'5 to 5 ; tail, 3'1 to 3-8 ; bill at front, 07 to 0'9 ; bill from gape, 1'25. 170 TURDIN^E. Bill black ; irides brown ; legs black. Male throughout of a dull indigo-blue, more or less marked with dusky, and the feathers of the abdomen, vent, and under tail- coverts, pale tipped, in some specimens with a tinge of deep ferruginous on the feathers of these parts. The female is dingy greyish-brown, with a faint blue or ashy tinge, greyish on the tail; some of the feathers edged with whitish, and the under parts fulvescent-greyish, with dusky cross bands, some being rufescent on the lower parts, especially on the vent and under tail-coverts. The Blue Rock Thrush is a common winter visitant throughout the region, arriving during October and leaving about April ; it is very solitary in its habits, and appears to frequent the same loca- lity, not only throughout the season, but for several successive ones Jerdon records that " it is supposed to be the sparrow of our English version of the Scriptures that sitteth alone on the house tops." Monticola cinclorhynchus, Fig. 353. — Orocetes cinclorhynchus, Vig. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 515 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 470 ; Petrophila cinclorhynchus, Vig. ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 398 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 130 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 67. THE BLUE-HEADED CHAT THEUSH. Length, 7'5 ; expanse, 11'5; wing, 3'8 to 42; tail, 2*8; tarsus, 0'85 ; bill at front, 0*6 ; bill from gape, 1-1. Bill brownish-black ; irides hazel-brown ; legs plumbeous. Male. — Head, nape, and shoulders of the wings, pale-blue ; lores, ear-coverts, back and wings, black, tinged with dusky-blue on the back, and on some of the wing-coverts and quills ; a white wing spot, formed by a white bar on the outer webs of the secondaries ; rump and upper tail-coverts ferruginous ; tail black, edged with blue ; chin pale-blue ; breast, abdomen, and under tail- coverts ferruginous. Female. — Brownish-olive above, yellowish- white beneath, tinged with rufous on the breast, and barred crosswise with olive-brown. During the cold weather the Blue-headed Chat Thrush is generally distributed throughout the region, but occurs much more rarely in Sind. It is solitary in its habits. GENUS, Geocichla, Kuhl. Bill moderate, stout, compressed, straight ; culmen gently arched throughout, tolerably hooked at the tip, and slightly notched ; nostrils lengthened ; a small nude spot behind the eye ; wings and tail moderate, or rather short ; tarsus slightly lengthened ; lateral toes short, nearly equal. TURBINE. 171 Geocichla cyanotis, Jard and Selby. 354. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 517 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 398. THE WHITE-WINGED GROUND THRUSH. Length, 7'5 to 8'5 ; expanse, 12'25 to 14 ; wing, 4'2 to 4'5 ; tail, 275 to 3 ; tarsus, T25 to 1-5 ; bill at front, 07 ; bill from gape, 1. Bill blackish ; irides dark-brown ; legs fleshy-brown. Head, nape, hind-neck, and sides of neck, ferruginous ; the rest of the plumage above dull-cyaneous or leaden ; wings and tail dusky, the former with a white spot on the median wing-coverts, and the outer feathers of the tail also tipped with white ; lores white ; ear-coverts white in the centre, continued down the sides of the neck, and with a brown spot above and below the latter passing into ferruginous, and bordering the white of the ears ; beneath, the chin, throat, and neck, white ; the breast, abdomen, and flanks, bright- ferruginous ; and the vent and under tail-coverts white. The colors of the female are less pure than those of the male. The White-winged Ground Thrush only occurs within our limits on the Sahyadri Kange and in the adjoining forests, as far north at least as Khandalla. It is a permanent resident, but owing to the bird's crepuscular habits, it often escapes observation. Geocichla citrina, Lath. 355.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 517 ; Butler, Deccan ; VT ** Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 398. THE ORANGE-HEADED GROUND THRUSH. Length, 812 to 9; expanse, 1375 to 15 ; tail, 275 to 3'25 ; wing, 4-4 to 4'82 ; tarsus, 1'2 to 1'35 ; bill from gape, 1'05 to 1*2. Bill horny-black, fleshy-white at base beneath ; irides dark- brown ; nude patch behind eye, flesh-colored ; legs fleshy-white. The whole head, neck, and lower plumage, pale brownish-orange ; the chin and throat paling and albescent ; the rest of the upper plumage blue-grey ; a small white wing spot on the median- coverts, and the primary-coverts tipped black ; lower part of abdo- men paling towards the vent, which, with the lower tail-coverts, is white. The female differs slightly, being tinged with olivaceous on the back, wings and tail. The occurrence of the Orange-headed Ground Thrush within our limits is very doubtful ; if it occurs at all, it can only be as a very rare winter visitant. Geocichla unicolor, TicMl. 356.— -.Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 519 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 470 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 399 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 131. 172 TURDIN^E. THE DUSKY GROUND THRUSH. Length, 9 ; expanse, 14'5;wing, 4'5 ; tail, 313; tarsus, 1 '12 ; bill at front, 07. Bill dusky-yellow ; eyelids and gape yellow ; irides brown ; legs yellowish-brown. Male above uniform dusky slaty ash-color ; chin nearly white ; throat pale-ashy; breast ashy; abdomen and lower tail-coverts white ; under wing-coverts and flanks of abdomen ferruginous. The female is olive-brown above, ashy about the rump ; ear- coverts ashy-brown, with light shafts ; beneath the chin and throat albescent or very pale-ashy, bordered by a dark stripe from the base of the lower mandible, and the feathers of the throat and neck streaked with dusky-brown ; the breast and sides ashy-brown, tinged with fulvous, or olive-brown on the flanks ; belly, vent, and lower tail-coverts, white. Occurs throughout the district as a rather rare cold weather visitant. GENUS, Turdulus, Hodgson. Bill rather short, something like that of Geocichla, generally yellow ; tarsus rather short. Males colored black, and white ; females dingy-olive or brown. Otherwise as in Merula. Turdulus wardi, Jerd. 357.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 520 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 399. WARD'S PIED BLACKBIRD. Length, 8*5 to 9 ; wing, 4*6 ; tail, 3*4; tarsus, 1*2; bill at front, 075. Bill yellow ; irides brown ; legs yellow. Male, above with the whole . head and neck, black ; eye-streak, a patch on the shoulders of the wings, tips of all the coverts, especially the medial -co verts white ; tertiaries and secondaries also tipped white, the latter slightly, and the primaries narrowly edged with the same ; upper tail-coverts also tipped ; tail with the central tail-feathers slightly white tipped, the rest of the feathers successively more broadly so, but chiefly on the inner webs, and increasing in amount to the outermost, which has the inner web white for two-thirds of its length ; the web black nearly to the tip. The female is pale-brownish above ; the eye-streak, tips of the wing-coverts and of the tertiaries, fulvous-white ; upper tail- coverts and tips of the tail-feathers, whitish ; beneath fulvous- white, variegated with dusky ; under tail-coverts pure white ; the feathers of the throat, breast and flanks, with dusky spots ; axillaries pure white. The occurrence of Ward's Blackbird within our limits is very doubtful. Major Lloyd includes it in his list of the Birds of the Concan. TURBINE. 173 GENUS, Merula, Leach. Bill slightly lengthened, compressed at the tip, and notched ; nostrils feathered at the base ; rictal bristles short and strong ; tarsus of moderate length ; feet strong ; wings long, second quill shorter than the fifth, which is nearly as long as the third and fourth ; tail square or nearly so. Merula nigropilea, Lafr. 359.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 523; Butler , Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 470 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Yol, IX, p. 399. THE BLACK-CAPPED BLACKBIRD. Length, 9*5 ; wing, 4'9 ; tail, 3'5 ; tarsus, T2 ; bill at front, 0*8. Bill orange-yellow, as also are the gape and eyelids ; legs brownish-yellow. Male. — Head, with the lores, cheeks and nape, deep black ; back, rump, wings and tail, dark-blackish, tinged with brown on the interscapulars ; chin blackish ; neck, all round to the nape (con- trasting there strongly with the black of the crown) and the lower parts brownish-ashy, paler on the belly, and passing to white on the vent ; under tail-coverts mingled white and ashy. The Black-capped Blackbird is a permanent resident and occurs on the Sahyadri Range as far north as Khandalla, and is also common at Mount Aboo, where it is particularly abundant during the rains at which season it breeds, but its nest does not appear to have been taken. Merula atrogularis, Tern. 365. — Planesticus atrogularis, Gm. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I. p. 529 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 131. THE BLACK-THROATED THRUSH. Length, 10'5 ; expanse, 17 ; wing, 575 ; tail, 4'4 ; bill at front, 0-6. Bill yellow, dusky at tip; orbits yellow; irides dark-brown; legs horny-yellowish-brown. Male. — Above pale cinereous-brown ; wings and tail darker ; tail occasionally tinged with rufous ; beneath the throat albescent- brownish with some undefined dark markings, the centre of each feather being dark, and lower down these coalesce and form a broad dark-brown, or blackish pectoral gorget ; the rest, beneath, pale cinereous-white, a few of the feathers next the breast centred or barred with dusky ; under wing-coverts rusty ; lower tail- coverts indistinctly barred with brown and rusty. The female wants the pectoral gorget, but has the breast buff, mixed with dusky, and some brown striae on the sides of the throat and breast ; the abdomen, too, is whiter than in the male, and the lower tail-coverts are bufty-white. 1 74 SIMALIN.E. The Black-throated Thrush only occurs as a cold weather visi- tant to Northern Sind. I found it very common between Kandahar and Q uetta during the time of its migration. SUB-FAMILY, Simalinae. Legs and feet stout and large ; bill various in form and length, almost always compressed, usually notched ; wings short and rounded ; tail largish, graduated ; plumage often lax. GENUS, Pyctorhis, Gmelin. Bill rather short, strong, deep, arched, entire ; rictus strongly bristled ; orbits nude ; wings rather short and feeble, fourth and fifth quills longest ; tail long, graduated ; legs and feet stout and large ; claws large, moderately curved. Pyctorhis sinensis, Gmelin. 385. — Jerdon's Birds of India, VoL II, p. 15 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. III. p. 471 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 399 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 132 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 67. THE YELLOW-EYED BABBLER, Length, 6'5 ; expanse, 7 to 7 '8 ; wing, 2'4 to 2'8 ; tail, 3 to 3'5 ; bill at front, 0'45 ; tarsus, 09 to I'l. Bill black, with the nostrils deep yellow ; irides dark brown, with an outer circle of buff ; orbits bright orange ; legs yellow. • Above clear red-brown, rufous or cinnamon color on the wings, and the tail obsoletely banded with dusky ; lores and all the, lower plumage white; lower surface of wings and tail dusky- cinereous. The Yellow-eyed Babbler is a common permanent resident throughout the district, breeding from June to August ; the nest is beautifully made, of a deep cup-shape, and is placed in a slender fork of a bush or small tree ; sometimes it is suspended between stalks of growing corn or reeds ; it is composed of grass, inter- laced with vegetable fibre and lined with fine grass ; the eggs, four or five in number, vary much in shape, size and color but they are generally rather broad ovals, averaging 073 in length by about 0*59 inches in breadth. Some eggs have a pinkish-white ground, thickly mottled and speckled with bright deep brick-dust red ; others have the pinkish- white ground, but are boldly, though sparingly, blotched with patches and streaks of blood or bright brick-red, interspersed with a few inky-purple spots or clouds ; between these two types every variety is met with ; the eggs are in general finely glossed. Pyctorhis griseigularis, Hume. — Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 132. SIMALIN.E. 175 THE GREY-THROATED BABBLER. Length, 5*5 ; wing, 2'5 ; tail,3'4 ; tarsus, 1. Bill horny or fleshy-brown ; legs pale fleshy-brown. Forehead, upper part of lores and streak over the eyes deep reddish-brown, each feather streaked with ashy-grey ; crown and occiput deep ferruginous ; cheeks and ear-coverts paler ferruginous ; sides of neck yellowish-rusty ; nape, back, scapulars, rump, and upper tail-coverts, bright rusty-ferruginous, in some lights slightly brownish and most rusty on upper tail-coverts, almost entire visible portion of closed wing bright ferruginous-chesuut, rest of feathers hair-brown ; tail moderately dark-brown, feathers margined strongly on outer webs with ferruginous and most broadly so to- wards their bases ; chin, throat, and upper breast pale brownish- grey or ashy, rest of lower parts dull rusty, browner and lighter on lower breast, brighter and more ferruginous on flanks and lower tail-coverts. The Grey-throated Babbler is a rather doubtful species. Within our limits it has only been procured in Sind, where doubtless it is a permanent resident. GENUS, Alcippe, Blyth. Bill short, moderately stout and compressed ; culmen slightly curved, hooked and notched ; nostrils slightly impended by some setae ; rictal bristles moderate ; wings moderate, rounded, fourth and fifth quills equal ; tail moderate or rather short, very slightly rounded ; tarsus stout, moderate ; lateral toes unequal ; claws tolerably curved. Alcippe poiocephala, Jerdon. 380. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 18 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 399. THE NEILGHERRY QUAKER THRUSH. Length, 5'9 ; wing, 2'8 ; tail, 23 ; tarsus, 0'88 ; bill at front, 0'45. Bill horny, yellow at gape and edges ; irides greenish-white ; legs pale fleshy. Head and nape dusky-cinereous ; back and ramp greenish-olive, inclining to rufous on the rump, darker and more ferruginous on the wings and tail ; beneath pale rufescent or fulvous, lightest and albescent on the chin and throat. The Neilgherry Quaker Thrush is a permanent resident on the Sahyadri Range, but has not been recorded from any other por- tion of our limits. Alcippe atriceps, Jerdon. 390.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 19 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 399. THE BLACK-HEADED WREN BABBLER. Length, 5'5 ; expanse, 7 ; wing, 2 3 ; tail, 2 ; tarsus, 0'9 ; bill at front, 0-4. 176 SIMALIN^E. Bill horny-brown ; irides pale orange'or buff ; legs plumbeous. Head, cheeks, and nape, black ; wings, tail and under tail- coverts, brownish-olive, darkest on the tail and wings ; beneath white, with a tinge of orange-brown on the sides and towards the vent. The Black-hoaded Wren Babbler has been obtained in the forest west of Belgaum ; it has not been recorded from elsewhere within the region. GENUS, Mixornis, Hodgson. Bill rather long, compressed, with a tendency to arch ; tip blunt, barely notched ; nostrils ovoid, advanced ; wings moderate, rounded, the first four quills graduated, fifth and sixth sub-equal and longest ; tail moderate or rather short, laterals very unequal ; hind- toe large, nails well curved. Mixornis rubicapillus, Tickell. 395.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 23. THE YELLOW-BREASTED WEEN BABBLER. Length, 575 ; wing, 2'38 ; tail, 2 ; tarsus, 0'8 ; bill at front, 0'6. Bill horny ; irides reddish-hazel ; legs pale horny-brown. Above dull olive-green, inclining to rufescent or brown ; wings and tail rufescent-brown ; part of the forehead, supercilium, ears, and sides of the neck, yellowish-green, with some dusky streaks ; crown of the head dull ferruginous ; beneath pale yellow, fading to whitish on the lower abdomen and olivaceous on the flanks and vent ; the throat and upper part of the breast with some blackish streaks. The Yellow-breasted Wren Babbler has been doubtfully record- ed from Central India. GENUS, Dumetia, Blyih. Bill moderate, or rather short, compressed, pointed ; culmen slightly curving from the base, and the commissure also slightly curved ; a few small rictal bristles ; wings short, rounded, fourth, fifth, and sixth quills nearly equal ; tail moderate, rounded ; tarsus stout ; middle-toe not elongate, lateral toes about equal, hind-toe and claw moderately large. Dumetia hyperythra, Franklin. 397.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 26 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 399 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 67. THE RUFOUS-BELLIED BABBLER. Length, 5'25 ; wing, 21 ; tail, 3'2 ; tarsus, 0'8. Bill horny ; irides pale yellow-brown ; legs fleshy-yellow. Above brownish-olive, the tail obsoletely barred with dusky ; forehead and whole body beneath rufous. SIMALIN.E. 177 The Rufous-bellied Babbler is a permanent resident in parts of the Deccan, and occurs also in the vicinity of Mhow. It breeds from June to August ; the nest is globular in shape, composed of coarse grass blades, sparingly lined with fine grass. It is frequently placed on the ground amongst coarse grass or dead leaves, with which it is frequently incorporated, but sometimes in low scrub-bushes, only a foot or so from the ground. The eggs, four in number, are broad oval in shape, white in color, spotted, freckled, streaked, and blotched with brownish-red and "reddish-purple ; the markings are sometimes clearly defined, at others they are smudgy ; in others again they are speckly. They measure 0'67 inches in length by about 0*53 in breadth. Dumetia albogularis, Blyth. 398.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 26 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 471 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 400. THE WHITE-THROATED WREN BABBLER. Length, 5'62 ; expanse, 6*2 ; wing, 2-12 ; tail, 2'25 ; tarsus, 075 ; bill at front, 0'4 ; bill at gape, 0'57. Like the last, but the chin and throat pure white. The White-throated Babbler is another species that only occurs within our limits, on the Sahyadri Range and forests adjacent, but turns up again at Mount Aboo. It is probably a permanent resident. GENUS, Pellorneum, Swainson. Bill moderate, straight, compressed, very gently curving throughout, slightly hooked at tip, and notched ; rictal bristles feeble ; wings much rounded, fifth, sixth and seventh quills nearly equal ; tail moderate, rounded ; tarsus moderate ; feet large ; mid- dle-toe lengthened ; laterals barely unequal ; hind- toe long ; claws tolerably curved. Pellorneum ruficeps, Swainson. 399.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 27 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 400. THE SPOTTED WREN BABBLER. Length, 7 ; expanse, 9 ; wing, 3 ; tail, 3 ; tarsus, 1 ; bill at front, 07. Bill horny above, yellowish-fleshy beneath ; irides brick-red ; legs fleshy-yellow. Above olive-brown ; crown and nape deep rusty colored, with a more or less marked white eyebrow from the forehead to the nape ; ears dusky- white, or mixed brown and white, or entirely brown ; beneath white or fulvous- white, with spots of dark olive on the sides of the breast and belly, olivaceous on the flanks and under tail -co verts. 12 178 SIMALINJE. The Spotted Wren Babbler only occurs within our limits, on the Sahyadri Range, as far north as Mahableshwar. GENUS, Pomatorhinus, Horsfield. Bill long, compressed, pointed, much curved throughout, entire at the tip ; nostrils barely apert, lengthened ; a few very small rictal bristles ; wings short, rounded ; fifth and sixth quills longest ; tail long or moderate, rounded ; tarsi and feet long and stout ; anterior toes not much elongated ; hind-toe large ; claws large, moderately curved, somewhat blunt. Pomatorhinus horsfieldi, Sykes. 404. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 31 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 400. THE SOUTHERN SCIMITAR BABBLER. Length, 9'5 ; wing, 3'8; tail, 4 ; tarsus, 1*3 ; bill at front, 1. Bill yellow, dusky above ; irides dark-red ; legs dusky-green. Above deep olive-brown ; a white superciliary stripe ; neck in front, breast, and middle of abdomen, white ; the flanks, vent, and under tail-coverts olive-brown. The Southern Scimitar Babbler has the same range as the preceding, but is much more common and is a permanent resident. Pomatorhinus obscurus, Hume. 404ter.— Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 471. HUME'S SCIMITAR BABBLER. Length, 9'5 to 10 12 ; expanse, 11 ; wing, 3'5 to 415 ; tail, 4 ; bill at front, T32 to 135 ; bill at gape, T4. Bill ivory-yellow, horny at base of upper mandible or dirty- yellow, blackish on the ridge at base of upper mandible ; irides dark red or reddish-brown ; legs and feet dark, slightly greenish- plumbeous, or olivaceous-slate. Chin, throat, breast and centre of abdomen, and a long super- ciliary stripe from forehead to nape, pure white ; the whole of the rest of the plumage a dull smoky earth-brown, rather a purer brown on quills and tail, which are very faintly rufescent ; the tail obsoletely barred ; the lores dark-brown ; the ear-coverts slightly darker-brown than the rest of the body. Hume's Scimitar Babbler is common at Aboo, and must occur on the hills in the vicinity of Mhow. GENUS, Malacocercus, Swainson. Bill short or moderate, much compressed, rather deep, curving from the base, barely hooked at the tip, entire ; commissure slightly curved ; gonys ascending ; nostrils apert ; a few short pale rictal setae ; wings short, much rounded, fourth, fifth and sixth quills nearly equal and longest ; tail moderately long, broad ; tarsus stout, scutellate ; feet rather large ; claws moderately curved. SIMALIN.E. 179 Malacocereus terricolor, Hodgson. 432.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 59 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 472 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p, 133 ; Svvinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 67. THE BENGAL BABBLER. Sat bhai, Hin. Length, 9 to 10 ; extent, 13 ; wing, 412 ; tail, 4'5 ; tarsus, :1 '5 ; bill at front, 075. Bill horny-brown ; irides pale yellow ; legs dingy-yellow. Above brownish-ashy, paler and somewhat cinereous on the head and neck, browner on the back, where the feathers are faintly pale shafted ; quills brown, with outer webs paler, and narrowly bordered with ashy ; tail reddish-brown, faintly barred, and the outer feathers tipped with pale whity-brown ; beneath pale ashy-brown on the throat and breast, the feathers very faintly edged and shafted lighter ; abdomen, vent, and under tail-coverts, pale fulvescent. With the exception of the Deccan, the Bengal Babbler is common throughout our limits ; it is a permanent resident and breeds from March to July. The nests are often found in gardens, in fruit trees, vineries, thick hedges, and in fact almost anywhere ; they are of a deep cup-shape, generally loosely constructed, but occasionally they are more neatly made ; they are composed of grass stems and roots. The eggs, three or four in number, are variable both in shape and color, but are typically broad oval in shape and deep blue in color. They average one inch in length by about 078 in breadth. They are in general highly glossy. Malacocereus griseus, Latham, 433.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 60 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 400. THE WHITE-HEADED BABBLER. Length, 9 ; wing, 4 ; tail, 4 ; tarsus, T25 ; bill at front, 0'55. Bill yellowish ; irides yellowish- white ; legs fleshy-yellow. Head, lores and nape, fulvescent or dirty-whitish ; plumage above darker brown than the last, the feathers with pale shafts ; quills not barred ; tail brown, very faintly barred, and the outer feathers tipped pale ; beneath the chin and throat are mixed brown and ashy, conspicuously darker than the neighbouring parts, each feather being ashy at the base, and with a dark band, tipped paler ; as the pale tip gets worn away, the dark tinge becomes more apparent ; from the breast the rest of the lower parts are pale fulvescent, inclining to rufescent. 180 SIMALIN-ffl. The White-headed Babbler is common at and near Belgaum, where it is a permanent resident, breeding from April to July. Malacocercus malabaricus, Jerdon. 434 — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 62 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 400. THE JUNGLE BABBLER. Length, 9 ; wing, 4'1 ; tail, 4'5 ; tarsus, T2 ; bill at front, 075. Bill and gape dark yellow ; orbits yellow ; irides pale-yellow ; legs dirty-yellow, with a fleshy tinge. Very like M. terricolor, but somewhat darker in color, with broader and more distinct pale mesial streaks on the feathers of the back, and especially of the breast ; the tertiaries are but very obscurely striated, but the tail is distinctly so. The Jungle Babbler is rather irregular in its breeding habits, nests having been taken from April to October ; it is generally placed in the centre of a thorny bush. The eggs, three or four in number, are similar to those of M. terricolor. They average 0'97 inches in length by about 077 in breadth. The occurrence of the Jungle Babbler within our limit is rather doubtful. Jerdon implies that it occurs along the Malabar coast, and Major Lloyd includes it in his list of Konkan species. Malacocercus somervillii, Sykes. 435.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 63 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 400. THE RUFOUS-TAILED BABBLER. Length, 9'5; wing, 4'25; tail, 4; tarsus, 1*13; bill at front, 075. Bill horny-yellow ; irides pale-yellow ; legs dirty-yellow. Above ashy-brown, the feathers of the back barely lighter shafted, passing into rufescent on the rump and upper tail- coverts ; quills dark-brown on both webs ; tail rufous-brown, obsoletely banded ; beneath, the chin and throat are mixed dark-brown and ashy as in griseus ; the upper part of the breast pale whity -brown, the feathers dark at their base ; the lower breast, belly, vent, and under tail-coverts, rufescent. The Rufous-tailed Babbler is a common permanent resident on the Sahyadri Range and the country adjacent. Mr. Hume says it is confined to a belt of country about 60 miles north and south of Bombay. In its breeding habits it resembles, its congeners. Malacocercus malcolmi, Sykes. 436.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 64 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 472 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 401 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 133 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 67. SIMALIN^E. 181 THE LARGE GREY BABBLER. Length, 11 ; wing, 4'6 ; tail, 575; tarsus, 1'3 ; bill at front 0-9. Bill horny ; irides light-yellow ; legs dirty-yellow. Above of a pale brownish-grey, lighter and more cinereous on the rump ; quills and middle rectrices darker, the latter with some faint cross bands, and the lateral feathers whitish ; fore- head pale-bluish, the feathers with white shafts ; the first three quills with the outer webs pale-yellowish ; beneath uniform : whitish-grey, with a tinge of fulvescent, or rufescent, most distinct on the breast and upper part of the abdomen. The Large Grey Babbler is a permanent resident throughout the district, but is much less common in Sind than elsewhere. It breeds nearly the whole year round, as I have taken eggs from January to the end of October. A small babool tree is- generally selected as the site of the nest, and on a low branch,, not more than 5 or 10 feet from the ground, it constructs a rather loosely woven, but neat cup-shaped, nest. The materials of which it is composed are generally dried grass, and roots inter- mixed with fine twigs. The eggs, generally four in number, are indistinguishable from those of Malococercus terricolor. GENUS, Layardia, Blyth. Similar to Malacocercus, but of more decided colors ; the bill shorter and deeper ; the wings shorter and rounded ; the frontal plumes hispid, but of open texture, and monticolus in its habits. Layardia subrufa, Jerdon. 437.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 66 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 401. THE RUFOUS BABBLER. Length, 9'5 ; wing, 37 ; tail, 4'25 ; tarsus, 1'3; bill at front, 07. Above darkish olive-brown ; forehead pale bluish-ash, the frontal feathers somewhat rigid ; beneath deep-rufous, paler on the chin. The Rufous Babbler occurs in various parts of the Deccan ; it has not been recorded from any other portion of our limits. GENUS, Chatarrhcea, Blyth. Bill longer than in Malacocercus, more slender, and very gently curved, both in the commissure and culmen ; tail long, narrow ; lateral toes about equal ; hind-toe very long ; claws slightly curved. Chatarrhcea caudata, Dumeril. 438. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 67 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 472 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. 182 SIMALIN.E. IX, p. 401 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 133 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 68. THE STRIATED BUSH BABBLER. Length, 9 ; wing, 3 ; tail, 4'5 ; tarsus, 1 ; bill at front, 0'6. Bill pale brownish -horny ; hides red-brown ; legs dull -yellow. Above pale ashy-brown, with numerous dusky striae, each feather being centred brown ; tail pale olive-brown, obsoletely barred with dusky ; beneath the chin white, the rest of the plumage rufescent-ashy, darkest on the flanks. The Striated Bush Babbler is very common throughout the region ; it is a permanent resident, and breeds almost the whole ' year through. I have personally taken eggs in every month except December. The nests are generally placed in thorny bushes, two or three feet from the ground ; they are fairly well made, deep, cup-shaped nests, composed of grass stems and roots, occasionally lined with finer grass. The eggs, three or four in number, are of a moderately elongated oval shape, but spheriform varieties are not uncommon. They are of a glossy spotless pale-blue color, and average 0*82 inches in length by about 0'64 in breadth. Eggs of Goccystes jacobinus are often found in these nests, and are distinguished by their more globular shape. Chatarrhcea earlii, Blyth. 439.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 68 ; Murray's Verte- brate Zoology of Sind, p. 134. THE STRIATED REED BABBLER. Length, 99 ; expanse, 11 ; wing, 35 ; tail, 55 ; tarsus, T38 ; bill at front, 075. Bill pale greenish-yellow, dusky above and at the tip ; irides bright-yellow ; legs dirty greenish-horn. Above pale ashy-brown, with dark brown streaks on the head and back, fading on the upper tail-coverts ; tail concolorous with the back, still paler perhaps, and with no trace of strise ; chin, throat, and upper part of the breast dull reddish-fulvous, edged paler, and with faint dark central lines ; the rest of the under parts dingy-fulvous or albescent-brown. Within our limits, the Striated Reed Babbler only occurs in Sind, where it is a permanent resident, breeding from March to September. They build a neat but rather massive cup-shaped nest, either in close growing reeds or small bushes. The eggs, three or four in number, closely resemble those of G. caudata, but are larger, averaging 0'96 by 073. GENUS, Chaetornis, Grey. Bill very short, strong, high, compressed, curved on the cul- men, strongly hooked at the tip, and notched ; five remarkably SIMALINJC. 183 strong bristles between the gape and the eyes, forming an almost vertical range curved stiffly outwards ; wing somewhat long ; third quill longest ; fourth and fifth nearly equal to it ; second equal to the seventh ; feet and legs strong ; tarsus moderately long, the middle -toe elongate ; laterals unequal ; inner-toe very versatile ; hind-toe long ; all the claws slightly curved. Chaetornis striatus, Jerd. 441. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 72 ; Butler, Aboo and : Northern Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. V, p. 209. THE GRASS BABBLER. Length, 7 to 8-25 ; expanse, 11; wing, 3 to 3'5 ; tail, 375; tarsus, 1*1 ; bill at front, 0'48. Bill dusky-brown above, fleshy brown beneath ; irides yellow- brown or dull grey in some ; legs brownish-fleshy. Above olive or yellowish-brown, the feathers all centred with deep brown; tail brownish, banded with dusky externally, and dusky along the centre of each feather, which is tipped fulvous- white, and the outer feathers have further a dark brown sub- terminal band ; beneath the color is white, tinged with earthy- brown on the breast, and with a few dark specks. The Grass Babbler occurs in Central India, and is not uncommon in the neighbourhood of Deesa. It breeds during the rains, constructing a roundish nest of dry grass, with the entrance on one side near the top, which it places on the ground in the centre of a low bush. The eggs, four in number, are white in color, speckled all over with reddish-brown and pale lavender, more profusely at the large end. They strongly recall eggs of FranJdinia buchanani, but are much larger, equalling those of Chatarrhosa caudata. GENUS, Schcenicola, Blyth, Bill moderate, rather deep, much compressed, slightly curved on the culmen ; a few strong rictal bristles ; wings moderate, slightly rounded ; fourth quill longest ; third quill equal to fifth ; tail moderate, very broad, soft ; tarsus long ; toes grasping ; plu- mage somewhat lax. Schoenicola platyurus, Jerdon. 442.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 73 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 401. THE BROAD-TAILED REED BIRD. Length, 575 ; expanse, 8 ; wing, 2'5 ; tail, 2'5 ; tarsus, 0'88 ; bill at front, 0'4. Bill horny-yellow ; irides yellowish-brown ; legs fleshy-yellow. Above dark olive-brown ; the feathers of the tail obsoletely barred ; beneath ochrey-yellowish. The Broad-tailed Reed Bird is very rare. Major Butler found 184 PYCNONOTIN2E. it breeding at Belgaum amongst long grass in September. It is probably only a seasonal visitant. GENUS, Laticilla^ Blyth. Bill of moderate length, compressed, slender, nearly straight : culmen gently curved, barely hooked at tip; a few distant, short rictal setae ; wings short, rounded ; fourth and fifth quills longest ; tail long, graduated ; the feathers very broad and soft ; tarsus long ; middle-toe elongated ; lateral toes unequal ; hind- toe rather short. Laticilla burnesii, Blyih. 443. — Eurycercus burnesii. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 74 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 134. THE LONG-TAILED REED BIRD. Length, 6'25 ; wing, 2'13 ; tail, 375 ; tusus, 0'8 ; bill at front, 04. Bill horny above, yellowish beneath ; irides brownish-yellow ; legs yellow-brown. Above brownish-grey, with dark central streaks, mostly on the scapulars and back ; tail faintly barred ; under parts whitish, tinged with fulvescent on the flanks, and a shade of the same on the side of the neck, where also a few mesial streaks are distinct ; under tail-coverts ferruginous. Within our limits, the Long-tailed Reed Bird has only been recorded from Sind, where in certain localities it is by no means uncommon, especially in reed and tamarisk thickets. It breeds from March to September ; the nest is placed hf the centre of a tussock of grassland is composed of coarse grass, lined with finer grass. The eggs-, three or four in number, are of a pale-greenish ground color, covered with irregular blotches of purplisb -brown, but they vary a good deal. The eggs in my pos- session average 072 inches in length by 0*53 in breadth. FAMILY, Brachypodidae. Legs and feet very short, only suited for perching; wings moderate or rather long ; bill various, long and Thrush-like in some, short and somewhat depressed in others. SUB-FAMILY, Pycnonotinee. Bill generally short, straight and depressed; rictal bristles well developed ; nostrils exposed. GENUS, Hypsipetes, Vigors. Bill moderately strong, lengthened, nearly straight ; culmen very slightly arched ; nostrils long, with some short tufts and a few hairs at their base ; wings long, fourth and fifth* quills longest, third nearly as long ; tail rather long, square or emarginate ; feet PYCNONOTINJE 185 and legs very short. The head is sub-crested, the feathers being lanceolate, and the rictal bristles are very few and weak. Hypsipetes Ganesa, Sykes. 446. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 78 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Yol. IX, p. 401. THE GHAT BLACK BULBUL. Length, 9'6 to 1075 ; expanse, 14 to 15'5 ; wing, 4'5 to 5 ; t$il, 4'3 to 4'9 ; tarsus, 6 to 7'5 ; bill from gape, 1 '3. Bill deep coral-red; irides deep-brown; legs deep coral-red. Above grey-brown, paler beneath ; wings and tail brown ; head si ightly crested, metallic-black. The Ghat Black Bulbul is a rare but permanent resident in the more hilly portions of the Deccan. It occurs on the Sahyadri Range as far north as Mahableshwar. GENUS, Criniger, TemmincL Bill of moderate length, strong and deep ; the culmen well curved ; rictal bristles distinct, long ; tail nearly even, with the outermost feathers distinctly shorter ; head more or less crested. Criniger ictericus, Strickland. 450.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 82 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 402, THE YELLOW-BROWED BULBUL. Length, 8 ; wing, 37; tail, 3'5; tarsus, 0'8; bill at front, 0*6. Bill black ; irides blood-red; legs dark -plumbeous. Plumage above bright olive-green ; superciliary streak extend- ing to the forehead, and the whole plumage beneath bright- yellow ; quills dusky on their inner webs ; the shafts of the tail- feathers beneath yellow. The Yellow-browed Bulbul has a similar distribution to the last, but is locally not uncommon. GENUS, Ixus, TemmincL Bill rather short, slightly arching on the culmen, the tip bent over, distinctly notched ; commissure nearly straight ; a few rictal bristles, mixed with some smaller tufts ; hairs on the nape distinct, and some of the feathers of the throat bristle-ended ; lateral toes nearly equal ; hind-toe shorter than middle-toe ; fourth, fifth and sixth quills sub-equal and longest ; seventh barely shorter ; tail slightly rounded in some, almost even in others, with the outer feathers slightly shorter. Ixus luteolus, Less. 452. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 84; Butler, Deccau; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 402, 186 PYCNONOTINJE. THE WHITE-BROWED BUSH BULBUL. Length, 7'5 ; wing, 3'5 ; tail, 3'5 ; tarsus, 0'8 ; bill at front 0'6. Bill blackish ; irides blood-red ; legs dark-plumbeous. Above dull-brownish olive-green, palest on the head, where it is slightly ashy, and yellowish on the rump; quills and coverts edged with brighter green ; over the eye to the ear-coverts, and from the base of the upper mandible extending below the eye, obscure white ; chin, and base of lower mandible, pale clear yellow ; lower parts whitish-ashy, tinged with pale-yellow ; the breast dashed with brownish-grey, and the vent and under tail- coverts pale -yellow. The White-browed Bush Bulbul is a permanent resident in some portions of the Deccan, but is very local, and appears to avoid the Ghat Kange. GENUS, Rubigula, Blyth. Bill rather short, moderately stout ; rictal bristles small or moderate ; tail slightly rounded, or almost even ; head black, more or less crested ; the feathers of the back loose and decom- posed ; irides yellow. Rubigula gularis, Gould. 455. — Jerdon's BMs of India, Vol. II, p. 87 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 402. THE RUBY-THROATED BULBUL. Length, 6'5 ; wing, 3 ; tail, 275 ; tarsus, 0*55 j bill at front, 0-4. Bill black ; irides light-yellow ; legs greenish-dusky. Head and cheeks pure glossy-black ; plumage above yellow- ish olive-green ; a small chin spot black ; throat beautiful shin- ng ruby-red, the feathers much divided and somewhat bristly ; the rest of the plumage beneath bright-yellow ; quills with a tinge of dusky on the inner webs. The Ruby-throated Bulbul is very rare. Mr. Laird procured it in the forests west of Belgaum, but this is the only record of its occurrence within our limits. GENUS, Brachypodius, Blyth. Bill somewhat as in Rwbigula, short, rather deep at the base but the rictal bristles more feeble ; tail more or less rounded. Brachypodius poiocephalus, Jerdon. 457. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 89 ; Butler, Deccan j Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 402. THE GREY-HEADED BULBUL. Length, 7 j expanse, 9 ; wing, 3 ; tail, 2'8 ; tarsus, 0'25 ; bill at front, 0-46. Bill greenish -horny ; irides bluish-white ; legs reddish-yellow. PYCNONOTINJE. 187 Crown of head, occiput and throat, bluish-grey; forehead siskin-green ; back, wings, and plumage beneath, oil-green, lighter towards the vent ; feathers of the rump light yellowish-green, broadly streaked with black ; tail with the centre feathers green- ish, broadly edged with grey ; lateral feathers black, also grey- edged ; under tail-coverts light-grey. The Grey-headed Bulbul is not uncommon in the forests south- west of Belgaum. It has not been recorded from any other portion of the region. • It is a permanent resident in the locality indicated. GENUS, Otocompsa, Cabanis. Bill short or moderate, slightly curved ; rictus bristled ; the head black, with an erectile pointed crest ; the upper plumage brown, and the under tail-coverts yellow or red. Otocompsa leucotis, Gould. 459. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 91 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 473 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 135. THE WHITE-EARED CRESTED BULBUL. Length, 7 ; wing, 3*5; tail, 3'25; tarsus, 075; bill at front, 045. Whole head and neck black, passing into rich brown on the neck ; ear-coverts, and a patch below them, white, edged black ; upper plumage earthy-brown ; tail brown at the base, the terminal half blackish-brown, with the edges white, most broadly so on the outer feathers ; beneath, from the breast, whity-brown ; the under tail-coverts rich saffron yellow. The White-eared Crested Bulbul is a very common permanent resident in Sind, and is far from being uncommon in Guzerat ; it does not occur in the Deccan. They breed from May to August ; the nests are usually built in dense tamarisk thickets, (occasionally in babool trees), four or five feet from the ground. The nests are composed of fine twigs and roots, scantily lined with fine grass. They are cup-shaped, slenderly, but compactly built. The eggs, three or four in number, are longish ovals pointed at one end, reddish- white in color, spotted, streaked, and blotched with brownish purplish-red. They measure 0'82 inches in length by 0'64 in breadth. * J*jfa*L Otocompsa fuscicaudata, Gould. 460fris.— Butler, Guzerat; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 473; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 402. THE SOUTHERN RED-WHISKERED BULBUL. Length, 8; expanse, 11; wing, 375; tail, 3'9 ; tarsus, 0'9 ; bill at front, 0'5. Head, with crest, black ; ear-coverts white, with a tuft of glossy 188 PYCNONOTIN.E. hair-like crimson feathers over the ears, and reaching beyond them ; a narrow line of black borders the ear-coverts beneath ; plumage above light hair-brown, darker on the quills and on the tail, especially towards the tip ; beneath from the chin white, the sides of the breast dark-brown, forming an interrupted gorget. The Southern Red-whiskered Bulbul is common on the Sahyadri Range and adjacent forests ; it is also very common at Aboo. It is a permanent resident and breeds from March to May. The nests are neatly made, and are of a deep cup-shape, composed of grass roots, with a quantity of dead leaves or dried ferns worked into the bottom and lined with fine grass. The eggs, two or three in number, are reddish-white in color, thickly mot- tled, freckled, and streaked with rich blood-red, with a few scarcely visible spots of pale inky-purple. They measure 0'9 inches in length, by 0'66 in breadth. GENUS, Pycnonotus, Kuhl. Bill moderately long, strong, moderately curved, with strongish rictal bristles ; legs and feet stout ; tail barely rounded, almost square ; under tail-coverts red. Pycnonotus (Molpastes) pygaeus, Hodgs. 461.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 93. THE COMMON BENGAL BULBUL. Length, 875 ; expanse, 12'5 ; wing, 3'85 ; tail, 3*25 ; tarsus, 0-88; bill at front, 062. Bill black ; irides deep-brown ; legs dark-brown. Head, nape, hind-neck, chin, throat, and breast, glossy black ; ear-coverts glossy hair-brown ; from the hind-neck dark smoky brown, edged with ashy, which is the color of the rump ; the upper tail-coverts white ; tail brownish-black, tipped with white, except the central pair ; wings as the back ; the shoulders and wing-coverts edged with whitish ; below, from the breast, dark brown, edged with ashy, passing to ashy on the lower abdomen ; vent and under tail- coverts rich crimson. According to Jerdon, the Bengal Bulbul is found in the jungles of Central India, north of the Nerbudda river. Pycnonotus hsemorrhous, Gmelin. 462.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 94 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 473; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 4Q2 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 135 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 68. THE COMMON MADRAS BULBUL. Length, 8 ; expanse, 11 ; wing, 3 '6 ; tail, 3 3 ; tarsus, 0'8 ; bill at front, 0'52. Bill black ; irides deep-brown ; legs greenish-slaty. Head, chin, and throat, black ; nape and back smoky-brown PH YLLORN ITHIN.E . 189 more or less edged paler, and the pale edging often extends to the darker feathers of the hind-head and nape, giving it a speckled appearance ; rump somewhat cinerascent ; upper tail-coverts white ; beneath, from the top of the breast, brown, edged with ash, paling posteriorly, and becoming albescent on the lower abdomen and vent ; under tail-coverts crimson ; wings smoky- brown ; tail brownish-black, tipped with white, except the cen- tral pair. The Common Madras Bulbul is very abundant throughout the region, except in Upper Sind, where it is very rare ; it is a per- manent resident and breeds from April to October, rearing at least two broods in the year. The nest is generally built on a low bush or fruit tree, rarely at any great height from the ground. It is neatly but lightly made, cup-shaped, and is composed of grass stems, lined with finer grass, and occasionally with hair. The eggs, three or four in number, are rather longish ovals in shape, pinkish-white in color, speckled, blotched, streaked and clouded with red and purplish-red. They average 09 inches in length by 0'68 in breadth. SUB-FAMILY, Phyllornithinse. Bill slightly lengthened, more or less curved, of variable strength ; wings moderate ; tail short ; tarsus and feet short, stout. Of a beautiful grass-green color, more or less adorned with various glistening blue patches on the throat and shoulders of the wings. GENUS, Phyllornis, Sole. Bill moderate or rather long ; culmen keeled, and more or less curved ; tip bent down and notched ; nostrils basal, lengthened ; wings moderately long, with the fourth and fifth quills sub-equal, or the fourth longest ; tail moderate, or rather short, even ; tarsus short, smooth. Phyllornis jerdoni, Slyth. 463. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 97 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 403. 21 A*-*-*i THE COMMON GREEN BULBUL. Length, 7*25 ; wing, 3 5 ; tail, 275 ; tarsus, 078 ; bill at front, 0-69. Bill dusky ; irides light-brown ; legs plumbeous. Male, pale grass-green ; shoulder-patch pale shining-blue ; quills f dusky internally ; chin, throat and gorget, deep-black, surrounded [/ (A I by a greenish-yellow band, which extends through the eyes to the forehead ; maxillary streak hyacinth -blue, short. The female has the parts that are black in the male light bluish- , green, surrounded by the yellowish band, and the maxillary streak $ I S" ^ light-azure. 190 PHYLLORNITHINJE. The Common Green Bulbul is a not uncommon permanent resident on the Sahyadri Kange, occurring as far north as Khan- dalla. Phyllornis malabaricus, Gmelin. jyr 464. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 98 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 403. THE MALABAR GREEN BULBUL. Length, 7'9 ; expanse, 11 ; wing, 3'5 ; tail, 3 ; bill at front, 075 ; tarsus, 07. Bill dusky-blackish ; irides light yellowish-brown ; legs plum- beous. Male, bright grass-green ; forehead golden-yellow ; chin and throat black, with a small blue moustachial streak ; flexure of wing verdigris-blue. The female wants the golden forehead of the male, and has the black gorget and blue maxillary streak somewhat smaller. The Malabar Green Bulbul is a permanent resident on the Sahyadri Kange, from Goa to Khandalla. GENUS, (.ZEgithina) lora, Horsfield. Bill moderate, or rather long, somewhat compressed, very slightly curving ; culmen rounded, slightly hooked at tip, and notched ; rictal bristles almost wanting ; nostrils apert ; wings rather short, with fourth, fifth and sixth quills sub-equal and long- est ; secondaries long, nearly equal to the primaries ; tail even, short ; tarsus rather short with scales divided ; toes short ; middle- toe very little longer than the outer, which is slightly syndactyle ; claws slightly curved ; hind-toe shorter than the middle one. lora (ZEgithina) tiphia, Lin. 468. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 103 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 473 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 403 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 168. THE WHITE-WINGED IORA. Length, 5'3 ; expanse, 7*5 ; wing, 2'5 ; tail, 20 ; tarsus, 075 ; bill at front 0'5 ; bill from gape, 07. Bill reddish, dusky on culmen ; irides dark-brown ; legs fleshy-yellow. Male, above olive-green, beneath yellow; wings black, faintly edged with yellow ; greater-coverts broadly tipped with white ; scapulars also partly white ; tail black. The female has the tail concolorous with the body, but slightly infuscated, and the wings paler than in the male. ^ Mr. Hume unites 467 — lora zeylonica with tiphia. I therefore give Jerdon's description of zeylonica : — Male in full plumage, with the head, back, wings, and tail PHYLLORNITHIN^. 191 deep black, the former with two white bars, caused by the tips of the greater-coverts ; scapulars also partly white ; the tail tipped with yellowish- white ; beneath bright-yellow ; abdomen and lower tail-coverts pale-yellow ; the flanks have a tuft of white silky feathers, and the bases of the clothing feathers are mostly white. In non-breeding plumage, and in males not fully adult, the black of the upper plumage is less in extent, and more mixed with green ; the white of the quills are faintly edged with pile-yellow externally, and the innermost ones are white internally near the tip ; and the pale tips to the tail-feathers are more distinct. The female is entirely grass-green above, pale-yellow beneath ; the wings blackish, with whitish bars and yellow edges ; and the tail green pale tipped. Mr. Hume has gone fully into this question in Stray Feathers, Vol. Y, p. 428, et seq. The White-winged Green Bulbul is a permanent resident in the Deccan ; it is also common in parts of Rajpootana and at Mhow, Central India ; it does not occur in Sind, and in the plains of Northern Guzerat it is replaced by the next species. They breed from May to September. The nest is generally placed on the upper surface of a horizontal bough, and is very neatly made, deeply cup-shaped, and is composed of grass and fibres, coated outside with spider's webs. The eggs, two or three in number, are moderately broad oval in shape, slightly pointed towards one end. The ground-color is greyish- white (but occasionally with a creamy tinge), with long streaky blotches of pale-brown or brownish-red. They measure 0'68 in length by 0'54 in breadth. /] loraJJBgithina) nigrolutea, Marshall. 46 Sbis.— Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. V, p. 220. 3, q „ k THE WESTERN IORA. In breeding plumage the male has the forehead, crown, occiput and nape, glossy black, the black terminating in a well defined curved line ; the chin, throat, cheeks, ear-coverts, breast, sides of neck, and a broad half-collar occupying the base of the back of the neck and the upper back, intense gamboge-yellow. Rarely this collar is entirely uniform, generally a few of the central .feathers are narrowly fringed at the tips with black, occasionally most of the feathers are so fringed. Mid-back glossy-black, rarely unbroken, generally with a little of the yellow (or towards the rump, greenish ), bases of the feathers showing through ; in one specimen with a great deal of this ; rump pale-greenish, the white bases of the feathers often showing through a good deal ; upper tail-coverts and tail black, the former with a bluish gloss, the latter with all the feathers tipped white, the white not unfrequently running some distance up the margin of *^ 192 IRENIN.E. the inner, and in a few cases of the outer webs also ; coverts and tertiaries black ; both median and greater-coverts broadly tipped with white. In many specimens the tertiaries and the latest secondaries are broadly margined at the tips with white, but in some this is less conspicuous, and in some towards the close of the breeding season it is almost entirely wanting on the tertiaries. The primaries and secondaries hair-brown, more or less of the outer webs towards their bases blackish, and margined on their outer webs very narrowly, in some more, in others less conspicuously with white. The abdomen is like the breast, but paler ; in some with a greenish tinge towards the sides, and on its lower half, and in the other case looking (in skins) nearly white owing to the intermixture of the long silky- white feathers of the flank tufts. Wing-lining and axillaries, and more or less of the inner margins of the quills, satiny- white ; a slight primrose tinge at the bend of the wing. The females and males in non-breeding plumage have the entire under parts a pale mealy-yellow, slightly shaded with olive-green. The head is similar, but not quite so light ; the nape and entire back similar, but much more strongly overlaid with olive-green. The wings and tail are as in the breeding season, except that the wings have tire margins, specially of the tertiaries, very conspicuous, and much tinged with pale-yellow ; that the greater- coverts often have pale-yellow margins besides the white tips ; and that the central tail-feathers are almost entirely greyish- white, tipped purer white, and with the outer webs in many specimens more or less shaded with ashy or occasionally olivace- ous ashy. (Hurne). The Western lora is found on the plains at the foot of Mount Aboo, and extends through Northern Guzerat. On A boo itself the common species alone occurs. SUB-FAMILY, Ireninse. Bill stout, of moderate length, somewhat widened at the bases ; culmen elevated, and slightly arching from the base ; the tip not much hooked, but distinctly toothed ; nostrils partially concealed by short plumes ; rictus with short but distinct bristles ; wings moderate or rather long ; fourth quill longest, third nearly as long ; tail moderate, even ; feet with the tarsus very short ; lateral toes very slightly unequal ; claws short, well curved. GENUS, Irena, Horsfield. The characters are similar to those of the sub-family. Irena puella, Latham. 469.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 105 ; Butler, Deccan : Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 403. 193 THE FAIRY BLUE-BIRD. Length, 10; wing, 5'25 ; tail, 4 ; tarsus, 0'5. Bill black ; irides ruby-red ; legs black. Male, the whole upper parts, with the lower tail-coverts, ^rillianji glistening cobalt-blue ; wings, tail, and lower plumage, deep velvet-black. The female is of a dull, slightly mottled, Antwerp-blue through- out. The Fairy Blue-bird occurs at Savantvadi, where it is probably & permanent resident, and it has also been procured in the forests southwest of Belgaum. It does not occur elsewhere within the region, SUB-FAMILY, Oriolinse. Bill Thrush-like, rather long, strong, moderately broad at the base, slightly curving, tolerably hooked, and the tip distinctly notched ; wings long, third or fourth quill longest ; tail rather short, nearly even ; tarsus short ; feet small ; lateral toes unequal, and the outer one syndactyle ; claws well curved. GENUS, OriolllS, Linnaeus. Bill long, slightly broad at the base, somewhat curved at the culmen, which is keeled, slightly hooked at tip, distinctly notched ; nostrils basal and lateral, longitudinal, pierced in membrane, nearly apert ; wings lengthened, first quill very short, second a little shorter than the third which is longest ; tail sub-even, with long coverts ; tarsus short ; feet moderately strong ; anterior scales of tarsus divided ; claws moderate, well curved. Oriolus kundop, Sykes. 470.— Jerdon's Birds of India, VoTll, p. 107 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 474 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 403 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 137 ; / £ Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p, 68. THE INDIAN ORIOLE. Length, 9'5 to 10 ; expanse, 15 to 16 ; wing, 5'5 to 5-7 ; tail, 3'5 to 375; tarsus, 0'8 to 0'9 ; bill at front, TO; bill at gape, 1'25. Bill deep lake-red ; irides rich blood-red ; legs plumbeous. Male, bright-yellow ; a black stripe from the base of the bill through the eyes for a short distance beyond ; wings black, with a yellow bar formed by the primary coverts and the tips and outer edges of the quills ; tail with the central feathers black ; the next pair black with a broad yellow tip, and the others black at the base, and yellow for the greater part of their terminal length. The adult female differs from the male in a slightly greenish tint above. The young bird is yellowish-green above ; the rump, vent, the inner webs of the tail-feathers at their tips, arid the sides of the 13 194 ORIOLIX.E. abdomen, bright-yellow ; wings olive-brown ; body beneath whitish, with brown stripes ; bill black. The Indian Oriole occurs generally throughout the district, but is less common in Sind than elsewhere. On the higher ranges it is replaced by 0. melanocephalus. It is a permanent resident and breeds during May and June. It seems to have a preference for neem trees, as most of the nests I have seen have been built on these. It chooses a fork at the extremity of a slender bough, and between the twigs forming the fork it constructs a purse-like nest, composed of grass stems and roots, vegetable fibre, pieces of rag, &c., all firmly bound at its upper edges to the fork between which it is suspended. The eggs, usually three in number, are moderately long ovals, pure glossy china-white in colour with dark-claret or nearly black specks, spots or blotches, chiefly at the larger end. They vary greatly both in size and shape, but the average is 1 '1 inch in length by 0'8 in breadth. As soon as the eggs are laid, the nest is easy to find, owing to the habit the bird has of attacking any bird, no matter how large, that ventures near the nest. The nestlings are easily reared by placing them in a cage, accessible to the parent birds, as although naturally shy yet they will attend to, and feed them until long after they are able to fend for themselves. Oriolus galbula, Lin. 4s7Qbis. — Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 136. THE GOLDEN ORIOLE. Length, 10; wings, 5'9 ; tail, 3'6; tarsus, 0'85 ; bill at front, 0'95. Bill dull-reddish ; irides blood-red ; legs lead-grey. Adult male : Entire plumage, except the wings and tail, rich golden-yellow ; a broad stripe from the base of the bill to the eye, covering the lores, deep-black ; wings jet-black ; the quills tipped and externally narrowly margined with yellowish-white or sulphur-yellow ; edge of the wing and under wing-coverts rich yellow, the primary coverts being broadly terminated with the same color ; tail black, broadly terminated with yellow ; the outer rectrices being more broadly, and the inner ones less marked with this color, the central-rectrices black, only narrowly tipped with yellow. Adult female : Differs considerably from the male ; upper parts (excepting the wings) greenish-yellow or apple -green ; the patch in front of the eye dull brownish-black ; wings as in the male, but duller and browner, the edgings being pale sulphur- yellow ; secondaries and wing-coverts washed with dull greenish- yellow ; tail as in the male, except that the yellow markings are only on the inn.er webs, the outer webs of the feathers being ORIOLIN.E. 195 blackish ; under parts white, on the lower throat, breast, and flanks washed with bright-yellow, the vent and under tail-coverts being entirely yellow ; throat, breast, and flanks, more or less distinctly streaked with blackish-brown. Young male : Closely resembles the female, but is only a little more yellow in tinge of plumage. — Dresser. Occurs in Sind as a somewhat rare visitor during October and November. I Oriolus indicus, Jerdon. 471.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. -II, p. 109 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 403 ; Swinhoe and Barries, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 69. THE BLACK-NAPED INDIAN ORIOLE. Length, 10 ; wing, 6 ; tail, 3'5 ; tarsus, 0'87 ; bill at front, 1*12. Bill pinky-red ; irides rich blood-red ; legs plumbeous. Bright yellow, greenish on the back and^co verts; a black horse- shoe mark extending from the base of the bill through the eyes to the nape ; tail black ; the central feathers barely tipped yellow, the others tipped broadly, the outermost feathers for 1J inches or so ; wings black, the secondaries broadly margined with pale yellow, the tertiaries with the whole outer web, and part of the inner webs, greenish yellow ; primaries also tipped with the same ; a bright yellow wing-spot formed by the tips of the coverts of the primaries. Females differ in being slightly greenish above, and in the yellow generally being not quite so vivid. The young are yellowish-green above, with little or no trace of the occipital crescent ; whitish beneath, with dark central lines ; bill infuscated. In a further stage the under-parts are a weaker yellow, with black shafts to the breast-feathers more or less developed. The Black-naped Indian Oriole is very rare. It has only been procured at Savantvadi and Ratnagiri. Colonel Swinhoe saw it at Manpore, Central India. Oriolus melanocephalus, Lin. 472.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 110 ; Butler, Guzorat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 474 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers Vol IX, p. 403. « * / THE BENGAL BLACK-HEADED ORIOLE. Length, 9'5 ; expanse, 16 ; wing, 5'5 ; tail, 3'5 ; tarsus, 0'88 ; bill at front, 1. /£ * Bill pale lake-red ; irides rich-red ; legs plumbeous. Whole head, neck and breast in front, deep-black ; rest of the plumage rich dark-yellow above, slightly paler beneath, on the lower abdomen and under tail-coverts ; wings black, with a small yellow band formed by the primary-coverts ; tertiaries with the 196 SAXTCOLIN.E tips and outer webs pale-yellow ; the secondaries also broadly tip- ped with yellow, gradually diminishing in extent to the last primaries, some of which are tipped and edged with yellow; tail, pale-yellow, the two central-feathers with a broad black band about half an inch tipped with yellow, the next pair with barely one inch of black, and the yellow tip nearly half an inch ; the next pair with a narrow and sometimes interrupted black band about the terminal third, and the three outer pairs on each side nearly wholly yellow ; the outer pair with an occasional smear of black on the outer margin ; all the tail-feathers with black shafts diminishing in intensity towards the outermost feathers. The young bird has the forehead yellow, the head more or less blackish, the neck white with blackish streaks, the belly yellow with longitudinally dark streaks, and the yellow duller in tint. The Bengal Black-headed Oriole is not very common ; it occurs only on the higher ranges, where it replaces Oriolus indicus. It is not uncommon on the Sahyadri Range, and again on the Aravellies near Aboo. Oriolus ceylonensis, Bonap. 473.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. Ill ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 403. THE SOUTHERN BLACK-HEADED ORIOLE. Length, 9; expanse, 15-3 ; wing, 4*9; tail, 3 '3 ; tarsus, 0'87 ; bill at front, O9. Bill pale lake-red ; irides rich-red ; legs plumbeous. Head and neck deep-black ; rest of the plumage deep-yellow ; wings black ; the wing spot formed by the tips of the primary - coverts smaller than in the last; the tertiaries only tipped with yellow ; and the black on the tail of greater extent, especially on the central feathers. The Southern Black-headed Oriole is very doubtfully distinct from 0. melanocephala. It occurs in the same localities as the last. FAMILY, Sylviadae. Of small size mostly ; bill slender ; wings usually somewhat lengthened, and tail moderate or short ; tarsus long ; feet moderate. SUB-FAMILY, Saxicolinae. Bill stouter, more depressed at the base than in the other sub-families ; wings moderate, or somewhat long ; tail moderate in most, short in some, long in a very few ; tarsus moderately long, stout ; feet moderate, fitted for terrestrial habits ; claws slightly curved. GENUS, Copsychus, Wagler. Bill moderately long and strong, straight ; tip slightly bent, distinctly notched ; rictal bristles almost absent ; nostrils large SAXICOLIN/E. 197 exposed basal ; wings moderate, fourth and fifth quills longest, third nearly equal to them ; tail rather long, graduated, or with the six central feathers equal, the outer ones graduated ; tarsus moderately long, stout, nearly entire ; feet moderate ; middle-toe long ; hind-toe and claw moderate ; claws slightly curved. Copsychus saularis, Lin. 475.— -Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 115; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 474 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. • IX, p. 404 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 137 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 124. THE MAGPIE ROBIN. Length, 775 to 8*5 ; expanse, 11 '5 ; wing, 3'8 to 4 ; tail, 3'25 ; tarsus, 1-12 ; bill at front, 0 68. Bill black ; irides brown ; legs black. Head, neck, breast, body above, and wings, black, glossed blue on all parts except the wings ; abdomen, vent and under tail- coverts, white ; the four outer tail-feathers on each side white. The female is duller black than the males and somewhat ashy on the breast. The young birds have the breast dusky with ruddy spots, the upper surface olive-brown turning to slaty. The Magpie Robin is distributed generally throughout the district, common in parts of the Deccan, very common in Western Raj pu tana, and not uncommon in Guzerat. In Sind it occurs but rarely. I do not think that any remain to breed in Guzerat, but at Poona, at Mhow, and again in Neemuch, I found them breeding plentifully during May, June and July. The nest is generally in a hole in a tree sometimes at a considerable height from the ground, but generally not more than eight or ten feet. The nest is saucer-shaped, sometimes only a mere pad, and is composed of grass roots, fibres, feathers, &c. The eggs, four or five in number, are typically oval in shape ; the ground color is subject to considerable variation. In some it is greenish or pale-greenish blue, in others greenish- white, or even pale sea-green, streaked and blotched with different shades of reddish-brown, most densely so at the larger end. They average 0'87 inches in length by 0'66 in breadth. GENUS, Kittaeincla, Gould. (Cercotrichas.) Bill more slender than in the last ; tail very long, graduated ; wings slightly more rounded ; tarsus slender, pale ; lateral toes very short. Kittacincla (Cercotrichas) macroura, Gmelin. 476.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 116 ; Butler, Deccan; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 404. 198 SAXICOLIX.E. THE SHAMA. Shama, Hin. Length, 12 ; wing, 375 ; tail, 7'9 ; tarsus, 1 ; bill at front, 075. Head, neck, back, wing-coverts, breast, and tail, glossy-black ; rump white ; wings dull-black, outer tail-feathers broadly tipped with white ; breast, belly, and under tail-coverts deep chesnut. The female has the colors less pure and duller than the male. This splendid songster is only found within our limits on the Sahyadri Range, and in the adjoining forests as far north as Khandalla. It is a permanent resident. GENUS, Thamnobia, Swainson. Bill slender, very slightly widened at the base; the sides compressed, slightly arched throughout ; tip deflected, not notched ; gape smooth ; wings short, rounded, the fourth and fifth quills long- est ; the primaries hardly exceeding the tertiaries and secondaries, which are broad ; tail moderate, broad, much rounded ; tarsus long ; the feet moderate ; inner-toe much shorter than the outer ; hind- toe short ; all the claws slightly curved. Thamnobia fulicata, Linn. 479._Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 121 ; Butler, Deccan » Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 404. THE INDIAN BLACK ROBIN. Length, 6 ; wing, 3 ; tail, 275 ; tarsus, 1*1 ; bill at front, 0*5. Bill black ; irides dark brown ; legs blackish. Male, shining deep black, with a white wing-patch; the middle of the abdomen and the under tail-coverts deep^ chesnut. Female dull sooty-brown, darker on the wings "anH" tail; the under tail-coverts chesnut. The Indian Black Robin is very common in the Deccan, where it is a permanent resident, breeding during April, May and June. The nest, usually a mere pad, is composed of grass roots, vegetable fibre, hair and such like substances. It is generally found in a hole in a wall or tree. The eggs, three in number, are greenish-white in color, spotted and speckled with yellowish- white. They average 072 inches in length by about 0'55 in breadth. Thamnobia cambaiensis, Lath. 430.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 122 ; Butler, Guzerat J Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 474 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 138 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, p. 124. THE BROWN-BACKED INDIAN ROBIN. Kalchuri, Hin. Length, 6 ; wing, 2*9 ; tail, 275 ; tarsus, 1 ; bill at front, 0'5. Bill black ; irides deep-brown ; legs blackish. The male has the back, wings, and upper tail-coverts dusky SAXICOLIN^E. 199 olive-brown ; the wings and tail black ; the lores, ear-coverts, and lower plumage also black ; a white wing-spot, as in the last ; the vent and centre of belly deep chesnut. The female is sooty-brown throughout, except the chesnut beneath. The Brown-backed or Northern Indian Robin is a common permanent resident throughout the district, excepting the Deccan, where it is replaced by Thamnobia fulicata. Its breeding habits are much like the last, but the eggs are larger, averaging 079 in length by 0*59 in breadth. GENUS, Pratincola, Koch. Bill short, straight, somewhat wide at base, strongly curving at tip, which is faintly notched ; nostrils concealed by tufts of hairs and plumes ; strong rictal bristles ; wings moderate ; fourth, fifth and sixth quills nearly equal and longest ; tail moderate, nearly even ; tarsus moderate, longish ; feet moderate ; claws slightly curved, slender. Pratincola caprata, Linn. 481.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 123; Butler, Guzerat; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 474 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 404 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 141 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, p. 124. THE WHITE-WINGED BLACK ROBIN. Length, 5 ; wing, 275 ; tail, 2'2 ; tarsus, 075 ; bill at front, 0'38. Bill black ; irides deep-brown ; legs brown-black. Male, black ; a longitudinal band on the wings, the rump and the upper tail-coverts, and the middle of the lower part of the abdomen, vent, and under tail-coverts, white. When newly moulted, the black is fringed with brown edgings, which gradually get worn away. Female, dusky-brown, the feathers edged paler with a rufous rump and upper tail-coverts ; beneath pale reddish-brown, albes- cent on the throat and vent ; abdomen slightly streaked ; vent and under tail-coverts tinged with rufous. The White-winged Black Robin is a common permanent resident throughout the district ; it, however, almost disappears from some parts during the breeding season, which is from March to May. They build flat saucer-shaped or pad-like nests in holes in the sides of wells or banks, occasionally in a bush, but even then the nest rests actually on the ground. The nest is composed of grass, fine roots, vegetable fibres, &c., and usually contains four eggs, but three incubated ones are often found and at times as many as five. They are moderately broad ovals in shape, of a greenish-white or greenish-blue color, densely but finely speckled with brownish- red. They differ greatly in size, but average 0'67 inches ip. length by about 0'55 in breadth. 200 SAXICOLINJC. Pratincola indica, Blyth. 483. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 124 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 475 ; P. maura, Pall. : Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 404 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, p. 124. THE INDIAN BUSHCHAT. Length, 5'25; wing, 275 ; tail, 175; tarsus, (>•& ; bill at front, 0-38. Bill black ; irides deep-brown; legs black. The male in summer plumage has the whole head and neck, back, wings, and tail black, the back and wings edged with pale rufous ; wing-spot, rump, and upper tail-coverts^ white ; breast and lower parts bright ferruginous, deep on the breast, paler on the flanks and belly and albescent on the vent and under tail-coverts ; a demiTcollar of white almost meets on the nape, dividing the back of the head and neck. In winter plumage the black is almost replaced by earthy brown ; the rump and tail-coverts are ferruginous-brown ; the lores, ear-coverts, and chin, however, are alwrays more or less black ; the white wing-spot is less prominent ; the whole lower parts are dull ferruginous, albescent on the under tail-coverts, and the demi-collar is deficient or rusty. The female resembles the male in winter dress, being brown above, margined with paler brown, and rufescent towards the the tail ; but the chin and throat are white, and there is a white supercilium. The wing-spot too is a little sullied. The Indian Bush or Whinchat is a common winter visitant to all parts of the district, appearing about the commencement of September. Pratincola leucurus, Blyth. 484.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 126 ; Murray's Ver- tebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 140. THE WHITE-TAILED BUSHCHAT. Length, 5 ; wing, 2 -5 ; tail, 2 ; tarsus, 075 ; bill at front, 0'45. Bill black ; irides brown ; legs black. Male. — Above black, with the usual white wing-patch ; the breast bright rufous in the centre ; sides of neck, breast, and lower parts pure white ; the four outer tail-feathers wholly white on their inner webs, except the tip of the two outermost ; and the pair next the centrals ( which are wholly black) have the greater portion of the inner web also white. The female is brown above, the feathers edged paler, with a smaller white wing-spot, but no white on the tail ; beneath earthy-white, tinged rufous on the breast. In winter the dorsal feathers are more or less edged with brown. The White-tailed Bushchat is a winter visitant to Sind ; it does not occur elsewhere within our limits. SAXICOLIN.E. 201 Pratincola macrorliyncha, Stol. s. — Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 138. STOLICKZA'S BUSHCHAT. Length, 6 ; wing, 3 ; tail, 212 ; tarsus, 0'93 ; bill at front, 07. Bill black ; irides brown ; legs black. Adult male : a broad stripe over the eyes and over the greater portion of the ear-coverts white, with a slight buffy tinge ; lower parts of the lores dusky ; chin, throat, and entire lower parts, including lower tail-coverts and tibial plumes, white with a yellowish tinge and a very feeble rufescent tinge on breast and flanks ; wing-lining and axillaries pure white, the former slightly mottled with dusky; forehead, crown, occiput, nape, back and scapulars light sandy-buff, striated longitudinally with hair-brown ; rump and upper tail-coverts white, most of the feathers tinged towards their tip with pale rusty-buff; primaries and secondaries hair-brown, margined on the outer webs with light buff and tipped with yellowish-white, the primaries more narrowly, the secondaries more broadly ; tertiary greater-coverts, or perhaps they should be called lower-scapulars, white ; tertiaries and greater and median secondary-coverts deep brown, broadly margined with pale, more or less refuscent buff ; entire visible portion of lesser-coverts pale sandy-buff; edge of wing and outer webs of earlier greater primary-coverts pure white ; tail hair-brown, all the feathers margined on the outer webs with sandy-buff or light yellowish-brown ; the outer web of the outermost feather almost entirely of this color ; all the feathers, except the central pair, with almost the entire inner webs, white, the outermost pair have an irregular subterminal brown band from 0'2 to 0'3 inch wide on this web, but the rest have only a small patch of brown near the shaft close to the tip, the pair next the centre have the patch rather larger; there are traces of a dark streak from the base of the lower mandible down either sides of the throat, expanding on the sides of the breast ; doubtless in breeding plumage this streak and patch are black or blackish. The female is rather smaller and shows the dark streak and patch much less. Occurs in Sind, but is not common. GENUS, Saxicola, Bechst. Bill moderate, straight and compressed, slender, very slightly inflected, with a blunt notch ; nostrils apert ; rictal bristles feeble or wanting ; wing moderately long, pointed ; the first short, second half an inch shorter than the third, fourth and fifth, which are equal and longest ; tail moderate, even, or very slightly rounded ; tarsus long and strong \ feet moderate. Saxicola opistholeuca, Stride. 488. — Suxicolaleiicoroides, Guerin. — Jerdon's Birds of India, VoL 202 SAXICOLINJS. II, p. 130; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 475 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 144 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, p. 125. THE INDIAN WHITE-TAILED STONECHAT. Length, 6*5 ; expanse, 1075 ; wing, 375 ; tail, 275 ; tarsus, 0'9 ; bill at front, 0*5 ; bill at gape, 075. Bill black ; hides dark-brown ; legs black. Sooty-black ; the thigh-coverts, lower abdomen, vent, and under tail-coverts white, and the greater part of the tail also white ; the lateral feathers tipped with black for not quite half an inch, the middle feathers for about half an inch. The female is said to be of a duller and browner hue. The White-tailed Stonechat occurs sparingly in Sind and Northern Guzerat, more commonly near Mhow in Central India, and at Neemuch in Western Rajpootana. It is a winter visitant only. It is doubtful whether the bird has been found in the Deccan. Saxicola picatus, Blyth. 489.— -Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 131 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 475 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 142. THE PIED STONECHAT. Length, 6'5 ; expanse, 11*25; wing, 375 ; tail, 275 ; tarsus, 0'9 ; bill at front, O'o ; bill at gape, 075. Bill black ; hides dark-brown ; legs black. Whole head, neck, and upper breast, back, and wings, black ; the rump, upper tail-coverts, and all the lower parts from the breast white ; tail white, except the terminal two-thirds of the two central feathers, and the tips of the others, which are black. The Pied Stonechat is a common winter visitant to Sind and Guzerat, but it is much less common at Mhow and Neemuch, and has not been recorded from the Deccan. I found it breeding in the vicinity of Chaman, South Afghanistan. Saxicola alboniger, Hume. 4S96is. — Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. J 42. HUME'S PIED STONECHAT. Length, 6'5 to 775 ; wing, 3'8 to 4'25 ; tail, 275 to 3 ; tarsus, 1 to 11 ; bill at front, 0'56 to 0'65. Bill black ; irides dark-brown ; legs black. Head, neck, upper back, and throat black ; quills dark brown ; under wing-coverts and axillaries black ; tail white, with a broad terminal band of dark-brown, broader on the two central feathers ; lower back, rump, upper tail-coverts, breast, belly and under tail-coverts white. SAXICOLIN.E. 203 Hume's Pied Stonechat is a winter visitant to Sind, but occurs nowhere else within our limits. Saxicola morio, Hemp 8f Ehr. 490. — Saxicola leucomela, Pallas. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 181 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 143. THE WHITE-HEADED STONECHAT. Length, 6'5 ; wing, 3'6 to 3'9 ; tail, 2'25 to 275 ; tarsus, 0'85 to 1 ; bill at front, 0'6 to 07. Bill black ; irides dark-brown ; legs black. Crown on the head greyish- white ; the rump and upper tail- coverts, and all the lower parts, from the top of the breast, white ; rest of the upper parts, neck, and breast, black ; tail black, with the base of the central feathers, and all the lateral ones, white ; the outermost tipped with black, and part of the outer web also black. Young birds have the white cap more or less tinged with dingy greyish-brown. The White-headed Stonechat is a winter visitant to Sind ; it does not occur elsewhere within our limits. Saxicola monachus, Rupp. 4906is. — Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 143. THE HOODED STONECHAT. Length, 7 to 7'25 ; wing, 4 to 4'42 ; tail, 275 ; tarsus, 0'9 ; bill at front, 0'62. Bill black ; irides brown ; legs black. General color black ; quills dark-brown, paler on under sur- face ; head, nape, upper and lower tail-coverts, belly, and flanks, white ; tail white, except the terminal half of the two central feathers, and the tips of the others, which are very dark-brown. The female is similar to the male but browner, and the white parts are tinged with buff. The Hooded Stonechat occurs as a winter visitant to Sind. It has not been recorded from any other portion of the region. Saxicola isabellina, Rupp. 491. — Saxicola cenantke, Linn. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 132 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 475 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 404 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 146 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 125. THE WHEATEAK. Length, 6*5 to 7 ; expanse, 11 to 12 ; wing, 375 to 4 ; tail, 2-5 to 2-75 ; tarsus, 11 ; bill at front, 0'45 to 0'5 ; bill at gape 075 to 0-8. Bill black ; irides brown ; legs black. Male, above ashy with a brown tinge ; the rump and upper 204 SAXICOLIN.E. tail-coverts white, and a white supercilium ; lores and eye-streak black ; wings dusky, edged with brown ; tail with the two central feathers black for the terminal two-thirds, the rest white, the outer feathers black tipped ; under surface pale rusty-brown, albescent on the belly and under tail-coverts ; under wing-coverts blackish with white edgings. The female is ashy-brown above, wings dusky-brown, tail black-tipped. In winter the feathers are broadly edged with rufous, most conspicuous on the wing-coverts and tertiaries. The Wheatear is a common winter visitant to Sind, Guzerat, and Rajputana, but is very rare in the Deccan. Saxicola tringi, Hume. ASllis. — Saxicola chrysopygia, De Fil. — Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 145; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 476. THE BED-TAILED WHEATEAR, Length, 6'2 to 6'5 ; expanse, 10 to 11/3 ; wing, 37 to 4'4 ; tail, 2'2 to 2-4 ; tarsus, 1 ; bill at front, 0'55 to 0'6. Bill black ; hides dark-brown ; legs black. A dark grey line from the gape to and under the eye ; a broad, slightly greyish-white line from the nostrils over the eye, much more conspicuous in some specimens than in others ; ear-coverts silky rufescent-brown ; forehead greyish-brown ; crown, occiput, nape, back and scapulars, nearly uniform grey earthy-brown, as a rule only very slightly tinged with rufescent towards the rump ; but in some specimens more strongly so ; rump and upper tail- coverts bright rufous-fawn, in some specimens pale rufous-buff ; tail-feathers bright, in some pale ferruginous, with a sub-terminal blackish-brown band extending over both webs, and a narrow tipping of rufous-white jets in at the shafts for about the tenth of an inch ; occasionally on the lateral feathers, the black bar is more or less imperfect, the dark band is from 1*1 to 1'4 broad on the central feathers, by about 0'6 or 0'8 on the feathers next the centre, and 0'4 to 0'6 on the external ones. The tertiaries and most of the coverts are hair-brown, broadly margined with pale rufescent ; the winglet, primaries, and secondaries, and primary greater-coverts are slightly darker hair-brown, very narrowly tipped with white, and some of them, the secondaries especially, very narrowly margined with pale rufescent ; the chin and upper throat white, with a faint creamy tinge ; the sides of the neck, behind and below the ear-coverts, grey, greyish-white and greyish- brown, blending on the one side into the color of the throat, and on the other into that of the back of the neck ; the breast and upper abdomen are a very pale rufescent-brown, all the tips of the feathers being paler ; the centre of the abdomen and vent slightly rufescent- white ; flanks rufescent-fawn ; lower tail-coverts a somewhat pale buff ; wing-lining and -axillaries pure white. SAXICOLINiE. 205 The Red-tailed Wheatear occurs sparingly as a winter visitant to Sind, and has also been recorded from the base of Mount Aboo Saxicola deserti, Ruppell. 492.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 132 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 476 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 405 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 144 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 125. THE BLACK-THROATED WHEATEAR. : Length, 6'5 to 7 ; expanse, 10'5 to 11 ; wing, 3 75 ; tail, 2*5 ; tarsus, 0'85 to 1 ; bill at gape, 075 ; bill at front, 0'48. Bill black ; irides brown ; legs black. Above pale isabelline, greyish on the crown and nape, and a whitish eyebrow; rump and upper tail-coverts buffy- white ; tail white at base, the rest black ; chin, throat, lores, and ears, pure black, extending down the sides of the neck to the shoulder ; wing black, with a white patch on the bend of the wing ; beneath pale isabelline, the lower tail-coverts buffy-white. The Black -throated Wheatear occurs in the same localities as S. isabellinus, but is perhaps rather more common. .ZEion familiaris, Mene. 492£er.— Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 476 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 163 ; (Sylvia fami- liaris). THE GREY-BACKED WARBLER. Length, 6'5 to 7'5 ; expanse, 975 to 1075 ; wing, 3'3 to 3'5 ; tail, 2'62 ; tarsus, 1 ; bill at front, O'S ; bill from gape, 0*9 to 0-95. Bill, upper mandible and tip of lower a somewhat fleshy but dusky-brown ; rest of lower mandible and base yellowish-fleshy ; irides dark brown ; legs and feet dusky or livid-fleshy. A broad superciliary stripe, from the nostrils, over the eye& and some little distance behind the eyes, dull white or yellowish- white ; a brown stripe from the nostrils to the anterior angle of the eye, continued backwards, though not conspicuous, for some distance from the posterior angle ; forehead, crown, occiput, sides of neck, entire back and wings dull earthy-brown, paler and more drabby in some ; quills and coverts margined and narrowly tipped with dull yellowish or brownish-white, with usually a slight rufescent tinge on the margins of the primaries ; rump brownish-chesnut ; upper tail-coverts and tail chesnut ; central tail-feathers more or less brown on one or both webs ; all the other tail-feathers, with a conspicuous subterminal dark-brown band (which in the outer feathers runs some distance down the outer web), and tipped, the two pairs next the centre narrowly with rufescent, and the other three successively more and more broadly with pure white ; chin and throat sordid- white with an 206 SAXICOLIN^E. indication of a darker line at the angle of the gape ; ear-coverts and the rest of the lower parts similar, but tinged with a faint brownish shade usually ; wing-lining and axillaries with a very faint yellowish-salmon tint ; inner margins of inner \vebs of quills, on the lower surface, with a decided buffy-tinge. This is a very uncommon species, and only occurs as an exceptionally rare winter visitant to Sind and Northern Guzerat. GENUS, Cercomela, Bon. Bill moderate, slender, straight, tolerably curving at the tip and barely notched ; rictal bristles small but distinct ; wings as in Saxicola ; second quill a trifle longer ; tail somewhat lengthened ; feet stout ; middle-toe not elongated ; hind-toe rather long. Cercomela melanura, Rupp. 493.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 133. THE BLACK-TAILED ROCKCHAT. Length, 6; wing, 3*12; tail, 2'35 ; tarsus, 0'88. Bill blackish ; legs black. Of an uniform ashy-brown tint above, paler on the throat and breast, and passing to whitish below ; under tail-coverts white ; the tail and upper coverts black. It is extremely uncertain whether this bird occurs in India or not, but Jerdon says, that " among the drawings of Sir A. Burnes is one of a saxicoline bird, procured in Sind, which Mr. Blyth identifies with Ruppell's bird, which is a native of N. E. Africa and Arabia." As no other observer has since procured it from thence, it must have been an isolated straggler, that had wandered far from its usual haunts. Cercomela fusca, Blyth. 494.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 134 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, VoL III, p. 477 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, p. 125. THE BROWN ROCKCHAT. Length, 6*5; expanse, 10*5 ; wing, 3'5 ; tail, 275 ; tarsus, 1 ; bill at gape, 0'8 ; bill at front, 0'5. Bill black ; irides deep-brown ; legs black. Above light fuscous-brown or rufous-olive, tinged with fawn color on the back ; tail dark sepia-brown, oboletely banded, as seen in a strong light ; beneath rufescent-fawn or dull fer- ruginous. The Brown Rockchat is very common at Mount Aboo, but does not occur in the plains below ; it is also very common at Neemuch, and in the surrounding districts. It is a permanent resident breeding from March to July or even later, rearing at least two broods in the season. The nest RUTICILLIN/E. 207 is usually built in holes in rocks, buildings, walls, wells, and banks. Should the site selected not be suitable, they make an embank- ment of small stones, pellets of dry mud, &c., extending several inches beyond the nest. The eggs, generally three or four in number, are moderately broad oval in shape, of a pale blue-color, more or less spotted with reddish-brown ; these spots occasionally form a nimbus round the large end. They measure 0'82 in length by 0'62 in breadth. • During the time of incubation, and while rearing their young, they are extremely pugnacious, attacking any small bird, squirrel, or lizard that ventures near. SUB-FAMILY, Ruticillinse. Bill, slender with tip entire ; rictal bristles fairly developed ; wings and tail various ; tarsi long, slender. GENUS, Ruticilla, Brehm. Bill rather short, straight, slender, slightly notched ; rictus nearly smooth ; wings moderately long, pointed ; first primary about one-third the length of the fourth, fifth and sixth equal and longest ; tail moderate, even or slightly rounded ; lateral toes nearly equal, hind-toe not much lengthened; claws slender, moderately curved. Ruticilla rufiventris, Vieill. 497.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 137 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 478 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 405 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 146 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885. THE INDIAN KEDSTART. Length, 6 ; expanse, 10 ; wing, 3'5 ; tail, 2' 5 5 ; tarsus, 1 ; bill from gape, 0'6 ; bill at front, 0'4. Bill black ; irides brown ; legs black. Crown dark ashy-grey ; lores, ear-coverts, neck, throat, breast, back and upper wing-coverts, black with greyish edges to the feathers ; wings dusky-brown ; the primaries margined with pale rufous, the secondaries with dull grey, forming an inconspicuous patch ; under wing-coverts, flanks, belly, rump, upper and lower tail-coverts and tail (except half the inner and a little of the outer webs of the two middle tail feathers near the tip, which are brown), bright cinnamon-rufous. The female is brown above, with the edges of the wings, the abdomen, and under tail-coverts, pale rufous ; below, dusky on the throat and breast, changing to clear light rufous on the abdo- men and under tail-coverts ; rump and tail as in the male. Mr. Hume, Stray Feathers, Vol. V, p. 36, describes six toler- ably distinct stages of plumage, viz : — I. Winter plumage. — Black of upper surface entirely veiled 208 RUTICILLIN^E. by ashy, rufous-ashy, or brownish-rufous, tips to the feathers. Black of breast more or less ditto. II. Early spring stage. — Tippings of the feathers disappear- ing first from the breast, next from back, and lastly from the head. III. Ante-nuptial stage. — Whole head, neck, breast and upper breast pure black. IV. Nuptial stage. — Black duller; a greyish- white band across the forehead (dividing off the black of the base of the forehead as a black frontal band), with a grey shade extending backwards on to the crown. V. Early autumn stage. — Broad conspicuous black frontal band ; throat, breast, sides of neck, pure black. Front of head pale blue-grey, growing duller on occiput. Back more or less veiled with grey or rufous-ash tippings. VI. Late autumn stage. — Frontal band not showing out con- spicuously ; crown and back unicolorous. Black of breast, &c., more or less veiled with grey or rufous- ashy tippings. The Indian Redstart is a very common winter visitant to all parts of the district, appearing about the end of September, and leaving towards the end of March, or commencement of April. GENUS, Larvivora, Ilodgs. Bill rather slender, straight, more or less compressed, very feebly notched at the tip, slightly deflected, with the ridge of the upper mandible very slightly elevated between the nostrils, and the gape very feebly bristled ; wings moderate, strong ; first quill short ; third, fourth and fifth quills about equal and longest ; tail rather short, and the feathers slightly mucronate at the tip, even, or nearly so ; tarsus long, slender, nearly smooth ; toes long, slender ; claws long, moderately curved, much compressed. Larvivora superciliaris, Jerd. 507. — Larvivora cyana, Hodgs. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 145 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 405. THE BLUE WOODCHAT. Length, 6.; expanse, 10; wing, 3; tail, 2; tarsus, 116; bill at front, 0'5. Bill dusky ; irides brown ; legs pale fleshy. Above dusky indigo-blue, with a white superciliary streak ; lores and ears black ; beneath bright rufous (the feathers all dusky-blue at their bases), albescent towards the vent and under tail-coverts ; thigh-coverts cross barred with blue and white. The female is brown above, white beneath; cheeks, .breast and flanks rusty. The Blue Woodchat is a cold weather visitant to several parts of the Deccan. It is nowhere common. RUTICILLINJ). 209 GENUS, Calliope, Gould. Bill of moderate length and strength; wings moderate, first quill very short, second equal to the seventh ; tail very slightly rounded; the outer feathers being a little shorter than the penultimate pair ; tarsus moderately long, stout ; the feet large ; hind-toe long ; claws long, not much curved. Calliope camtschatkensis, Gm. 512.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 150. THE COMMON RUBY-THROAT. Length, 6 ; wing, 3 ; tail, 2*5 ; tarsus, 112 ; bill at front, 0'5. Bill horny-brown ; irides dark-brown ; legs livid or purplish. Above olive-brown, beneath dull whitish ; a band above and below the eyes whitish ; intermediate space black ; feathers of the throat somewhat scaly and stiff, light scarlet or ruby-red, with silvery edges, more or less surrounded with black ; the breast ashy, flanks bright olive-brown, and belly whitish ; axillaries slightly rufescent. The female has in general no trace of the ruby-throat, which is whitish, and the lores brown ; but some old females have a tinge of the ruby color. Jerdon states that " once on boardship, a little south of Bom- bay, one took refuge in the month of November." This is the only record of the occurrence of the Common Ruby-throat within our limits. GENUS, Cyanecula, Brehm. Bill rather short, slightly conic, straight ; wings moderate ; third and fourth quills equal and longest ; fifth a little shorter ; second equal to sixth ; tail rather short, nearly even ; tarsus moderately long ; claws very slightly curved. Cyanecula suecica, Lin. 514.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 152 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 478; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 405 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 147 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 125. THE INDIAN BLUE-THROAT. Length, 6'2 ; expanse, 9'25 ; wing, 3 ; tail, 2'25 ; tarsus, 1 ; bill at front, 07. Bill dusky-horn ; gape yellow ; irides dark-brown ; legs brownish. Above pale olive-brown, the feathers of the crown slightly centred darker, and with a whitish supercilium ; lower parts whitish ; the under tail-coverts more or less tinged with rufes- cent ; throat and breast bright shiny azure -blue, the former generally mingled with whitish along the middle, and having a large ferruginous spot in front of the neck ; below, and border- 14 210 CALAMOHERPIN.E. ing the azure of the breast, is a narrow blackish band, then a narrow whitish band, and below this again a broad ferruginous band ; the upper tail-coverts are brown, mingled with ferrugi- nous ; tail rufous, the two centre feathers, and the tips of all the others, dark-brown. Young males have much less blue on the throat, which is often confined to a moustachial streak on each side and a com- paratively narrow gorget ; they have scarcely any tinge of ferruginous on the throat and breast, the former being chiefly of a dull white. The females have commonly the throat and foreneck dull white, encircled with dusky spots, which are more developed in old females, and these have sometimes a tolerably broad dusky gorget, mingled with a little blue. The Indian Blue-throat is a fairly common cold weather visitant to all portions of the district, particularly affecting swampy ground. SUB-FAMILY, Calamoherpinse. Bill rather large, depressed and broad at the base ; rictal bristles moderately developed ; tail rounded ; winglet minute. GENUS, Acrocephalus. Wing moderately long ; third and fourth quills longest ; rictal bristles short, a- few only ; claws long ; hind-claw curved. Acrocephalus stentorius, Hemp & Ehr. 515. — Acrocephalus brunnescens, Jerd. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 154; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 478 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 405 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 148 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Cen- tral India; Ibis, 1885, p. 125. THE LARGE REED WARBLER. Length, 8'5 ; expanse, 10*6 ; wing, 3'62 ; tail, 3'25 ; tarsus, 1*2 ; bill at front, 07. Bill dark-brown, fleshy at base beneath ; irides dull greenish- yellow ; legs horny-brown. Above light olive-brown, darkest on the wings and tail, and lightest on the rump ; beneath, and eye-brow, with a tinge of olive-yellow ; the chin pure white ; wings and tail beneath cine- reous ; plumage soft and silky. The Large Reed Warbler is a cold weather visitant to the Deccan, Guzerat and Rajputana portions of our limits, but in Sind it would appear to be a permanent resident, breeding about August. Acrocephalus dumetorum, Sly. 516.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II; p. 155 ; Butler, Guzerat ; C AL AMOHERPIM. 211 Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 479 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 405 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 148. THE LESSER REED WARBLER. Length, 6 ; wing, 2'4 ; tarsus, 0'9 ; bill at front, 0'4. Bill dusky, fleshy at base beneath ; irides yellow-brown ; legs red-brown. Above olive-brown, with a pale supercilium ; beneath whitish- tinged with pale earthy-brown. The Lesser Reed Warbler occurs during the winter months in many parts of the district ; it is not common, and appears to be locally distributed. Acrocephalus agricolus, Jerdon. 517. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 156 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 406 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 149. THE PADDY FIELD WARBLER. Length, 5'25 ; wing, 2*25 ; tail, 2'25 ; tarsus, 0'9 ; bill at front, 0-4. Bill brown, paler beneath ; irides yellow-brown ; legs brown. Above pale rufous-brown, brightest on the rump ; wings brown, edged with rufous ; tail dull brown ; beneath whitish, tinged with fulvous, and brownish on the flanks. The Paddy Field Warbler occurs as a cold weather visitant to Sind ; it is also not uncommon at the same season near Belgaum. Lusciniola melanopogon, Tem. 518&is. — Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 149. THE MOUSTACHED GRASS WARBLER. Length, 575 ; expanse, 7'4 ; wing, 2*45 ; tail, 21 ; tarsus, 0'85 ; bill at front, 0'45. Bill dark-brown, almost black, paler on lower mandible ; irides brown to pale-brown ; legs dusky-brown, soles pale-yellowish. A broad conspicuous white stripe from the nostrils over the eyes and ear-coverts ; a dark-brown stripe from in front of under and through the eyes, enveloping the upper portion of the ear- coverts, darker in the males than the females ; the chin, throat, and lower parts, including the lower tail-coverts, white, faintly tinged rufescent on the breast, more strongly so on the flanks about the vent, and, in some specimens, the lower tail-coverts also ; the sides, both of the neck and body, tinged with greyish, or in some olivaceous-brown ; the forehead, crown, occiput, and nape, very dark-brown, the feathers tipped and margined with a paler yellowish olive-brown ; in some specimens, these tippings entirely obscure the bases, except on a narrow line immediately above the white eye-streak ; in others, these parts appear to be very dark-brown, regularly striated with the paler olive-brown, 212 CALAMOHERPIN.E. while in some the tippings are almost entirely wanting ; the back, scapulars, rump, and upper tail-coverts, the same yellowish olive-brown, becoming more rufescent on the lower back, rump and upper tail-coverts ; the feathers of the centre of the back with more or less conspicuous dark central shaft streaks. In some birds the whole back seems regularly striated with dark lines, in others only a few faint darker streaks are visible in the very centre of the back ; in some, again, the lower back is much more decidedly rufous. The wings are hair-brown ; the primaries very narrowly margined, and tipped on the outer webs, paler ; the secondaries and tertiaries and most of the coverts more distinctly margined with a sort of rufescent-olive ; the wing-lining and axillaries pure, or nearly pure white ; tail feathers somewhat pale hair-brown, obscurely margined with rufescent-olive ; the shafts dull white below. The Moustached Grass Warbler is a cold weather visitant to Sind ; it does not occur elsewhere within our limits. Lusciniola neglectus, Hume. Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 150. HUME'S GRASS WARBLER. Length, 4 to 4'2 ; expanse, 6 '25 to 6'4 ; tail from vent, 1*4 to 1-6 ; wing, barely 2 to 215 ; bill at front, 0'27 to 0'3 ; tarsus, 0'68 to 071. Bill black, paler or horny-greenish in some at base of lower mandible ; irides brown ; legs and feet black. The lores are brownish-white ; a comparatively pure and very narrow white streak from the nostrils over the lores and eyes, but not beyond. The whole upper surface is dull earthy-brown, with, in some, a faintly olivaceous-rufescent tinge on the back, most con- spicuous on the rump ; the quills and tail are a moderately dark hair-brown, narrowly margined on the outer webs with pale olivaceous-brown, much the same color as the upper parts ; the secondaries are very narrowly margined at the tips with albescent, tinged with very pale fulvous-fawn, or earthy- brown, more strongly so in some specimens than in others ; the sides and flanks are pale earthy-brown ; the wing-lining and axillaries are white, with at times the faintest possible fulvous or brownish tinge. Hume's Grass Warbler, according to Murray, is a winter visitant to Sind, chiefly affecting acacia groves. GENUS, Cettia, Bon. Tail rounded, lateral tail feathers short ; tarsi robust, scutellated in front. Cettia cetti, Marm. .— Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 151. CALAMOHERPIN.E. 213 CETTI'S BUSH WARBLER. Length, 5'8 to 6'5 ; expanse, 7'5 to 8*4 ; wing, 2*5 to 2*8 ; tail, 2'4 to 3 ; tarsus, 0*8 ; bill at front, 0'4 to 0'5. Bill dark horny-brown, but paler on lower mandible ; irides brown ; legs and feet pale brown or fleshy-brown. A spot in front of the eyes dusky ; a streak from the nostrils over the eye and a circle round the eye fulvous-white ; the forehead, crown, and whole upper surface, a warm rufous or ferruginous- brown, more rufous on the rump and upper tail-coverts ; the ' quills and tail hair-brown, margined with rufescent-olive ; ear- coverts, sides of neck, body, flanks and vent-feathers, a pale dull greyish or earthy-brown ; chin, throat, breast, and abdomen white ; lower tail- co verts slighly rufous-brown (webs very lax and much disunited), narrowly tipped with white ; axillaries and wing-lining slightly greyish white ; the edge of the wing just above the base of the primaries is white ; in some few specimens the eye-streak ex- tends beyond the eye, above more than half of the ear-coverts, but in most it ceases just beyond the posterior angle of the eye. Cetti's Bush Warbler was discovered by Mr. Hume in the mangrove swamps in the Kurrachee Harbour. I am not aware of its having been found anywhere else within our limits. GENUS, Locustella, Gould. Bill of moderate length, slender, straight, compresssd, barely deflected at the tip, which is slightly notched ; wings long, with the first quill minute ; second nearly equal to the third, which is longest ; tail moderate, rounded, or graduated ; hind-claw very long, much curved. Locustella hendersoni, Cass. 520.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 159 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 479 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 406. THE STREAKED HEED WARBLER. Length, 5*5 ; wing, 2'25 ;tail, 212. Bill dusky above, paler beneath ; irides, hazel ; legs fleshy- brown. Above pale olive-brown, all the feathers centred dark-brown ; tail uniform brown, tipped pale, especially as seen from below ; beneath white, tinged with earthy-brown on the neck, breast, and flanks; lower tail-coverts fulvescent- white, with narrow longi- tudinal striae. In the spring moult the lower plumage is at first a somewhat rich yellow. The Streaked Wren Warbler occurs sparingly as a seasonal visitant in the neighbourhood of Belgaum, Deesa and Mhow, and must occur in other suitable localities. It has not been recorded from Sind. 214 DRYMOICIN.E. SUB-FAMILY, Drymoicinse. Bill moderately long and compressed ; wings short, rounded ; tail long, more or less graduated ; legs and feet moderately strong. GENUS, OrthotOttlUS, Horsfield. Bill long, slender, rather wide at the base, nearly entire > straight, very slightly deflexed at the tip ; a few weak rictal bristles ; wing short, feeble, much rounded ; fifth and sixth quills equal and longest; tail narrow, feeble, typically short and rounded or graduated, the two centre feathers elongated in some ; tarsus moderately long, stout ; feet short ; hind- toe short ; claws moderately curved, compressed. Orthotomus sutorius, Forst. 530. — Orthotomus longicauda, Gm. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 165 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 479 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 406; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 151 ; Sutoria sutoria, Forst. ; Svvinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 126. THE INDIAN TAILOR BIRD. Phutki, Hin. Length, J, 6*5 ; ? , 5 ; expanse, 5 to 6 ; wing, 1*9 ; tail, J 3'5, ? 2 ; tarsus, 0'9 ; bill at front, 0'5 ; bill at gape, 0'65. Bill dark horny above, pale-fleshy beneath ; irides reddish- yellow or amber ; legs fleshy. Crown rufous ; nape somewhat cinereous, with a tinge of rufous ; back, scapulars, rump, and upper tail-coverts, yellowish olive- green ; wings brown, edged with green ; tail narrow, light brown with a green tinge, and the outer feathers on each side with a narrow white tip ; beneath white, with a concealed black spot on each side of the throat, formed by the bases of some of the feathers, and only seen at times. There are four dark-brown hairs arising from the nape, two on each side. The Tailor Bird is a common permanent resident throughout the district, breeding from the end of June to August. The nests are rather hard to find, although during the time the hen is sitting on the eggs, the cock keeps up a pleasant " tweet" " tweet" on a neighbouring bough, and though one knows that a nest is somewhere near at hand, it requires a careful and per- severing search to find it. When the bird chooses a leaf sufficiently large, it sews the opposite edges together, and in the cavity thus formed, it makes a soft nest of cotton, with a few hairs, just enough to keep it in shape ; at times two or more leaves are incorpo- rated into the nest. They lay three (occasionally four) eggs of a rather elongated oval shape, pointed at one end, reddish-white in color, or, I should say, white, suffused with a reddish tinge, DRYMOICIN.E. 215 blotched, streaked or spotted with red-brown ; these markings sometimes form a zone at the large end. Occasionally the eggs are of a greenish-white colour ; they measure 0'64 inches in length, by 0'45 in breadth. GENUS, Prinia, Horsfield. Bill moderately long, very slender, straight, entire ; rictal bristles distinct; tail much graduated, rather long, of ten or v twelve feathers ; feet much as in Orthotomus. Prinia flaviventris, Deless. 532.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 169 ; Murray's Verte- brate Zoology of Sind, p. 152. THE YELLOW-BELLIED WREN WARBLER. Length, 5*25 ; expanse, 6*3 ; wing, 1*87 ; tail, 2'9 ; tarsus, 075 ; bill at front, 0'5. Bill black, fleshy at base beneath ; hides reddish -ye How ; legs deep yellow. Head, with lores and ear-coverts, dark ashy ; back, wings, and tail, dull olive-green ; the quills dusky-brown ; chin, throat, and breast, white ; the abdomen, vent, and under tail-coverts, bright canary-yellow. The Yellow-bellied Wren Warbler is a permanent resident In Sind, where it breeds from June to September. The nest is tailor-bird like, but the eggs are bright brick-red without spots. It has not been recorded from any other portion of the district. Pririia adamsi, Jerdon. 533.-— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 170 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 406. THE WHITE-BELLIED WREN WARBLER. Bill black ; legs yellow. Above greenish, the tail tipped with white ; cheeks, throat, and breast, whitish-yellow ; belly and vent white, tinged with yellow ; tail long, graduated ; legs long. The White-bellied Wren Warbler is not, I believe, a good species. Dr. Adams stated that he found it at Poona in the corn-fields. No one else seems ever to have met with it. Prinia social is, SyJces. 534.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 170 ; Butler, Guzerat , Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 479 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers; Vol. IX, p. 406. THE DARK-ASHY WREN WARBLER. Length, 5*25 ; expanse, 6 ; wings, 2 ; tail, 2'8 ; tarsus, 0*8 ; bill at front, 0'45 ; bill at gape, 0'5. 216 DRYMOICINyE. Bill black ; irides orange-buff ; legs deep yellow. Head and back dark ashy ; quills and tail reddish-brown, the latter with a dusky band near the tip, and the outer feathers with a small white tip ; beneath rufescent-whitish, the flanks rufous. With the exception of Sind, the Dark-ashy Wren Warbler is a common permanent resident throughout the region, breeding during the monsoons ; its nest is very similar to that of the true tailor-bird. The eggs, generally four in number, are bright brick-red in color, generally a shade darker at the larger end. They measure 0'64 inches in length by about 0'47 in breadth. Prinia stewarti, Slyth. 535. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 171 ; Burnesia socialis stewarti, Sykes. — Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 126. STEWART'S WREN WARBLER. Length, 5 '2 ; expanse, 5'5 ; wing, T8 ; tail, 275 ; tarsus, 075 ; bill at front, 0'45. Bill black ; irides buff; legs deep-yellow. Above dark-ashy, brown on the wings and rufescent on the tail, with a faint subterminal dark band (as seen from above) ; throat white ; the rest of the body beneath pale rufescent, darker on the flanks, and rusty on the vent and under tail- coverts. Stewart's Wren Warbler only occurs within our limits in the Mhow Division (which includes Neemuch), it being replaced elsewhere by the closely allied, even if distinct, P. socialis, Both forms occur at Neemuch. It is a permanent resident breeding from the commencement of July to the end of August, and even later. The nest is similar to that of the tailor-bird, but is not quite so neatly made, grass and fibres being used in addition to hair and cotton. The eggs are usually four in number, oval in shape, and of a bright brick-red or chesnut color, with sometimes a darker shade at the larger end, forming an ill-defined cap or zone. They are highly glossy, and measure about 0'62 inches in length by about 0'46 in breadth. Prinia gracilis, Franklin. 536.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 173 ; Butler, Guzerat; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 480; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 406. FRANKLIN'S WREN WARBLER. Length, 4'5 ; expanse, 575 ; wing, 1'87 ; tail, 2 ; tarsus, 075 ; bill at front, 0'3 ; bill from gape, 0'58. Bill black ; irides deep amber ; legs fleshy-yellow. Slightly rufescent-olive above, tinged greyer on the head and neck; the wing-feathers dusky, edged externally with DRYMOICIN^E. 217 rufous-brown ; under parts silky- white, tinged with yellowish- fulvous on the flanks, and faintly on the sides of the neck ; tail brown, albescent-greyish beneath, with a subterminal dark band and whitish tips, most conspicuous on the under sur- face. Franklin's Wren Warbler is a common permanent resident all along the Sahyadri Range and in the forests adjoining ; it also occurs sparingly on Mount Aboo, and is not uncommon on the Vindhian hills near Mhow. It does not occur in the Sind District. Prinia hodgsoni, Blyth. 538. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 173 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 480 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 406. THE MALABAR WREN WARBLER. Length, 4 ; wing, 1-8 ; tail, T87 ; tarsus, 07 ; bill at front, 0'4. Bill black ; irides buff ; legs yellow. Above dark ashy-grey, brownish on the wings and tail, the latter with a subterminal dark band, tipped white on the outer feathers ; beneath white, slightly tinged with fulvescent, greyish on the edge of the neck and breast. The Malabar Wren Warbler is only doubtfully distinct from P. gracilis ; it is thought to be the latter in breeding plumage. If distinct it occurs in precisely the same localities. GENUS, Cisticola, Lesson. Bill rather short, slender, gently curving from the middle, entire at tip ; wings short, ample ; first quill small, third, fourth and fifth equal and longest, second equal to seventh, shorter than the sixth ; tail of twelve feathers, somewhat rounded, short ; tarsus long ; feet rather large with the lateral toes nearly equal and the hind-toe long; the claws lengthened, especially the hind one only slightly curved. Cisticola cursitans, Frankl 539. — Cisticola schoenicola, Bonaparte. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 174; Butler, Guzerat; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 481 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 407 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 1 52. THE RUFOUS GRASS WARBLER. Length, 4'5 ; wing, 212 ; tail, T86 ; tarsus, 075. Bill dusky-brown above, fleshy beneath ; irides pale olive- brown. Above rufous-brown, all the feathers broadly centred dark- brown ; rump plain rufous ; quills dusky, narrowly edged with brown ; tail with the two central feathers pale brown, darker in the middle, and pale tipped ; the others all dark-brown, deeper 218 DRYMOICIN.E. towards the end, and with a broad whitish tip ; plumage beneath rufescent-white, nearly pure white on the chin and throat, and more rufescent on the flanks ; tail beneath cinereous at the base, then pale rufous, with a black bar, and a broad white tip, in some uniform dusky-cinereous. The Rufous Grass Warbler is a common permanent resident in most portions of our limits, and breeds during the monsoon. It makes a long tubular nest, composed of soft white vegetable down, in the centre of a clump of grass, a short distance only from the ground. The eggs, usually five in number, are oval in shape, white or greenish- white in color, thickly speckled with tiny spots of reddish-brown. These spots often show a tendency to form a zone around the larger end. They measure 0*58 in length by 0*46 in breadth. GENUS, Drymoipus, Bonap. (Drynweca.) Bill short or of moderate length, nearly entire, rather deep at the base ; culmen moderately curving ; rictus bristled ; wings very short and rounded ; the first three quills nearly equal, graduated, fourth and fifth longest ; tail graduated, long, of ten feathers, the feathers obtuse ; tarsus long ; feet moderate ; claws moderately curved. Drymoipus inornata, Sykes. (Drynwsca.) 543.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 178 ; 543bis.—D. terricolor, Hume ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 481 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 407 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 153 ; Prinia inornata, Sykes ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 126. THE COMMON WREN WARBLER. Length, 5 to 5'5 ; wing, 175 to 1-8 ; tail, 275 ; tarsus, 0'8, bill at front, 0'4. Bill dusky-brown above, yellowish or fleshy at the base beneath ; irides brownish-yellow ; legs fleshy -yellow. Head and back greyish-brown, with an olivaceous tinge on the head and hind-neck ; wings brown, edged pale rufous ; tail rufous or brownish, with a terminal dark spot, and the centre tail- feathers obsoletely banded; a whitish supercilium and whitish lores and chin ; beneath whitish, with a faint fulvescent tinge ; thighs pale fulvescent-brown. It is now generally admitted by ornithologists that the birds described by Dr. Jerdon under Nos. 543 and 544, viz., D. inornata and D. longicaudatus are the same in different phases of plumage, the principal difference being the longer tail of the latter. The Common or Earth-brown Wren Warbler is a permanent DRYMOICINvE. 219 resident throughout the distrit, breeding during July and August ; it usually constructs a rather pretty nest, composed of fine strips torn from blades of green grass which are plaited together like those of the Baya, but the strips are much finer and the nest altogether neater ; it is usually fastened to the thorny twigs of acacia bushes, at no great height from the ground, and the shape depends largely on the position of these twigs. According to my experience the nest is never lined. v Another type of nest is composed of the same material, but is much coarser, and more loosely woven. Nests of this latter description are built in clumps of sarpat, guinea, or other rank-growing grass, or even in stand- ing corn ; they are purse-shaped, with the entrance on one side, the opposite side being prolonged and projecting over, so as to form a canopy. The eggs, four or five in number, are moderately long ovals, of a glossy pale greenish-blue color, boldly spotted and blotched with chocolate and reddish-brown, with a delicate tracery of interlaced hair-like lines at the larger end, but occasionally these lines are absent, the small end being usually spotless. The ground color is also subject to variation, eggs having been taken of a dull olive-green tint, and still more rarely of a clear reddish- white. They measure 0'61 inches in length by 0*45 in breadth. D. inornate also equals D. tern- color. Drymoipus rufescens, Hume. 544to.— Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 484 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 407. THE GKEAT KUFOUS WEEN WARBLER. Length, 6'45 to 7'2 ; expanse, 71 to 8 ; tail, 3'3 to 3'9 ; wing, 2-3 ; tarsus, 0'9 to 0'95 ; bill at front, 0'5 to 0*53. Bill blackish-horny, fleshy at base of lower mandible ; irides from brown to deep yellow ; legs fleshy to reddish-brown. Whole upper surface, including tail, and greater median- coverts, tertiaries, and outer webs of primaries and secondaries, rich rufous-brown in full' plumage, dull, or earthy-brown, more or less tinged or overlaid with rufous in young birds ; tail very distinctly and finely, but obsoletely barred, much less distinctly however in some specimens than in others ; all the feathers, except the central ones, narrowly tipped with fulvous- white, with a more or less distinct penultimate dusky bar ; the young birds with a good deal of white on the inner webs of the lateral feathers, which is entirely wanting in adults. In some of the adults, the dark subterminal bar becomes almost obsolete ; lores and a stripe over the eye fulvous white ; ear-coverts, sides of neck, and breast, and sometimes some of the lesser wing-coverts about the carpal joint, a greenish or greyish-brown ; the ear-coverts at times more or less mottled with ful vous- white ; lower parts pale fulvous, or buffy, albescent on 220 DRYMOICINjE. the chin and throat and middle of abdomen, tinged at times on the breast with grey, more purely buff on lower tail-coverts and wing-lining, and more rufescent on tibial plumes ; inner webs of primaries and secondaries hair-brown. The young birds are much paler and more albescent on the lower surface. The Great Rufous Wren Warbler occurs at Mahableshwar, Ratnagiri, and probably all along the Sahyadri Range ; it is not uncommon at Aboo and Deesa. It has not been recorded from any other portion of our limits. Drymoipus rufescens equals D. insignis in winter plumage. Drymoipus sylvaticus, Jerdon. 545.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 181. THE JUNGLE WEEN WARBLER. Length, 6 ; wing, 2*4 ; tail, 275 ; tarsus, 1. Bill black ; irides orange buff; legs dark fleshy-yellow. Above olive-brown; superciliary streak and beneath white, tinged throughout with yellowish ; tail obsoletely barred, with a narrow subterminal dark band, tipped with white, except on the central tail-feathers. The Jungle Wren Warbler occurs in Central India and Khan- deish ; it has not been recorded from either the Deccan, Guzerat, or Sind. I found it breeding near Neemuch in July ; the nest was purse-shaped, composed of rough grass, and contained three fresh eggs, pale greenish-white in color, thickly spotted with rusty-red, the spots much more dense at the larger end. Mr. Davidson found them to be far from uncommon in Khandeish, and he informs me that the number of eggs is usually four and occasionally five. Drymoipus neglectus, Jerdon. 546. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 182 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 407. THE ALLIED WREN WARBLER. Length, 6; wing, 2*4 ; tail, 2*5 to 3; bill at front, 0'4 ; tarsus, 0*9. Bill dusky, fleshy beneath ; irides amber ; legs dingy-fleshy. Plumage greenish ashy-brown, but with a decided tinge of rufous throughout ; beneath whitish, strongly tinged with olive - rufous ; tail very faintly barred. A single specimen was obtained in Ratnagiri, but Jerdon states it to be common at and near «JMhow. I did not meet with it. D. neglectus probably equals D. sylvaticus. GENUS, Blandfordius, Hume. Tail of 12 feathers ; wings, with the fifth, sixth, and seventh quills, equal and longest ; fourth equal to eighth ; third nearly equal to ninth. DRYMOICIN.E. 221 Blandfordius striatulus, Hume. 54<9quint — Stray Feathers, Vol. I, p. 300; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 153. Length, 6 ; wing, 1-9 ; tail, 275 ; bill at front, 0'45 ; tarsus, 07. Bill brown, pale fleshy on lower mandible ; legs pale fleshy. An obscure rufous-white streak from the nostrils to the upper part of the eye ; the whole upper parts dull greyish olive- brown (the grey preponderating on the head) ; all the feathers, except those of the upper tail-coverts, conspicuously centred with dark-brown; wings pale hair-brown, all the feathers margined with rufescent-olive ; tail-feathers a sort of olive- brown ; the feathers with conspicuously darker, very stiff looking and glistening shafts ; all the feathers obsoletely transversely rayed, the central ones most strongly so ; all but the central ones narrowly tipped with fulvous- white, and with an obscure subterminal dark band ; on the under surface the shafts are white ; the ear-coverts mingled fulvous and pale rufous-brown, the sides of the neck streaked like the back ; on either side of the throat descends from the gape for about half an inch a band of tiny feathers, white, with minute dark centres, so as to pro- duce the appearance of two or three irregular rows of little spots on each side of the throat ; the chin and the centre of the throat, breast, and abdomen, white, tinged buffy on the two latter, and with all the feathers of the throat and breast very faintly and narrowly tipped with brown, so as to produce the appearance of a number of narrow faint transverse bars ; the flanks, sides, vent, and lower tail-coverts are tinged with dull olive-brown, mingled with fulvous-buff; the tibial plumes are fulvous-buff; the wing-lining is buffy-white, and so are the inner margins of the inner webs of the quills as seen from below. The specimen, of which the above is a description, was shot by Mr. Blandford at Kurrachee. Burnesia gracilis, Rupp, 550. — Burnesia lepida, Blyth. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 185; Butler, Guzerat; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 485; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 154. THE STREAKED WREN WARBLER. Length, 5'25 ; wing, 175; expanse, 5'5 ; tail, 0'6 ; bill at front, 0*4. Bill plumbeous, fleshy beneath ; irides light yellowish-brown ; legs pale fleshy-yellow. General color light olive-grey above, each feather having a medial dusky streak, broader on those of the crown and back ; wings light dusky-brown ; the feathers margined with olive- grey, and the tail throughout distinctly, but obsoletely, banded above with narrow transverse duskyish lines ; below pale, with 222 DRYMOICIN^E. whitish tips and a subterminal dusky band, or rather spot, on the inner web of each feather ; the under parts throughout are greyish-white ; the lores, and a slight supercilium, of the same hue. The Streaked Wren Warbler is a common permanent resi- dent in Sind, frequenting the dense tamarisk thickets that occur so commonly on the dhunds ; it is somewhat rare in Guzerat, and does not occur at all in the Deccan. It breeds from May to September ; the nest, built in low dense tamarisk bushes, is of an oval shape with the entrance at one side near the top, and is composed of small dry tamarisk twigs and fine grass, well lined with vegetable down. The eggs, three in number, are greenish-white in color, profusely streaked, speckled, and spotted with bright brownish-red. The spots are usually more dense at the large end where they not infrequently form au imperfect zone. In shape they are broad ovals, pointed at one end, and measure 0'55 inches in length by about 0'42 in breadth. Scotocerca inquieta, Rupp. 550bis. — Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 154. THE STREAKED SCRUB WARBLER. Length, 4'5 to 4*75 ; expanse, 6'25 ; wing, 1/9 to 2 ; tail, 2 to 2*25 ; tarsus, 075 to 0*8 ; bill at front, 0 35 ; bill at gape, 0-46. Bill dark brown, dull brownish-orange at base beneath ; irides brownish ; legs yellowish-brown. Above, light brownish-grey, streaked on the head as far as the shoulders, with dark brown narrow-streaks ; a pale rufous-brown broad supercilium ; the cheeks and ear-coverts are also of this color, which extends down the sides of the neck and breast, becoming very pale and diluted under the wings and on the flanks; wings light brown, the edges of quills and coverts greyish ; tail a very much darker or rather blackish-brown ; the outer feather on each side is rather lighter, and is tipped with white ; the tail-feathers are cross rayed, particularly the outer ones ; lower surface of body, except sides of neck, breast and flanks, white, with narrow brown streaks from chin to upper breast ; lining of wing, and ridge of the same, reddish- white. Within our limits the Striated Scrub Warbler has only been procured on the hills that divide Sind from Khelat. It is pro- bable that they are permanent residents, as they breed freely in Southern Afghanistan, commencing about the end of March. The nest is globular in shape, not unlike that of F. buchanani, but is somewhat larger ; it is usually built in stunted bushes, not more than two feet from the ground. It is well lined with feathers and fine grass, the outer portion being composed of fibres and coarse grass. The maximum number of eggs is six, but PHYLLOSCOPIN.E. 223 five incubated ones are occasionally met with ; they are oval in shape, white, with a pinkish tinge when fresh, very minutely spotted and freckled with bright red. These spots areusually more dense at the large end, but frequently they are speckled equally over the whole surface. They average 0'64 inches in length by about 0*49 in breadth. GENUS; Franklinia, Blyth. Bill stout, compressed, deep ; culmen moderately curved towards the tip ; wings short ; tail broad, moderately lengthened and graduated, of twelve feathers, white tipped ; tarsi and feet stout. Franklinia buchanani, Blyth. 551.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 186 ; Butler, Guzerat; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 486 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 407 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 155 ; Cisticola buchanani, Blyth; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 126. THE RUFOUS-FRONTED WREN WARBLER. Length, 5'25 ; expanse, 67 ; wing, 2'2 ; tail, 2'2 ; tarsus, 0*9 ; bill at front, 0'4. Bill brown, yellowish beneath ; irides pale orange-buff ; legs fleshy. Forehead and head pale rufous ; plumage above greenish- ashy, beneath white ; tail brown, all the feathers, except the two central ones, broadly terminated by white, more broadly so on the outermost feathers. The Rufous-fronted Wren Warbler is a common permanent resident in Sind and Guzerat, and is not uncommon in Raj pu tana, but with the exception of Nuggur appears to be altogether absent from the Deccan. It breeds from June to August, building a rather loose, ragged, purse-shaped nest, composed of grass, lined with vegetable down, and is usually placed in a low thorny bush, generally ber or scrub. The eggs, four or five in number, are of a slightly elongated oval shape, and are white in color, thickly spotted and speckled with dingy or purplish-red. In most of the eggs the markings are densest at the large end, and they occa- sionally form a more or less well defined zone or cap. They average 0'62 inches in length by about 0'48 in breadth. SUB-FAMILY, Phylloscopinae. Mostly of small size ; plumage more or less green above, bill in some slightly widened and depressed ; wings moderate, or rather long ; tail moderate or short ; tarsus moderate ; feet arboreal. GENUS, Hypolais, Brehm. Bill slender, wide basally ; rictal bristles few ; wings mode- 224 PHYLLOSCOPIN.E. rate ; bastard primary extending beyond or shorter than the primary coverts ; third and fourth quills longest ; tail even or rounded. Hypolais rama, Syke-s. 553. — Phyllopneuste rama, Sykes. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 189 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 486 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 407 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 157 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 126. SYKES' TREE WARBLER. Length, 5 ; expanse, 7'5 ; wing, 2'5 ; tail, 2 ; tarsus, 075 ; bill at front, 0'4. Bill dusky, fleshy at base below ; irides dark-brown ; legs light brown. Above, uniform light greyish-brown ; below pale or albescent, passing into white on the chin, middle of belly, and vent ; lores continued as a slight streak passing over the eye, and the orbital feathers pale. Sykes' Tree Warbler occurs more or less commonly in all parts of the Presidency. In Sind it is a permanent resident, breeding from March to July. The nest is placed in the centre of a dense stunted tamarisk or other bush, and is composed externally of coarse grass, lined with soft sedges and finer grass. The eggs, four in number, are broadish ovals, white, with brown spots and hair- like lines twined around the large end. They average 0'61 inches in length by 0'49 in breadth. Hypolais caligata, Eversm. 553bis. — Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 158 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 407. THE BOOTED TREE WARBLER. Length, 4'5 to 5 ; expanse, 6'5 to 7 ; wing, 2*22 to 2*32 ; tail, 1-9 to 21 ; tarsus, 0'8 ; bill at front, 0'35 to 0'39 ; bill from gape 0-55 to 0-62. Bill, upper mandible dark-brown, with the edges light ; lower mandible flesh-colored, rather dusky towards the tip ; irides hazel-brown ; legs and feet fleshy-grey, in some tinged yellowish, expecially on the soles, in some glaucous. Feathers of the head, nape, back, and scapulars, lax hair-brown, tinged towards the margins with a paler, slightly rufous or fulvous-brown (the whole in some specimens with a faint shade of olive) ; rump paler and rather more rufous in tone ; upper tail-coverts hair-brown, with lighter fulvous-brown edges ; tail dark-brown, all but the two outermost rectrices very narrow- ly margined with pale fulvous or greyish- white ; outermost feather on each side, with the whole of the outer web, dull or greyish -white ; tips and internal margin also greyish- white ; rec- PHYLLOSCOPIN/E. 225 trices next to the outermost similar, but with less white on the outer webs and more on the tips. A conspicuous superciliary streak from the nostril extending over the eye to the ear-coverts of a pale buff, or rich cream-color ; lores, cheeks, and ear-coverts the same as the crown of the head, but of a lighter shade ; the lower parts buffy, varying in shade and in warmth of tone in different specimens, but always palest, and in some almost white on the chin, the middle of the abdomen, the vent and lower tail-coverts ; sides and flanks slightly infuscated ; axil- laries, wing-lining and edge of wing from carpal -joint, cream-colored varying in warmth of tinge in different specimens ; lower surface of remiges and rectrices brownish-grey. The wings hair-brown, as dark as the tail ; the primaries and secondaries very narrowly, and the coverts and tertiaries broadly, margined with rufous or fulvous-brown of the same tone as the rufous of the back. The Booted Tree Warbler occurs as a cold weather visitant both in Sind and in the Deccan. Hypolais pallida, Hemp, fy Ehr. QoSte?. — Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 158 ; Stray Feathers, Vol. VII, p. 398. THE PALE TREE WARBLER. Length, 5 ; wing, 2'63 ; tail, 2 -2 ; tarsus, 0'83 ; culinen, 0'62.. Bill horn-brown, dull yellowish at base beneath ; irided dark- brown ; legs pale horn-brown. Upper parts pale dull olive-brown, clearer on the back in color, and rather lighter on the rump ; from the base of the bill over the eye a rather indistinct yellowish stripe ; WIIK T ark-brown ; the inner secondaries lighter in color, all the feathers having lighter margins ; tail dark-brown, very narrowly edged with lighter brown ; under parts buffy- white ; the throat and the centre of the abdomen almost pure white ; flanks washed with pale brownish. The Pale Tree Warbler only occurs in Sind as a cold weather visitant. Hypolais languida, Hemp, 8f Ehr. 553quat— Stray Feathers, Vol. VII, p. 398. Length, 5 '25 ; wing, 31 ; tail, 275 ; tarsus, 0'9 ; culmen, 075. Soft parts as in H. pallida. In general coloration of plumage similar to H. pallida, but a trifle greyer ; bill narrower and more slender ; first primary much shorter and narrower. First primary scarcely as long as the primary-coverts, T8 shorter than the second, second 0*2 shorter than the third, third and fourth about equal. This Tree Warbler has been found in Beluchistan, and is somewhat doubtfully recorded from Sind. It occurs in the winter season only. 15 226 PHYLLOSCOPINJEL Hypolais obsoleta, Severfz. Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 158. THE DESEKT TREE WARBLER. Wing, 2-4 ; tail, 2; culmen, Q'8. The general color of the upper parts is a sandy-brown or pale Isabelline-brown ; in other respects the coloration is that of the two or three preceding species or sub-species ; third and fourth primaries nearly equal and longest ; second primary, in a skin from Turkestan, intermediate in length between the sixth and seventh, and in one from Sind between the seventh and eighth ; the bastard primary exceeds the primary-coverts by 0'35 inches in both skins. This Warbler has been procured in Sind, but is very rare. The following key, originally published in YoL V, Cat. Br. Mus., may prove useful in discriminating the foregoing : — A. General color of the upper parts brown or grey ; under parts white or pale brown ; outside tail-feathers 015 to 0'2 inches shorter than the longest. (a) Second primary intermediate between the fifth and sixth ; bastard primary falling short of the primary- covert by 01 inches, or extending O'Oo J^eyond them. Lengths of wing, 2'8 to 3 '05 inches. H. LANGUIDA. B. Bastard primary exceeding the primary coverts by at least 01 inch. (a) General color of the upper parts sandy or isabelline- brown. H. OBSOLETA. C. General color of the upper parts darkish rufous-brown or grey. (a) Second primary generally intermediate between the fifth and sixth ; bastard primary exceeding the pri- mary coverts from 01 to 0*3 inches. Length of wing, 275 to 2'5 inches. H. PALLIDA. (b) Second primary generally intermediate between the seventh and eighth, or eighth and ninth ; bastard primary exceeding the primary-coverts from 0*2 to 0*4 inches. Length of wing, 2*53 to 2*3 inches ; culmen, 0'6 to 0'53. H. RAMA. (c) Second primary generally intermediate between the sixth and seventh; bastard primary exceeding the primaryco verts 015 to 0'26. Length of wing, 2'38 to 2'28 inches ; culmen, 0'51 to 0'5. H. CALIGATA. GENUS, Phylloscopus, Bodd. Bill very slender, small, straight, shallow, barely deflected afc PHYLLOSCOPIN.E. 227 the tip, entire ; a few small but distinct rictal bristles ; wings as in the last, but the first primary more developed, and the wing somewhat shorter ; tail moderate, even, or slightly emar- ginate in some ; tarsus and feet moderate ; claws slender. Phylloscopus tristis, Ely. 554. — Jerdon's Birds of India, VoL II, p. 190 ; Butler, Guzerat; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 486 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. . IX, p. 408; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 159. THE BROWN TREE WARBLER. Length, 5 ; expanse, 7'25 ; wing, 2'45 ; tail, 2 ; tarsus, 075 ; bill at front, 0'37. Bill blackish, yellow beneath and at gape ; irides brown ; legs brownish-black. Above uniform dull brown, below albescent, with a faint tinge of ruddy on the pale supercilia ; sides of neck, breast, and flanks, axillaries, and fore part of the wing underneath, pure light- yellow. The Brown Tree Warbler is generally distributed throughout the Presidency, but only as a seasonal visitant. Phylloscopus neglectus, Hume. S54&&.— Stray Feathers, Vol. I, p. 195. HUME'S TREE WARBLER. Length, 4 to 4'2 ; expanse, 6 '2 5 to 6'4 ; tail, 1'4 to 1'6 ; wing, 2 to 215 ; tarsus, 0'68 to 071 ; bill at front, 0'27 to 0'3. Bill black, in some paler or greenish-horny at base beneath ; irides brown ; legs and feet black. Lores brownish-white ; a comparatively pure and very narrow white streak runs from the nostrils over the lores and eyes, but not beyond ; the whole upper surface is dull earthy-brown, with in some a faintly olivaceous-rufescent tinge on the back, most conspicuous on the rump ; the quills and tail are a moderately dark hair-brown, narrowly margined on the outer webs with pale olivaceous-brown, much the same color as the upper parts ; the secondaries are very narrowly margined at the tips with albescent ; the whole lower surface is albescent, tinged with very pale fulvous-fawn, or earthy-brown, more strongly so in some specimens than in others ; the sides and flanks more strongly so in all ; in some specimens the sides and flanks are pale earthy-brown ; the wing-lining and axillaries are white, with at times the faintest possible fulvous or brownish tinge. Mr. Hume, the discoverer of this species, says : " This tiny Leaf Hunter, the smallest of the whole group, is not uncommon along the banks of the Indus and throughout Upper Sind; wherever thick clumps of babool are met with." 228 PHTLLOSCOPINJB. Phylloscopus magnirostris, Jilt/. 556.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 191 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 408. THE LARGE-BILLED TREE WARBLER. Length, 5 to 5'25 ; expanse, 8'25 ; wing, 2'6 to 275 ; tail, 2*12 ; tarsus, 075 ; bill at front, 0'5. Bill dusky-plumbeous, fleshy at base beneath ; irides dusky ; legs pale plumbeous. Above dusky olive-green, with a faint tinge of tawny on the wings and tail ; medial wing-coverts tipped with greenish- white ; a pale yellow supercilium and the lower ear-coverts partly yellow ; beneath pale, the breast tinged with ashy, mingled with faint yellowish, and the rest of the lower parts more or less pure yellowish-white. The Large-billed Tree Warbler is a very rare visitant to parts of the Deccan in the cold season ; it has not been recorded from any other portion of our limits. Phylloscopus lugubris, Ely. 558.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 192 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 408. THE DULL-GREEN TREE WARBLER. Length, 475 ; expanse, 7'5 ; wing, 2'5 ; tail, T85 ; tarsus, 075 ; bill at front, 0'4. Bill dusky, beneath amber ; irides dusky-brown ; legs greenish- dusky. Above dusky olive-green, with a pale yellowish supercilium, and yellowish tips to the medial wing-coverts ; beneath albescent, faintly tinged with yellow medially, and the flanks greenish- yellow. This is another very rare winter visitant to parts of the Deccan. Phylloscopus nitidus, Lath. 559. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 193 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 408 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 159. THE BRIGHT-GREEN TREE WARBLER. Length, 475 ; expanse, 7'25 ; wing, 2 25 to 2*5 ; tail, 175 to 2 ; tarsus, 07 ; bill at front, 0'4. Above lively green, below unsullied pale yellowish, brightest about the breast ; a pale wing-band formed by the tips of the larger coverts of the secondaries. This Tree Warbler is common during the cold weather in the Deccan and occurs again in Sind ; it has not been recorded from Guzerat, where probably it has been overlooked. PHYLLOSCOPIN.E. Phylloscopus viridanus, Blyth. 560.— Jcrdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 193 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 408. THE GREENISH TREE WARBLER. Length, 475 to 5 ; expanse, 7*5 ; wing, 2!25 to 2*5 ; tail, 175 to 2 ; tarsus, 075 ; bill at front, 0'4. Above light dull olive-green, beneath greenish-albescent, darker on the flanks ; a pale yellow supercilium, and an indication of a sjight whitish bar on the wings, the coverts being tipped pale. Merely a cold weather visitant to the Deccan. Phylloscopus affinis, Tickell. 561. — Jerdon'-s Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 194; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 408. TICKELL'S TREE WARBLER. Length, 475 ; expanse, 7 ; wing, 2'38 ; tail, 1 '9 ; tarsus, 074 ; bill at front, 0'36. Bill dusky, amber beneath ; legs pale brownish-dusky, tinged with yellowish. Above fuscous olive-green, with an extremely faint tawny tinge ; no pale tips to the medial wing-coverts ; supercilia, cheeks, and under parts, pale sullied greenish or oil-yellow, brightest on the middle of the belly, with a slight tawny tinge in some, and the breast and flanks a little infuscated. Within our limits this Warbler has only been recorded as a rare cold weather visitant to parts of the Deccan. Phylloscopus indicus, Jerdon. 562— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 1 93; Butler, Guzerat; . Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 486 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 408 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 126. THE OLIVACEOUS TREE WARBLER. Length, 5'25 ; expanse, 7'25 ; wing, 2'25 ; tail, 2 ; tarsus, 075 ; bill at front, 0'4. Bill dusky, yellowish beneath ; irides dark-brown ; legs green- ish-brown, yellow on the soles. Above uniform olive-grey, beneath olivaceous-yellow, purest on the middle of the belly ; a clear pale yellow supercilium. Merely a cold weather visitant to the Deccan. Phylloscopus sindianus, Brooks. Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 160. THE SIND TREE WARBLER. Length, 4'2 to 47 ; wing, 2'05 to 2'4 ; tail, 175 to 2'09 ; bill at front, 0-3 to 0'35. 230 PHYLLOSCOPIN.E. Bill brown, yellow beneath. Above uniform dull brown, below albescent, with a ruddy tinge on the pale supercilia, sides of face, neck, breast and flanks ; axillaries, and edge of wing, yellowish-white, sometimes almost quite white. This Tree Warbler has only been obtained in Sind. GENUS, Reguloides, BlytTi. Bill much as in Phylloscopus, or a trifle shorter compara- tively ; wings moderately long and more pointed, the second primary being very little shorter than the fourth ; tarsus and feet rather small. Reguloides occipitalis, Jerdon. 563.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 196 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 409 ; Murray's- Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 160. THE LARGE CROWNED WARBLER. Length, 475 ; wing, 2'61 ; tail, 2 ; tarsus, 07 ; bill at front, 0-4. Bill dusky, yellow beneath ; hides hazel ; legs pale-brownish. Above mingled green and ashy, the latter prevailing on the back, the former on the rump, wings, and tail ; crown dusky, \vith whitish supercilia, and a conspicuous pale mesial line, broader and tinged with yellow at the occiput ; a very pale yel- lowish wing band ; the forepart of the wing brightish-green and its margin and the axillaries pure light yellow ; lower parts albescent, mingled with yellowish, and very faintly tinged with ruddy ; inner webs of the three outer tail-feathers, on each side, narrowly bordered with white. This, the largest of the group, is a somewhat rare cold wea- ther visitant to both the Deccan and Sind. Reguloides superciliosus, Pallas. 565.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 197 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 409. THE CROWNED TREE WARBLER. Length, 4'25 ; expanse, 6 '5 ; wing, 2 '2 5 ; tail, 17 ; tarsus, 07 ; bill at front, 0'3. Bill dusky, yellow beneath ; irides dark-brown ; legs pale brown. Above olive-green, brightest on the rump, wings, and tail ; crown dusky, with a pale mesial line, not always very distinct ; two conspicuous yellowish-white wing-bars, the hind one the broader of the two, and behind this is a dark patch ; tertiaries conspicuously margined with whitish ; secondaries and some of the primaries slightly tipped with the same ; axillaries with 231 the forepart of the wing underneath pale yellow; supercilia and plumage beneath greenish albescent. This is another winter visitant to the Deccan* Reguloides humei, Brooks. S656k— Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 409. THE BROWN-HEADED WILLOW WARBLER. Like R. superciliosus, but has the supercilium pale brown* Isji-buff to brownish-white, as in P. tristis ; cheeks strongly tinged with pale ruddy -buff, and seldom having an admixture of yellow ; they are mottled as in the affined species with dark-brown ; top of head brown, rather inclined to olive ; coronal streak very faint, often not visible ; color of top of head at all times blended Into color of back ; back, wings, and tail as in superciliosus, but of less bright green, and yellow tips to the wing-coverts not so pure ; in other respects the plumage much resembles that of supewitiosus. Has been procured in the vicinity of Belgaum. GENUS, Abrornis, Hodgson. Bill wider than in Phylloscopus or Reguloides, depressed, moderately deflected, and distinctly notched ; nostrils conceal* ed ; a few fine rictal setae ; otherwise as in Phylloscopus. Abrornis cantator, Tickell. 570. — Culicipeta cantator, Tickell. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 200. THE LESSER BLACK-BROWED WARBLER. Length, 4'25 ; expanse, 6'25 ; wing, 2'25 ; tail, 175 ; tarsus, 0-6. Bill light dusky above, amber beneath; irides hazel; legs fleshy-yellow. Bright olive-green above, yellow on the wings and tail ; throat, cheeks, supercilia, lower tail -coverts, and margin of the wing, bright yellow ; belly and flanks greyish-white ; a very narrow yellow bar on the wing ; on each side of the crown a broad black band, and an intermediate and narrower greenish one, becoming yellower on the occiput ; upper tertiaries slightly margined at the tips with yellowish-white, and the tail feathers have a very narrow-yellowish white internal border. Central India is one of the localities mentioned by Jerdon as frequented by this pretty little warbler. SUB-FAMILY, Sylviinse. These are a small series of birds, with mostly grey plumage, and frequently marked with black on the head or throat ; bill moderately slender ; wings rather lengthened ; tarsus and feet short, but strong, and with moderately curved claws. '1\}'2 SYLVIIN^E. GENUS, Sylvia, Latham. Bill moderate or slightly lengthened and slender, with the rictal bristles almost obsolete ; wings lengthened and in some pointed ; first quill minute, second a little shorter than the third and fourth, which are about equal ; secondaries broad ; tail slightly rounded ; tarsus moderate or short, stout, and scu- tate ; feet strong, short ; lateral toes unequal ; hind-toe moderate ; claws moderately curved. Sylvia jerdoni, Blyth. 581. — Sylvia orphea, Tern. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 208 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 487 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 409 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 161 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 126. THE LARGE BLACK-CAPPED WARBLER. Length, 7 ; expanse, 9'25 ; wing, 3'2 ; tail, £75 ; tarsus, 0'9 ; bill at front, 0'6. Bill blackish-horny, greyish at base beneath ; irides pale whitish-yellow ; legs greenish-grey. Above brownish-ashy, tolerably pure ashy on the nape and rump ; cap, lores, and ear-coverts black in the male, dusky or blackish-grey in the female ; beneath whitish, pure white on the throat and middle of the belly, tinged albescent on the breast ; tail blackish, the outer feathers externally white, for the basal two-thirds, and the next four successively less broadly tipped white ; quills dusky -brown with pale edgings. The Black -capped Warbler is a not uncommon cold weather visitant to all parts of the district. Sylvia affinis, Blyth. 582.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 209 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 487 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 409 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 161 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 126. THE ALLIED GREY WARBLER. Length, 6 ; wing, 2'65 ; tail, 2'25 ; tarsus, 075 ; bill at front, 0'45. Bill brown ; irides brownish-yellow ; legs brown. Head and neck cinereous ; ears dusky ; the rest of the plumage above reddish cinereous ; wing and tail brownish ; outer tail feathers nearly all white, the others only tipped with white ; throat white ; rest of the plumage beneath white with a tinge of reddish. The Allied Grey Warbler is generally distributed throughout the district during the cold weather. Sylvia minuscula, Hume. 5326k— Murray's Vetebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 161. SYLYIIN/E. 233 HUME'S LESSER WHITE-THROAT. Length, 5'3 ; wing 2'3 to 2'4 ; bill at front, 0'3. Bill brownish ; irides brownish-yellow ; legs brown. Forehead and crown pale bluish-grey ; back, rump, and upper tail-coverts isabelline fawn, or pale sandy brown ; chin, throat, and under surface, white ; second primary equal to the seventh, in some intermediate between seventh and eighth. Hume's Lesser White-throat is a not uncommon cold weather visitant to Sind and parts of Guzerat and Rajputana. Sylvia althea, Hume. 582te;\ — Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 162. THE HIMALAYAN LESSER WHITE-THROAT. Upper surface darkish grey, slightly tinged with brown on the back. Under surface white ; second primary intermediate in length between or equal to sixth and seventh, or seventh and eighth ; wing, 27 to 2'8 ; culmen, 0'5 1 to 0'56 ; tarsus, 075 to 0'8. This species, or race as it may perhaps more properly be called, is a somewhat rare cold weather visitant to most parts of the Presidency. Sylvia rufa, Bodd. 582<7?ml — Butler, Guzerat ; (8. cinerea), Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 488 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind (S. cinerea) p. 162. THE GREY WARBLER OR WHITE-THROAT. Length, 6 to 6'25 ; expanse, 8'5 ; wing, 2-85 to 2'87 ; tail, 2'32 to 3 ; bill at front, 0'44 ; bill from gape, 0'62. Bill dusky, fleshy at base below ; irides yellowish-brown ; legs and feet yellowish-brown. The entire upper surface is a moderately dark, somewhat reddish sooty, or reddish ashy brown, more cinereous on the head, and with the tertials and their greater coverts rather broadly margined with pale dull ferruginous ; the lores are albescent or greyish- white, with traces of a greyer line through them ; chin, upper throat, and eyelid feathers pure white ; ear-coverts silky brown ; lower throat, breast and middle of abdomen, white, tinged with pale vinaceous buff; sides and flanks tinged with brown ; first primary very minute, second primary longest, or second and third equal and longest ; tail a good deal rounded ; exterior feather 0'4 shorter than longest, a paler brown than the rest and margined with white ; next feather tipped with brownish- white ; quills and greater coverts and tail-feathers all paler margined; axillaries greyish- white ; tibial plumes buffy-white ; tarsi stout, 0'87 in length. The Grey Warbler occurs during the cold season both in Sind and Guzerat. 234 MOTACILLINJE. Sylvia nana, Hemp, fy Ehr. 5836is. — Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 163. THE DESERT WARBLER. Length, 4r8 to 4'9 ; expanse, 7 to 7*2 ; wing, 2 to 2*2 ; tail, 1'8 to 2 ; tarsus, 0'8 ; bill at front, 0'33. Bill pale yellow, dusky on culmen and at tip ; irides orange- yellow ; legs and feet pale yellow. The lores are greyish-white ; from the nostril to the upper margin of the eye runs a very narrow yellowish-streak, whiter and less grey than the lores ; this line ceases to be visible in nine out of ten skins, but is sufficiently apparent in the freshly killed bird ; a circle of yellowish-white feathers surrounds the eye ; forehead, crown, occiput, nape, back, and scapulars, pale fawn-brown ; rump and upper tail-coverts pale rufous ; central tail-feathers pale rufous, with dark shafts ; external lateral fea- thers wholly white, next pair white on the outer webs, and with a moderately broad white tip to both webs ; the rest of the inner webs dark hair-brown ; the rest of the feathers dark hair- brown, margined on the outer webs with pale rufous ; the whole of the lower parts white, with, in the freshly killed birds, a just perceptible rufous tinge ; wing-lining and axillaries pure white ; wing pale-brown, narrowly margined and tipped with rufescent- white ; the tertiaries pale dingy-rufescent with brown shafts. Within our limits this Warbler only occurs in the more desert- like portion of Sind and in the Runn of Kutch. It is appa- rently a permanent resident as Mr. Doig found them breeding in October. SUB-FAMILY, Motacillinae. Bill generally of moderate length, slender, straight, barely deflected at the tip, and indistinctly notched ; rictal vibrissae minute or wanting ; wings typically long or pointed, and the tertiaries lengthened ; tail long ; tarsus moderately long and slender ; toes moderate ; claws slightly curved ; the hind-claw often long and straight. GENUS, Motacilla, Lin. Bill moderate, straight, slender, compressed at the tip, which is very slightly notched ; nostrils apert ; rictus almost smooth ; wings long, pointed, with nine primary quills, the first two sub- equal and longest ; tertiaries lengthened, equal to the primaries ; tail longr, slender, nearly even ; tarsus moderately long, slender, obscurely scutellate ; feet moderate ; hind-toe short ; claws slightly curved ; hind-claw small, more curved. Motacilla maderaspatensis, Gm. 589. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 217 ; M. maderaspa- tana, Briss. ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 489 ; MOTACILLIN.E. 235 Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 410 ; Murray's Verte- brate Zoology of Sind, p. 164 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885; p. 126. THE PIED WAGTAIL. Length, 8'5 to 9 ; expanse, 12 ; wing, 375 to 4; tail, 4; tarsus, 1 ; bill at front, 0'6 ; bill from gape, 072. Bill blackish ; irides dark-brown ; legs blackish. Upper plumage, with the chin, throat, and breast black, with a broad white supercilium and a large white wing-spot, formed by the median and greater-coverts, and the edges of some of the primaries ; the greater part of the two outermost tail-feathers white, also the edges of the upper tail-coverts ; beneath, from the breast, white. The female has the black less pure. In winter the chin, upper part of the throat, and some feathers just below the eye, are white. The Pied "Wagtail is very generally distributed throughout the Presidency ; it is a permanent resident, breeding nearly the whole year through. They have several broods during the season ; one pair that frequented a small tank adjoining my compound at Poona had a nest with two young ones and an addled egg on the 3rd March. On the 23rd April I took three incubated eggs from the same nest ; they had another nest, built about a yard away from the first one, which contained two eggs on the 9th May. In July, I noticed them feeding a pair of young birds, and towards the end of August they were making preparations for another brood. So that this pair had at least five clutches of eggs in one season. They were the only Wagtails on the tank, and were very pugnacious, and would allow no other bird to remain on the tank ; their own young ones, as soon as they were able to forage for themselves, were even driven away. The nest which is a mere pad, composed of grass fibres, &c., is always near water, and is built upon something solid, such as the ledge of a rock, a niche in a stone bridge, a hole in a bank, or some such similar place. The eggs, three or four in number, vary much both in size and shape, but are always more or less pointed at one end. The general color is greenish or earthy-white, spotted, speckled, streaked, clouded or smudged with olive, purplish, or earthy- brown. They average 0*9 inches in length by about 0'65 in breadth. Motacilla leucopsis, Gould. 590. — Motacilla luzoniensis, Scop. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 218. THE WHITE-FACED WAGTAIL. Length, 7'9 ; extent, 1T25 ; wing, 3'6 ; tail, 375 ; tarsus, 0'6 ; bill at front, 0'6. 236 MOTACILLINiE. Bill black ; irides brown ; legs black. In summer plumage, the occiput, nape, and upper parts generally deep black, also a large patch on the breast ; a broad frontal band, sides of head (including the eye) and neck? large wing-patch, the two outermost tail-feathers on each side, and the lower parts, white. In winter plumage, the back, shoulder, and rump are ashy-grey, the occiput, nape, and breast-band alone being black. The female is a trifle smaller than the male, and the black perhaps is not quite so deep. The White-faced Wagtail is, I believe, not uncommon at and near Mhow. It is of course a cold weather visitant only. Motacilla personata, Gould. 591. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 218 ; (M. dukhunensis, Sykes) ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 411 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 165 ;Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 127. THE BLACK-FACED WAGTAIL. Length, 7'5 to 8 ; wing, 3'6 to 37 ; tail, 4*5 to 475 ; bill at front, 075. Bill black ; irides brown ; legs black. In summer plumage, the back and scapulars, pale grey ; occiput, nape, wings, and tail, black ; a supercilium, wing-patch, and outermost tail-feathers, white ; beneath, the throat, neck, and breast, black, the rest white ; primaries are dusky, edged with white, and the upper tail-coverts ashy, edged with black. In winter dress, the chin, throat, and beneath the eye, are white, leaving only a small patch of black on the breast ; the occiput and nape are also grey, the white wing-patch smaller ; the coverts and secondaries also grey, edged paler. With the exception perhaps of Guzerat, the Black-faced Wagtail is generally distributed throughout the district during the cold weather. Motacilla dukhunensis, SyTces. 5916k— Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 489 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 410. SYKES' GREY AND BLACK WAGTAIL. Length, 7'5 to 8 ; wing, 3'6 to 37 ; tail, 4'5 to 475 ; bill at front, 075. Bill black ; irides brown ; legs black. Mr. Hume points out, Stray Feathers, Vol. I, p. 30, that " the only ready and unfailing diagnosis of the two species," ie, personata and dukhunensis, " is that, in both sexes, and at all seasons, the ear-coverts' and whole aural region are in personata black, blackish or dark-grey ; in dukhunensis, pure white or greyish or sordid-white." This marked difference, coupled with the conspicuously greater amount of white on the wings of MOTACILLIN.E. 237 per sonata, as compared with those ofdukkunensis, ought to render the separation of any specimens of the two species comparatively easy. This Wagtail is common during the cold season in both the Doccan and Guzerat. It also occurs at Neemuch in Raj pu tana. Motacilla alba, Lin. 59Iter. — Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 166 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 127. THE EUROPEAN WHITE-FACED WAGTAIL. Length, 7'5 to 8 ; wing, 375 ; tail, 475. Bill black ; irides dark-brown ; legs black. Front of the head, lores, all round the eye, ear-coverts, cheeks, and a broad stripe down the sides of the neck, white, as also the belly, vent and under tail-coverts ; back of the head and nape, chin, throat and breast, black ; back and scapulars darker-grey than in personata ; upper tail-coverts dark-brown, a few feathers margined white ; primaries dusky-brown, the outer webs darker, with a very faint whitish edge ; secondaries, . tertiaries, and inner webs of the median greater-coverts, dark brown, nearly black, all broadly edged white on their outer webs, and except the primaries, tipped with white ; the inner webs of the primaries and secondaries margined for their basal half with white ; lesser wing-coverts concolorous with the back ; tail black, the two outer- most feathers white, except a dark brown margin for nearly three-fourths their length on their inner webs, and in some speci- mens on the outer web near the shaft ; under wing and thigh- coverts white, the latter with some dark streaks. The European White-faced Wagtail is a common cold weather visitant to Sind. It is by many considered identical with dukhu- nensis. GENUS, Calobates, Kan p. Bill more slender than in motacilla ; wings slightly shorter, and tertials less elongated ; tarsus shorter and pale colored ; hind- toe short, with the claw a little longer and moderately curved ; otherwise as in motacilla. Calobates melanope, Pall 592. — G. sulphurea, Bech. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 220 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 489 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 592 ; (0. boarula, Penn.) Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 166 ; Motacilla mela- nope, Pall. ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 127. THE GREY AND YELLOW WAGTAIL. Length, 7'5 ; wing, 2'25 ; tail, 3*5 ; tarsus, 0*8 ; bill at front, 0-45. 238 MOTACILLIN.E. Bill black ; irides brown ; legs pale-brown. Plumage above pale-grey, with a wash of olivaceous ; upper tail- coverts pale-yellow, also the edges of the tertiaries ; supercilium, chin and throat, white ; rest of the lower parts pale-yellow, greenish on the middle, and laterally pure yellow ; a white- wing band ; wings and tail brownish-black ; the three outer tail-feathers on each side white on the inner web, the outermost wholly so. In summer the chin and throat become black with a whitish border, and the yellow of the lower parts is darker. During the cold season, the Grey and Yellow Wagtail is very common throughout the country. GENUS, Budytes, Cuvier. The characters are the same as those of motacilla, but the tertials barely so long ; the tail shorter ; tarsus longer and stouter ; hind-toe and claw lengthened, the latter very much so, and but slightly curved. Budytes cinereocapilla, Savi. 593.— B. viridis, Gm.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 222 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 410 ; Motacilla cinereocapilla, Savi., Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 127. THE SLATY-HEADED FIELD WAGTAIL. Length, 6 '5 ; expanse, 9 '5 ; wing, 3'13 ; tail, 275 ; tarsus, 0'8 ; bill at front, 0'45. Bill black ; irides dusky-brown ; legs black. The usual plumage of adult birds in winter is olive-green above, with a white or occasionally yellow superciliary mark ; beneath, the chin and throat whitish, the rest yellow, more or less pure ; wings dusky, with two dull whitish-yellow cross bands, formed by the tips of the coverts, and the tertials broadly margined with yellowish ; tail black, slightly margined with greenish, and the two outermost feathers on each side chiefly white. At the spring moult, the whole cap, lores and ear-coverts change to a bluish ash-grey, with or without a white or yellow super- cilium, which, however, is not always present, and disappears eventually by the change of color which takes place in the fea- thers themselves at a later period. The lower parts, too, become more pure and bright yellow ; the chin is white, and the throat yellow, with its lateral border white. A little later in the season, the lores and ear-coverts become darker by a change in the feathers themselves, and finally change to a deep black ; and in full breeding plumage, the whole cap, lores, and ear-coverts, are deep black. Young birds of the year are light brownish-grey, purer on the nape and rump ; wings and tail dusky, the former with two MOTACILLIN.E. 239 whitish cross bands ; the tail darker than the wings, with the two outermost feathers on each side nearly white ; beneath white, sometimes with a yellowish tinge, and a few brown marks on the breast ; a white supercilium always present. The Slaty-headed Field Wagtail is common in the Deccan and in parts of Rajputana. Of course it only occurs in the cold season. Budytes melanocephala, Licht. 5936is.— Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 490 ; Dec- can, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 410 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 168. THE BLACK-CAP FIELD WAGTAIL. Length, 6;§ to 6'5 ; wing, 31 to 3'25 ; tail, 275 ; bill at front, 0-43. Bill dark-brown ; irides brownish ; legs dark-brown. Head, nape, lores, sides of the face and ear-coverts black ; back, scapulars, rump, and upper tail-coverts, yellowish-green, the latter lighter, and the feathers edged with yellowish ; chin white or buffy-white ; rest of under surface pure yellow ; primaries and secondaries dull brown, lighter and whitish on the margins at the base of their inner webs ; tertiaries dark-brown, edged on lesser wing-coverts yellowish-olive, subterminally dark-brown, and tipped yellowish ; median and greater-coverts dark-brown, tipped yellowish, forming two conspicuous wing-bands ; tail black margined with greenish ; the two outermost feathers on each side white, except a broad dark-brown margin on their inner webs. During the cold season the Black-capped Field Wagtail is commonly distributed throughout the district. Budytes flava, Lin. 593ter.— Butler, Deccan; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 411 ; Mur- ray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 168. THE GREY-HEADED FIELD WAGTAIL. Length, 6 to 6'5 ; wing, 3*25 ; tail, 2'95 ; bill at front, 0'6. Bill dark-brown ; irides dusky-brown ; legs dark-brown. Forehead, crown, nape, and sides of the face, bluish-grey ; a dark streak from the base of the bill through the eye, a white, supercilium, and another short white stripe below from under the eye ; below the bluish-grey of the face an albescent streak to the chin, which is white ; throat, breast, and rest of under surface bright-yellow ; neck behind, and back, yellowish-green, tinged brownish ; greater and lesser wing-coverts dusky-brown, margined with yellowish- white ; primaries, secondaries, and tertiaries, dusky-brown, margined with yellowish- white ; tail dark-brown, edged with greenish-yellow, the two outermost feathers white, with a dark-brown margin on their inner webs, 240 MOTA.CILLIN.E. broader on the second, and extending over part of the outer web ; the next narrowly edged with white; upper tail-coverts like the back. The female has a white superciliura; the head and crown duller, mixed somewhat with greenish later in the year ; the chin is white, and the throat a yellowish or buffy-wliite ; breast and under parts pale-yellow ; back greyish-brown. The Grey-headed Field Wagtail occurs both in the Deccan and in Sind. It has apparently been overlooked in Guzerat and Raj pu tana. They are difficult birds to deal with, and Jerdon did not discri- minate the two last species. The following key by Mr. Brooks will assist greatly in helping collectors to discriminate the three species : — B. /lava. — Grey head, broad white supercilium, grey and white cheeks. B. cinereocapilla. — Dark-grey head, supercilium absent or else very narrow and white ; often only half a supercilium behind the eye ; cheeks a dark slate color or almost black. This dark cheek is the well marked peculiarity of the species. B. melanocephala. — Pure black head, with very rarely indeed a supercilium, and then very narrow, like a thin white thread. The black head is a good distinction. Budytes calcarata, Hodgs. 594. — B. citreola, Pallas. — Jerdon 's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 225 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 169. THE YELLOW-HEADED WAGTAIL. Length, 6'5 to 7 ; extent, 10;5 ; wing, 3'25 to 3'5 ; tail, 3'5 ; bill at front, 0'48. Bill black ; irides brown ; legs black. Entire head, chin, throat, breast, and under surface, bright yellow ; back, rump, and upper tail-coverts dark-brown, nearly black ; lesser wing-coverts dark -grey ; median and greater wing- coverts dark-brown, margined and tipped with white ; the ter- tiaries broadly margined with white ; primaries and secondaries on their outer webs, dusky on their inner, and with whitish margins ; tail dark-brown or black ; the feathers very narrowly edged with greenish ; the four outermost white, except a dusky- brown margin on the inner web for three-fourths their length. In winter the adult is light ashy-grey above, the nape and sides of the breast darker ; head and under surface yellow, oli- vaceous on the flanks ; primaries dusky, edged with greyish-white on their outer webs ; secondaries dusky ; tertiaries darker, broadly margined with white ; wing-coverts brown, broadly tipped with white, forming two, conspicuous wing-bands ; lower tail-coverts albescent or very pale-yellow; tail as in the breeding plumage. MOTACILLINJE. 241 , The Yellow-headed Wagtail is very common during the cold season in Sind, affecting paddy fields, edges of marshes, and banks of rivers and canals, Budytes citreola, Pall. 5946is. — Butler, Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 411; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 169 ; Motacilla citreola, Pall, ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p, 127, THE GREY-BACKED YELLOW WAGTAIL. % Length, 7'1 ; wing, 3' 18 ; tail, 275 ; bill at front, 0'4, Bill pale-brown ; irides brown ; legs pale brown. Forehead, crown of head, sides of the face, ear-coverts, chin, throat, breast, and entire under parts bright yellow, paler on the vent, and nearly white on the under tail-coverts ; nape, and upper back, black ; lower back and scapulars dark-grey ; rump and upper tail-coverts pale or dark-brown or yellowish-green, the feathers edged with greenish ; primaries and secondaries dusky ; tertiaries dark brown ; the primaries and secondaries faintly edged and tipped with white, and the tertiaries broadly so, all basally white on their inner webs ; lesser wing-coverts like the back and tipped brown ; median and greater-coverts brown, edged with white, and forming two conspicuous white or yellowish- white bands ; the second band oblique in the closed wing, being formed by the white of the greater coverts, and that of the inner- most tertiaries, the longest of which is nearly equal in length with the fourth primary ; under wing-coverts white ; tail black, the feathers with a faint tinge of whitish on their outer webs; the two outermost tail-feathers on each side white, with a broad margin on their inner webs, to about half an inch from the tip ; the next black, with the edge of the outer web and tip white. The Grey-backed Yellow Wagtail is a common cold weather visitant to the Deccan, Kajputana, and also in a lesser degree to Sind. GENUS, Limonidromus. Similar characters to Budytes, but with the short hind-claw of MotaciUa. Limonidromus indicus, Gm. 595. — Nemoricola indica, Gm. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 226 ; Butler, Deccan; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 411. THE BLACK-BREASTED WAGTAIL. Length, 6*25; expanse, 10; wing, 3'12; tail, 2 '6 ; tarsus, 0'9; bill at front, 0'48. Bill dusky, beneath whitish ; legs whitish, tinged with purplish- brown. Plumage above greenish olive-brown, beneath yellowish ; supercilium white ; a double black band on the breast, the lower one not complete in the centre, which unites laterally with the 16 242 MOTACILLISLE. upper one ; wings blackish, with two broad white bands, and a third at the base of the primaries, a fourth near the tips of the secondaries, continued along the edge of the longest tertiary ; tail with the middle feathers brown, the next dusky, the outer- most white, with generally a brown outer margin and blackish base, the penultimate with white only on its terminal half. The Black-breasted Wagtail occurs sparingly in the forest tracts of the Deccan during the cold season ; it has not been recorded from elsewhere within our limits. GENUS, Anthus, Bechst. Bill straight, short, and stouter than in Budytes ; wings, first to third quills longest ; plumage spotted ; hind-claw short and curved. Anthus maculatus, Hodgs. 596. — Pipastes agilis, Sykes. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 228; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 491. THE INDIAN TREE PIPIT. Length, 6'5 ; expanse, 11 ; wing, 3'5 ; tail, 275 ; tarsus, 0'8 ; bill from gape, 07. Bill dusky, fleshy beneath ; irides dark-brown ; legs pale fleshy- brown. In winter plumage above fine greenish-olive, with strongly marked dusky streaks on the crown, and some slight dark centres to the dorsal feathers ; beneath white, with a faint fulvous tinge, with large dark spots on the throat, breast, and flanks ; wing-coverts dark-brown ; the median with yellowish- white tips ; the greater-coverts broadly edged with olive ; the quills brown, edged with olive ; tail with the outermost feathers white terminally, and for the greater part of both webs ; the penultimate with a white tip ; central feathers olive-brown ; the intermediate ones brown, with olive edgings. In summer plumage the upper parts are more brown and less olive, more broadly streaked with dusky centres, and the under p irts always pale fulvescent, passing to white on the abdomen and lower tail-coverts. During the cold season the Indian Tree Pipit is very common in Guzerat and Rajputana; its occurrence in the Deccan has only doubtfully been recorded. Anthus trivialis, Lin. 597. — Pipastes arbor em, Bech. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 230; Butler, Guzerat; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 490; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 412 ; Anthus arboreus, Bechst; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 170 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 127. THE EUROPEAN TREE PIPIT. Length, 6'5 ; wing, 3*5 ; tail, 2'5; tarsus, 0'8 ; bill at front, 0*43 MOTACILLIN^. 243 Bill dusky, yellowish at base beneath ; irides dark-brown ; legs pale-brown. This Pipit is very similar to the last, and a detailed description is therefore unnecessary. The chief points of difference are : the tone of color less deep, less distinctly striated on the body ; it is also more tinged with fulvescent on the throat, breast, and under parts generally ; and the hind-claw is slightly more curved. The European Tree Pipit is generally distributed throughout the Presidency during the cold weather, Anthus spinoletta, Lin. 605fer.— Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p, 491 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 170. THE WATER PIPIT. Length, 6'37 to 7'25 ; expanse, 9'5 to 1T25 ; wing, 315 to 3'6 ; tail, 275 ; bill at front, 0'45 to 0'53. Bill dark horny-brown ; irides brown ; legs and feet brown or dark -brown. In the winter plumage the upper surface is a sort of olive- brown, with more or less of a faintly rufous tinge ; the rump unstriated ; the head and back with dark hair-brown centres to the feathers ; there is a well marked dull white stripe from the nostril over the eye ; the coverts and the quills are mostly hair- brown, the former broadly margined with brownish or olivaceous- white, purer just at the tips of the coverts, and the latter narrow- ly margined ; the first few primaries with greyish- white, the rest with a sort of greenish or olivaceous-white ; the tippings of the coverts form two tolerably well marked wing-bars ; the ter- tiaries, which are somewhat paler than the rest of the quills, are broadly margined with brownish-white ; the central tail- feathers, which are the shortest, are a comparatively pale-brown, margined all round with brownish- white ; the next pair on either side are very dark-brown, very narrowly margined with pale olivaceous, and the fourth with a tiny whitish spot at the extreme tip ; the exterior tail-feathers of all have the whole outer webs white, slightly brownish towards the tip, the whole inner web white for nearly half an inch from the tip, beyond which for another three-quarters of an inch the white occupies (next the shaft) a gradually diminishing portion of the inner web, the rest of the feather being brown ; the lower surface is a dull white, in many specimens with a faint vinaceous tinge, in parts with a row of small brown spots down the sides of the neck, with simi- lar spots on the breast, and longer strise along the sides and flanks. In the summer plumage the whole upper surface becomes greatly overlaid with an earthy or greyish-brown shade, the striations of the back and head almost disappear, though the edges of the feathers are still somewhat paler than the centres, and the whole 244 MOTACILLIN.E. lower parts become a nearly uniform pale vinaceous color, without a single spot or streak ; in some specimens, which are somewhat less advanced, a few spots still remain on the breast, and one or two streaks on the flanks. In all stages of plumage the axillaries are white ; and the greater portion of the wing-lining, and the lower surface of the quills, pale satin- grey. Within our limits the Water Pipit occurs as a not uncommon winter visitant to Sind, and more rarely to Mount Aboo, but has not been recorded from any other portion of Guzerat. Anthus blackistoni, Swinh. GQoquat. — Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 171. BLAKISTON'S PIPIT. Length, 6 '3 ; wing, 3'37 ; tail, 27 ; tarsus, 0'S5 ; bill at front, 0-45. Bill light brown, darker on culmen and tip ; irides brown ; legs brown, paler on tarsi. Upper parts light yellowish-brown, grey on the nape ; crown and back with the centres of the feathers deep-brown ; lores, eyebrow, and chin, cream-white ; under parts cream-white, spotted on the breast, and streaked on the flanks with brown ; axillaries pure white ; wings brown, feathers edged paler ; coverts and tertiaries broadly edged, and tipped with cream-white, forming a double bar across the wing ; tail brown, the central feathers yellowish-brown , edged paler ; the outer tail-feathers white on the entire outer web, and great part of inner near the apex ; penultimate feather edged exteriorly and largely tipped with white. Within our limits, this Pipit only occurs as a cold weather visitant to Sind. It much affects the large swamps and marshes that are so frequently met with there. GENUS, Corydalla, Vigors. Bill stout ; rictal vibrissae occasionally present ; tarsi moderately long. Corydalla rufula, Vieill. 600.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 232 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 490 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 412 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 172 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 127. THE INDIAN TITLARK. Length, 6'5 to 7 ; wing, 3 to 375 ; tail, 2'25 to 2'5 ; tarsus, 1 ; bill at front, 0'4. Bill dusky, yellowish at base beneath ; irides brown ; legs yel- lowish-brown. Plumage above pale olive-brown, the feathers centred with dusky-brown ; beneath earthy or fulvous white, the fulvous most MOTACILLINJE. 245 developed on the breast ; chin white ; breast and sides of throat marked with dusky-brown striae ; supercilium fulvous-white ; outer- most tail-feathers almost all white ; the penultimate white on the whole outer web, and also a considerable portion obliquely of the inner web. The Indian Titlark is a common and permanent resident throughout the Presidency, breeding during May and June. The nest, which is a mere pad, is composed of fine roots and fibres, and is usually placed on the ground, under small tufts of grass, which only partially conceal it. The eggs, three or four in number, are oval in shape, brownish- white in color, profusely speckled with reddish and umber-brown. These spots are more dense at the large end. They measure 0 8 inches in length by about 0*6 in breadth, Corydalla striolata, Ely. 601.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 233. THE LARGE TITLARK. Length, 7'5 ; expanse, 12; tail, 3'25 ; wing, 376; tarsus, T05 ; hind-claw, 0'5 ; bill from gape, 0'8. Very similar to G. rufula, but larger, the markings more dis- tinct, and the breast much more spotted, the general tinge at the same time being more fulvous. Jerdon gives Central India as one of the localities frequented by the large Titlark. GENUS, Agrodroma, Swainson. Hind-claw comparatively short ; bill moderately strong ; plum- age more uniform and less streaked. Agrodroma campestris, Lin 602.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 234; Butler, Guzerat; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 491 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 412 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 173 ; S win- hoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 127. THE STONE PIPIT. Length, 7 to 7 25 ; expanse, 1075 ; wing, 3'6 ; tail, 275 to 3 ; tarsus, 0'95 ; bill at front, 0*5. Bill horny, yellowish beneath ; irides brown ; legs yellowish, with a tinge of fleshy. General tone of plumage pale rufous-grey, some of the feathers, especially of the head, centred with dusky, those on the back scarcely so at all ; beneath, and superciliary stripe, pale fawn- color, whitening on the throat and vent; breast very faintly marked with brown streaks ; a brown stripe from the gape below the ears, and another from the lower edge of the under mandible down the throat on each side ; wing-coverts brown, broadly edged with pale fawn-color ; the two centre feathers of the tail brown, 246 MOTACILLIN^E. edged with fawn, the outermost nearly all of that color, the penultimate tipped and edged only, and the remainder deep- brown. During the cold season the Stone Pipit is not uncommon in suitable localities throughout the district. It only occurs in open; stony, and barren places. Agrodroma similis, Jerd. 603. — A cinnamomea, Rupp. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 235 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 412. THE RUFOUS ROCK PIPIT. Length, 8 '2 5 ; wing, 3'8 ; tarsus, I'l. Bill dusky, paler at base beneath ; irides brown ; legs fleshy. Upper parts dusky olive-brown, the .feathers more or less edged with pale ferruginous, deepest on the margins of the wing- feathers ; beneath and superciliary stripe ferruginous, with nar- row brown streaks on the foreneck and breast ; chin and throat dull white ; tail with its outermost feathers dark, obliquely tipped for its terminal third with ruddy- whitish, which extends up the narrow outer web to near its base ; and the penultimate feather is tipped for about one-quarter of an inch only with the same. The occurrence of this Pipit within our limits is doubtful, a single specimen only being recorded from the neighbourhood of Ahmednagar. Agrodroma sordida, Rupp. 604.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 236 ; A. jerdoni, Finsch ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 491 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 412; Murray's Verte- brate Zoology of Sindy p. 173 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 188 5, p. 127. THE BROWN ROCK PIPIT. Length, 7'5 to 8 ; expanse, 12 ; wing, 4 ; tail, 3*5 ; tarsus, 1*25 ; bill at front, 07. Bill dusky, yellowish beneath, except at tip ; irides brown ; legs yellowish. Very similar to the last ; colors duller, and not so rufous, being of a dull earthy-brown, darker on the wings and tail, the feathers edged paler ; a fawn colored superciliary stripe, and a faint brown mandibular stripe ; beneath, the chin and throat whitish, and the rest of the body rufescent-vinous or fawn color, with a few indistinct brown blotches; central tail-feathers dark brown; outer ditto rufescent. During the cold season the Brown Rock Pipit occurs sparingly throughout the province. It is much addicted to frequenting stony ravines and sandy plains, especially when covered with low stunted bushes, upon which they often alight when disturbed LEIOTRICHIN-E— PARING. 247 FAMILY, Ampelidae. Tarsus short or moderate ; feet fitted for perching, in some groups strong and scansorial ; wings moderate ; tail short or moder^ ate ; bill various, usually strong, somewhat conic ; often of bright, showy, and variegated plumage. SUB-FAMILY, Leiotrichinse. Bill usually short, more or less wide at the base, lengthened and slightly curved in a few, entire in some, notched in others ; tail short or moderate, even or slightly rounded ; tarsi short, stout ; feet strong ; claws moderately curved, sharp. GENUS, Zosterops. Bill slightly notched, curved ; eyes with a circle of white feathers ; nostrils exposed ; third and fourth primaries longest. Zosterops palpebrosa, Tern. 631.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 265 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 491 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 413 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 174 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 127. THE WHITE-EYED TIT. Length, 4'5 ; expanse, 6'5 ; wing, 2'33 ; tail, 17 ; tarsus, 0'75 ; bill at front, 0'33 to 0'4. Bill blackish, horny at base beneath ; irides light yellow-brown ,- legs reddish-horny. Above light siskin-green, with a circle of close white feathers round the eyes ; throat and upper breast canary yellow ; belly bluish-white ; leg feathers, lower tail-coverts, and some of the feathers on the abdomen, tinged with pale-yellow. The White-eyed Tit is a common permanent resident in the Deccan, breeding from April to September ; the nest is a soft, delicate, little cup, suspended between two twigs, occasionally in a fork, and is composed of fine grass, roots, &c., attached to the twigs from which it is suspended by cobwebs or vegetable fibres. The eggs, two or three in number, are of a moderately length- ened oval shape, pointed at one end, of a pale blue color, quite un- spotted. They average 0'62 inches in length by about 0'47 in breadth. In other parts of the Presidency it only occurs, I believe, as a cold weather visitant ; it is extremely rare in Sind. SUB-FAMILY, Parinae. Bill typically rather short, conic, stout, entire, the nares tufted ; wings moderate, somewhat rounded ; tail short or moderate, long in a few ; tarsus and feet short, stout ; hind-toe long ; claws well curved. 248 PARING. GENUS, Parus, Lin. Head uncrested ; bill usually stout and moderately short ; tail rather short. Parus nipalensis, Hodgs. 645. — P cinereus, Vieill. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. IL p. 278 ; P. ccesius, Tick. ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 491 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 413 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, p. 127. THE INDIAN GREY TIT. Length, 5'95 ; wing, 2'8 ; tail, 2'6 ; tarsus, 0'6 ; bill at front, 0 7. Bill black ; irides brown ; legs blackish. Head, chin, throat, and breast, and a line along the abdomen, black ; large cheek-spot white ; plumage above bluish-cinereous ; greater-coverts white tipped, forming a conspicuous wing-band ; quills dusky-black, edged with pale blue, and the secondaries and tertiaries edged white ; beneath albescent, with a tinge of rufes- cent-ashy, purer white on the under tail-coverts. The Grey Tit occurs sparingly on Mount Aboo, but does not descend to the plains beneath. It does not occur in Bind, but is common in Southern Afghanistan. It is a common permanent resident in the Deccan, breeding from May to August ; the nest (a mere pad composed of 'moss, hair, fur and feathers), is placed in a hole in a tree, bank, or wall. The eggs, five or six in number, are slightly elongated ovals, pointed towards one end. The ground color is white, (pinkish before they are blown), blotched, spotted, and streaked, more especially towards the large end, with red or occasionally pale- purple. They average about 071 inches by about 0 54. Parus nuchalis, Jerdon. 646.— -Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 279 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 492. THE WHITE-WINGED BLACK TIT. Length, 5 ; wing, 2'8 ; tail, 2; tarsus, 07 ; l>ill at front, 0!4. Bill black ; irides red-brown ; legs plumbeous. Above black, with a white nuchal mark ; a white band across the wing, and the tertiaries broadly margined and tipped with white ; tail with the outer feathers nearly white, the next with the outer web only, and the third with the outer web white only at its base and tip ; cheeks, sides of neck, sides of breast, belly, and under tail-coverts, white, with a black mesial stripe, from the throat to the vent. The White-winged Black Tit has been obtained from Cutch and the vicinity of Deesa. It appear^ to be very locally distributed. PARING. 249 GENUS, Machlolophus, Calanis. Head crested ; plumage much mixed with yellow and green. Machlolophus xanthogenys, Vigors. 647.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 279 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 125, p. 127. THE YELLOW-CHEEKED TIT. Length, 5 '2 5 ; wing, 275; tail, 212; tarsus, 0'6 ; bill at front, 0'33. Bill black ; irides light-brown ; legs plumbeous. Head (fully crested), wings and tail black, the latter tipped white, and the tertiaries laterally edged throughout with white ; nape, posterior part of crest, and a small superciliary stripe, bright yellow ; back, scapulars, and rump, light olive-green, the scapulars with a few black marks ; wing-coverts tipped with pale-yellow ; the outer primaries white-edged, and with a white bar near their base, the others bluish externally ; tail dusky -grey, white tipped ; cheeks, sides of neck, sides of breast and abdomen, and under tail-coverts yellow, passing to greenish on the flanks and under tail-coverts ; lores, a stripe on each side of the neck from the eye, chin, throat, and middle of breast, black. The Yellow-cheeked Tit occurs on the slopes of the Vindhian hills, near Mhow, and in the woods at their base. It has not been recorded from elsewhere within our limits. Machlolophus aplonotus, Bly. 648.— M. jerdoni, Bly th.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 280 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 492 j Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 413. THE SOUTHEKN YELLOW TIT. Length, 6 ; expanse, 10 ; wing, 3 ; tail, 2'5 ; tarsus, 07 ; bill at front, 0'35. Bill black ; irides light-brown ; legs plumbeous. Very similar to the last, but conspicuously larger ; has the back less tinged with yellow, being dull green with a slaty tinge ; the yellow portion of the plumage not so intense in hue, and the yellow sincipital streak short, and not continued forward over the eye. This Tit is a permanent resident on the Sahyadri Range, and in the well wooded tracts adjoining; it also occurs on Mount Aboo ; it is unknown in Sind. Jerdon states that he found it common on the Vindhian Range, near Mhow, but a bird that I procured from thence proved to belong to the preceding species. TRIBE, Conirostres. Bill usually entire at the tip, thick, more or less conic, with the lower mandible deeper than in most of the preceding tribe ; 250 CORVINE. wings more generally lengthened ; tail usually moderate or short, even or emarginate, rounded in a few ; feet fitted for walking on the ground, as well as for perching. FAMILY, Corvidse. Bill strong, more or less compressed, usually entire, rarely notched at the tip ; nostrils thickly clad with stiff incumbent bristles ; tarsus short ; feet strong, and claws well curved ; of large size mostly. SUB-FAMILY, Corvinse. Bill very stout, long, straight, with the ridge more or less curved ; wings long, somewhat pointed ; tail variable ; tarsus stout, strongly scutate ; claws well curved. GENUS, Corvus, Lin. Bill long, very strong and thick, straight ; the culmen more or less elevated ; nares protected by very long and rigid bristles ; wing long and pointed, first quill short ; second a little shorter than the third and fourth, and the fifth usually subeqttal to them ; tail moderate, even, or somewhat rounded ; tarsus very stout, of moderate length, with strong scutae ; feet moderate ; lateral toes about equal ; claws sharp, and strongly curved. Corvus lawrencei, Hume. 6 57bis.~- Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 1 75. THE INDIAN RAVEN. Length, 2375 to 2475 ; wing, 1 6'3 to 17'4 ; tail very much rounded ; the outer tail-feathers being always two, and generally 2 '5 inches shorter than the central ones ; bill at front, 2 '8. Bill black ; irides dark or grey-brown ; legs black. Uniform blue-black throughout, with a purplish tinge on the throat and upper breast ; feathers of the chin and throat lanceo- late ; incumbent bristles in front, extend to beyond more than half of the length of the bill, which is much arched. Within our limits the Indian Raven only occurs in Upper Sind. Corvus macrorhynchus, Wagl. 660. — C. culminatus, Sykes. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 295 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 493 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 413 ; Corone macror- hyncha, Wagl. ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 128. THE INDIAN CORBY. Length, 21 ; wing, 13'5 ; tail, 775 ; tarsus, 2'5 ; bill at front, 2-4. Bill black ; irides dark-brown ; legs black. CORVINE. Above glossy black, dull black beneath ; tail slightly rounded ; •wings reach nearly to the end of the tail \ bill straight at the base and high ; culmen raised, curving strongly towards the tip. With the exception of Sind, the Corby is a common and per- manent resident, breeding during March and April and building the usual Corvine stick nest. The eggs, four in number, are moderately broad ovals, somewhat pointed at one end, and are dull sap-green in color, much blotched, streaked, and dashed with brown ; but they vary very much both in size and color. They average about 171 inches in length by 1*18 in breadth. Corvus umbrinus, Hedenl. QQObis. — Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p, 1 75, THE BROWN-NECKED RAVEN. Length, 21-5 to 23 ; wing, 15 to 16'4 ; tail, 8*6 to 9 ; tarsus, 2-9 ; bill at front, 3. Bill black ; irides dark-brown ; legs black. Head and neck glossy umber-brown, also the ear-coverts, sides of the face and sides of the neck, the latter scarcely glossed ; lores, incumbent nasal bristles, feathers round the eye, and at base of bill at the gape, black ; back, scapulars, wing, wing- coverts, upper tail-coverts, and tail, glossy black with a violet- blue gloss ; chin, throat, and breast, dark glossy umber-brown ; rest of under surface brown, glossed with purple on the breast, flanks, abdomen and vent ; under tail-coverts glossy purplish- black ; axillaries and under wing-coverts purplish-black. The Brown-necked Raven is a not uncommon winter visitant to Upper Sind, but does not occur elsewhere within our limits. Corvus splendens, Vieill. 663.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Yol. II, p. 298 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 493 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 413 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 176 ; Cor one splendens, Vieill. ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 128. THE COMMON INDIAN CROW. Kowa, Hin. Kagra, Sindi. Length, 15 to 18 ; wing, 10 75 to 1T25 ; tail, 7 ; tarsus, 1*85 ; bill at front, 2'12. Bill black ; irides deep-brown ; legs black. Forehead, sinciput, and lores, glossy black ; occiput, nape, hind- neck, and sides of neck, purplish-ashy ; back, wings, and tail, black, with rich purple and steel-blue reflections ; breast ashy, tinged dark ; middle of abdomen dull black, slightly tinged with steel-blue. The Common Crow is numerous throughout the district, except on the hills, where it is replaced by macrorhynchus. It is a 252 DENnROCITTWJE. permanent resident, breeding during May and June, making the usual stick nest. The eggs, four or five in number, are broadish oval in shape, pointed at one end, but vary much in color ; they are generally greenish-blue or dingy-green, speckled, spotted and dashed with umber-brown. They measure 1*44 by 1'06. The eggs of the Koel are almost exclusively deposited in the nest of this crow. SUB -FAMILY, Dendrocittinae. Bill short, with the culmen much elevated and curved, quite entire at the tip ; gonys straight ; commissure curved ; nares pro- tected by dense, velvety short feathers ; wings short, rounded ; tail long, graduated ; tarsus short, stout ; feet arboreal with the lateral toes slightly unequal. GENUS, Dendrocitta, Gould. Bill short or moderate, compressed, well curved from the base ; nostrils small, basal, concealed by short incumbent feathers ; wings short, rounded ; fifth and sixth quills longest, fourth sub- equal ; secondaries nearly as long as the primaries ; tail elongate, wedge-shaped, with the two central feathers produced ; feet mode- rate or short, arboreal ; middle-toe short ; lateral toes unequal ; hind-toe and claw rather large. Dendrocitta rufa, -Scop. 674.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 314 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 494 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 413 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 177 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, p. 128. THE COMMON INDIAN MAGPIE. Length, 16 to 18 ; expanse, 17 to 19 ; wing, 5'8 to 6'5 ; tail, 8 to 10-5; tarsus, 11 to 12 ; bill at gape, 1 '2 ; bill at front, 11. Bill black ; irides blood-red ; legs dark-slaty. Whole head, neck, and breast, sooty-brown or blackish, deepest on the forehead, chin, and throat, and passing into dusky-cinere- , ous ; scapulars, back, and upper tail-coverts, dark ferruginous ; u«**J wing-coverts, and the outer web of the secondaries, light grey, ^ almost whitish in some ; rest of the quills black ; tail ashy-grey, the feathers all broadly tipped with black, least so on the centre feathers ; beneath, from the breast, ferruginous or fulvous. This Tree Pie is, I believe, a permanent resident throughout the district, but I have only been able to procure eggs in Sind. During part of the hot weather they become very scarce, if not ^\ altogether absent, and are then probably engaged in breeding in some near but more suitable locality. In Sind they breed during May and June, almost always choos- ing babool trees, placing the nest in a stoutish fork near the top ; STURNIN^E. 253 they are composed at the bottom of thorny twigs, which form a sort of foundation upon which the true nest is built ; the latter consists of fine twigs, lined with grass roots ; the nest is fre- quently of large size. The eggs, four (more rarely five) in number, vary most astonishingly in both ground-color and in the character of the markings. Typically they are longish ovals, a good deal pointed at one end. A common type is a pale sal- mon or pale greenish-white, thickly splashed and marked with bright or brownish-red ; the other type is greenish-white or pale sto.ny color, and the markings are olive and pale purplish-brown, others are intermediate between these two types ; some of these eggs are exact counterparts, except in size, of eggs of Lanius lahto- ra. In length they measure from 1*0 to 1'3 inches, and in breadth from 078 to 0'95, but the average is about T17 inches in length by 0'87 in breadth. FAMILY, Sturnidae, Bill straight, or very slightly curved, longish, compressed, subu- late, often angulated at the base, slightly notched at the tip or entire ; wings long, rather pointed ; tail moderate or stout ; tarsi short, moderate ; lateral toes about equal. SUB-FAMILY, Sturninse. Bill moderately long, compressed, straight or slightly curved, entire in most ; commissure usually angulated, or bent down towards the base ; frontal plumes soft, dense, covering the base of the bill, which is prolonged backwards between the plumes ; wings with the second primary usually longest ; the tail short, even or slightly rounded ; tarsus moderately long, stout. GENUS, Sturnus, Linnceus. Bill long, straight, subulate, slightly depressed at the base ; the culmen convex ; tip obtuse, barely deflected ; nostrils basal, partly closed by a vaulted membrane ; wing with first quill minute ; tail even, short ; tarsus moderately long ; lateral toes nearly equal ; hind-toe long. Sturnus vulgaris, Lin. 681.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 320; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 494 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 1 78 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 128. THE COMMON STABLING. Length, 9 ; wing, 5 ; tail, 3 ; tarsus, 1*6 ; bill at front, 1*25. Bill at first brown, but eventually becoming rich yellow ; irides brown ; legs yellow. Glossy black, with a pale whitish or brownish tip to each feather, giving the bird a pretty speckled appearance ; all the clothing feathers long and lanceolate, becoming longer and more pointed at each moult. In very old birds the specks are said to disappear altogether, or nearly so* The young bird is dull brown. The Common Starling of Europe is a not uncommon winter visitant to Sind, Gu&erat, and parts of Raj pu tana. It associates with the Common and Bank Mynas. It does not occur in the Deccan, Sturnus minor, Hume. 6816/s. — Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 178. THE LESSER STARLING. Wing, 4^3 ; tarsus, 1 ; bill at front, 1, Bill yellow ; irides brown ; legs yellow. General character of plumage like that of the Common Starling ; but in the first place, the Common Starling has the reflections of the head purple, and of the back green, but in the present species the reflections of the head are green and the back purple. Secondly the wing is decidedly shorter. The bills of both are about equal in length, but those of minor are more pointed, have a more decided culmen ridge, and are less broad at the base. The Lesser Starling is a permanent resident in parts of Sind, breeding from March to June. The eggs are similar to those of the Common Starling, but are smaller. GENUS, Acridotheres, Vieill. Bill rather short, stout, compressed ; culmen gently curving and deflected ; gonys slightly sloping upwards ; nostrils almost concealed by the frontal plumes which extend above them their whole length ; tail rounded ; tarsus stout ; feet strong ; toes lengthened ; the laterals nearly equal ; claws moderately curved. The head is more or less crested, and some of them have a naked space behind and under the eye. Acridotheres tristis, Lin. 684. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 325 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 494 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 413 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 178 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 128. THE COMMON MYNA. Length, 10 ; wing, 5'25 ; tail, 3'5 ; tarsus, 1*4 ; bill at front, 0-85. Bill yellow ; irides red-brown with white specks ; legs dull- yellow ; orbits deep-yellow. The whole head, with moderate occipital crest, neck and breast, glossy black ; the rest of the plumage quaker or snuff-brown, 255 darkest on the back and wing-coverts, and lightest beneath ; primaries black, with a white spot at their base, forming a con- spicuous wing-spot ; tail black with a white tip, successively broader from the centre pair ; lower abdomen, vent, and under tail-coverts white. This Myna is a common permanent resident throughout the district, breeding from June to August. They nest indifferently, in holes, in trees or walls, in deserted crow nests, under the eaves of verandahs, and occasionally, but very rarely, they build a rup-shaped nest in a fork of a tree. The eggs, four or five in number, are rather longish ovals in shape, of a glossy blue-green color, and average 119 inches in length by about 0'86 in breadth. Acridotheres ginginianus, Lath. 685.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 326 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 494 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 179 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 128. THE BANK MYNA. Length, 8'5 ; wing, 5; tail, 3'25 ; tarsus, 1-25 ; bill at front, 0-85. Bill red, yellow at tip ; nude eye -spot reddish ; irides brown ; legs yellow. Head with rather short occipital crest ; lores, ear-coverts, and nape, glossy black ; the rest of the plumage dull cinereous or inky-black, paling beneath ; wing black, with the wing-spot ferruginous ; tail black, tipped dull ferruginous ; middle of abdo- men, of vent, and the under tail-coverts, pale ferruginous ; the frontal feathers are slightly erectile, and those on the side of the head are directed towards the median line. The Bank Myna is very common throughout Sind and Guze- rat ; it also occurs in Central India and Rajputana, but is very locally distributed. It does not appear ever to have been noticed in the Deccan. It is a permanent resident wherever found, breeding in holes in river banks, or wells, during June and July ; these holes are excavated by the birds themselves. The eggs, four or five in number, are broadish ovals in shape, and glossy greenish-blue in color. They average T05 inches in length by about 0'81 in breadth. Acridotheres mahrattensis, Sylces. 6866k— Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 412. THE SOUTHERN DUSKY MYNA. Length, 9'5 ; wing, 5 ; tail, 3 ; tarsus, 1*4 ; bill at front, 07. Bill orange-yellow; irides pale blue ; legs yellow. The whole head, small frontal crest, and ear-coverts, glossy black ; the upper plumage fuscous black, or blackish-brown, with a vinous tinge ; primaries black, with a white spot near their 256 STURNIXyE. base ; tail also black, white-tipped, most broadly on the outer feathers ; beneath, the throat and breast dull cinereous-blackish ; abdomen reddish-cinereous, paling in the centre, whitish on the vent, and the under tail-coverts pure white ; the secondaries are glossed with bronze towards their end. This Myna is a permanent resident in the more hilly districts of the Deccan. The only difference between maJiraMensia and fuscus is that the irides of the former are pale-blue, while those of the latter are yellow. GENUS, Sturnia, Lesson. Bill short, compressed, less stout than in Acridotheres, bare, deflected at the tip, often parti-colored ; wings moderate, first and second primaries sub-equal ; tail nearly even ; tarsus short ; lateral toes slightly unequal ; claws more curved ; head usually ^crestecj, Sturnia pagodarum, Gm. 687. — Temenuchus pagodarum, Gm. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 329 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 494 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 414 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 179 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 128. THE BLACK-HEADED MYNA. Brahmani Myna, Hin. ; Powi, Hin. Length, 7'5 to 8*5 ; expanse, 12'5 ; wing, 4 to 4'25 ; tail, 2'5 to 3 ; tarsus, 1 to 1'2 ; bill at front, 0'6 ; bill from gape, 0'9. Bill greenish -yellow at tip, blue at base ; irides greenish- white ; legs bright-yellow. Head and long pendent crest black ; body above grey ; beneath and ear-coverts bright fulvous-buff, with some mesial pale streaks ; wings blackish, with a white edge near the shoulder ; tail dull black. The Black-headed Myna occurs throughout the district, but is somewhat locally distributed; it is somewhat rare in Sind. It is a permanent resident, breeding from June to August, in holes in trees. The eggs, four or five in number, are oval in shape, pale bluish-white in color, and average 0*97 in length by about 075 in breadth. Sturnia malabarica, Gm. 688. — Temenuchus malabaricus, Gm. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 330 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 494 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 414. THE GKEY-HEADED MYNA. Powi, Hin. Length, 7'5 ; wing, 4 ; tail, 2'5 ; tarsus, 1 ; bill at front, 0'6. Bill greenish-yellow ^i^^._bhiisJLa.tJbase ; irides greyish-white ; legs dulTyellow. STURNINJ!. 257 Upper parts grey ; the forehead and throat whitish, the feathers being centred white, and the former occasionally pure white ; entire under parts, from the foreneck, ferruginous- buff (some of the feathers of the breast also centred with whitish), deep-colored in old males, faint in young and in females ; quills black, the inner Web deep-brown, the primaries slightly glossed and faintly tipped with grey, the rest dusky, successively more broadly tipped with deep ferruginous. The colors fade much by abrasion, and become more nearly uniform. The young birds are nearly all grey, lighter beneath and with rufous tips to the outer tail-feathers. The Grey-headed Myna occurs during the cold weather in the Deccan. It has also been recorded from Mount Aboo. Sturnia blythi, Jerdon. 689. — TemenucJius blythi, Jerd. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 331 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 414. THE WHITE-HEADED MYNA. Length, 8-5 ; wing, 4'2 ; tail, 3 ; tarsus, 1 ; bill at front, 07. Bill greenish, yellow at tip, bluish at base ; irides greyish- white ; legs reddish-yellow. Whole head with long crest, neck, throat and breast, silky- white ; back and scapulars grey ; belly and under tail-coverts deep rufous ; wing-coverts and outer web of most of the quills and all the tertiaries also grey ; quills black, grey tipped ; central tail-feathers dark-grey, blackish at the base, the outer feathers deep ferruginous-brown, dusky towards the base. The White-headed Myna is common about Belgaum during the rains. GENUS, Pastor, Temm. Bill short, compressed, curving from the base, very slightly hooked at the tip ; gonys straight ; nostrils partially concealed by fine frontal plumes ; wings long, pointed ; first quill longest, second sub-equal, third a little shorter ; tail nearly even ; tarsus rather short ; lateral toes slightly unequal ; head adorned with a long pendent occipital crest Pastor roseus, Lin. 690.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 333 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 495; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 414; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 180; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 128. THE ROSE-COLORED STARLING. Length, 9 to 9'5 ; expanse, 14 ; wing, 4'5 to 5*25 ; tail, 2*75 to 3 ; tarsus, 1*2 ; bill at front, 07 ; bill from gape, 112. Bill pinkish, brown at tip, orange-yellow at base ; irides deep brown ; legs dusky-reddish. 17 258 LAMPROTORNIN.E. Whole head, with crest, neck, and breast, fine glossy-black, with purple reflections; wings and tail black with a green gloss ; rest of the plumage pale-salmon or light rose-color. Young birds have the salmon or rose-color much dashed with pale-brown and fuscous, and the head not so glossy ; and the young of the year are more or less earthy-brown, paler beneath and without a crest. The Rose-colored Pastor is a common cold weather visitant to all parts of the district. The majority of the birds met with are young birds in imperfect plumage. SUB-FAMILY, Lamprotorninae. Bill somewhat stout, the ridge more or less curved and hooked, and the tip notched ; nostrils more or less hidden by the close- set frontal plumes ; wings long or moderate, and pointed ; tarsus short and stout. GENUS, Eulabes, Cuvier. Bill short or moderate, stout, compressed ; culmen gradually curved ; tip notched ; nostrils basal, lateral, placed in a plumed fossa ; under mandible with the base broad and dilated ; frontal feathers short, velvety, advancing on base of bill ; head with naked wattles ; wings long, fourth quill longest, first short ; tail short, even ; feet strong ; tarsus equal to the middle-toe ; outer-toe slightly longer than inner one ; claws well curved ; hind-toe and claw large. Eulabes religiosa, Lin. 692.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 337 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 414. THE SOUTHERN HILL MYNA. Length, 10 ; expanse, 18'5 ; wing, 5'6 ; tail, 2'8 ; tarsus, 1/2 ; bill at front, 1. Bill orange ; wattles deep-yellow ; irides dark-brown ; legs deep-yellow. General plumage glossy purplish-black, with green reflections on the lower back and upper tail-coverts ; beneath less brightly glossed ; wings and tail coal-black without reflections ; a white spot on the seven primaries, forming a conspicuous wing-spot. The wattles on the head commenced below each .eye are cross- ed at the lower posterior angle of the eye, by a triangular patch of minute feathers, passed beyond the ear, where they form a rather large loose flap, or lappet, and then return in a narrow stripe to the top of the head. There is also a small nude patch below the eye. Is only found in the Deccan (on the Ghats), and is somewhat rare. FAMILY, Fringillidse. 'Bill short, thick, conic ; wings usually long, pointed ; tail moder- PLOCEIISLE. 259 ate, even, forked in most ; tarsus moderate or short ; feet suited both for perching and terrestrial habits ; of small size. SUB-FAMILY, Ploceinse. Bill strong, conic, slightly lengthened; the culmen arched, and the ridge continued back upon the forehead ; wings some- what rounded, first primary very minute ; tail short in most ; legs and toes very strong and robust, the latter lengthened, specially the hind-toe, and the claws well developed. GENUS, Ploceus, Cuv. Bill thick at the base, laterally compressed, pointed at the tip ; culmen smooth, broad, rounded, and produced backwards on the forehead to a point ; commissure nearly straight ; nostrils basal, partly concealed ; wings moderate or somewhat short, with the first quill small, about one-third of the next four or five, second a little shorter than the third, which is usually longest ; tail short, even, or very slightly rounded ; feet large ; hind-toe and claw strong, all the claws lengthened. Ploceus philippinus, Lin. 694.— P. baya, Blyth.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 343 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 495 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 415 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 180 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 128. THE COMMON WEAVER-BIKD. Length, 6 ; expanse, 9'5 ; wing, 2'8 ; tail, T9 ; tarsus, 0'8 ; bill at front, 0'6. Bill from pale horny-brown to black ; irides dusky-brown ; legs brownish-fleshy. Old males, in breeding plumage, have the crown of the head bright yellow, the rest of the upper plumage with the wings and tail dull brown, edged with pale fulvous-brown, some of the feathers in the middle of the back edged yellow ; rump and upper tail-coverts pale rufous-brown ; primaries with a narrow edging of pale-yellow ; lores, ear-coverts, chin and throat, blackish- brown ; breast bright yellow ; belly and lower tail-coverts dull white ; the flanks, under wing-eoverts, and thigh-coverts, pale rusty or buff. Young males, in the breeding plumage, have the breast pale rusty instead of yellow, and the yellow edging of the inter-scapu- lars is wanting. The females and males in winter dress totally want the yellow head, the crown being brown with dark streaks, have pale-rufous supercilia, and the chin and throat are whitish. The Common Weaver-Bird is generally distributed through- out our limits, but is more abundant in well- wooded districts. It is a permanent resident, breeding towards the end of the rains. 260 PLOCEIN.E. The nest, retort-shaped, is a marvel of skill and ingenuity ; it is composed of strips torn from broad-leaved grasses, which are obtained in the following manner ; the bird first notches a blade of grass to the required depth, and then after making a similar nip higher up, catches the grass firmly at the lower notch and flies off, taking the strip with it. In Bombay, the nests are gene- rally suspended from the tips of acacia trees, often overhanging a river, tank, or well. I have never seen a nest composed of any other material than grass, but Jerdon speaks of strips of plantain leaves and strips torn from leaves of cocoanut and date palms being used. After the eggs are laid, and the female has commenced to sit, the male often continues to prolong the tubular entrance, and I have seen nests, having it at least eighteen inches in length. I cannot under- stand how Jerdon and Hume conclude that two is the normal number of eggs, as I have examined some scores of nests and have never found less than four incubated eggs, and have frequently found five or six. The eggs vary both in size and shape, but are typically longish ovals, pointed at one end, and are dead glossless white in color ; they average about 0'82 inches in length by 0'59 in breadth. Ploceus manyar, Horsf. 695.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 348 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 495 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 415 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 181 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 128. THE STRIATED WEAVER BIED. Length, 5'8 ; expanse, 9; wing, 275 ; tail, 175 ; tarsus, 075 ; bill at front, 0'9. Bill black during the breeding season, at other times pale horny-fleshy ; irides light brown ; legs fleshy. The male in full breeding dress has the crown of the head intense yellow ; lores, cheeks, ear-coverts, chin, throat, and neck, brownish-black ; back, wings, and tail, brown ; the feathers of the back with a mesial dark streak, those of the primaries and tail edged with yellowish ; rump streaked like the back ; upper tail- coverts rufescent ; beneath from the throat whitish, tinged with fulvous, and streaked on the breast and flanks with dusky-black. The male in winter dress is clad like the female, and has the head brown, streaked like the back, a pale yellow supercilium, and a small yellow spot behind the ear-coverts ; the chin and throat are whitish, and the streaks on the lower surface less developed. The Striated Weaver-Bird occurs in suitable localities through- out the Presidency. It is a permanent resident, but only breeds in the vicinity of large tanks or rivers, whose banks are fringed with reeds or rushes, to the tops of which the nests are attached. ESTRELDIN.E. 261 They are very similar to those of P. philippensis, but are square at the top instead of tapering to a point. The normal number of eggs, according to my experience, is three, but four are often found ; they are exact counterparts of those of philippensis, except that they are slightly smaller, averaging 079 inches in length by about 0'58 in breadth. Ploceus bengalensis, Lin. 696.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 349 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. V, p. 210 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 181 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p, 128. THE BLACK-THROATED WEAVER BIRD. Length, 5'5 ; expanse, 9'25 ; wing, 375 ; tail, 175. Bill pearly- white ; irides light brown ; legs dusky carneous. The male, in breeding plumage, has the crown brilliant golden- yellow, with, in some instances, a slight inclination to flame color ; back dusky brown ; rump dingy grey-brown ; wings and tail dark brown, the former with very slight pale margins to some of the feathers ; the throat white ; the cheeks, ear- coverts, and sides of the neck, white, more or less suffused with dusky on the ear-coverts and throat ; a broad, brownish -black pectoral band ; the rest of the lower plumage sullied or fulvous- white, brownish on the flanks. In some the pectoral band is broad and entire, in others narrower, and divided along the middle. The female has the head streakless dusky-brown, the feathers of the back edged with pale rufous-brown ; a pale-yellow supercilium, and a spot of the same color behind the ear ; also a narrow moustachial stripe ; throat white, yellowish in some, and usually separated from the yellow moustache by a narrow black line ; pectoral band less developed. Males after the autumn moult resemble the females, but the breast and flanks are more rufescent ; the pectoral band is frequently wanting, or rather concealed, by pale-fulvous deciduary edgings. With the exception of the Deccan, the Black-throated Weaver Bird occurs throughout the province, but is very locally distri- buted. SUB-FAMILY, Estreldinse. Of small size ; bills large in many and bulged, more slender in others; wings short, rounded; feet large; tail rounded or cuneiform. GENUS, Amadina. (Munia.) Bill very thick and at the base as deep as long, compressed at the tip ; culmen arched, flattened, prolonged backward to a point of the forehead ; gape strongly angulated ; nares round, sunk and 262 ESTKELDIN.E. free; wings short; first primary minute, the three next nearly equal ; tail moderate or short, rounded or wedged ; tarsus stout, moderate ; toes long, slender ; claws long. Aniadina malacca, Lin. (597. — Munia malacca, Lin. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 352 ; Butler, Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 415. THE BLACK-HEADED MUNIA. Length, 4'5 ; wing, 2'6 ; tail, T5. Bill bluish, yellowish at tip ; hides dark-brown ; legs plum- beous. Whole head, neck, and breast, rich black ; back, wings, and tail, pure rich cinnamon-red ; upper tail-coverts brighter tinged, and with a glistening lustre ; beneath, from the breast, white, with the middle of the abdomen and vent black. Young birds of the year have the upper parts plain rufescent- brown, and the lower parts pale-buff, the chin and throat being albescent, and the lores dusky. The Black-headed Munia is a common seasonal visitant about Belgaum, breeding abundantly during the rains, in the sugar- cane fields. The eggs are not distinguishable from those of A. malabarica. Amadina rubronigra, Hodgson. 698. — Munia rubronigra, Hodgs. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 353 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 415. THE CHESNUT- BELLIED MUNIA. Length, 4'5; wings, 2' 12 ; tail, To ; tarsus, 0'5 ; bill at front, 0-5. Bill plumbeous ; irides dark-brown ; legs plumbeous. Head, neck, and breast, black ; rest of the plumage deep chesnut or cinnamon, passing to glistening marone on the upper tail-coverts, and tinged with fulvous on the tail ; a stripe down the middle of the belly, vent, and under tail-coverts, black. The Chesnut-bellied Munia is a very rare straggler to parts of the Deccan. Amadina punctulata, Lin. 699. — Munia undulata, Lath. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 354 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 495 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 415. THE SPOTTED MUNIA. Length, 4'5 ; wing, 2'2 ; tail, 1'5 ; tarsus, 0'75 ; bill at front, 0'4. Bill plumbeous ; irides brown ; legs plumbeous. Above ruddy-brown, deeper on the head and neck, inclining to whitish on the rump, and the upper tail-coverts and margins of the lateral tail-feathers, glistening fulvous ; quills, chesnut externally, dusky within ; beneath, the chin and throat, with the face and ear- ESTRELDIN.E. 263 coverts, rich chesntft ; breast and flanks white, with numerous zig-zag cross bars of black ; lower abdomen, vent and under tail- coverts, whitish unmarked. With the exception of Sind, the Spotted or Barred Munia occurs throughout our limits, but is very locally distributed. It is a permanent resident, breeding during July and August The eggs, five to eight in number, are of the usual glossless, dead- white color. They measure 0*65 in length by about 0'46 in breadth. Amadina pectoralis, Jerdon. 700. — Munia pectoralis, Jerd. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Yol. II, p. 355 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 415. THE RUFOUS-BELLIED MUNIA. Length, 4'5 ; wing, 2 '2 ; tail, 17 ; tarsus, 0'6. Head, neck, and back, brown ; the shafts of the feathers pale ; upper tail-coverts dark-brown, the feathers tipped with glistening yellow ; wings and tail dark-brown ; face, forehead, throat, and breast, dark brown, strongly contrasting with the sides of the neck ; lower parts from the breast reddish-fawn color ; under tail-coverts dark-brown with pale shafts. The Rufous-bellied Munia has been procured but very rarely in the jungles west of Belgaum. Amadina striata, Lin. 701. — Munia striata, Lin. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 356 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 416. THE WHITE-BACKED MUNIA. Length, 4'5 ; wing, 2*1 ; tail, 1*6. Bill bluish ; irides brown ; legs dark slaty. Plumage above rich dark brown, deepest on the head, and the feathers white-shafted ; rump white ; tail almost black ; beneath from chin to breast uniform deep blackish-brown ; belly, flanks, and vent white ; under tail-coverts and thigh-coverts brown. The middle tail-feathers exceed the outermost by nearly half an inch. The White-backed Munia is a common permanent resident all along the Sahyadri Range, and in the adjoining forest, but seems to be confined to the Ghats region. Amadina malabarica, Lin. 703. — Munia malabarica, Lin. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 357 ; Butler, Guzerat, Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 496 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 416 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 182 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 129. THE PLAIN BROWN MUNIA. Length, 5 ; wing, 212 ; tail, 2. 264 ESTRELDINJE. Bill plumbeous ; irides deep-brown ; legs livid-carneous. Upper plumage pale earthy -brown, slightly rufescent on the head, and darker towards the forehead ; wings and tail blackish ; the tertiaries slightly bordered with whitish at their truncated tips ; upper tail-coverts white, edged with black externally ; cheeks and lower parts white, tinged with pale earthy-brown on the flanks, which sometimes have some faint cross rays. The central tail-feathers are much elongated, being three-quarters of an inch longer than the out e -most pair. The Plain Brown Munia is very common throughout the district. It is a permanent resident, and seems to breed the whole year through. The nest is a rather large, loosely constructed sphere, made of grass, lined with fine grass stems. The eggs, from four to ten in number, are rather broad ovals, and are of the usual dead, glossless, white color. They measure 0'6 by about 0;47 inches. GENUS, Estrelda, Swainson. Bill much more slender than Amadina ; the culmen less arched and flattened at the base, more compressed throughout, deep red in color ; tail soft and graduated ; feet moderate. Of still smaller size, and more delicate conformation. Estrelda amandava, Lin. 704.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 359 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 496 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 416 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 182 ; Swin- hoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 129. THE RED WAXBILL. Lai, Hin. Length, 4 to 4'25 ; expanse, 575 ; wing, T8 ; tail, 15 ; tarsus, 0-5 ; bill at front, 0'28. Bill deep red, culmen blackish ; irides crimson ; legs fleshy. The male, in full summer plumage, is more or less crimson, darkest on the throat, breast, supercilia, cheeks, and upper tail- coverts ; tail black, the outer feathers more or less white tipped ; wings brown ; a range of minute white feathers beneath the eye, and the wings, flanks and sides of breast with numerous round white spots, and a few smaller specks on the back ; abdo- minal region infuscated ; lower tail-coverts black. The female is olive-brown above, with the lores blackish, bounded by a whitish semi-circle below the eye ; a few white specks occasionally on the back ; rump and upper tail-coverts tinged with crimson ; beneath paler brown, the abdomen strongly tinged with fulvous-yellow ; the lower tail-coverts dull white. After breeding the males assume, by moulting, a plumage similar to that of the female. PASSERINE. 265 The young bird is brown above, paler beneath, whitish on the throat and belly ; tail blackish, and a few small white specks on the wings. The Red Waxbill occurs throughout the Presidency, but is locally distributed ; it is somewhat rare in the Deccan. It is a permanent resident and breeds during September and October, building a rather large globular nest of grass. The eggs, five or six in number, are dead, glossless, white ovals, measuring 0'55 in length by about 0'43 in breadth. Estrelda formosa, Lath. 705.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 361 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 496 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 416; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 129. THE GREEN WAXBILL. Harri Lai, Hin. Length, 4 ; wing, 175 ; tail, 1'4. Bill waxy-red ; irides pale-brown ; feet plumbeons-brown. Above light olive-green ; quills and tail dusky, the former edged with green ; beneath very pale-yellow, somewhat darker on the lo\ver belly and under tail-coverts, and with broad trans- verse dashes of dusky on the flanks and sides of the abdomen. The Green Waxbill is common on the Vindhian hills near Mhow, also on the Aravalli Range ; it occurs but rarely in the Deccan, and has not been recorded from Sind. It is a permanent resident ; both nest and eggs resemble those of E. amandava, but are somewhat larger. SUB-FAMILY, Passerinae. Bill stout and strong, somewhat turned, slightly compressed towards the tip ; the culmen broad, convex ; commissure straight ; wings moderate ; the first three primaries about equal, the fourth nearly as long ; tail moderate, nearly square, or very slightly forked ; tarsus moderate ; feet formed both for hopping on the ground and perching ; lateral toes about equal. GENUS, Passer, Brisson. The characters are the same as those of the sub-family. Passer domesticus, Lin. 706. — P. indicus, Jard. and Selby. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 362 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 496 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 416 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 183 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 129. THE HOUSE SPARROW. Length, 5^5 to 6 ; expanse, 9 ; wing, 3 ; tail, 2'25. 266 PASSERINE. Bill horny-brown ; irides light-brown ; legs dusky. Male, head above and nape dark grey ; a deep chesnut patch behind the eye, widening on the nape ; wing- coverts, scapu- lars, and mantle, dark chesnut, the scapulars and back with brown stripes or dashes ; a white band on the tip of the lesser-coverts ; quills dusky, with their outer edges rufous, more broad on the secondaries, and tipped pale ; rump and upper tail-coverts ashy-brown ; tail dusky, light edged ; lores, round the eyes and base of the bill, black ; chin, throat, and breast, black ; ear-coverts and sides of the neck white ; lower parts whitish, ashy on the sides of the breast and flanks. The female is light-brown above, back and scapulars edged with pale-rufous ; a pale eye-streak, and the lower parts sullied white ; slightly smaller than the male. The House Sparrow is a common permanent resident through- out the region. Passer hispaniolensis, Tern. 707. — Passer salicicolus, Vieill. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 364 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 183. THE WILLOW SPARROW. Length, 575 ; wing, 3 ; tail, 2. Male, head and back of neck dark chesnut, the feathers edged paler ; the mantle blackish, with creamy-white edgings to the feathers ; rump and upper tail-coverts pale brown ; shoulder of wing chesnut, with white borders to the lesser-coverts ; the rest of the wing dusky, with broad pale rufous-brown edgings, and a whitish bar, formed by the tips of the greater-coverts ; secondaries edged and tipped whitish ; tail dusky with pale edgings ; lores, cheeks, and a narrow supercilium, white, passing into ashy-brown on the ear-coverts ; beneath the chin, throat and breast, black, some of the feathers edged whitish ; rest of the lower parts sullied white ; the flanks and under tail-coverts with dusky longitudinal streaks. The female resembles that of the Common Sparrow, but the striation of the dorsal feathers is less strongly marked. This Sparrow very closely resembles the last, chiefly differing in the back of the male more resembling that of the female of the Common Sparrow, and in the black of the breast being less defined, and passing into dashes on the flanks. The Willow Sparrow, within our limits, only occurs in the more northern parts of Sind. Passer pyrrhonotus, Blyth. 709.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 365 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 1 84. THE RUFOUS-BACKED SPARROW. Length, 4'62 to 5'37 ; expanse, 7'5 to 8'5 ; wing, 2'43 to 2'68 ; PASSERINE. 267 tail, 1*87 to 2-25 ; tarsus, 0'62 to 0'68 ; bill at front, 0'37 ; bill from 0-43 to 0-5. l dusky to dusky-brown, black in the breeding plumage ; irides light-brown ; eyelids leaden-slaty ; legs pale to dusky fleshy- brown. Male above : head and ear-coverts grey, with a chesnut stripe from the eye to the nape ; the rest of the plumage maroon, the feathers of the back centred dark ; wings and tail dusky, the feathers pale edged ; beneath sullied brownish-white ; throat black. The females, except that they are everywhere paler, a purer white beneath, a lighter and greyer- brown above, with a slightly redder tinge on the lesser wing-coverts and on the lower back, and a rather more conspicuous white upper wing-bar, formed by the tip of the medial wing-coverts ; there is really nothing tangible, except their very much smaller dimensions, by which they can be separated from those of the Common Sparrow. In the case of the males, in the winter plumage, not only the small size and paler tints and the narrowness of the black throat stripe not descending on to the breast, enable one to separate them from those of the Common Sparrow, but though the chesnut has almost disappeared from the mantle and rump, a trace of it lingers on the lower back, and the patch behind the ear-coverts remains a prill light chesnut instead of a maroon as in the common species. — Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 444. The Rufous-backed Sparrow only occurs in Sind, where it is a permanent resident. It had been lost sight of for years, but has recently been rediscovered by Mr. Doig, who also obtained nests and eggs. He states that the nests were similar to those of P. domes- ticus but smaller, and were situated in the top of acacia trees, growing in water. Passer flavicollis, Franklin. 711. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 368; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p 497; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 416 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 184 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 129. THE YELLOW-THROATED SPARROW. Length, 5*5 ; expanse, 10 ; wing, 3'4 ; tail, 2 ; tarsus, 07. Bill black ; irides brown ; legs cinereous-brown. Above ashy-brown ; beneath dirty or brownish- white, more albescent on the vent and under tail-coverts, and white on the chin ; a yellow spot on the middle of the throat ; shoulders and lesser-coverts chesnut ; wing with some white marks on the tertiaries, and two white bands formed by the tips of the coverts. The female merely differs in the yellow neck-spot, and the chesnut on the wings being paler than in the male. The Yellow-throated Sparrow is a common permanent resident 268 throughout the region, breeding during the hot season, in holes in trees, &c. The eggs, three or four in number, are greenish- white in color, but so much spotted, smudged, streaked, and clouded with dark sepia-brown as to leave little of the ground-color visible. They measure 074 by 0'55. SUB -FAMILY, Emberizinse. Bill with the upper mandible typically smaller and more com- pressed than the lower, which is broader, equal in a few ; a palatal protuberance in many ; commissure usually sinuate ; tail moderate, even or emarginate. GENUS, Emberiza. Bill of varied strength and the mandibles more or less unequal, usually somewhat lengthened ; wings moderate or rather long, with the first quill a little shorter than the second and third, which are longest ; tail of moderate length ; the outermost feathers more or less marked with white. Emberiza buchanani, Ely. 716.— E. huttoni, Blyth.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 373 ; Butler, Guzerat; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 497; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 416 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology ' of Sind, p. 185. THE GREY-NECKED BUNTING. Length, 575 to 6 ; wing, 3'5 ; tail, 3 ; tarsus, 0 75. Bill reddish ; irides brown ; feet fleshy-brown. Head, neck, nape, and sides of the neck, grey ; from the the lower corner of the under mandible on each side a short streak of buffy, between which and the chin, which is also buff, is a streak of greyish, meeting the grey of the sides of the neck ; orbital feathers whitish ; back grey, with a slight rufescent tinge, the feathers faintly striated ; rump and upper tail-coverts greyish-brown or ferruginous, paler on the abdomen and vent, and nearly buff on the under tail-coverts ; lesser-co- verts ferruginous ; median and greater-coverts brown, edged with ferruginous ; primaries dull brown, margined narrowly on their outer, and broadly on their inner web with pale-white or rufescent-white ; secondaries the same, but the feathers also tipped with pale-rufous ; edge of the wing fulvous ; tail black- ish-brown, the outer web of the outermost feather, except at the extreme base, and half of the inner web, white ; the next outermost, blackish-brown on the outer web, and for nearly two-thirds its length on the inner web, blackish-brown ; the rest white on their inner web only ; centre tail-feathers edged with pale-rufous. The Grey-necked Bunting is a not uncommon winter visitant to all parts of the district ; it is much addicted to frequenting stony hills. 269 Emberiza stewarti, Blyth. 718.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 374 ; Murray's Verte- brate Zoology of Sind, p. 185. THE WHITE-CAPPED BUNTING. Length, 6 ; wing, 312 ; tail, 275 ; tarsus, 07. Bill fleshy-brown ; irides brown ; legs fleshy-brown. Male, crown greyish- white ; lores, a broad line passing over the eye to the nape, and the throat, black ; cheeks and ear- covverts white ; back, scapularies, rump, and upper tail-coverts, deep reddish-chesnut ; wing- coverts dark-brown, edged with buffy-brown ; wings brown, narrowly edged with greyish-white ; the central tail-feathers blackish-brown ; the two outer on each side blackish-brown at the base, and white for the remainder of their length, with the exception of their outer web, which is brown ; the whole under surface creamy-white, crossed on the chest by a broad band of lively chesnut-red. The female has the whole upper surface, wings, and tail, pale olive-brown, with a streak of dark-brown down the centre of each feather ; a slight tinge of rufous on the upper tail-coverts ; under surface pale buffy-brown, streaked with dark-brown. The White-capped Bunting is a seasonal visitant to Sind only. Emberiza fucata, Pall. 719.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 375. THE GREY-HEADED BUNTING. Length, 675 ; expanse, 10'3 ; wing, 3*5 ; tail, 2'5 ; tarsus, 075 ; bill at front, 0'4. Bill reddish, dusky on culmen ; irides dark-brown ; feet, fleshy-orange. Above, head and neck darkish-grey, with some darker mesial streaks ; scapulars, back and rump deep rufous or rufescent- brown, also streaked with black, except on the rump and upper tail-coverts ; ear-coverts deep-rufous ; a whitish supercilium ; wings and tail dark-brown, broadly edged with reddish-fawn color ; and the outer feathers of the tail partly white on their inner webs ; throat, fore -neck, and breast, greyish- white ; a narrow black streak from each corner of the gape, widening as it descends, and forming a gorget with the opposite one ; below this white ; then an inte rrupted pectoral band of rufous ; and the belly whitish, tinged with rufous on the flanks and sides of vent. The Grey-headed Bunting is not uncommon during the winter months, on the stony hills in the vicinity of Neemuch. It is also recorded by Jerdon from Mhow, Central India. Emberiza striolata, Licht. — Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vo1, III, p. 497; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 186. 270 EMBERIZINJ5. THE STRIOLATED BUNTING. Length, 5'5 to 5 '97 ; expanse, 9 to 975 ; wing, 2'87 to 31 ; tail, 2-2 to 275 ; bill at front, 0'35 to 0'39. Bill, upper mandible brown to blackish-brown, lower waxy, fleshy or dingy-yellow ; irides brown ; legs pale waxy, dingy or fleshy-yellow, the feet more or less tinged brownish. The male has the forehead, top of the head, and nape grey- ish-white, grey or white in different specimens, each feather with a conspicuous linear, median, black streak ; a narrow pure white superciliary stripe starting from the base of the bill and extending behind the eye over the ear-coverts ; the lores, and a moderately broad stripe directly behind the eye (and immedi- ately under the white stripe), involving the upper portions of the ear-coverts ; below this, starting from the base of the lower mandible, a black stripe ; below this, from the angle of the lower mandible, a greyish-white stripe, which again is divided from the greyish-white of the chin by a narrow inconspicuous dark streak. " In the fresh bird in breeding plumage, which I am describ- ing, all these streaks and stripes are as clearly and sharply defined as if painted ; but at other seasons, and in stuffed speci- mens, they are not so clear ; the whole of the back, scapulars, and tertials are hair-brown, the former two very broadly, the latter more narrowly, margined with pale, more or less sandy or even rufous brown ; in many specimens the darker median streaks of the back feathers are reduced to mere lines, and in some the rufous tinge on the upper back is well marked ; the primaries and secondaries and their coverts are a mixture of hair-brown and rich rufous (recalling in color the wings of Mirafra erythroptera), the extent of each varying in different specimens, but the brown predominating in the earlier primaries and everywhere at the tips, and decreasing in extent in the hinder part of the wing and towards the bases of the feathers ; the second primary, for in- stance, will be all brown, except a narrow rufous edging for the basal two- thirds of the outer web and a broad rufous stripe on the margin of the inner web for the same distance, while one of the later secondaries will be all rufous except a narrow brown stripe running down the shaft till within one-third of the end of the feather, whence it gradually widens so as to occupy at the tip the whole of both webs; the rump and upper tail-coverts are much the same as the back, but in some speci- mens slightly more rufous than the lower back ; and the longest of the coverts are in some specimens very narrowly tipped with very pale rufous- white ; the tail is hair-brown, darker than the brown portion of the quills ; all the feathers externally very narrowly margined with pale-rufous, except the external feather or^ each side which has the whole outer web of that color ; the throat and upper breast are greyish white or grey, with more or less numerous and conspicuous black median stripes on the EMBERIZINJE. 271 feathers. Specimens differ widely in this respect ; in some the greyish-white is a mere edging to dusky black feathers ; in others only a few black spots and streaks peep out of an almost unbroken grey, and this among specimens killed at the same time, and of apparently the same age ; the lower breast and the whole lower parts of the body are pale greyish-rufous, all the bases of the feathers (only seen if their tips are lifted), being a sort of bluish-dusky ; the axillaries, wing-lining, and, in fact, the whole lower surface of the wings, except the points of the quills, a pate delicate salmon-rufous. " The female only differs in being generally somewhat smaller, in having the white, grey, and black of the head, neck, throat and breast much duller (and in many specimens overcast with a sandy or pale-rufous shade), in the various stripes being less well marked, and in having the dark spots and streaks of the throat almost obsolete."— Hume, " Ibis," 1869. The Striolated Bunting occurs as a winter visitant to Sind, Bajputana, Kutch and Guzerat. It does not occur in the Deccan. GENUS, Euspiza, Bonap. Bill strong, sub-conic, with the mandibles about equal, and scarcely a trace of a palatal knob ; wings and tail rather long, firm. Euspiza melanocephala, Scop. 721.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 378; Butler, Guzerat; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 497 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 417 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 188 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 129. THE BLACK-HEADED BUNTING. Length, 7'5 to 8 ; wing, 3'8 to 4 ; tail, 3 ; tarsus, 0'9 ; bill at front, 0-5. Bill yellowish-brown ; irides light-brown ; legs yellowish-brown. Whole head, including the ear-coverts, black, the feathers generally (i.e., winter) edged light-brown, this disappearing towards spring ; back and scapulars rich chesnut, passing to yellowish on the rump and upper tail-coverts, the feathers being edged with bright-yellow, passing behind the ear-coverts to the nape ; the side of breast chesnut, continuous with the color of the back. The Black-headed Bunting is a rather common cold weather visitant to all parts of the region. It is very destructive in the corn fields, when jowaree, bajri, and other cereals are ripening. Euspiza luteola, Sparr. 722. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 378 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 498 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. 272 EMBERIZINJE. IX, p. 417 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 188 j Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 129. THE RED-HEADED BUNTING. Length, 675 to 7 ; wing, 3'5 ; tail, 3 ; bill at front, 0'5. Bill pale fleshy-yellow ; irides brown ; legs brown, The whole head, neck, and breast, rich chesnut ; back and scapulars yellowish or greenish-yellow, with dark-brown striae ; rump and upper tail-coverts deep-yellow, faintly streaked ; quills and tail brown ; the coverts and secondaries broadly edged with pale whity brown ; quills and rectrices narrowly edged with the same ; beneath, from the breast, including the sides of the neck, rich yellow. The Red-headed Bunting is a not uncommon cold weather visitant to all suitable portions of the Presidency. It is much addicted to frequenting cultivated lands. GENUS, Melophus, Sws. Bill compressed, with the upper mandible slightly notched near the tip ; wings rather short ; tail even ; hind -claw slightly lengthened ; head with an erectile frontal crest ; otherwise as in Euspiza. Melophus melanicterus, Gm. 724.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 381 ; Butler, Guzerat; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 498 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 417 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 189 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 129. THE CRESTED BLACK BUNTING. Length, 6'5 ; expanse, 10 ; wing, 3'25 ; tail, 275 ; bill at front, 0-5. Bill fleshy-brown ; irides dark-brown ; legs red-brown. Male. — The whole body, with crest, glossy blue-black ; wings and tail dark cinnamon, with dusky tips ; tail-coverts at their base, black and cinnamon. The female is dusky-brown above, the feathers edged light olive- brownish ; beneath rufescent- white, or pale brownish-fulvescent with dusky streaks ; quills and tail dull arid paler cinnamon than in the male, dusky internally, and on the central tail-feathers. She is a little smaller, and the crest is not so highly developed. The Crested Black Bunting occurs more or less in suitable localities throughout the region ; in many it is a permanent resident breeding during the rains, in banks, under clumps of ferns and grasses. The eggs, three in number, are rather broad ovals in shape, and are of a dull whitish-grey color, with a sprink- ling of light-brown spots ; the markings are always most dense at the larger end, and sometimes the markings are so closely set as to leave little of the ground-color visible. They average 0 79 inches in length by nearly 0'63 in breadth. FRINGILLIN^. 273 SUB-FAMILY, Fringillinae. Bill varied in size and form, more or less conical and thick, short and bulged in some, slender and more elongate in others ; wing moderate or long ; first primary wanting. GENUS, Carpodacus, Kaup. Bill distinctly turned and compressed at the tip ; commissure sinuated, or with a notch near its base ; wings, with the first thr.ee primaries, sub-equal and longest ; tail distinctly furcate ; feet robust ; claws well curved. Bucanetes githagineus, Licht. 7326is. — Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 190. THE DESERT BULLFINCH. Length, 57 to 6 ; expanse, 10 to 11 ; wings, 3 '2 to 3 6 ; tail, 2 to 3 ; tarsus, 0'67 to 077 ; bill at front, 0'35 to (HI. Bill orange-yellow, pale-yellow in some, brownish on culmen ; irides brown ; legs fleshy-brown. In the male the head is pale bluish-grey, the. feathers tipped brown ; the chin, throat, breast, cheeks, and ear-coverts a sort of blue-grey, the feathers faintly tinged, most conspicuously so round the base of the lower mandible, with pale rosy ; the abdomen, vent, and lower tail-coverts, very pale rosy-white, the longest of the latter with dark shafts ; the back and scapulars dull earthy- brown, with, when fresh, a faint rosy tinge, which disappears in the dried skin, and somewhat greyer towards the nape ; rump pale-brown, more decidedly tinged with rosy ; the visible portion of the upper tail-coverts rosy-white, more strongly tinged with rosy at the margins, the centres and bases of the longest being pale-brown ; these, however, are not seen till the feathers are lifted ; tail-feathers dark-brown, conspicuously, though narrowly, margined with rosy- white, most rosy towards the bases of the lateral feathers ; the wings hair-brown, conspicuously margined and tipped with pale rose-color, or rosy-white ; the coverts, second- aries, and tertiaries most broadly so. There is a very narrow, inconspicuous, pale rosy frontal band. The wing-lining and axillaries are pure white ; the winglet alone is dark-brown, unmargiried with rosy. The female has the whole upper surface and the sides of the head and body a dull pale earthy-brown, with only a faint rosy tinge upon the rump and upper tail-coverts ; the lower parts a still paler earthy-brown with the faintest possible roseate tinge on the breast, and becoming albescent on the vent, lower tail-coverts and tibial plumes ; the wings and tail are as in the male ; but the margins are narrower and less conspicuous, and are pale brownish instead of rosy-white. The Desert Bullfinch is a winter visitant to Kutch and Sind ; it does not occur elsewhere within our limits. 18 274 A LAUDING. Carpodacus erythrinus, Pallas. 738.— -Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 398 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 498 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 417 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 189 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 129. THE COMMON HOSE FINCH. Length, 5'5 ; wing, 3'25 ; tail, 2'25. Bill yellowish-brown ; irides light-brown ; feet horny-brown. Male, in winter plumage, has the head, throat, breast, mous- tachial stripe, rump, and flanks of abdomen, roseate color, deepest upon the crown, throat, and breast, and paling on the flanks; upper plumage generally brown, more or less ruddy, brightening towards the rump and on the upper tail-coverts ; the Aving-coverts tipped with ruddy-brown, forming two pale bars on the wing ; tertiaries margined with pale-brown ; quills and tail-feathers with ruddy edgings. In summer the crown, throat, breast, and rump become brilliant crimson. The female is pale olive-brown with dark streaks, the tips of the greater and lesser wing-coverts whitish, forming two con- spicuous bands on the wings ; below paler brown, albescent on the throat, the middle of the belly and the under tail-coverts, and darker and somewhat streaked on the breast and flanks. The Rose Finch is found during the winter in all suitable localities in the district. It is partial to hilly forest tracts. SUB-FAMILY, Alaudinse. Bill rather long and slender, short and thick in many ; wings broad ; tertiaries elongated, pointed ; claws slightly curved ; hind- toe and claw typically long ; plumage brown, more or less striated. GENUS, Mirafra, Horsf. Bill stout, thick, compressed ; the culmen curved and convex ; the tip slightly deflected ; commissure gently curving ; wings rather short ; first quill short, second shorter than third ; fourth, fifth, and sixth, which are nearly equal ; tail very short, even ; legs rather long ; hind-claw moderately long. Mirafra erythroptera, Jerdon. 756.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 418 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 499 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 418 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 192 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 129. THE RED-WINGED BUSH LARK. Length, 5'5 ; wing, 3'2 ; tail, 2 ; tarsus, 0'92 ; bill at front, 0-4. Bill fleshy-horny, dusky on culmen ; irides dark-brown ; legs fleshy. ALAUDIN.E. 275 Upper parts streaked, the centres of the feathers being dusky- brown, and the edges fulvous-brown, rufescent on the head ; coronal feathers lengthened ; a whitish eye-streak ; ear-feathers rufescent-brown ; beneath, the throat is pure white, and the rest of the plumage pale fulvescent- whitish ; the breast marked with large oval blackish spots ; primaries and secondaries ferruginous on both webs, except towards the tip, the dusky portion gradually increasing to the outermost feathers ; tail blackish, the four middle feathers brown, and the outermost only whitish on its outer web. The Red-winged Bush Lark is a common permanent resident in all parts of the Presidency ; it is, however, somewhat locally distributed. It breeds during March and April and again in August and September; the nest, generally domed, is composed of grass stems. The eggs, usually three in number, (occasionally four), are oval in shape, and greenish, brownish or yellowish-white in color, profusely spotted with brownish-red, inky-purple or olive-brown. They average 076 inches in length by 0'59 in breadth. Mirafra cantillans, Jerd. 757.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 420 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 499 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 129. THE SINGING BUSH LARK. Length, 5'5 ; expanse, 10 ; wing, 2'9 ; tail, 2 ; bill at front, 0*5. Bill dusky-horny, fleshy beneath ; hides dark-brown ; legs fleshy- brown. Above dusky-brown, the feathers laterally margined with rufes- cent-brown ; wings and their coverts strongly margined with rufescent-brown ; a pale eye-streak ; throat and below the ear- coverts white, and the rest of the under parts pale rufescent, darker on the breast, with a few indistinct small breast spots ; outer tail-feathers nearly all white, the penultimate white on the outer web only. The Singing Bush Lark occurs in Guzerat, near Mhow, in Central India, and in the vicinity of Neemuch, Rajputana, but is very locally distributed. It is a permanent resident, breeding from March to July ; the nest, a domed one, is generally placed on the ground in 'a tuft of coarse grass. The eggs, three or four in number, are scarcely distinguishable from those of M. erythroptera. GENUS, Ammomanes, Cabanis. Bill short, thick, compressed, arched at culmeu, acute at the tip, which is slightly bent over ; gonys ascending ; wings long, straight, first quill minute, second not so long as the third and 276 ALAUDIN.E. fourth, which are the longest, fifth is nearly equal ; tertiaries not elongated beyond the secondaries ; tail rather long, slightly tfinarginate ; tarsus and feet moderate ; hind-claw large. Ammomanes phcenicura, Franklin. 758.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 421 ; Butler, Guzerat; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 499 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 418 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 129. THE EUFOUS-TAILED FINCH LARK. Length, 6'5 ; wing, 4'2 ; tail, 2*4. Bill horny-brown, fleshy at base beneath ; irides brown ; legs fleshy. Plumage above ashy-brown, with a rufescent tinge ; rump, base of tail, the inner webs of the quills, and the tail-feathers, dark rufous or dull ferruginous ; the quills and tip of the tail dark- brown, lower parts of the same ferruginous hue, but paler on the throat and lower tail-coverts, and with a few dusky streaks on the breast ; extremity of the lower tail-coverts with a dusky spot. With the exception of Sind, the Rufous-tailed Finch Lark is a common permanent resident throughout the region, breeding during April and May. The nests are placed in deep cavities, formed by clods of earth on ploughed or broken ground, and are mere pads formed of soft grass, occasionally lined with hairs. The eggs, usually four in number (I once found five), are moder- ately broadish ovals in shape, and vary much in color, but the usual type is yellowish- white, thickly freckled and spotted with reddish or yellowish-brown, with pale underlying spots of inky purple. They average 0*85 inches in length by 0'62 in breadth. Ammomanes deserti, Liclu. 759. — A. lusitanica, Gm. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 422 ; A. lusitania, Gm. ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 192. THE PALE RUFOUS FINCH LARK. Length, 6 ; wing, 4 ; tail, 275 ; tarsus, 0'9. Bill dusky, yellowish beneath ; irides brown ; feet pale yellow- brown. Affined to A. phoenicura, but the general hue is less rufescent ; upper parts dull sandy grey-brown ; the wing-coverts dark shafted ; the under parts fulvous-grey, or isabelline, albescent on the throat, and with a few faint dusky striaB on the breast ; tail brown, faintly rufescent at its extreme base, and on the outer web of the outermost feathers ; broad margins to the inner webs of the primaries and secondaries with the axillaries also pale rufescent. The Pale Rufous Finch Lark is very common in Sind, fre- quenting bare stony hills and plains. ALAUDIN^E. 277 GENUS, Pyrrhulauda, A. Smith. Bill very short, very stout, sides compressed ; tip entire ; cul- men strongly arched ; commissure straight ; wings moderately long, broad and well developed, and the tertiaries lengthened, first quill very small, the four next equal and longest ; tail moder- ate, slightly forked ; tarsus short ; toes small ; hind-claw slightly lengthened and curved. Pyrrhulauda grisea, Scop. 760.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 424 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 499 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 418; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 193 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 130. THE BLACK-BELLIED FINCH LARK. Dabbak Churi, Hin. Length, 5 ; expanse, 10 ; wing, 3 ; tail, T95 ; bill at front, 0'36. Bill pale horny ; irides dark-brown ; legs fleshy. Male : above pale brownish-grey, the feathers slightly cen- tred darker, somewhat rufescent on the back ; forehead and cheeks whitish ; wings and tail brown, the feathers all pale edged, and a deep brown or black band from the base of bill through the eyes, continued to the occiput ; chin and throat, sides of neck (extending at right angles behind the ear-coverts and thus taking the form of a cross), breast and lower parts deep chocolate-brown or black ; sides of breast, of abdomen, and the flanks, whitish, bordering the dark color. The female wants the black on the lower parts ; the plumage is darker, and more rufescent above ; the breast faintly streaked with brown, and earthy on the flanks, sides of breast, and neck. She is a rather smaller bird measuring only 4 75 inches in length. The Black-bellied Finch Lark is a common permanent resident throughout the region, breeding the whole year through. The nest, which is a mere pad of grass, is placed in a depression on the ground. The eggs, two in number, rarely three, are mode- rately elongated ovals in shape, of a greenish or yellowish- white color, densely speckled and spotted with various shades of yellowish and earthy-brown. They measure 073 by 0'55. Pyrrhulauda melanauchen, Cab. 7606k— Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 193. THE BLACK-NECKED FINCH LARK. Length, 5'4 to 61 ; expanse, 9'6 to lO'l; wing, 3'02 to 3'2 ; tail, 2-0 to 2-2 ; tarsus, 0'6 to 07 ; bill at gape, 0'47 to 0'5. Bill pearly-white to whity-brown ; irides brown ; legs pale whity-brown to pale fleshy-brown. " The male has a broad frontal band, cheeks, ear-coverts, and a band from these round the base of the occiput and a large 278 ALAUDIN.E. patch on either side of the breast, white ; in the case of the two latter often tinged brownish. The base of the lower mandible, chin, throat, central portion of breast, abdomen, vent, and lower tail-coverts, axillaries and wing-lining (except lower primary greater- coverts, which are pale grey-brown like the lower surface of the quills) intensely deep, at times somewhat sooty, at times almost chocolate-bro^n ; the crown and upper part of occiput are deep-brown, never quite so intense as the lower parts, often considerably lighter, and more purely brown ; the anterior portion of the side of the neck be- hind the lower half of the ear-coverts is always like the breast, some- times the deep color of these parts extends behind the whole of the ear-coverts, and right round the back of the neck forming a collar immediately behind the white basal occipital band already noticed, sometimes there is not the faintest trace of this, and some- times again the collar is only represented by a smaller or larger nuchal patch. " This is perhaps the most common form, and hence the name melanauchen. " The interscapulary region is a pale earthy-brown, sometimes with a sandy tinge ; the wings rather darker, but all the feathers margined with a pale whity-brown ; inner webs of quills darker, a sort of pale hair-brown ; central tail-feathers slightly paler than tertiaries ; rest of tail-feathers deep-brown, but the outer web of the exterior feather white or nearly so, and the inner half or more of the inner web pale whity-brown; rump and upper tail-coverts pale earthy or sandy-brown, noticeably paler than the interscapulary region ; flanks much the same color as the rump. " The female has the chin, throat, abdomen, vent, and lower tail-coverts white, with more or less traces of a very faint tawny tinge ; a broad ill-defined pale tawny band, which is sometimes feebly striated darker, covers the breast; the axillaries and lesser lower-coverts about the ulna are deep-brown, sometimes almost as deep as the breast of the male. " The female also wants the white frontal band and patch on the sides of the head, the white occipital band, the dark crown and dark sides of the neck, and of course the dark collar or dark nuchal patch so common in the males ; the whole top of the head is uni- colorous or nearly so with the interscapulary region, though the feathers are generally feebly darker centred. The rest of the upper surface is much as in the male, but as a rule sandier, and less earthy in tinge. The males are distinguished at once from those of grisea, by their dark crowns. Both sexes are distinguished by their somewhat larger size." Bill short, sub LCIX sumevvuctu ictigur size. GENUS, Calandrella, Kaup. b-conic, moderately compressed ; wing long, imary minute, the next three primaries about -Bill snort, sub-conic, moderately compressed ; wing straight ; first primary minute, the next three primaries ALAUDIN.E. 279 equal ; tertiaries elongated ; feet small, with shortish toes, and moderately short, but straight hind-claw. Calandrella brachydactyla, Leisl. 761.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 426 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 500 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 418 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 198; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 130. THE SOCIAL LAKK. Length, 6'25 ; wing, 4 ; tail, 2'25 ; tarsus, 0'8. Bill whitish-horny, dusky on culmen ; irides dark-brown ; legs brownish. Upper parts pale rufescent-sandy, streaked with dusky, a stripe over the eye, and the whole under parts fulvous-white, tinged with earthy-brown on the breast, which is spotless in some, in a few slightly spotted ; wings dusky-brown, with ful- vous edgings, broader and deeper colored on the tertiaries, and on the tips of the coverts, and with a whitish edge to the first developed primary ; tail dusky, the penultimate feather having the outer web wholly white to near the base, and also some of the inner web. In old or worn plumage the dusky tinge pre- vails on the back ; the breast has some narrow dusky streaks, and a patch of the same appears on each side of the lower part of the foreneck ; this is also slightly observable in newly-moulted specimens. The Social Lark is excessively common during the cold weather, in every portion of the region. GENUS, Melanocorypha, Boie. Bill thick and convex ; tertiaries not elongated ; hind-claw moderate, straight. Melanocorypha bimaculata, Menet. 76Iter. — Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 195. Length, 7 to 8 ; expanse, 13 to 15'25 ; wing, 4'2 to 4*8 ; tail, 212 to 2-4 ; tarsus, 1 ; bill at front, 0'6 to 07 ; bill at gape, q-7 to 0-9. Bill horny-brown, beneath yellowish ; irides brown ; legs yel- lowish-fleshy. " Adult male in summer plumage. Above fulvous-brown, the centres of the plumes much darker-brown, giving a somewhat mottled appearance, all the feathers being edged with fulvous, especially on the hinder part of the neck and the centre of the back; wing-coverts colored like the back, but a little more rufous, plainly edged with fulvous, less distinct on the greater- coverts ; quills brown with a slight shade of ash-grey on the outer webs ; all the feathers more or less narrowly-edged with fulvous, but none of the feathers tipped white ; tail dark-brown, 280 ALAUDIN.E. with conspicuous white tips to all the feathers except the two central ones ; all the rectrices edged more or less broadly with fulvous ; lores and a distinct eyebrow whitish ; cheeks fulvous- white with a slight mottling with rufous ; ear-coverts entirely rufous ; throat, breast, and flanks, rufous ; a black pectoral gor- get extending right across the lower part of the throat ; on the upper part of the breast are a few indistinct mottled lines below the black gorget ; under tail-coverts whitish ; undo*1 wing-coverts entirely greyish-brown, " Obs. — Some specimens are much greyer than others ; others again are more rufous ; some are more white on the belly, and have the breast much obscured, so that the pectoral gorget is scarcely discernible. This last dress seems to be the winter plumage. " Young. — Similar to the adult, but more rufous in the centre ; gorget, more obscure, and the stripes on the upper breast more indistinct." — Sharpe and Dresser, Birds of Europe. This fine Lark occurs in Upper Sind, and in the desert east of Oomercot. GENUS, Alaudula, Blyth. Bill more lengthened and slender than in the preceding genera, but still rather short and thick, and slightly curved ; wings moderate, with no rudimentary first primary, and the first three quills longest ; tail even ; feet very small ; hind-claw about the length of the toe, nearly straight, of small size. Alaudula raytal, Blyth. 762.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 428 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 130. THE INDIAN SAND LAEK. Eetal, Hin. Length, 5*25 ; expanse, 8 ; wing, 3 ; tail, 175 to 2 ; tarsus, 07 ; bill at front, 0'38. Bill pale horny ; irides brown ; legs fleshy-yellowish. General hue of the upper parts light brownish-ashy, with nar- row dark centres to the feathers ; lower parts white, faintly tinged with fulvous on the breast, where obscurely marked with small spots ; wing-co\ erts and tertiaries margined with pale- rufescent or whitish ; the outermost feathers white, except the inner half of the inner web, and the next one is white along the marginal half of its outer web only ; a whitish line through the eyes. The Indian Sand Lark is not uncommon in the neighbourhood of Neemuch, Rajputana, in the cold weather. Alaudula adamsi, Hume. .— Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 196. ALAUDIN.E. 281 THE LITTLE SAND LARK. Length, 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 vinaceous- brown, deepest on the breast, and 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. The Rufous Turtle Dove is affined very closely to the last, the principal difference being the color of the under tail-coVerts. It is found in the cold weather in parts of the Deccan, PALUMBINJE. 291 Turtur senegalensis, Lin. 794. — T. cambayensis, Gm.-— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 478; Batter, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 3; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 420 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 203; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 130. THE LITTLE BROWN DOVE. Length, 10 to 10'5 ; expanse, 14 ; wing, 5 ; tail, 4'5. Bill blackish ; irides dark-brown ; legs lake-red. 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 seconda- ries 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 the neck with a patch on each side, nearly meeting at the base, rufous tipped ; the black hardly apparent, except when the neck is stretched. The Little Brown Dove is exceedingly common throughout the whole region, both on the hills and plains. It is a permanent <. resident. Gm. 795. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 479 ; Butler, Guzerat ; 1*7 Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p 3 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, / p. 420 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 203 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 130. THE SPOTTED DOVE. Length, 12; expanse, 16 5 ; wing, 575 ; tail, 5'5. Bill dull leaden-black ; irides dark hazel ; legs dark purplish- red. Head pale-vinaceous, greyish on the forehead; upper parts g 3tierally dusky, each feather with two pale rufou^-isa-hel line ter-, minal spots, enlarging and spreading up each side of the feather upoiTthe 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 brpwn, 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. The Spotted Dove occurs more or less abundantly throughout the district. It is a permanent resident, but appears much more commoner at some times than at others. Turtur risorius, Lin. 796.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 481 ; Butler, Guzerat ; 292 PALUMBIN^. Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 3 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 420 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 204 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 130. THE COMMON RING DOVE. Length, 12'5 to 13 ; expanse, 20 ; wing, 6*5 ; tail, 5. Bill blackish ; irides crimson ; feet dark pink-red. Head delicate pale vinous- grey, more or less whitish on the forehead ; nape pale vinaceous ; a narrow black collar on the nape get off with whitish above, and slightly so below ; upper plumage uniform light grey-brown ; edge of the wing pure ashy ; primaries dusky with slight 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 more pronounced externally ; beneath very pale vinaceous, whitish on the throat, passing to light-greyish towards the vent, and the lower tail-coverts pure ashy ; wings underneath greyish- white. The Common Ring Dove occurs abundantly throughout the region, and is a permanent resident. Turtur tranquebaricus, Serm. 797.— Jerdon's~Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 482 ; T. Jiumilis, Tern., Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 3 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 421 ; T. humilis, Tern., Murray's Verte- brate Zooloey of Sind, p. 204 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 131. THE RUDDY RING DOVE. Length, 9'25 ; expanse, 15; wing, 5'3; tail, 3'3 ; tarsus, 07; bill at front, 0'5. Bill black ; irides dark-brown ; legs purplish-red. Male, head ashy-grey, paler towards the forehead, a black half collar, well set off by whitish above ; general color above fine vinous or brick-red ; the rump and upper tail-coverts dusky- ash ; winglet, primaries and their coverts, and the secondaries, blackish ; tail, with the middle feathe-rs, ash-brown, the rest blackish at the base, and broadly tipped with white, successively more broadly from the centre, and spreading up the whole exte- rior web of the outermost feather ; beneath the chin whitish, rest of the lower parts pale vinous-red ; vent and lower tail- coverts white, tinged with ashy ; wing beneath light-ashy. The female is a trifle smaller, and of a dull earthy-brown paler below. The Ruddy Ring Dove is very locally distributed, but is found in all portions of the region with which I am dealing. It is a permanent resident, building the usual frail stick nest, and lay- ing the inevitable two white eggs. PHAPINJE. 293 SUB-FAMILY, Phapinse. Tarsus much lengthened, not feathered; tail consisting of twelve, fourteen, or sixteen feathers. GENUS, Chalcophaps, Gould. Bill slender ; wings moderately long ; second and third quills nearly equal and longest ; tail rather short, rounded ; tarsus moderately long, not feathered •, toes long ; hind-toe lengthened ; claws moderately curved. Chalcophaps indica. Lin. 798.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 484 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 421. THE BRONZE-WINGED DOVE. Length, 10'5 ; expanse, 17'5 ; wing, 5*5 ; tail, 375. BiUbright coral-red, dusky at base ; orbits livid-fleshy ; irides daTk-bfown ; feet dull purple-red. 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 the back distinct and scale-like ; two broad 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 white 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. The female has the forehead greyish-white, and the superci- lium narrower ; the head rufescent, tKe loweF parts browner, and the under 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. The Bronze-winged Dove is sparingly distributed along the- Sahyadri Range ; it frequents dense forests. ORDER, Rasores. 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,, j but ample ; tail very variable, both in length and form, of from j twelve to eighteen feathers ; legs and feet strong, feathered to I the tarsus, which is frequently spurred in the male ; three toes- 1 before and one behind ; the posterior one typically short, and f I 294 articulated above the plane of the anterior toes, wanting in a few ; nails strong, blunt, and but slightly curved. FAMILY, Pteroclidae 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. GENUS, Pterocles, Temm. 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 rcunded ; 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. Pterocles arenarius, Pall. 799.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 496 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 4 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 209 ; Game Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 47 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 131. THE LAKGE SAND GROUSE. Length, 13'25 to 1475 ; expanse, 27 to 30 ; wing, 9 to 10 ; tail, 4 to 5 ; tarsus, 1 to 1*25 ; bill from gape, 0'6 to 07 ; weight, 15 oz. to 1J Ibs. Bill pale bluish-grey to dark plumbeous ; irides brown ; feet earthy -grey to dark greyish plumbeous. 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 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. 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,, with a narrow black edging and a few black specks ; the under tail- coverts pale fulvous. PTEROCLIM:. 295 The Large or Black-bellied Sand Grouse is found during the winter months, in Sind, Guzerat, and Rajputana. They frequent open sandy plains, and are, if they have been much worried, very difficult to shoot. They go regularly to drink every morning, and native shikaries, taking advantage of this, lie in ambush and often succeed in slaughtering great numbers of them. They do not breed in India, but at Chaman, Southern Afghanistan, I found them breeding freely during May and June. They lay in slight depressions in the soil, and the eggs, three in number, are similar to those of P. exustus, but are of course much larger. They average 1'8 inches in length by about 1'25 in breadth. Pterocles fasciatus, Scop. 800.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 498 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 4 ; Deccan, Stray Fpathers, Vol IX, p. 421 ; Game Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 59 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 131. THE PAINTED SAND GROUSE. Length, 10 to 11-25 ; expanse, 19'5 to 22'5 ; wing, 6'4to 7 ; tail, 3*25 to 375 ; tarsus, 0'8 to 1 ; bill from gape, 0'55 to 07 ; weight, 6 to 7J oz. Bill brown to dark orange-red ; irides brown ; feet dirty-yellow to pale orange-brown. Male, general ground color 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 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 with 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 inkyrblack, edged with white ; a triple band separates the fulvous of the breast from the abdomen, the first maroon, the second crearny-white, and the third unspotted chocolate-brown, which is the ground color of the abdominal region, vent, and under tail-coverts, each feather being tipped with white. The female differs in wanting the black and white bands on the head, the pectoral band, 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 choco- laJte-black and creamy-white. -With the exception of Sind, the Painted Sand Grouse occurs throughout the region, but is very locally distributed ; it is a permanent resident, breeding usually in April and May ; they 296 PTEROCLID^E, make no nest to speak of, but merely scrape a slight depression in the,vground, at a spot, sheltered by a tuft of grass or bush. The eggs, two or three in number, (usually three) are of a cylin- drical shape, delicate pale salmon- pink in color, with specks and tiny streaks of brownish-red, with a good many spots or clouds of pale inky-purple intermingled. They measure 1*4 inches in length by 0'98 in breadth. Pterocles lichtensteini, Tem. SOObis. — Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 212; Game Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 65. THE CLOSE-BARRED SAND GROUSE. Length, 10'25 to 1075 ; expanse, 20 to 21 ; wing, 6'5 to 675 ; tail, 3'25 ; tarsus, T05 ; bill from gape, 0'65 ; weight, 8 oz. Bill fleshy-brown ; irides brown ; legs orange-yellow. Frontal zone white, or buffy- white ; a broad black semi-circu- lar band behind it extending from the exterior angle of the eye on each side ; behind this another white or buffy- white band, interrupted on the crown, the feathers of which are buffy white and mesially dark brown ; a buff spot above the hinder angle of each eye ; chin and throat pale buff, their sides the same, with minute black spots; upper breast, hind-neck, and back, pale or fulvous white, with regular and close barrings of black ; scapulars, wing-coverts and tertiaries the same, the black transverse bars rather broader and deeper in color, the tips of the feathers broadly yellowish-buff; upper tail-coverts fulvous-white, the black bars more distant and as wide as the fulvous interspaces ; primaries and their coverts hair-brown, the outer web of the first margined with dull white, more conspi- cuous basally, and some of the inner ones with white margins to the tips ; secondaries dark brown ; lower breast yellowish- buff, with a narrow black band crossing it in the middle and another on the lower part of the breast, formed by the dark termination of the lowest breast feathers ; below this the abdo- men, flanks, vent and under tail-coverts are white, with trans- verse brown bars ; tarsal plumes buffy-white ; tail barred buff and black, the terminal black bar broadest, with a streak run- ning up the shafts of the feathers and partially dividing the broad buffy tips. The female wants the frontal patch and the semi-circular band behind it, also the buff breast and band crossing it in the middle ; the chin and throat are pale buffy, minutely spotted with dark brown ; the upper surface of the body finely, closely, and narrowly barred with pale fulvous and dark brown ; the lower surface the same, but the fulvous interspaces are broader and the dark bars narrower. The Close-barred Sand Grouse is a cold weather visitant to the trans-indus portion of Sind. PTEROCLID^. 297 Pterocles alchata, Lin. 801.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 500 ; Murray's Verte- brate Zoology of Sind, p. 210 ; Game Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 77. THE LARGE PIN-TAILED SAND GROUSE. Length, 13'5 to 15'5 ; expanse, 24 to 26 ; wings, 7'5 to 8'5 ; tail, # 5 to 7, ? 375 to 6 ; tarsus, 1 ; weight, 8J to 12 ounces. Bill dusky-green to slate color ; irides brown ; feet dirty or dusky-green. 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 shoul- ders of the wings, is fulvous or greyish-olive, shaded with fuscous ; the scapulars with a few black spots ; rump and upper tail- coverts bright pale fulvous with narrow black bars ; lesser and median wing-coverts maroon, white tipped; secondary-coverts fulvous with black lunules ; greater-coverts and primaries slaty- blue on their outer webs, brown internally ; tail banded yellow and black ; the median pair blackish on their attenuated portion ; the outer feathers greyish white, tipped and edged ; beneath, the chin and throat are black, edged with rusty ; lores and face rufous-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. 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 nearly as long as in the male bird. It is only in the trans-indus portion of Sind that the Pin- tailed Grouse occurs in any numbers, although stragglers are occasionally procured much further south. It is only a cold weather visitant. Pterocles senegalus, Lin. 801 bis. — Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 207 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 4 ; Game Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 53. " THE SPOTTED SAND GROUSE. Length, 12'4 to 147 ; expanse, 22 to 24 ; wing, 7'3 to 8 ; tail, Licht. SQlter. — Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 206 ; Game Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 57. THE CORONETTED SAND GROUSE. Length, 10 to 1175 ; wing, 7 to 7'5 ; expanse, 22 ; tarsus, 0'9 ; bill at front, 0'45 ; bill at gape, 0'65. Bill pale slaty ; irides brown ; legs clayey-slate, with china- white scutse. A line on each side of the forehead from the nostrils to above the eye black, and a pale fulvous one between these from the point of the forehead ; crown of the head pale chestnut, vinous or rufescent fawn ; a pearly grey band fro^n the anterior angle of the eye, continued as a supercilium and extending round to the nape ; lores and a narrow band edging the black chin and throat- stripe, white ; sides of the face, ear-coverts, and the neck all round orange-buff; base of the neck and upper back isabelline, the feathers edged dusky grey ; inter scapulars the same, with median buffy spots at the tips ; rump and upper tail-coverts a dark or dirty grey, mixed with the fulvous of the base of the feathers ; tail with median rectrices of a pale vinous color, dark shafted, with a subterminal dark spot, and very narrowly tipped with white ; lateral feathers deeper vinous with also a subterminal dark bar, and broadly tipped with white ; all the feathers with a few dusky sprinkles behind the dark band ; primaries and their coverts dull grey or dusky brown ; all the primaries, except the first three, broadly margined with fulvous- white obliquely to- wards the tips on their inner webs, and also tipped the same ; 300 PTEROCLID^. secondaries hair-brown ; tertiaries vinous on their inner webs and edged on the outer with buffish ; scapulars vinous at the base, dark shafted with a subterminal dark band, and mesially tipped with a nearly oval buff spot ; median wing-coverts the same, the greater series greyish-buff or buffy-isabelline ; abdomen, flanks, under wing-coverts, vent, and lower tail-coverts, white, slightly soiled on the middle of the abdomen, and in some speci- mens a pale isabelline ; tarsal plumes white. The female has the throat and sides of the neck orange-buff ; the chin paler and nearly albescent ; the crown very pale cinnamon ; entire upper-surface buff, with, in some specimens, a vinous tinge and barred with numerous crescentic and broken bands of dark brown ; breast and under parts paler buff, also with crescentic bands ; the flanks albescent ; scapulars largely blotched with dusky and with buff tips ; primaries and secondaries as in the male, but very pale, or hair-brown. It is only on the confines of Sind that the Coronetted Sand Grouse has been procured and that but rarely. It is of course only a cold weather visitant, but further north in Southern Afghanistan I was so fortunate as to procure two batches of eggs. They measured 1'63 inches in length by 1*07 in breadth. Pterocles exustus, Tem. 802.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 502 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 4 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 421; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 210; Game Birds of India, Vol I, p. 69 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 131. THE COMMON SAND GROUSE. Length, 11 to 1375 ; expanse, 21 to 22'5 ; wing, 6'5 to 7*5; tail, 4 to 5'9 ; tarsus, 0'8 to 1 ; bill from gape, 0'6 to 07 ; weight, 7J to 10 oz. Bill pale slaty-grey to pale plumbeous or lavender-blue ; irides dark brown ; feet same as bill. Male, general colour fulvous-isabelline, brighter and more yellow about the lores, face, and chin, and mixed with dusky- greenish on the back, wing 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 on the breast ; abdomen deep chocolate brown (burnt or singed color, hence exustus), paling on the vent, as are the tarsal plumes. The female has the whole upper plumage, including the tail feathers (except a plain bar on the wing^ formed by the greater- PTEROCLID.E. 301 coverts) fulvous, closely barred with deep brown, also the space between the pectoral band and the abdomen ; neck and breast unspotted dingy isabelline ; abdomen as in the male ; the central rectrices are not elongated. The Common Sand Grouse occurs abundantly throughout the region. It does not affect hilly or rocky districts, nor is it found in forest or swampy places. It is very partial to fallow or ploughed land. It is a permanent resident, breeding pretty near all the year through. The eggs, three in number, are deposited in a slight depression on, the ground; they are of the usual shape peculiar to Grouse, long and cylindrical, equally blunt at both ends ; in color they are greyish or greenish- white or even light olive-brown, thickly streaked, blotched and spotted equally over the whole surface with darker or lighter shades of olive-brown and with pale underlying clouds of very pale inky-purple. They average T45 inches in length by about T03 in breadth. The following key, published in Stray Feathers, Vol. VII, p. 159, may prove useful : — Key to the Indian species of PTEROCLES. A. Without pectoral band. a. Stripe on each side of forehead from nostril to above the eye, chin and centre of throat, black ... b. Lores and band encircling back of head pearly-grey ; cheeks, ear-coverts and throat orange-yellow ; centre of abdo- men black ... B. With pectoral band. a. Without black bar on the forehead. a ' Median rectrices not lengthened much beyond the rest ; upper part of throat and sides of neck rufous ; lower portion of throat black ; band on lower part of breast; abdomen and flanks black ... ... P. arenarius. b ' Median rectrices greatly lengthened beyond the rest. a2 Throat yellow; black band across breast ; abdomen and flanks chesnut ... ... P. exustus. 6* Throat and stripe behind the eye black ; sides of throat rufous ; centre of breast chestnut, border- ed above and below with black ; rest of under parts white ... P. alchata. b With black across forehead. a ' Breast uniform greenish-buff. aa Lower part of breast bordered with a chesnut band, succeeded 1. P. coronatus. 2. P. senegalus. 302 PAVOtfIN.fi. by a white one ; rest of under parts yellowish white, barred narrowly with black ; wing-coverts with two black bands, margined on the upper side only with white P. fasciatus. b ' Throat pale buff; upper part of breast buff, crossed with numerous narrow black bars ; middle of breast uniform buff, crossed in centre by a narrow black bar, and another of the same hue on its lower edge ; rest of under parts yellowish- white, barred nar- rowly with black ... ... P. lichtensteini. FAMILY, Phasianidse. Bill moderate, strong, vaulted; the tip of the upper mandible produced over that of the lower ; sides more or less compressed ; nostrils apert ; 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, an- terior ones united by a short membrane at the base ; the hind-toe raised, short, sometimes resting on the ground by its point. SUB-FAMILY, Pavoninae. Plumage more or less ocellated. GENUS, Pavo, Lin. Bill lengthened, slender ; the nareal portion large ; nostrils linear ; head ornamented with an erect crest of feathers of a peculiar structure ; orbitar region naked ; tail moderate, long, of eighteen feathers ; feathers of the back and upper tail- coverts of great length, surpassing the tail and beautifully ocellated ; tarsi rather long, spurred in the male. Pavo cristatus, Lin. 803.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 506 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 5 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 421 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 212 ; Game Birds of India, Vol. I, p, 81 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 131. THE COMMON PEACOCK. Length, to the end of the true tail, 40 to 48 ; the long train sometimes measures 50 inches or even more ; wings, 18 ; tail, 24. Bill horny-brown ; naked orbits whitish ; irides dark-brown ; legs horny-brown. Male, head, neck, and breast rich purple with gold and green reflections ; back green, the feathers scale-like, with coppery edges ; the wings with the inner coverts, including the shoulder, CALLING. 303 white, ^ striated with black ; the middle-coverts deep blue ; the primaries and tail chesnut ; abdomen and vent black, the train chiefly green, beautifully ocellated ; the thigh-coverts yellowish- grey ; head, with a crest of about twenty-four feathers only, webbed at the tip, and green with blue and gold reflections. The Peahen is chestnut 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- coverts ; quills brown, some of the wing-coverts mottled dusky and whitish ; tail deep brown with whitish tips ; chin and throat W7hite ; breast as in the neck ; abdomen white, with the lower parts and under tail-coverts brown. Length, 38 to 40 ; wing, 16 ; tail, 14. The crest is shorter and duller in its tints. The Peacock is not indigenous to Sind, but has been intro- duced, and appears to be in some portions of the country fairly naturalized. In all other places within our limits the Peacock is fairly common or would be if it was not so persecuted by shikariea. It is a permanent resident breeding during the rains; the hen scratches a depression in the soil which she lines with a few leaves, generally under cover. The eggs, six or eight in number, are broad oval in shape, creamy white or pale pinkish cafe-au- lait color. They are closely pitted over their whole surface with minute pores. They measure 274 inches in length by 2'05 in breadth. SUB-FAMILY, Gallinse. 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. GENUS, Gallus, Lin. Head furnished with a crest of skin ; the face nude and also with a loose lappet or wattle ; tarsus of the male strongly spurred ; the spur long and strongly curved ; tail of fourteen feathers, com- pressed, 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. Gallup Gm. 812.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p 537 ; Game Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 217. THE RED JUNGLE FOWL. Yy > (?. Length, 25'0 to 28'2 ; expanse, 27 to 29'5 ; wing, 812 to / Y&6 9'5 ; tail, 11-25 to 14'3 ; tarsus, 3 to 312 ; bill from gape, 119 to I/ •1-37 ; weight, 1| Ibs. to 2J Ibs. J-*] / )IL^ 304 GALLING. ? . Length, 16'5 to 18'25 ; expanse, 23 to 25 ; wing, 71 to 7'5 ; tail, 5-5 to 6'5; tarsus, 2 '3 to 2'55 ; bill from gape, 1'9 to T02 ; weight, 1TV Ibs. to 1-HJ Ibs. Bill slaty-brown ; irides orange-red ; face, comb, and wattles red ; legs slaty-black. Male, 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-Thrown on the sides ; upper tail-coverts lengthened, also bright orange ; wings with the lesser and greater-coverts black, glossed with green ; median-coverts rich dull maroon ; primaries dusky, with pale edges; secondaries chestnut externally, dusky within ;tertiaries glossy black ; tail with the central feathers rich glossy green-black, the gloss diminishing on the lateral feathers ; beneath from the breast unglossed black ; thigh-coverts the same. The Jungle Hen has the general color yellowish-brown, minutely mottled with dark brown ; and some of the feathers, especially of the upper back and wing-coverts, having conspi- cuously 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 super- cilium 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. I have been assured by a well known sportsman that the Red Jungle Fowl occurs in Central India, but it must be very rare as no one else seems ever to have met with it. Gallus sonnerati, Tern. 813.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 539 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 5 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 421 ; Game Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 231 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 131. THE GREY JUNGLE FOWL. Jangli Murghi, Hin. #. Length, 28 to 32 ; expanse, 27 to 31 ; wing, 9'35 to 9'65 ; tail, 14 to 16 ; tarsus, 2'85 to 3; bill from gape, 1'3; weight, 1-f g to 2J Ibs. ? . Length, 18 to 20 ; expanse, 26 to 27 ; wing, 7'8 to 8'3 ; tail, 6 to 7 ; tarsus, 2'2 to 2'5 ; bill from gape, 1'2 ; weight, 1T^ to If Ibs. Bill yellowish-horny ; comb, face, and wattles red ; irides orange-brown ; legs and feet horny -yellowish. Whole head and neck, with the hackles, blackish-grey, with GALLING. 305 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- co verts pale rufous ; the rest of the plumage above and below blackish-grey, the feathers white shafted, and those on the flanks broadly centred and tipped with wood-brown ; outermost primaries dusky, with the shaft and narrow edge pale ; the others black, faintly glossed ; upper tail-coverts glossy purple ; cerilral tail-feathers glossy-green, the gloss diminishing on the lateral feathers ; vent dirty- brownish ; under tail-coverts glossy black with white shafts. The hen is mottled brown above, with pale shafts on the wing-coverts ; beneath blackish-brown, the feathers broadly centred with pure white, passing into plain dull brown on the flanks, thigh- co verts, vent, and under tail-coverts ; head and neck rufous- brown, paler on the chin and throat, and somewhat yellowish ; primaries dark brown, the secondaries mottled brown ; tail blackish-brown, edged with mottled-brown. The Grey Jungle Fowl is a common permanent resident all along the Sahyadri Range, and in the adjoining forests, includ- ing the hilly parts of Ratnagiri and Belgaum ; it is also common on Mount Aboo, and indeed all along the Aravelli Range at all events as far as Erinpoora, where I have myself obtained it. It breeds during May and June, the eggs being deposited on the ground under a bush ; there is not much nest to speak of, only a few dry leaves. I have never found more than six eggs in a nest ; they are oval in shape, pointed at one end, coarse in texture and closely pitted all over like the eggs of guinea fowl. They are creamy or of a rich cafe-au-lait color, most of them spotted or speckled with brownish red. They measure 1'84 inches in length by T38 in breadth. GENUS, Galloperdix, Blyth. Bill somewhat lengthened ; orbits nude ; tail moderately long, broad, of fourteen 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 differ much in color. Galloperdix spadiceus, Gmelin. 814.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 541 ; Butler, Guzerat; u / j Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 5 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. I/^J IX, p. 422 ; Game Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 247 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 131. THE RED SPUR FOWL. Length, 13 to 15 ; expanse, 17 to 20 ; wing, 5*62 to 675 ; tail, 4'5 to 6 ; tarsus, T6 to 175 ; bill from gape, 1 to T2 ; weight, .9 to 14 oz. 20 306 GALLING. Bill dusky-red, horny at tip ; irides from dull yellow to dusky- brown ; legs and feet always red but vary in shade, from vermi- lion-red to dull pink. Male, head and nape dusky olive-brown ; the forehead and round the eye pale whity-brown, somewhat buff in some indi- viduals ; 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. 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. The male bird has usually two spurs on each leg, sometimes three on one, and occasionally two on one leg and one on another, usually long and sharp. The hen-bird generally has 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 a permanent resident on the Sahyadri Range, and in the forests adjoining ; it is also very common at Aboo. Since the above was written I found it very abundant at Baroli near Neemuch, extending at least as far as Erinpoora, where I have myself obtained it. It breeds during thp hot season, making a slight nest of leaves and grass on the ground, almost exclusively in dense bamboo clumps. The eggs, six to eight in number, vary in shape, but are typically the same shape as those of the common hen. They also vary in color from pinkish-buff to creamy-white. They measure 1*65 inches by 1*21. Galloperdix lunulatus, Valenc. 815.-— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 543 ; Butler, Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 422 ; Game Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 255. THE PAINTED SPUR FOWL. Length, 12 to 13'6 ; expanse, 17'5 to 18'5 ; wing, 575 to 6'2 ; tail, 4-3 to 5 ; bill from gape, 0'8 to 0'9 ; weight, 8 to 10 oz. Bill blackish-horny, paler beneath ; irides dark -brown ; legs and feet plumbeous. PERDICIN.E. 307 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 ches- nut, with spots on the back, sides of neck, shoulders and wing- coverts ; primaries earthy-brown ; tail dark sepia-brown, glossed with green in old birds ; beneath the throat and neck are variegated 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 chcsnut. 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 moustachial line ; the rest of the plumage dull olive-brown, changing to ochreous-olive on the breast and abdomen. Young males have the general plumage of female, with the tertiaries and tail chesnut brown, with black bands. Young females have blackish lunulations on part of their plumage. The male has from one to three spurs on each leg, generally two on each, occasionally three on one and two on the other. The female has usually at least one spur on each leg, occasionally two, very rarely none at all. The Painted Spur Fowl is rare in the Deccan ; indeed it has only, I believe, been procured once, about 40 miles north-east of Belgaum ;• one was shot by General Nuttal about 35 miles from Neemuch, Central India, the skin of which is now in my possession, but the Red Spur Fowl is much the commonest of the two species. FAMILY, Setraonidae. 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 Phasianidce ; 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. SUB-FAMILY, Perdicinse. Tarsus not feathered ; orbits generally plumed, or wanting the nude eyebrow of the grouse ; tarsus often spurred. GENUS, Franeolinus, Stephens. Bill moderate or somewhat long, stout, slightly curved at the tip ; tail of 14 feathers, somewhat lengthened, even, or very slightly rounded ; tarsi of the male wfth strong but blunt spurs. Francolinus vulgaris, Step. 818.— Jerdbn's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 558 ; Butler, Guzerat ; 308 PERDICIN.E. Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 5 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 213 ; Game Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 9. THE BLACK PARTRIDGE. Kola Titar, Hin. Length, 12*25 to 14*8; expanse, 18'5 to 21*5 ; wing, 57 to 67 ; tail, 3'38 to 4'4 ; tarsus, T5 to 2 ; bill from gape, 0'9 to 1'25 ; weight, 8 to 20 oz. Bill, $ , black, .? , horny-brown, the tips of both paler ; irides deep brown ; legs yellowish or reddish-brown. 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, feathers edged with rufous and white tipped ; the middle and lower back, 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. 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. The Black Partridge is very rare in Northern Guzerat ; further north it is more frequently met with, and in Sind it is a common permanent resident, breeding during June and July. The nest, composed of grass, grass roots, &c., is usually untidily put together, but occasionally is more neater. The eggs, six to ten in number, vary greatly in size, but average 1*56 inches in length to about 1*28 in breadth. In • color they vary from slightly greenish or brownish-fawn to stone color. Francolinus pictus, Jard. & Selb. 819.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 561 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 6 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 422 ; Game Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 19 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 131. PERDICINJ3. 309 THE PAINTED PARTRIDGE; Length, 11 to 13 ; expanse, 17 to 19 '5 ; wing, 5 '3 to 5 '8 ; tail, 2'6 to 3'55 ; tarsus, T5 to 175 ; bill from gape, 1 to 113 ; weight, 8-rV to 12 T^ oz. Bill blackish, paler at base beneath ; irides deep brown ; legs reddish or yellowish -red. Neither sex have spurs. Forehead, lores, face, broad superciliura, and ear-coverts ferrugi- nous-chesnut ; the top of the head dark brown with pale 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 markings 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 whole 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 ; feathers of the flanks and sides of the rump are tinged with pale ferruginous. The female differs in having a somewhat ferruginous tinge beneath, and in the throat being more or less rufous. With the exception of Sind, the Painted Partridge occurs in all suitable localities throughout our limits. It is a permanent resi- dent, breeding towards the middle of the rains. The eggs, six or eight in number, are somewhat peg-top shape, and are smoky- white in color. They measure 1*4 inches in length by 118 in breadth. GENUS, Oaccabis, Kaup. Bill somewhat lengthened, stout, red ; tarsi of male with a blunt spur, red ; tail of 12 or 14 feathers not quite concealed by the upper-coverts ; a small nude patch behind the eye ; plumage not mottled. Caccabis chukar, J. E. Gr. 320. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 564 ; Murray's Verte- brate Zoology of Sind, p. 213 ; Game Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 33. THE GHUKOR PARTRIDGE. Chukor, Hin. 1 J tarsus, T55 to 175 ; bill from gape, 0'94 to 11 ; weight, 13 to 19 oz. Bill crimson to deep coral-red, occasionally dusky on the cul- 310 PERDICIN^E. men ; irides yellowish or reddish-brown ; legs and feet pale reddish. 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 necklace round the throat ; below this the neck and breast are ashy, changing to buff on the abdomen and under tail-coverts ; the flanks of the breast and belly beauti- fully banded, each feather being ashy at the base, with two large black bands, the terminal one tipped with fine maroon, and the space between the bands creamy-white. The female closely resembles the male, but is slightly smaller, and wants the spurs. "Within our limits the Chukor only occurs on the rocky hills that divide Sind from Khelat. It is very common both in the Bolan Pass and on the Khoja Amran Range of mountains in Southern Afghanistan. I found them breeding near Chaman, about the end of March or early in April. There was no nest ; the eggs were deposited on the ground, in a depression under a bush. I never found more than eight eggs, but the Afghans asserted that they frequently lay twenty, and I have seen a hen with quite that number of chicks ; whether they were all her own or not, I cannot say. The eggs are somewhat peg-topped shape, of a pale stony color, speckled and blotched with lavender-brown. They average 1*61 inches in length by 1*4 in breadth. GENUS, Ammoperdix. Of small-size ; bill somewhat lengthened, red ; wings lon£ ; tarsus wholly devoid of a spur or even of a knob, otherwise as in Caccabis. Ammoperdix bonhami, Gray. 821. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 567; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 214 ; Game Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 45. THE SEESEE PARTRIDGE. Sisi, Hin. chre-yello\v and ash-grey, with zigzag lines and irregular spots of black ; throat white ; rest of the underparts yellowish white, passing into rufous on the breast and forepart of neck with cross wavy bars of dusky-brown ; quills barred ferru- ginous and black ; tail black ; the outer webs edged rufous ; tips ash-grey above, silvery-white beneath. The Woodcock only occurs within our limits as a rare cold weather visitant. GENUS, Gallinago, Stephens. Tibia bare for a small space above the joint ; tail with 16 to 28 feathers, the outer ones often narrowed ; otherwise as in Scolopax. Gallinago nemoricola, Bodgs. 868. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 672 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Yol. IX, p. 428 ; Game Birds of India, Vol. Ill, p. 325. THE WOOD SNIPE. Length, ll'O to 12'5 ; expanse, 18'0 to 1975 ; wing, 5'4 to 57 ; tail, 2*5 to 2-9 ; tarsus, 1'41 to T49 ; bill from gape, 4'9 to 61. Bill varies from drab to reddish-fleshy, tipped blackish-brown ; irides hazel to deep brown ; legs bluish-grey to greenish. Top of the head black, with rufous-yellow longish markings ; upper part of back black, the feathers margined with pale rufous- yellow, and often smeared bluish ; scapulars the same, some of them with zigzag markings ; long dorsal plumes black with zigzag markings 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, with the thigh-coverts, whitish, with numerous dusky bars ; lower tail-coverts rufescent, with dusky marks, and the under wing-coverts barred black and whitish. The Wood Snipe is an extremely rare cold weather visitant to parts of the Deccan. Gallinago sthenura, Kuhl. 870.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 674 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. V, p. 212 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 428 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 239 ; Game Birds of India, Vol. Ill, p, 339 ; S. stenura, Kuhl. ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 133. THE PIN-TAILED SNIPE. $. Length, 975 to 10'9 ; expanse, 15'5 to 17'4 ; wing, 4'95 SCOLOPACIN^!. 345 to 5'42 ; tail, 2'0 to 2'57 ; tarsus, 119 to 1'27 ; bill from gape, 212 to 2'25 ; bill at front, 2'2 to 2'6 ; weight, 3'3 oz. to 475 oz. ; average, 3'91 oz. ?. Length, lO'O to 1117; expanse, 161tol8'25; wing, 5 '0 to 5'58 ; tail, 2'0 to 2'67 ; tarsus, 1'2 to 1'35 ; bill from gape, 2'38 to 2-62; bill at front, 2'45 to 27 ; Weight, 375 oz. to 51 oz. ; average, 4'2 oz. ; average of both sexes, 4'06 oz. Bill blackish-horny at tip ; deep brown in the centre, greenish- horny at base ; irides deep brown ; legs and feet leaden-greenish. Very similar to the Common Snipe in color ; but the under wing-coverts and axillaries richly barred with dusky and white. Such is Dr. Jerdon's description, which is very meagre. Mr. Hume in the " Game Birds of India" has fully discussed the differences. 1st — The bill of the Fantail is more or less spatulate, that of the Pintail never so. 2nd. — In the Pintail the axillaries and the entire wing- lining, except the lower greater-coverts, are invariably strongly and distinctly barred with blackish-brown. This is never the case with Common Snipe ; the median secondary lower-coverts are always unbarred, forming a white unbarred patch in the centre of the upper portion of the lower surface of the closed wing. 3rd. — In the Common Snipe, the tail consists of fourteen ordinary shaped soft feathers, occasionally sixteen, rarely twelve. In the Pintail there are only ten such feathers, but on either side of these are from five to nine very narrow, rather rigid, feathers, making up a total of twenty to twenty-eight feathers. There ought not to be the slightest difficulty in discriminating this species from the next, but sportsmen and others constantly overlook the differences, hence the difficulty in ascertaining even approximately the relative proportions they bear to each other in any one given district. The Pintail Snipe is of course only a cold weather visitant, and occurs throughout the region. In Sind the Fantails are much the commonest, in fact, I ought to say that the Pintail is decidedly uncommon ; further south, they occur in greater numbers, until at Bombay they are just as common as the Fantails. Gallinago gallinaria, 6m. 871. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 614 ; (G. scolopacinus, Bon.) ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Yol. IY, p. 15 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Yol. IX, p. 428 ; Murray's Yertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 240 ; G. ccelestis, Fren. ; Game Birds of India, Yol. Ill, p. 359 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 133. THE COMMON OR FANTAIL SNIPE. CTiaha, Hin. J. Length, 9'0 to 1T3; expanse, 15'0 to 17'5 ; wing, 4'9 to 346 SCOLOPACIN^J. 5-9; tail, 2'5 to 2'9 ; tarsus, 1'2 to 1'34 ; bill from gape, 2'39 to 27 ; bill at front, 2-43 to 275 ; weight, 3 "3 to 51 oz. ; average, 415 oz. ?. Length, 9'2 to 12'5 ; expanse, 16'0 to IS'25 ; wing, 4'87 to 571 ; tail, 2'3 to 3'0 ; tarsus, 1'25 to 1*33 ; bill from gape, 2'5 to 2*9 ; bill at front, 2'62 to 3'0 ; weight, 31 oz, to 5'5 oz. ; average, 4*27 oz. ; average of both sexes, 4'2 oz. Bill horny-brown, tip blackish, brownish-green at base ; irides deep blackish-brown ; legs and feet greenish. Crown black, divided longitudinally by a yellowish-white line ; a dusky brown eyestreak, and a yellowish superciliary 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. The Fantail Snipe is a common cold weather visitant through- out the region. Gallinago gallinula, Lin. 872.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 676 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 15 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 428 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 241 ; Game Birds of India, Vol. Ill, p. 373 ; Swinhoe and Barne-s, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 133. THE JACK SNIPE. Length, 775 to 9'0; expanse, 13'25 to 14'89 ; wing, 41 to 4-67; tail, 1*87 to 2'5 ; tarsus, 0'89 to 0'95 ; bill from gape, 1-5 to 17 ; bill from front, T54 to 174 ; weight, T53 oz. to 2'48 oz. Bill blackish-brown at tip, paling towards base ; irides deep brown ; legs and feet pale-greenish. 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 shoulder 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 longitudinal spots ; lower breast and belly pure white ; tail dusky, edged with pale ferruginous. The Jack Snipe is generally distributed throughout the region during the cold weather. It is, however, much less common than either of the other two, arriving later, and departing earlier SCOLOPACINJ:. 347 than they do. It is much addicted to remaining in one spot, generally a corner, and if often disturbed or even shot at, returns to the same spot. In some seasons considerable numbers are met with ; at others they occur more rarely. GENUS, Rhynchcea, Cuvier. Bill shorter than in Gallinago, slightly curved downwards at the tip ; wings rather short, broad, slightly rounded, beautifully ocellated ; second quill longest, first and third sub-equal ; tail of 14 or 16 feathers, slightly rounded, short ; tarsus long ; tibia much denuded. Rhynchcea bengalensis, Lin. 873.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 677 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 15 ; Decca-n, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 428 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 242 ; Game Birds of India, Vol. Ill, p. 381 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 133. THE PAINTED SNIPE. CD . Length, 9'25 to lO'O ; expanse, 16'8 to 18'0 ; wing, 4'9 to 5-2 ; tail, 1-5 to T8 ; tarsus, T65 to 1*83 ; bill at front, 1'65 to 1-85 ; weight, 3'5 to 4'9 oz. $ . Length, 975 to 10'89 ; expanse, 18*0 to 19'25 ; wing, 5'25 to 5'6 ; tail, 1/6 to 2 ; tarsus, 175 to T96 ; bill at front, T8 to 2-05 ; weight, 4'4 to 6'42 oz. The bill is very variable, typically it is a pale fleshy-brown, darker or purer brown towards the tip and with a greenish tinge towards the base ; irides vary from hazel to deep brown ; legs and feet usually greenish, but are also subject to variation. Upper plumage more or less olivaceous, the feathers finally marked with zigzag dark lines, and the scapulars and inner wing-coverts with broad bars of black, edged with white ; a median pale buff line on the head, and another behind, and round the eye ; scapulars with a pale buff stripe as in the snipe ; wing-coverts mottled and barred with pale olive and buff; quills olivaceous-grey, with dark narrow cross lines, blackish towards 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 buff on the tertials ; tail olivaceous-grey, with 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 colored above ; the wing- coverts and tertials dark olive with narrow black cross lines, the outermost tertiaries white, forming a conspicuous white stripe ; M> 348 LIMOSINJE, lores, sides of face, and whole neck, deep ferruginous chesnut, gradually changing on the breast into dark olive, almost black 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. The Painted Snipe is a fairly common permanent resident in suitable localities throughout the region, but they necessarily vary their quarters a good deal, as the tanks and jheels dry up or otherwise. They appear to breed at various periods throughout the year, but the majority lay during the middle of the rains. The nest is a more or less compact pad of sedge or grass, usually sheltered by a tussock of grass, but occasionally it is quite exposed. The eggs, four in number, are moderately broad ovals, pointed or pinched in at one end. They are hard in texture, faintly glossy. The ground color is a pale buff or warm cafe-au-lait color, thickly and boldly blotched and streaked with rich brown almost black. They measure 1'4 inches in length by about 1 in breadth. SUB-FAMILY, Limosinae. Bill much lengthened, soft at the tip, straight or slightly turned upwards ; mostly of somewhat large size ; a distinct web between the outer toes. GENUS, Limosa, Brisson. Bill 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 first quill longest ; tail short, even ; tibia bare for a considerable extent ; tarsus 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. Limosa segocephala, Lin. 875.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 681 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 16 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 243; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 133. THE BLACK-TAILED GODWIT. <$. Length, 16'0 to 181; expanse, 25'0 to 29'8 ; wing, 7'5 to 8-81; tail, 312 to 3'5; tarsus, 2'85 to 3'35 ; bill, 3'65 to 4'5 ; weight, 7£ to 12 oz. o . Length, 18'3 to 20'2 ; expanse, 28'0 to 31'3 ; wing, 8'4 to 9-25 ; tail, 3'25 to 3'94 ; tarsus, 3'3 to 37 ; bill, 4'5 to 51 ; weight, 9 to 15 oz. Bill livid-fleshy, gradually passing to blackish-brown at tip ; irides dark-brown ; legs and feet blackish-green to dull greyish- brown. ^ LIMOSIN^. 349 Winter plumage ; all the upper parts uniform ashy-brown, with the shafts of the feathers of a somewhat deeper tint ; superciliary stripe and rump white ; 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. 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. Young birds have the feathers edged with reddish, and the tail tipped with white. The Black-tailed Godwit is a common cold weather visitant to Sind and Northern Guzerat ; it occurs also in Central India. I have myself shot it near Mhow, and Mr. Hume obtained it at the Kunkrowli Lake, Oodeypore, tut it is not common there. It does not appear to have been recorded from the Deccan. They are excellent birds for the table at all times, but when fat and in good condition, they are simply delicious. Limosa laponica, Lin. S75bis. — Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 244. THE BAR-TAILED GODWIT. £. Length, 14'5 to 14'8; expanse, 27'0 to 27'5 ; tail, 27 to 3'3 ; wing, 7 '8 to 8'4 ; tarsus, 2 ; bill, 2'8 to 31 ; weight, 81 oz. ?. Length, 1575 /expanse, 28'0 ; wing, 8'4 ; tail, 3 ; tarsus, 2 ; bill, 3'65 ; weight, 9 oz. Bill pinkish for about the basal half, rest black or dusky; irides brown ; legs and feet black, in some dusky-plumbeous. In the winter plumage there is a broad indistinct white super- ciliary band, and the feathers immediately below the eye are also white ; the chin and throat are pure white ; the forehead, the whole top, back and sides of the head, and neck all round brownish-white, closely streaked with darker brown, the streaks very minute on the sides of the head, somewhat larger on the front of the neck, and darker and stronger on the head and back of the neck, where but little of the white remains visible. The upper back pale earthy-brown, each feather with a narrow dark-brown central shaft-stripe, and mostly margined somewhat paler. The breast pale greyish-brown, more or less obscured by the albescent tippings to the feathers, and some of the feathers, with, inconspicuous darker shafts ; the feathers of the central portion of the breast, if raised, will be found to be not merely tipped whitish, but to be also obscurely barred with white ; the abdomen, vent, and lower tail-coverts are pure white, as are also the axil- laries and wing-lining ; the rump is white with a few cuneiform or heart-shaped blackish-brown spots ; upper tail -coverts white, with narrow irregular arrow-head bars ; tail feathers grey-brown, 350 with dark shafts tipped white, and mottled with white on the inner webs of the exterior ones, in some with traces of darker transverse bars ; the primaries and their greater-coverts black ; the shafts of the first two or three white, subsequent ones brown- ish-white ; scapulars and tertiaries pale brown, darker shafted, margined paler, and many of them more or less tinged with ashy ; the lesser and median-coverts like the scapulars, but margined whitish ; secondaries brown, paler on their inner webs, and margined on both webs and on the tips with white, as indeed are also, so far as the tips are concerned, the later primaries, though less conspicuously so ; the greater secondary-coverts are more ashy-brown, narrowly margined with white. In one speci- men, which appears to be further advanced, the lateral tail- feathers are distinctly barred brown and white ; the cuneiform barrings on the rump and upper tail-coverts are -more marked ; the axillaiies are all strongly barred ; the feathers of the sides and flanks, and also the lower tail-coverts, exhibit numerous arrow-head bars ; and one or two rufous or chesnut feathers with black bars have begun to show themselves on the breast. The summer plumage is thus described by Temminck : — Male. — Upper parts of the head and occiput blackish- brown, mixed with streaks of reddish-yellow ; a band of the latter color over the eyes ; lores blackish-brown ; cheeks and throat of a yellowish-red ; all the lower parts of the body, including the under tail-coverts, pale )Tello wish-red ; upper part of the back and scapulars blackish-brown, marbled with reddish-yellow and whitish-grey ; lower part of the back and rump white, marked with longitudinal yellowish-red spots ; the tail marked with brown and white bars, those of the latter tint irregularly distributed and disposed more or less longitudinally ; quills black from their tip, the remaining part towards the bases blackish-brown, with their inner webs whitish-grey, marbled with pale brown ; the secondaries grey, with the shafts and margins white. Female. — The head and lores, as in the male ; the throat white, marked with reddish-grey ; cheeks and neck very light reddish, with numerous brown streaks, which become broader, and form small transverse brown and white bars on the sides of the breast ; the latter and the belly marbled with white and very pale red- dish ; the abdominal part white ; the lower tail-coverts reddish- white with light brown bars. — Hume, Stray Feathers, Vol. I, p. 236. The Bar-tailed Godwit is a not uncommon cold weather visitant to Kurrachee Harbour, and also occurs further east at the mouths of the Indus. GENUS, Terekia, Bona. Bill very long, slender, recurved ; tarsus rather short ; feet with the front toes joined by a web, narrow and short between the inner and mid-toes, of small size. NUMENINJB. 351 Terekia cinerea, Gm. 876.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 682 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Yol. IV, p. 16 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 246. THE AVOCET SAND-PIPEK. Length, 8"9 ; expanse, 16'25 ; wing, 5 ; tail, 2; tarsus, 1-1 ; bill at front, 1*8. Bill orange-yellow at the base, dusky at tip ; irides brown ; legs pale orange. Upper plumage bluish-ashy, the stems of the feathers dark, with some broadish dark streaks ; forehead and cheeks white, with ashy striae ; shoulder of wing, edge of wing, and quills blackish-brown, the first primary with a white stem ; secondaries tipped 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. The Avocet Sand-piper is a not uncommon cold weather visitant to Sind, Kutch, and Northern Guzerat. It does not occur in the Deccan. SUB-FAMILY, Numeninae. Bill very long, curved downwards. GENUS, Numenius, Lin. Bill very long, moderately slender, curved, almost round ; upper mandible channelled, the tip hard, obtuse, slightly produced beyond the lower ; nostrils basal, linear, apert ; wings moderately long, the first 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. Numenius lineatus, Gab. 877. — N. arquata, Lin. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 683 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 16 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 429; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 247 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 134. THE CUKLEW. Length, 21 to 26 ; expanse, 34 to 38 ; wing, 11*0 to 12'25 ; tail, 4-5 ; tarsus, 3 25 ; bill at front, 4'0 to 6'25. Bill dusky-brown, beneath fleshy ; irides dark-brown ; legs and feet pale bluish-grey. Head, neck, and breast, pale ashy, tinged with rufous, the shafts and middle of the feathers dusky ; upper back and scapulars blackish-brown, 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. 352 TRINGIN^J. The Curlew is a not uncommon cold weather visitant to suit- able localities throughout the region ; it is much more common on the sea-coast than it is inland, where it only affects the larger j heels. Numenius phseopus, Lin. 878.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 684 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 16; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 429; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 247. THE WHIMBREL. Length, 16 to 18 ; expanse, 29 ; wing, 9'5 to 10; tail, 375 ; bill at front, 3'0 to 3' 5. Bill dusky, reddish at base ; irides brown ; legs dark bluish- grey. Forehead and crown cinereous-brown, the latter divided 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. The Whimbrel is common all along the sea-coast during the cold season ; it is much more rare inland. SUB-FAMILY, Tringinse. Bill short or moderate, soft, and somewhat flexible, occasionally dilated or curved ; wings long ; tail short ; legs moderate, short ; the toes usually divided to the base, or with a very rudimentary web. GENUS, PhilomachllS, Mceliring. Bill, wings, and tail, as in Tringa ; tarsus somewhat more lengthened ; the outer- toe joined to the middle one by a short web. Philomachus pugnax, Lin. 880.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 687; Butler, Guzerat; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 17; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 429 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 248 ; Machetes pugnax, Lin. ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 134. THE RUFF. Length, 12 to' 13 ; wing, 7'25 ; expanse, 22'5 ; tail, 2'5 ; tarsus, 2 ; bill at front, T3 ; weight, 6 oz. In winter plumage, the male has the upper plumage variable, generally rich brown, with black central spots, and reddish or whitish edges, the head and neck usually somewhat paler ; the TRINGINJE. 353 greater-coverts barred black and reddish-brown ; primaries dusky ; tail with the middle feathers barred black and reddish -brown ; the throat, forepart of the neck, and the lower parts pure white, some- times mottled with blackish ; the breast reddish or ashy-brown, with or without darker spots. The female is much smaller, has more of an ashy tint through- out, and the feathers more or less dark centred. Length, 9 5 to 10'5 ; wing, 6; tail, 2'2 ; tarsus, T6 ; weight, 3*5 to 4 oz. The Buff is a very common cold weather visitant to Guzerat, Kutch, and Jodhpore ; it is rather less common in Sind, and in the Deccan it is rare. It is one of the earliest of our winter visi- tants. It is excellent eating when in good condition. GENUS, Tringa, Lin. Bill moderate or short, soft, flexible, straight, or bent down at the tip, which is depressed and obtuse, channelled through almost to the tip^ i wings long with the first quill longest ; tail short, even ; tarsus rather short, scutellate anteriorly ; toes free, or barely united by a small web. Tringa crassirostris, Tern. & Schleg. SSIbis.— Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 249. TEMMINCK'S KNOT. Length, 11*35 to 12 0 ; expanse, 23'5 to 24 ; wing, 71 to 7'3 ; tail, 27 to 2-8 ; tarsus, T4 to T55 ; bill at front, 1'6 to 1*85. Bill black, occasionally paler at base beneath ; legs and feet vary from dusky to pale plumbeous. In the winter plumage the upper surface reminds one not a little of that of Tot anus stagnatilis. The whole lower parts are white, but the base of the neck in front, and the sides, are marked with numerous small brown striae, and the upper breast, besides more or less of these striations, is mottled with larger pale brown spots, here and there interspersed with conspicuous heart-shaped blackish-brown spots, which are the first traces of the coming summer plumage. Lores, top, back, and sides of the head and neck very pale greyish-brown, all the feathers narrowly streaked along the shaft with dark-brown ; the upper back and whole mantle is a mixture of pale brown and ashy, most of the feathers with blackish shafts, more or less darkly centred, and all conspicuously, though narrow- ly, margined and tipped with white ; lower back and rump brown, the feathers narrowly and regularly margined with white ; upper tail-coverts similar, but the white margins much broader and the brown more or less obsolete on many of them ; tail feathers greyish-brown, greyer and somewhat darker on the central one, and paler and browner on the external ones, all are excessively narrowly, in fact -almost obsolete ly, bordered with white ; the 23 354 TRINGIX^E. primaries and their greater-coverts are hair-brown, most of the latter tipped white ; the secondaries and their greater-coverts are a pale somewhat greyish-brown, all of them narrowly, but the coverts less narrowly of the two, margined with white ; the wing-lining (except just at the margin of the wing which is mottled with brown), pure white ; the axillaries white with traces of irregular, wavy, pale brown bars ; there are a few elongated triangular pale brown dashes on the flanks, and in some specimens one or two larger blackish-brown spots pertain- ing to the summer plumage. According to Schlegel, the summer plumage is as follows : — Feathers of the head and neck, each with a large dark-brown longitudinal streak or spot on an albescent ground, which is tinged with brownish-rufous on the nape. Feathers of the breast and nape, brownish-black, each with a whitish transverse band about the middle, often tinged with brownish-red towards the middle. The rest of the lower parts and the rump pure white, spotted, except towards the middle of the abdomen, with broader or narrower dark brown-spots. Back and wings brownish-black, lighter on the wing-coverts ; all the feathers spotted and bordered with a bright brownish - rufous, gradually disappearing towards the edge of the wing. Lower wing-coverts white, becoming black at the base. — Hume, Stray Feathers, Vol. 1, p. 240. This species was found by Mr. Hume to be not uncommon in the Kurrachee Harbour during the cold season. Tringa subarquata, Gm. 882.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 689 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 429 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 250. THE CURLEW STINT. Length, 8 ; wing, 5 ; tail, 175 ; tarsus, 116 ; bill at front, 1'6. Bill black ; irides brown ; legs dusky-grey. 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. The Curlew Stint is common during the cold weather along the sea coast, but does not seem to penetrate far inland. It has been procured at Sholapore. Tringa alpina, Lin. 883.— T. cindus, Lin.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p, 690 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 251. TRINGINJS. 355 THE DUNLIN. Length, 7'5 ; wing, 4'5 ; tail, T9 ; tarsus, 1 ; bill at front, 1'25. Bill black ; irides deep brown ; legs greenish- dusky. In winter plumage, above, with the lores and cheeks ashy- brown, the shafts of the feathers dark, and those of the upper parts edged paler ; supercilia and sides of the forehead whitish- ashy ; lesser and median-coverts brown, edged with ashy ; quills 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. 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 occurs as a fairly common cold weather visitant to the Kurrachee Harbour. Tringa minuta, Leisl 884.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 690 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 17; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 429 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 251 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 134. THE LITTLE STINT. Length, 6 ; wing, 3*8 ; tail, 1'5 ; tarsus, 0'9 ; bill at front, 0'7. Bill black ; irides deep brown ; legs black. All the upper parts ashy-brown, the shafts dusky ; a broad streak from the gape to the eye, and a whitish supercilium ; the two central tail-feathers brown, the outer ones ashy-brown, edged with whitish ; throat, foreneck, middle of the breast, and all the under parts pure white ; the sides of the breast ashy- brown. In summer, the head, and upper parts, with the two central tail-feathers become black, broadly edged and tipped with rufous brown ; and the cheeks, sides of neck, and breast reddish. The Little Stint is more or less common in suitable localities throughout the district. It only occurs as a cold weather visitant. Tringa temmincki, Leisl. 885.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 691 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 17 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 429 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 251. THE WHITE-TAILED STINT. Length, 6 to 6'25 ; wing, 3'8 ; tail, T9 ; tarsus, 075 ; bill at front, 07. Bill black, irides deep brown ; legs blackish. 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 whitish, and the two outermost ones 356 TRINGIN^E. pure white ; throat white ; front of neck and breast ashy brown, belly and under tail-coverts pure white. The White-tailed Stint is somewhat rare in the Deccan, but is not uncommon in the remaining portion of our limits. Of course it only occurs as a cold weather visitant. GENUS, Limicola, Kaup. Bill broad and depressed. Limicola platyrhyncha, Tern. 886.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 692 ; Murray's Verte- brate Zoology of Sind, p. 252. THE BROAD-BILLED STINT. Length, 6'25 ; wing, 3'9 ; tail, 175 ; tarsus, 075 ; bill at front, 1-1. Bill blackish ; hides deep brown ; legs dusky. 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. The bill is rather long, broad, and 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 with black shafts ; the breast whitish with black spots and tinged with rufous ; the rest of the lower surface white. The Broad-billed Stint occurs not uncommonly in the Kurra- chee Harbour and along the adjacent coast during the cold season. GENUS, Calidris, Cuvier. Hind-toe wanting, otherwise as in Tringa ; the web at the base of the toes very small. Calidris arenaria, Tern. 888.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 694 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 429 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 252. THE SANDERLING. Length, 8 ; wing, 475 ; tail, 2 ; tarsus, 0*9 ; bill at front, 1. Bill black ; irides deep brown ; legs black. 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 blackish-grey ; wing- coverts broadly edged 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. PHALAROPIN^E — TOTANIN^. 357 The Sanderling is more or less common along the coast during winter. SUB-FAMILY, Phalaropinae. Feet with toes bordered by a free membrane cut into lobes as in the Coots ; otherwise much as in Tringa. GENUS, Lobipes. Bill slender and pointed ; the feet lobed ; otherwise as in Tringa. Lobipes hyperboreus, Lin. 890.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 696 ; Murray's Verte- brate Zoology of Sind, p. 253. THE RED-NECKED PHALAEOPE. Length, 6'5 ; wing, 4*4 ; tail, 2'25 ; tarsus, 075 ; bill, 075. Bill dusky ; irides brown ; feet yellowish-green. Forehead white ; crown, occiput, and nape dusky-brown ; the back, scapulars, and two middle tail-feathers the same, but the feathers broadly edged with whitish ; all the lower parts white, passing into pale-ashy on the sides of the breast and flanks. 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. The Coot-footed Stint or Red-necked Phalarope occurs in the cold weather in the Kurrachee Harbour and adjacent sea- coast. I met with it at Chaman, South Afghanistan, where it must have been migrating. SUB-FAMILY, Totaninse. Bill moderately long, slender, with the tip hard and pointed, slightly ascending in some ; tarsi slender, rather long ; feet elongate ; outer-toe joined by web to the middle one. GENUS, Actitis. Bill moderate or rather long, slender, straight, compressed, and acuminate, with the tip hard ; the groove of the bill extending quite .to the tip ; wings moderately long, with first quill longest ; tail slightly lengthened ; tarsus rather short or moderate ; toes, rather long. Actitis (Rhyacophilus) glareola, Om. 891.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 697; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 17 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 429 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 253 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 134. 358 TOTANIN.E. THE SPOTTED SAND-PIPEK. Length, 8*5 to 9'0 ; wing, 5 ; expanse, 16'5 ; tail, 2 ; tarsus, 1-5 ; bill at front, 1'2. Bill greenish, dusky-black at tip ; hides deep brown ; legs pale-greenish. 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 super- cilium ; cheeks and nape dirty- white with ashy-brown spots ; upper tail-coverts pure white, 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. In summer the feathers of the crown and nape are distinctly streaked brown and white ; the feathers of the back have a large black spot as well as the white spots, and the white of the lower parts is purer. The Spotted Sand-piper is a common cold weather visitant to all parts of the region ; it is perhaps less common in Sind than elsewhere. GENUS, Totanus, JBech. ed at tip, groove half the le tarsi with narrow scales in front ; otherwise as in Actitis. Bill slightly curved at tip, groove half the length of the bill ; i with narr Totanus ochropus, Lin. 892.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 698 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 18; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 430 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 254 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 134. THE GREEN SAND-PIPER. Length, 975 to 10*5 ; expanse, 18 to 19 ; wing, 5*5 to 6 ; tail, 3 ; tarsus, 1*5 ; bill at front, T4. Bill dusky green, blackish at tip ; irides brown ; legs dingy- green. . 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. In summer, the upper parts are darker, greener, and more spotted, and the streaks on the neck more distinct. The Green Sand-piper is a very common cold weather visitant to all parts of the Presidency. TOTANIN-ffi. , 359 It is one of the earliest of our winter visitors, arriving soon after the commencement of the rains. Lin. 893. — Jerclon's birds of India, Vol. II, p. 699 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 18; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 430 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 254 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 134. THE COMMON SAND-PIPER. ^ Length", 775 to 8-25 ; expanse, 13 5 ; wings, 4'25 to 4'5 ; tail, 2 "4 ; tarsus, 1 ; bill at front, 1 . Bill dusky ; irides brown ; legs pale green. All the upper parts ashy-brown, glossed with green, and the shafts darker ; back and wing-coverts with fine transverse brown lines ; a white supercilium ; 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 with white, and barred on the outer web with brown and white ; beneath pure white, streaked with brown on the neck and breast. This Sand-piper is more or less common during the cold season throughout the whole region. Totanus glottis, Lin. 894.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 700 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 18 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 430 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 255 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 135. THE GREEN SHANKS. Length, 14 to 15 ; expanse, 25 ; wing, 8 ; tail, 375 ; tarsus, 275 ; bill at front, 2'2. Bill dusky greenish ; irides brown ; legs yellowish green. 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. The Green Shanks is more or less common throughout the region during the cold season. Totanus stagnatilis, Bech. 895. — Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 701 ; Butler, Guzerat; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 18 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 430 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 225 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 134. 360 TOTANIN.E. THE LITTLE GKEEN SHANKS. Length, 10'5 ; wing, 5'5 ; tail, 2 ; tarsus, 2'25 ; bill at front, 1-6. Bill dusky-green ; hides brown ; legs pale green. Above pale ashy-brown, the nape streaked with dark -brown ; the top of the head and neck, and the scapulars edged with whitish ; eye brows 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. The Lesser Green Shanks is not uncommon during the cold weather in all parts of the region. Totanus fuscus, Lin. 896.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 702 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 18 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 255; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 134. THE SPOTTED RED SHANKS. Length, 13 ; expanse, 22 '5 ; wing, 675 ; tail, 2*5 ; tarsus, 2 '8 ; bill at front, 2*4. Bill blackish, orange at base beneath; irides brown; legs orange-red. 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 variegated white and ashy ; wing-coverts and scapulars grey, edged with white ; rump pure white ; central tail-feathers uniform ash-grey, narrowly edged with white ; rump pure white ; outer tail-feathers with white and brown bars ; throat, breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts pure white. 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. During the cold season the Spotted Red Shanks is common in Sind, occurs sparingly in Guzerat and Rajputana, but has not been recorded from any part of the Deccan. Totanus calidris, Lin. 897.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 702 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 18 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 430 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 256 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 134. THE RED SHANKS. Length, 10'5 to 11'5 ; wing, 6 ; tail, 2'4 ; tarsus, T8 ; bill, 11. Bill dusky, reddish at base ; irides brown ; legs pale red. HIMANTOPID^E. 361 In winter, the crown, lores, back of neck, upper back, scapulars, and wing-coverts, cinereous-brown, darker on the shafts ; super- cilium white ; sides of the head greyish-white ; lower back 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 ; foreneck and breast greyish-white ; abdomen and lower tail-coverts white. During the cold season the Red Shank occurs more or less commonly throughout the whole region. FAMILY, Himantopidae. Of black and white plumage, not changing in summer ; the legs very much lengthened ; bill long and very thin, and in one genus recurved. GENUS, Himantopus, Erisson. Bill long, twice 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, first quill longest, tail short, even, of twelve feathers ; tibia bare for the greater part of its length ; legs very long, thin reticulated ; 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. Himantopus candidus, £ona. 898.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. ^04 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 18 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 430 ; H. intermedius, Blyth. ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 258 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 134, THE STILT. Gaj-paun, Hin. Length, 14*5 to 15'5 ; expanse, 26 to 30; wing, 8*5 to 9 ; tail, 3 ; tarsus, 4'5 to 5'5 ; bill at front, 275. Bill black, reddish at base ; irides blood-red ; feet lake-red. 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 wings 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. The Stilt or Long-legs is common throughout the whole region, but only occurs during the cold weather in Guzerat and the Deccan. In Sind it appears to be a permanent resident, breeding freely in the Narra District during June. The eggs, four in number, are deposited on the bare ground ; they are oval in shape, pinched in at one end ; the ground color varies from olive-brown to greenish stone, and the markings consist of 362 PARKING. spots, streaks, and blotches of black, blackish-brown and rich umber-brown. They measure 1*64 inches in length by about 1-21 in breadth. GENUS, Recurvirostra, Lin. Bill very long, thin, flexible, Jburned up towards the tip, which is very thin and pointed, channeled both above and below ; nos- trils long linear ; wings long, pointed ; tail somewhat wedged ; tarsi moderately long, and slender ; front toes united by a web, which is notched in the middle ; hind- toe very minute ; nails short, curved. 0 Recurvirostra avocetta. Lin. 899.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 786 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 18 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind p. 258 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 134. THE AVOCET. Length, 18 ; wing, 8'5 ; tail, 3 ; tarsus, 3'25 ; bill at front, Bill black ; irides red-brown ; legs pale bluish-grey. 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. The Avocet is common during the winter in Sind, rare in Guzerat, and does not occur at all in the Deccan. I have myself seen it at Gungrar, near Neemuch, but it is very rare, TRIBE, Latitores. Feet very long ; antSBoTtoes 'usually free to the base, edged by a web in a few ; hind-toe large ; beak usually short or moder- ate, stout, compressed ; wing short or moderate, generally armed with spurs or tubercles near the flexure ; tail generally short. FAMILY, Parrida. JFeet enormous ; claws much lengthened ; bill moderate, com- pressed ; wings spurred or tubercled. SUB-FAMILY, Parrinse. Of small or moderate size ; feet and claws enormously long, thin. GENUS, Parra (METOPODIUS.) Bill moderate, stout, compressed, thick at the base ; culmen curved at the tip ; forehead with a lappet of skin ; tail short ; nostrils small, ovate, in the middle of the bill ; wings moderate or short, second and third quills longest, first sub-equal, spurred at the shoulder ; tarsus long ; feet enormous, the toes long and thin, and the claws very long and pointed ; hind-claw especially long. PARRIN.E. 363 Parra indica, Lath. 900.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 708 ; Butler, Guzerat ; f] f Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 19 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, _.. t'1 Vol. IX, p. 430 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, V 1885, p. 134. THE BRONZE-WINGED JACANA. Length, 6'5, ?,4; tarsus, —> India; Ibis, 1885, p. 137. THE GREY or SPOT-BILLED DUCK. Length, 22 to 25'9 ; expanse, 32-5 to 38'5 ; wing, 9'2 to 1 1 '2 ; tail, 49 to 5-8 ; tarsus, 17 to T93 ; bill from gape, 2*3 to 275 ; weight, iHtoSJlbs. Bill black, red at base, yellow at tip ; irides brown ; legs and feet coral to vermilion-red, in young birds inclining to orange. Top of the head and nape dark sepia-brown, with some pale 404? ANATIX/E. brown edgings ; a dark brown line from the upper mandible through the eye ending in a point ; supercilium, 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 conspicuous speculum, 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 the 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. The Grey Duck is a more or less tolerably common permanent resident throughout the district. It is a very good eating bird, almost when in good condition rivalling the Mallard in flavor and delicacy. It breeds towards the close of the rains, making a nest amongst sedges and rushes. The eggs, six or seven in number, are broad ovals, white or greyish- white in color, measuring 2' 16 inches in length by about l'7l in breadth. Anas (Rhodonessa) caryophyllacea, Latham. 960.— Jerdon's Birds of India Vol. II, p. 800 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 437 ; Game Birds of India, Vol. Ill, p. 173 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 137. THE PINK-HEADED DUCK. Length, 24 ; wing, 1075 ; tail, 4*75 ; expanse, 34'5 ; bill at front, 2-37 ; weight, 2 Ibs. Bill reddish-white, rosy at base, and faintly bluish at tip ; irides deep orange-red ; legs and feet dark slate or blackish. 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 color ; edge of the wing white ; uppermost tertiaries rich glossy green ; lower wing-coverts and quills beneath pale dull pink color, with a satiny lustre. The female has the pink of the head somewhat more dull and pale, and the vertex has a brownish spot in some, which is con- tinued faintly down the back of the neck. Young birds have the head and neck pale vinous-isabella color, with the top of the head, nape, and hind-neck, brown ; the whole plumage lighter brown, in some mixed with whitish beneath. Colonel Swinhoe found the Pink-headed Duck very plentiful at the Depalpore Lake near Mhow. It does not appear to have been recorded from elsewhere within our limits. ANATIN.E. 405 GENUS, Chaulelasmus, Gray. Bill equal to the head, depressed throughout, of nearly uniform width, but slightly narrowing towards the tip, which has a small nail ; the lamellae long, projecting ; wings lengthened ; tail rather long ; the central feathers slightly lengthened. Chaulelasmus streperus, Linn. 961.— Jerdon's 'Birds "of India, Vol. 11, p. 802 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 27 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 438 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 293 ; Game Birds of India, Vol. Ill, p. 181 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, Vol. Ill, p. 137. THE GADWALL. cJ. Length, 19'4 to 21'5 ; expanse, 33 to 3675 ; wing, 1075 to 11-6 ; tail, 3'9 to 4'3 ; tarsus, T4 to I'D ; bill from gape, 2 to 2'22 ; weight, 1^02 Albs, f ? . Length, 18 to 201 ; expanse, 30 to 3375 ; wing, 9 to 10'2 ; tail, 37 to 4'5 ; tarsus, T37 to T43 ; bill from gape, T94 to 21 ; weight, 1^ toll Jibs. ^ Bill brownish-black, tinged reddish beneath ; irides dark-brown ; legs yellowish browiTto dull orange. Male, head and neck greyish- white, speckled with brown ; back dark clove-brown, with white crescentic lines; scapulars un- dulated with white and blackish-brown ; rump and upper tail- coverts glossed with purplish-blue ; tail cinereous-brown, edged andT tipped with white ; lesser wing-coverts grey, 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. The female has the head black mixed with whitish, a pale superciliary 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 whitish ; breast pale buff, with brown spots, and the rest of the lower parts white ; the bill / paler and the margins reddish. The female is very like that of the Mallard, but is smaller, J • and the speculum is white, opposed to the metallic purplish one of the Mallard. The Gadwall is one of the commonest of the ducks, and occurs during the cold season throughout the district. It is fairly good eating but not equal to either the Mallard or the Spot-bill. Chaulelasmus angustirostris, Men. .— Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 30 ; Murray's 406 AXATIN.E. Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 294 ; Game Birds of India, Vol. Ill, p. 237. THE MAKBLED TEAL. f Sind, p. 325 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 441. THE BROWN-WINGED TERN. Length, 14; wing, 10; tail, 675; tarsus, 07; bill at front, 1-6. Bill dusky reddish, red at base of lower mandible ; irides brown ; legs coral-red. Forehead white, top of the head black ; nape pure 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. The Brown-winged Tern occurs on the Sind and Mekran Coasts. Sterna fuliginosa, Gm. 992&is.— Butler, Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 441 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 326. THE SOOTY TERN. Length, 17 ; wing, 11 ; tail, 7 ; tarsus, 1 ; bill at gape, 2-2. Legs and feet black ; irides brown. Forehead and a streak from the base of the bill to the eye white ; sides of the face, chin, throat, neck in front, breast and entire under parts, white ; top of head, nape, neck behind, back, scapulars and wings, sooty-black ; under wing-coverts white ; tail forked ; external feathers on each side white on their outer web ; rest are white at the base. The Sooty Tern occurs all along the coast. GENUS, Anous, Leach. , ^ 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. Anous stolidus, Lin. 993.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 845 ; Murray's Verte- brate Zoology of Sind, p. 326. THE NODDY. Length, 14'5 to 16 ; wing, 10'25 to 11'5 ; tail, 5'5 to 6 ; tarsus 1 ; bill, 1-5 to 175 ; middle-toe, 175. Legs and feet black ; irides brown. Entirely sooty-brown, with a darker band along the radius, and the quills and tail blacker, somewhat paler on the head and 434 PH^TONIN^E. neck ; lores dark brown, with a narrow white line dividing this from the hue of the head, which at times appears to assume a delicate purplish-ash color as far as the crown, gradually shading into the brown of the occiput ; lower parts slightly lighter than above. The young bird has the feathers blackish, edged with white. The Noddy occurs on the Sind and Mekran Coasts. GENUS, Rhynchops, Lin. Bill with the upper mandible much shorter than the lower one, exceedingly compressed, long, straight ; the tip of both mandibles truncated ; wings long ; feet short ; webs excised. Rhynchops albicollis, Sws. 995.— Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 847 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IY, p. 32 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p, 441 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 327. THE INDIAN SKIMMER. Length, 16'5 ; expanse, 44; wing, 16; tail, 475 ; tarsus, 1/25 ; bill, upper mandible, 2'9 ; lower mandible, 3*75. Bill deep orange, yellowish at tip ; irides brown ; legs bright vermilion-red. Crown of the head, back and scapulars, rump and the two central tail-feathers, sooty-brown or black ; the quills somewhat darker, edges of the secondaries and tertials white; forehead, 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, white ; wing beneath glossy-cinereous. The young bird has the feathers edged with creamy- white, and the bill and legs dusky-yellow. The Scissors-bill or Skimmer is very common on the Indus, and occurs, but more rarely, in Guzerat, the Deccan and Central India. It affects the larger rivers, rarely visiting tanks or jheels. The only one I obtained in Central India was hawking over the sur- face of a tank during the rains, but this is most exception able, FAMILY, Phsetonidse. SUB-FAMILY, Phsetoninae, J. E. Or. Bill as long as the head, sharp, and gently curved above ; mar- gins finely serrated ; two central feathers of tail long and narrow ; tarsus short. GENUS, Phaeton, Lin. The characters are the same as those of the sub-family. Phaeton indicus, Hume. 9966k— Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 327. SULID2E. 435 THE INDIAN TROPIC Brno.1 Length, including elongated central tail-feathers which project from 3 to 5 -9 inches beyond the rest of the tail, 20 to 23 ; expanse, 37 to 40 ; tail, 7'5 to 10'5 ; wing, 1075 to 1175 j tarsus, 1 ; bill at front, 2'4, Irides deep brown ; legs and hind-toe with web white, tinged bluish and creamy-yellow ; rest of feet and claws black. A broad conspicuous black crescent in front of the eye, and a narrow black line, from the gape to nostrils, and nostrils to cul- men, dividing the feathers from the bill ; the whole forehead, front part of the crown, ear-coverts, and entire lower parts, includ- ing wing lining and axillaries, pure white ; a black line from the posterior angle of the eye, running round the back of the nape, where it forms a more or less conspicuous half-collar ; hind-crown and nape inside the half-collar white, each feather with a triangular black bar near the tip ; carpal joint of wing, four or five posterior primaries, all the secondaries, the primary coverts except those of the first five quills, the greater and median coverts pure white ; winglet, greater-coverts, shafts and outer webs of the first five primaries, together with a narrow stripe along the shaft of the inner web, black ; the extreme tips and inner webs of these feathers white ; tertiaries and their greater- coverts black, narrowly margined on the exterior webs and tipped with white ; the lesser secondary- coverts similar ; the entire back, rump, scapulars and upper tail-coverts white, closely barred with black, the bars being slightly cuspidate on the upper back, and the longest scapulars almost devoid of barring ; tail-feathers white, their bases black shafted, and the lateral feathers mostly with an arrow-head bar or spot near the tips. The above description is reproduced from " Stray Feathers." It still remains doubtful whether this is an immature phase of P. cethereus or a new species. Several specimens have been obtained at different times on the Mekran Coast. TRIBE, Piscatores. Feet entirely webFect; 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 ; wings long or moderate ; bill varied. FAMILY, Sulidae. Bill stout, straight ; wings long ; tail moderate, wedged ; feet fully webbed ; size large ; of oceanic habits. GENUS, Sula, Brisson. Bill lengthened, compressed, straight, thick at base, acute and compressed at tip ; margin serrated ; culmen convex ; upper 436 PELECANIN^E. mandible furrowed ; nostrils minute, almost impervious, in a long groove, supposed to be wanting ; wing very long ; tail moderately long, wedge-shaped ; tarsus short ; claw of the middle-toe pecti- nated externally. Sula cyanops, Sund. 9996k— Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 328. THE WHITE BOOBY. Length, 32'5 ; wing, 16'5 ; tail, 8 ; tarsus, 2'25 ; bill at front, 4. Bill horny-blackish at base ; irides lemon-yellow ; legs and feet bluish-grey. Face to behind the eyes and throat nude ; entire head, neck, back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and entire lower parts white with a slight fulvous tinge ; primaries, secondaries and tertials, also the tail, black. The White Booby occurs on the Sind Coast. SUB-FAMILY, Pelecaninee. Bill long, flattened, compressed and hooked at tip ; tail short ; lower mandible and throat with a membraneous pouch ; orbits nude. GENUS, Pelecanus, Lin. The characters are the same as those of the sub-family. Pelecanus crispus, Bouch. 10046k— Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 328. THE WHITE PELICAN. i ... 417 vindhiana, Frank., 29 29 ... 167 Arachnothera longirostra, Lath., 224 ... 135 ... 40 Ardea cinerea, Lin., 923 377 ... 160 purpurea, Lin., 924 378 ... 434 ardeola, Pay k. Dromas, 861 339 ... 395 Ardeola grayii, Sykes, 930 381 ... 430 Ardetta cinnamomea, GDI., 933 384 ... 177 flavicollis, Lath., 932 383 ... 202 minuta, Lin., 935 ..„ 385 ) ... 90 sinensis, Gin., 934 384 ... 102 areuaria, Lin. Calidris, 888 356 ii INDEX. PAGE ... 29 ... 374 ... 3K ... 18 ... 15 ... 3-2 ... 137 ... 312 ... 9 asiaticus, Hume. Stercorarius, filter.... 422 375 64 63 22 22 arenarius, Pall. Pterocles, 799 argalus, Lath. Leptoptilus, 915 argoondah, Syltes. Perdicula, 827 Argya malcolmi, Sykes., 436 Artamus fuscus, Vieill., 287 asiatica, Pall, ^gialitis, 815quat. asiatica, Lath. Cinnyris, 234 asiatica, Lath. Perdicula, 826 asiaticus, Lath. Caprimulgus, 112 asiaticus, Lath. Xenorhynchus, 917 Asio accipitrinus, Pall.) 68 : otus, Lin., 67 Astur badius, Gm.. 23 trivirgatus, 'Tern., 22 athertoni, Jard, and Selb. Nyctiornis, 122 .. ... 96 atra, Herni. Buchanga, 278 ... 154 atra, Lin. Fulica, 903 ... 366 atriceps, Jerd. Alcippe, 390 ... 175 atripennis, Jerd. Caprimulgus, 111 ... 90 atrogularis, Tern. Merula, 365 ... 173 aurantius, Lin. Brachypternus, 180 ... 118 aureola, Vieill. Leucocerca, 292 ... 160 aurita, Lath. Sypheotides, 839 ... 322 avocetta, Lin. Hecurvirostra, 899 ... 362 azurea, Bodd. Hypothymis, 290 ... 159 babylonicus, Gvrn. Falco,, 12 ... 13 badius, Gm. Astur, 23 ... 22 bailloni, Vieill. Porzana, 910 ... 370 bakkamuna, Forst. Scops, Utter, ... 72 barbarus, Lin. Falco., 12 Ms. ... 16 barbatus, Lin. Gypaetus, 7 ... 8 batassiensis, J. E. Gr. Cypsellus. 102 ... 87 beavani, Wald. Alcedo, IBoquat. ... 102 bengalensis, Gm. Alcedo, 134 ... 101 bengalensis, Frankl. Bubo, 69 ... 65 bengalensis, Gm. Centropus, 218 ... 133 bengalensis, Lin. Ploceus, 696 ... 261 bengalensis, Gm. Pseud ogyps, 5 ... 6 bengalensis, Lin. Rhynchsea, 873 ... 347 bergii, Lichst., Sterna, 989 ...431 bimaculata, Menet. Melanocorypha, 76li.er. .. ... 279 birostris, Scop. Ocyceros, 144 ... 106 blakistoni, SminU. Anthus, 605#w#£. ... 244 Blandfordius striatulus, Hume, 549 quint. .„ ... 221 blythi, Jerd. Stnrnia, 689 ... 257 bonhami, G. M. Gr. Ammoperdix, 821... 310 boschas, Lin. Anas, 958 ... 402 Botaurus stellaris, Lin., 936 ... 385 brachydactyla, Leisl. Calendrella, 761 279 Brac.hypodius poiocephalus, Jerd., 457 186 Brachypternus aurantius, Lin., 180 ... 118 — puncticollis, Malh., 181 119 brachyura, Lin. Pitta, 345 ... 169 brama, Tern. Carine, 76 ... 75 brevirostris, Vig. Pericrocotus, 273 ... 152 brucii, Hume. Scops, Tisept. ... 71 brunn.eicephalus, Jerd. Larus, 980 ... 425 Bubo bengalensis, Franltl., 69 ... 65 — — rcoromandus, Lath., 70 ... 66 PAGE. Bubulcus coromandus, Bodd., 929 »- 381 Bucanetes githagiuea, Licht., 732Ms. ... 273 buchanani, Ely. Etnberiza, 716 ... 268 buchanani, Bly. Franklinia, 551 ... 223 Buchanga atra, Eerm., 278 ... 154 casrulescens, Lin., 281 ... 155 longicaudata, Hay., 280 ... 154 Budytes calcarata, Hodgs., 594 ... 240 cinereocapilla, Sav., 593 ...238 citreola, Pall., 594iw. ... 241 flava, Lin., 593^?-. - ... 239 melanocephala, Licht., 593 Ms. 239 burnesi, Sly. Laticilla. 443 ... 184 Burnesia gracilis, Licht., 550 ... 221 Butalis grisola, Lin., 299frw. ... 163 Butastur teesa, Frankl., 48 ... 44 Buteoferox, S. G. Gm.., 45 ... 42 Butorides javanica, Horsf., 931 ... 382 Caccabis chukar, J. E. Gr., 820 ... 309 cachinnans, Pall. Larus, 978fo>. ... 423 Cacomantis passerinus, Vahl., 208 ... 127 casrulescens, Lin. Buchanga, 281 ... 155 casruleus, ji/esf. Elanus, 59 ... 59 Calandrella brachydactyla, Leisl., 761... 279 calcarata, Hodgs. Budytes, 594 ... 240 Calidris arenaria, Lin., 888 ...356 calidris, Lin. Totanus, 897 ... 360 caligata, Licht. Hypolais, 553 Ms. ... 224 Calliope camtschatkensis, Gm., 512 ... 209 Calobates melanope, Pall., 592 ... 237 calvug, Scop. Otogyps, 2 ... 3 cambaiensis, Lath. Thamnobia, 480 ... 198 campestris, Lin. Agrodroma, 602 ... 245 camtschatkensis, Gm. Calliope, 512 ... 209 Candida, Tick. Strix, 61 ... 61 candidus, Bonn. Himantopus, 898 ... 361 caniceps, Franlt. Megalasma, 193 ... 121 canorus, Lin. Cuculus, 199 ... 124 :antiaca, Gm. Sterna, QQOMs. ... 432 cantiana, Lath. ^Egialitis, 848 ... 330 cantillans, Jerd. Mirafra, 757 ... 282 aprata, Lin. Pratincola, 481 ... 199 Daprimulgus albonotatus, Tick., 109 ... 90 — asiaticus, Lath., 112 ... 91 atripennis, Jerd, 111 ... 90 indicus, Lath., 107 ... r89 kelaarti, Ely., 108 ... 89 mahrattens'is, Sykes, 113... 92 monticolus, Frankl., 114... 92 unwini, Hume., lllMs. ... 90 jarbo, Lin. Phalacrocorax, 1005 ... 438 Marine brama, Tern., 76 ... 75 Carpodacus eythrinus, Pall., 738 ... 274 Carpophaga senea, Lin., 780 ... 287 aryophyllacea. Lath. Rhodonessa, 960 404 asarca, Pall. Tadorna, 954 ... 400 asiotis, Bp. Palumbus, 784 ... 287 aspia, Fall. Sterna, 982 ... 428 astaneiventris, Frankl. Sitta, 250 ... 140 audata, Dum. Chatarrhoea, 438 ... 181 avatus, Shaw. Dichoceros, 140 ... 104 Centropus bengalensis, Gm., 218 ... 133 — maximus, Ilume., 217 quint. 133 INDEX. m Centropus rufipennis, 7/7., 217 Cerchiieis amurensis, Madde,, ISbis. - naumanni, Fleisch., 18 pekinensis, Sm'mh., ISbis. tinnunculus, Lin,, 17 • vespertina, Lin., 19 Cercomela f usca, lily., 494 melanura, Eupp., 493 Certhilauda desertorum, Stan., 770 Cettia cetti, Marm., SISter. cetti, Alarm., Cettia, Sister. ceylonensis, Sws . Culicicapa, 295 ceylonensis, Gm. Ketupa, 72 ceylonensis, Bp. Oriolus, 473 ceylonensis, Reich. Upupa, 255 Ceyx tridactyla, Pall , 133 Chastura sylvatica, licit., 95 Chalcophaps indica, Lin., 798 Chaptia aenea, Vieill., 282 Charadrius fulvus, Gm., 845 -pluvialis, Lin., Chatafrhsea caudata, Dum., 438 — earlii, Bly., 439 Chaulelasmus angustirostris, Menet streperus, Lin,, 961 PAGE. ., 132 ., 21 .. 19 .. 20 .. 18 ... 20 .. 206 .. 206 ... 284 ... 212 ... 212 ... 162 „. 68 .. 196 .. 142 ,.. 101 ... 85 .. 293 .. 155 .. 328 .. 328 .. 181 ,. 182 406 405 37 84 333 332 333 157 cheela, Lath. Spilornis, 39 Chelidon urbica, Lin , 92 Chettusia cinerea, Bly., 854 ' ' • gregaria, Pall., 852 — villotaea, Aitd., 853 Chibia hottentotta, Lin , 286 chirurgus, Scop. Hydrophasianus, 901 364 chiquera, Daud. Falco, 16 ... 17 chlorigaster, Jerd. Chrysophlegma, 175 ... 117 chlorigaster, Bly. Crocopus, 773 ... 285 chloris, Bodd. Halcyon, 132 ... 100 chloropus, Lin. Gallinula, 905 ... 368 chrysaetus, Lin. Aquila, 26 ... 25 Chrysococcyx maculatus, Gm., 211 ... 128 Chrysocolaptes delesserti, Malh., 166big. 114 — festivus, Bodd., 167 ... 115 Chrysophlegma chlorigaster, Jerd., 175 117 chukar, J. E. Gr. Caccabis, 820 ... 309 Ciconia alba, Bechst., 919 ... 376 nigra, Lin., 918 ... 376 cioclorhyncha, Vig. Monticola, 353 ... 170 cineraceus, Mont. Circus, 52 ... 49 cinerea, Lin. Ardea, 923 ... 377 cinerea, Bly. Chettusia, 854 ... 333 cinerea, Guld. Terekia, 876 ... 351 cinereocapilla, Savi. Budytes, 593 ... 238 cinereus, Mey. Anser, 945 .... 394 cinereus, Gm. Gallicrex, 904 .;. 367 cinnamomea, Gm. Ardetta, 933 ... 384 Cinnyris asiatica, Lath., 234 ... 137 — lotenia, Lin., 235 ... 137 minima, Sykes, 233 ... 136 zeylonica, Lin., 232 ... 136 Circaetus gallicus, Gm., 38 ... 36 circia, Lin. Querquedula, 965 .., 410 Circus aeruginosus, Lin., 54 ... 52 -. cineraceus, Mont., 52 ... 49 Circus macrurus, S. G. Gm., 51 melanoleucus, Forst., 53 cirrhatus, Gm. Limnaetus, 35 Cisticola cursitans, Frank., 539 citreola, Pali. Budytes, 594&is. citriua, Lath Geocichla, 355 clanga, Pall. Aquila, 28 Clangula glaucium, Lin., 971 Hs. clypeata, Lin. Spatula, 957 Coccystes cororaandus, Lin., 213 jacobinus, Bodd., 212 Collocalia uuicolor, Jerd., 103 collurio, Lin. Lanius, 26Qbis. Columba intermedia, Striold., 788 livia, Bp , 7SSbis. columboides, Vig. Palseornis, 151 communis, Bonn. Coturnix, 829 communis, BecJist. Grus, 865 concolor, Jerd, Dicaeum, 239 concolor, Sykes. Ptynoprogne, 90 Copsychus saularis, Lin. , 475 Coracias garrula, Lin., 125 indica, Lin., 123 cordatus, Jerd. Hemicercus, 165 cornuta, S. Gr. Gm. Tadorna, 956 coromandelianus, Gm. Nettopus, 951 coroniandelica, Gm. Coturnix, 830 eoromandelicus, Gm. Cursorius, 840 coromandus, Lath. Bubo, 70 coromandus, Bodd. Bubulcus, 929 coromandus, Lin. Coccystes, 213 coronata, Tick., Dendrochelidon, 104 coronata, Bodd. Hydrocissa, 141 coronatus, Licht. Pterocles, SQlter. Corvus lawrencii, Hume, 657bis. macrorhynchus, Wagl., 660 — splendens, Vieill., 663 umbrinus, Hedenb., GQQbis. Corydalla ruf ula, Vieill., 600 striolata, Bly., 601 Coturnix communis, Bonn., 829 — coromandelica, Gm., 830 Cotyle riparia, Lin., 87 sinensis, /. E. Gr., 89 crassirostris, Tern, and Schl. Tringa, bis. crecca, Lin. Querquedula, 964 Criniger ictericus, Strickl., 450 crispus, Bruch. Pelecanus, IQOibis, cristata, Lin. Fuligula, 971 cristata, Lin. Galerita, 769 cristatus, Lin. Lanius, 261 cristatus, Lin. Pavo, 803 cristatus, Lin. Podiceps, 974 Crocopus chlorigaster, Bly., 773 phaenicopterus, Lath., 772 Cuculus canorus, Lin., 199 micropterus, Gould., 203 poliocephalus, Lath., 201 : sonnerati, Lath., 202 Culicicapa ceylonensis, Sws., 295 cursitans, FranJd. Cisticola, 539 Cursorius eoromandelicus, Gm., 840 , gallicus, Gm., 840&w. PAGI«. ... 45 ... 52 ... 33 ... 217 ... 241 ... 171 ... 28 ... 415 ... 401 ... 130 ... 129 ... 87 ... 145 ... 289 ... 289 ... 110 ... 315 ... 341 ... U8 .,. 83 ... 197 ... 98 ... 97 ... 114 ... 400 ... 397 ... 316 ... 324 ... 66 ... 381 ... 130 ... 88 ... 105 ... 299 ... 250 ... 250 ... 251 ... 251 ... 244 ... 245 ... 315 ... 316 ... 82 ... 82 881 ...*353 ...~409 ... 185 ... 436 ... 414 ... 283 . . 145 ... 302 ... 418 ... 285 ... 285 ... 124 ... 125 ... 124 ... 125 ... 162 ... 217 ... 324 .. 324 IV INDEX. TAGE. Cyanecula suecica, Lin., 514 ... 209 cyauops, Sund. Sula, 999&««. ... 436 cyanotis, Jard. and Selb. Geocichla, 354 171 cyanus, Lin. Monticola, 351 ... 169 Cyg^us olor, Gm., Skater . ... 394 Cyornis pallipes, Jerd., 309 ... 165 . rubeculoides, Vig., 304 ... 164 ruficaudus, Srvs.,3Q7 ... 165 tickelli, Bly., 306 ... 164 Cypsellus affinis. J. E. Gr., 100 ... 86 apus, Lin., 99 ... 85 batassiensis, /. E. Gr., 102 ... 87 leuconyx, Bly., 101 ... 86 melba, Lin., 98 ... 85 Dafilaacuta, Lin., 962 ...407 delesserti, Malh. Chrysocolaptes, IQQbis. 114 Demiegretta gularis, Bosc., 928 Dendrochelidon coronata, Tick., 104 Dendrocitta rufa, Scop., 674 Dendrocygna fulva, Gm., 953 javanica, Eorsf., 952 Dendrophila frontalis, Eorsf, 253 des^rti, Licht. Ammoraanes, 759 deserti, Rvpp. Saxicola, 492 desertorum, Stanl. Certhilauda, 770 deva, Sykes. Spizalauda, 765 Dicasum concolor, Jerd., 239 -- erthrorhynchus, Lath., 238 Dichoceros cavatus, Shaw, 140 Dissemurus grandis, Gould., 284 -- paradiseus, Lin., 285 Dissura episcopa, Bodd., 920 domesticus, Lin. Passer, 706 Dromas ardeola, Payk., 861 Drymoipus inornatus, Sykes, 543 -- neglectus, Jerd., 546 - -- rufescens, Hume, 544Hs. --- sylvaticus, Jerd., 545 dubia, Scop. ^Egialitis, 849 dukhunensis, Sykes. Motacilla, 591Jis. Dumetia albogularis, Ely., 398 -- hyperythra, frankl., 397 dumetorum, Ely. Acrocephalus, 516 dussumieri, lem. Tnrnix, 835 earlii, Ely. Chatarrhoea, 439 edwardsi, /. E. Gr. Eupodotis, 836 Elanus casruleus, Desf., 59 elphinstoni, Sykes. Palumbus, 786 Emberiza buchanani, Bly., 716 -- fucata, Pall., 719 - - -- stewarti, Bly., 718 — • - - -- striolata, Liclit., 720 bis. episcopa, Bodd. Dissura, 920 ep*ops. Lin. Upupa, 254 Erythra phcenicura, Penn., 907 erythrinus, Pall. Carpodacus, 738 erythronotus, Vig. Lanius, 257 erythroptera, Jerd. Mirafra, 756 erythropygia, Sykes. Hirundo, 85 erythropygius, Jerd. Pericrocotus, 277 erythrorhynchus, Lath. Dicseum, 238 erythrorhynchus, Sykes. Microperdix 380 88 252 399 398 140 276 205 284 281 138 138 104 156 156 376 265 339 218 22Q 219 220 330 236 177 176 210 319 182 320 59 288 268 269 269 269 326 141 368 274 143 274 80 153 138 314 Erythrosterna albicilla, Pall., 323 maculata, Tick., 326 parva, Bechst., 32 Estrelda amandava, Lin., 704 formosa, Lath. , 705 Eudynamis honorata, Lin., 214 Eulabes religiosa, Lin., 692 eupatria, Lin. Palasornis, 147 Eupodotis edwardsi, J. E. Gr., 836 Euspiza luteola, Sparr., 722 melanocephala, Scop., 721 eversmanni, Bp. Palumbosna, 787 exustus, Tern. Pterocles, 802 Falcinellus igneus, S. G. Gm., 943 Falco asalon, Tunst., 15 babylonicus, Gurn., 12 barbarus, Lin., I2bis, chiquera, Daud.,lQ jugger, J. E. Gr., 11 peregrinator, Sund., 9 -peregrinus, Gm., 8 sacer, Gm., 10 subbuteo, Lin., 13 familiaris, Mene'tr. ^Edon, 492^r. fasciatus, Forst. Harpactes, 115 fasciatus, Vieill. Nisaetus, 33 fasciatus, Scop. Pterocles, 800 ferina, Lin. Fuligula, 968 f erox, S. G. Gm. Buteo, 45 ferrugineus, Gm. Gallus, 812. festivus, Bodd. Chrysocolaptes, 167 filifera, Steph. Hirundo, 84 flammeus, Forst Pericrocotus, 272 flava, Lin. Budytes, 593zter. flavicollis, Lath. Ardetta, 932 flavicollis, Frankl. Passer, 711 flaviventris, Deless. Prinia, 532 fluvioola, Jerd. Hirundo, 86 formosa, Lath. Estrelda, 705 formosa, Geor. Querquedula, 966 Francolinus pictus, Jard. and Selb., 819 308 PAGE ... 167 ... 167 ... 167 ... 264 .. 265 ... 180 .. 258 ... 108 ... 320 ... 271 ... 271 ... 288- ... 300 .. 391 ... 17 ... 13 ... 16 ... 17 ... 12 ... 11 9 ... 12 ... 16 ... 205 ... 93 ... 32 ... 295 ... 412 ... 42 ... 303 ... 115 ... 79 ... 151 ... 239 ... 383 . 267 ... 215 ... 81 ... 265 411 vulgaris, Steph., 818 Franklinia buchanani, Bly., 551 frontalis, Horsf. Dendrophila, 253 fucata, Pall. Emberiza, 719 Fulicaatra, Lin., 903 fulicata, Lin., Thamnobia, 479 fuliginosa, Gm. Sterna, 992£u. Fuligula cristata, Lin., 971 ferina, Lin., 968 marila, Lin., 970 nyroca, Guld., 969 rufina, Pall., 967 fulva, Gm. Dendrocygna, 953 fulvescens, Hume. Gyps., Sbis, fulvus, Gm. Charadrius, 845 fusca, Bly. Cercomela, 494 fusca, Lin. Porzana, 911 ... - fuscicaudata, Gould. OtocDmpsa, 460M*. 187 fuscicollis, Steph. Phalaerocorax, 1006 439 fuscus, Vieill., Artamus, 287 ... 157 fuscus, Lin. Totanus, 896 ... 360 galbula, Lin, Oriolus, 470&W. ... 194 307 223 140 269 366 198 433 414 412 413 413 412 399 4 328 206 372 INDEX, PAGE. Galerita cristata, Lin. 769 ... 283 Gallicrex cinereus, Gm., 904 ... 367 gallicus, Gm. Circaetus, 38 ... 36 gallicus, Gm. Cursorius, SiQbis. .. 324 Gallinago gallinaria, Gm., 871 ... 345 gallinula, Lin., 872 ... 346 nemoricola, Hodgs , 868 .. 344 sthenura, Killd., 870 ... 344 gallinaria, (TTH. Gallinago, 871 ... 345 Gallinula chloropus, Lin., 905 ... 368 gallinula, Lin., Gallinago, 872 .... 346 Galloperdix lunulatus, Val., 815 ... 306 • spadiceus, &m.,8ll ... 305 Gallus ferrugineus, Gm., 812 ... 303 sonnerati, Tern., 813 ... 304 ganesa, Sykes. Hypsipetes, 446 ... 185 garrula, Lin. Coracias, 125 ... 98 garzetta, Lin. Herodias, 927 ...380 gelastes, Licht. Larus, SSlquat. ... 426 Geocichla citrina, Lath., 355 ... 171 cyanotia, Jard.4'Selb.,35±... 171 unicolor, Tick., 356 ... 171 geoffroyi, Wagl. vEgialitis, 846 ... 329 ginginianus, Lath. Acridotheres, 685 ... 255 ginginianus, Lath., Neophron, 6 ... 7 githaginea, Licht. Bucanetes, 732Hs ... 273 Glareola lactea, Tern., 843 ... 326 - • orientalis, Leach., 842 ... 325 — — ' pratincola, Lin., 842&u. ... 326 glareola, Lin. Rhyacophila, 891 ... 357 Glaucidium malabaricum, Bly., 78 ... 76 » — radiatum, Tick., 77 ... 76 glaucium, Lin. Clangula, Alibis. ... 415 glottis, Lin. Totanus, 894 ... 359 Goisakius melanolophus, Raff., 936bis. 386 govinda, Sykes. Milvus, 56 ... 54 gracilis, Licht. Burnesia, 550 ... 221 gracilis, Frankl. Prinia, 536 ... 216 grandis, Gould. Dissemurus, 284 ... 156 Graucalus macii, Less., 270 ... 150 grayii, Sykes. Ardeola, 930 ... 381 gregaria, Pall. Chettusia, 852 ... 332 grisea, Scop. Pyrrhulauda, 760 ... 277 griseigularis, Hume. Pyctoris, 386fer. ... 174 griseus, Lath. Malacocercus, 433 ... 179 griseus, Lin. Nycticorax, 937 ... 387 griseus, Lath. Tockus, 145 ... 106 grisola, Lin. Butalis, 2995^, .. 103 Grus antigone, Lin. 863 .. 340 —— communis, Bechst., 865 .. 341 leucogeranus, Pall., 864 .. 341 Gularis demi-egretta, Bosc., 928 .. 380 gularis, Jerd. Micropternus, 179 .. 118 gularis, Gould., Rubigula, 455 .. 186 gulgula, Frankl. Alauda, 767 .. 282 gurial, Pears. Pelargopsis, 127 .. 98 Gypaetus barbatus, Lin., 7 ..8 Gyps fulvescens, Hume, Sbis. .. 4 pallescens, Hume, 4bis. ... 5 hasmacephala, P. L. 8. Mull. Xantho- laema, 197 ... 122 Haematopus ostralegus, Lin., 862 ... 339 hsemorrhous, Gm. Pycnonotus, 462 ... 188 PAGE. Halcyon chloris, Bodd., 132 ... 100 pileata. Bodd , 130 ...100 smyrnensis, Lin., 129 ... 99 Haliaetus albicilla, Lin., 42£t*. ... 40 leucogaster, Gm., 43 ... 42 — leucoryphus, Pall. ,42 ... 39 haliaetus, Lin. Pandion, 40 ... 38 Haliastur indus, Bodd., 55 ... 54 Harpactes fasciatus, Forst., 115 ... 93 helvetica, Lin. Squatarola, 844 ... 327 Hemicercus cordatus, Jerd., 165 ... 114 Hemipus picatus, Sykes, 267 ... 148 hemprichi, Bp. Larus, SSlter. ... 426 hendersoni, Cass. Locustella, 520 ... 213 Herodias alba, Lin., 924 bis. .. 379 garzetta, Lin., 927 ... 380 intermedia, Bass., 926 ... 379 torra, B. Ham, 925 .. 379 Hieraetus pennatus, Gm., 31 ... 30 Hierococcyx varius, Vahl. ,205 ... 126 Himantopus candidus, Bonn., 898 ... 361 Hirundo erythropygia, Sykes, 85 ... 80 nlifera, Steph., 84 ... 79 fluvicola, Jerd., 86 ... 81 rustica, Lin., 82 ... 79 hispaniolensis, Tern. Passer, 707 ... 266 hodgsoni, Bly. Prinia, 538 ...217 hodgsoni, Jerd. Thriponax, 169 ... 116 honorata, Lin. Eudynamis, 214 ... 130 Hoplopterus ventralis, Guv., 857 ... 335 horsfieldi, Vig. Myiophoneus, 342 ... 168 horsfieldi, Sykes. Pomatorhinus, 404 ... 178 hottentota, Lin. Chibia, 286 ... 157 Houbara macqueeni, /. E. Gr. fy Hard., 837 ... 321 humii, Brooks. Reguloides, 565Jw. ... 231 hybrida, Pall. Hydrochelidon, 984 ... 427 Hydrochelidon hybrida, Pall., 984 ... 427 Hydrocissa coronata, Bodd., 141 ... 105 Hydrophasianus chirurgus, Scop., 901 ... 364 hyperboreus, Lin. Lobipes, 890 ... 357 hyperythra, Frankl. Dumetia, 397 ... 176 Hypocolius ampelinus. Bp., 269quat. ... 149 Hypolais caligata, Licht., b53bis. ... 224 languid a, Hemp, and JZhr., 553quat. ... 225 pallida, Hemp, and Ehr., 653*er. .. 225 rama, Sykes, 553 ... 224 obsoleta, Severtz. ... 226 hypoleucos, Lin., Tringoides, 893 ... 359 Hypotaenidia striata, Lin., 913 ... 372 Hypothymis azurea, Bodd., 290 ... 159 Hypsipetes ganesa, Sykes, 446 ... 185 Ibis melanocephala, Lath., 941 ... 390 ichthyaetus, Horsf., Polioaetus, 41 ... 38 ichthyaetus, Pall., Larus, 979 ... 424 ictericus, Strickl. Criniger, 450 ... 185 igneus, S. G. Gm. Falcinellus, 943 ... 391 indica, Lin. Chalcophaps, 798 .. 293 indica, Lin. Coracias, 123 ... 97 indica, Lath. Parra, 900 ... 363 indicus, Lath, Anser, 949 ... 395 VI INDEX. indicus, Lath. Caprimulgus, 107 indicus, Gin. Limonidromus, 595 indicus, Bodd. Lobivanellus, 855 indicus, Jerd. Oriolus, 471 indicus, Hume. Phaeton, 996 bis, indicus, Jerd. Phylloscopus, 562 indicus, Ely. Pratincola, 483 indicus, Ely. Rallus, 914. indranee, Sykes. Syrnium, 63 indus, Bodd. Haliastur, 55 Inocotis papillosus, Tern., 942 inornata, Wald. Megalaema, I93bis. inornatus, Sykes. Drymoipus, 543 inquieta, Riipp. Scotocerca, 550Ms. intermedia, Strickl. Columba, 788 intermedia, Hass. Herodias, 926 interpres, Lin. Strepsilas, 860 lora nigrolutea, Marsh., 468&W. tiphia, Lin., 468 Irene puella, Lath., 469 isabellinus, Hemp, and Elir. Lanius, isabellinus, Riipp. Saxicola, 491 ispida, Lin. Alcedo, \Mbis. Ixus luteolus, Less., 452 jacobinus, Bodd. Coccystes, 212 javanica, Horsf. Butorides, 931 javanica, Horsf. Dendrocygna, 952 javanica, Om. Strix, 60 javanicus, Horsf. Leptoptilus, 916 javanicus, Horsf. Pelecanus, 1003 jerdoni, Ely. Phyllornis, 463 jerdoni, Ely. Sylvia, 581 joudera, Hodgs. Turnix, 834 jugger, /. E. Gr. Falco, 11 kelaarti, Ely. Caprimulgus, 108 Ketupa ceylonensis, Gm., 72 kieneri, Gerv. Limnaetus, 37 kingi, Hume. Saxicola, Wlbis. Kittacincla macroura, Gm., 476 kundoo, Sykes. Oriolus, 470 lactea, fern. Glareola, 843 lahtora, Sy keg. Lanius, 256 languida, Hemp, and, Ehr. Hypolais, &53quat. Lanius collurio, Lin., 26Qbig. - cristatus, Lin., 261 • erythronotus, Vig., 257 isabellinus, Hemp, and Ehr.t 262 146 lahtora, Sykeg., 256 nigriceps, Frankl., 259 vittatus, Val., 260 lapponica, Lin. Limosa, 875Ji*. Larus affinis, Reinh., 978ter. — — — brunneicephalus, Jerd., 980 cachhmans, Pall., 978bis. gelastes, Licht., 98lquat. — hemprichi, Bp.t SSlter ichthyaefcus, Pall., 979 ridibundus, Lin., 981 Laticilla burnesi, Sly., 443 latirostris, Raffl. Alseonax, 297 PAGE. PAGE. ... 89 lawrencii, Hume. Corvus, 657Jis. ... 2-50 ... 241 Layardia subr ufa, Jerd., 437 ... 181 ... 334 Leptoptilus argalus, Lath., 915 ... 374 ... 195 T n rri T-» i /-t n -< TT/\**o>-P O 1 R . 374 ... 434 leschenaulti, Less. Taccocua, 219 ... 134 ... 229 leucocephalus, Forst. Tantalus, 938 ... 387 ... 200 Leucocerca albicollis, Vieill., 291 ... 160 373 lurcoli Vieill °9° 1Cr* ..'. 62 1 Icuco0"!" tcr dfu ^93 ' 161 ... 54 leucogaster, Gm. Haliaetus, 43 ... 42 .. 390 leucogaster, Guv. Leucocerca, 292 ... 160 .. 121 leucogeranus, Pall. Grus., 864 ... 341 .. 218 leuconyx, Ely. Cypsellus, 101 ... 86 .. 222 leucopsis, Gould. Motacilia, 590 ... 235 .. 289 leucorqdia, Lin. Platalea, 939 ... 388 .. 379 leucoryphus, Pall. Haliaetus, 42 ... 39 .. 338 leucotis, Gould. Otocompsa, 459 ... 187 .. 191 leucurus, Ely. Pratincola, 484 200 .. 190 lichtensteini, Tern. Pterocles, SQQbis 296 .. 192 Limicola platyrhyncha, Tern., 886 356 ,262 146 Limnaetus cirrhatus, Gm., 35 32 203 1 Icicricri £)c SVCLTT 37 qe ... 102 Limonidromus indicus, Gm., 595 .. O J 241 ... 185 Limosa asgocephala, Lin. , 875 318 lapponica, Lin., 875bis. 349 ... 129 lineatus, Cuv. Numenius, 877 351 ... 382 livia, Ep. Coluraba, 788bis. 289 ... 398 Lobipes hyperboreus, Lin., 890 357 ... 60 Lobipluvia malabarica. Bodd., 856 335 ... 374 Lobivanellus indicus, Bodd., 855 334 ... 437 Locustella hendersoni, Cass. , 520 213 .. 189 longicaudata. Hay. Buchanga, 280 154 ... 232 longirostra, Lath. Arachnothera, 224 .. 135 ... 318 Loriculus vernalis, Sparr., 153 111 ... 12 lotenia, Lin. Cinnyris, 235 137 lugubris, Tick. Ninox, 81 77 ... 89 lugubris, Ely. Phylloscopus, 558 228 ... 68 lugubris, Hors. Surniculus, 210 128 ... 35 lunulatus, Val. Galloperdix, 815 306 ... 204 Lusciniola melanopogon, Tern., 5l8bis... 211 ... 197 — - Qcdcctu.3 JJli.in.f* 212 ... 193 luteola, Sparr. Euspiza, 722 ... 271 luteolus, Less. Ixus, 452 ..185 ... 326 ... 143 Machlolophus aplonotus, Ely., 648 .. 249 lais n TitifVi 01*011 TTI V'jft A47 *>J_1 •U0j ... 225 macii, Less. Graucalus, 270 .. 150 ... 145 macqueeni, /. E. Gr. and Hardn\ Hou ». ... 145 bara, 837 ... ... .. 321 ... 143 macrorhynchus, Wagl. Corvus, 660 .. 250 262 146 macrorhynchus, Stol. Pratincola, 485 bis 201 ... 143 macrura, Gm. Kittacincla, 476 .. 197 ... 144 macrurns, S. G. Gm. Circus, 51 ..45 ... 144 maculata, Tick. Erythrosterna, 326 .. 167 ... 349 maculatus, Hodg. Anthus, 596 .. 242 ... 424 maculatus, Gm. Chrysococcyx, 211 .. 128 ... 425 ... 423 maderaspatensis, Gm. Motacilla, 589 .. 234 magnirostris, Ely. Phylloscopus, 556 .. 228 ... 426 mahrattensis, Sykes. Acridotheres, ... 426 686bis. ... 255 ... 424 mahrattensis, Sykes. Caprimulgus, 113 92 ... 425 mahrattensis, Lath. Picus, 160 ... 112 ... 184 malabarica, Lin. Amadina, 703 ... 263 ... 163 malabarica, Bodd, Lobipluvia, 856 ... 335 INDEX. vii malabarica, Jerd. Osmotreron, 775 malabarica, Scop. Spizalauda, 765bis. malabarica, Gm. Sturnia, 688 malabarica, Bly. Xantholtema, 198 malabaricum, Bly. Glaucidiura, 78 malabaricus, Jerd. Malacocercus, 434 malabaricus, 6m. Phyllornis, 464 malabaricus, Jerd. Scops, Tbquat* malacca, Lin. Amadina, 697 Malacocercus griseus, Lath., 433 • malabaricus, Jerd., 434 •• malcolmi, Sykes, 436 somervillii, Sykes, 435 terricolor, Hodgs., 432 PAGE. .. 286 .. 282 .. 256 .. 123 ... 76 .. 180 .. 190 .. 74 .. 262 .. 179 .. 180 .. 180 .. 180 .. 179 .. 31 ,. 180 .. 260 .. 408 .. 413 .. 370 malayensis, Reinw. Neopus, 32 malcolmi, Syltes. Malacocercus, 436 manyar, Horsf. Ploceus, 695 Mareca penelope, Lin , 963 marila, Lin. Fuligula, 970 maruetta, Leach. Porzana, 909 maximus, Hume. Centropus, 2l7guint... 133 media, Horsf. Sterna, 990 ... 432 meena, Sykes. Turtur, 793 ... 290 Megalsema caniceps, Franltl., 193 ... 121 inornata, Wald., I93bis. ... 121 viridis, Bodd., 194 ...122 melanauchen, Cab. Pyrrhulauda, 7QObis. 277 melanicterus, Gm. Melophus, 724 ... 272 melanocephala, Lioht. Budytes, &93big. 239 melanocephala, Scop. Euspiza, 721 ... 271 melanocephala, Lath. Ibis, 941 ... 390 melanocephalus, Lin. Oriolus, 472 ... 195 Melanocorypha bimaculata, Mene'tr., 761ter. ... 279 melanogaster, Penn. Plotus, 1008 ... 440 melanogastra, Tern. Sterna, 987 ... 429 melanoleucus, Forst. Circus, 53 ... 52 melanolophus, Haffi. Goisakius, 936fo's. 386 melanonotus, Penn. Sarcidiornis, 950 ... 396 melanope, Pall. Calobates, 592 ... 237 melanopogon, Tern. Lusciniola, 518Hs. 211 melanops, Vig. Stoporala, 301 ... 164 melanotis, Tern. $ Schl. Milvus, 56bis. 57 melanotis, Jerd. Spilornis, 3$bis. ... 37 melanura, Hupp. Cercomela, 493 ... 206 melaschista, Hodgs. Volvocivora, 269 ... 149 melba, Lin. Cypsellus, 98 ... 85 Melophus melanicterus, Gm., 724 ... 272 merganser, Lin. Mergus, 972 ... 416 Mergellus albellus, Lin., 973 ... 417 Mergus merganser, Lin., 972 ... 416 serrator, Lin., 972H*. ... 416 Merops apiaster, Lin., 121 . ... 95 philippinus, Lin., 118 ... 94 : — persicus, Pall., 120 ... 95 :— swinhoii, Hume., 119 ... 95 viridis, Lin. 117 ,.. 93 Merula nigropilea, Lafr., 359 ... 173 atrogularis, Tern., 365 ... 176 Microperdix erythrorhyncha, Sy kes, 828 314 Micropternus gularis, Jerd., 179 ... 118 = phaeoceps, 7?fy,, 178 ... 118 micropterus, Gould Cuculus, 203 ... 125 'Milvus govinda, Sykes, 56 ... 54 PAGE. Milvus melanotis, Tern $ Schl., 56Jis. ... 57 minima, Syltes. Cinnyris, 233 ... 130 minor, G. St. Hill. Phceuicopterus, 944^*. - minor, Gm. Podiceps, 975 minor, Hume. Sturnus, 681 Us. minuscula, Hume. Sylvia, 582H*. minuta, Pall. ^Egialitis, 850 minuta, Lin. Ardetta, 935 minuta, Leisl. Tringa, 884 Mirafra cantillans, Jerd., 757 ,.. ery throptera, Jerd. , 756 Mixornis rubicapillus, Tickell, 395 mogilnik, S. G. Gm. Aquila, 27 monachus, Rvpp. Saxicola, 490 Ms. raonachus, Lin. Vultur, 1 mongola, Pall. ^Egialitis, 847 Monticola cinclorhyncha, Vig^ 353 ... cyaneus, Lin , 351 393 420 254 232 331 385 355 275 274 176 26 203 2 330 170 169 monticolus, frank. Caprimulgus, 114... 92 morio, Hemp, and Ehr. Saxicola, 490... 203 Motacilla alba. Lin., 59lter. ... 237 • dukhunensis, Sykes, 591fri* ... 236 leucopsis, Gould., 590 ... 235 maderaspatensis, Gm.. 589 .. 234 personata, Gould., 591 ... 236 Muscicapula superciliaris, Jerd., 310 ... 166 Muscipeta paradisi, Lin., 288 ... 158 Myiophoneus horsfieldi, Vig., 342 ... 168 nana, Hemp, and Ehr. Sylvia, 583Ji*. ... 234 nanus, Vig. Yungipicus, 164 ... 113 naumanni, Fleisch. Cerchneis, 18 ... 19 neglecta, Jerd. Drymoipus, 546 ... 220 neglectus, Hume. Lusciniola ... 212 neglectus, Hume. Phylloscopus, 554Jw. 227 nemoricola, Hodgs. Gallinago, 868 ... 344 Neophron ginginianus, Lath., 6 ..7 Neopus malayensis, Reinrv., 32 ..31 Nettopus coromandelianus, Gm., 951 .. 397 nigfa, Lin. Ciconia, 918 .. 376 nigriceps, Frankl. Lanius, 259 .. 144 nigricollis, Sund. Podiceps, 974&t'«. .. 419 nigrolutea, Marsh. lora, IGSbis. .. 191 nigropilea, Lafr. Merula, 359 .. 173 Ninox lugubris, Tick., 81 .. 77 nipalensis, Hodgs. Parus, 645 .. 248 Nisaetus fasciatus, Vieill., 33 .. 32 nisus. Lin. Accipiter, 24 ..24 nitidus, Bly. Phylloscopus, 559 ..228 nuchalis,Vm2. Parus, 646 .. 248 Numenius lineatus, Guv., 877 .. 351 - phseopus, Lin., 878 .. 352 Nycticorax griseus, Lin. , 937 ..387 Nyctiornis athertoni, Jard. and SeL, 122 96 Nyroca, Quid. Fuligula, 969 ... 413 obscurus, Jffume. Pomatorhinus, 404ter. 178 obsoleta, Cab. Ptyonoprogne, 91fo>. ... 83 oceanicus, Banks. Oceanites, 976 ... 421 ocellatum, Less. Syrnium, 65 ... 62 occipitalis, Jerd. Reguloides, 563 ... 230 ochropus, Lin. Totanus, 892 ... 358 Ocyceros birostris, Scop.t 144 ... 106 vm INDdX. (Edicneraus scolopax, S. G. Gm., 859 olor, Gm. Cygnus, 944fcr. opistholeucus, Strickl. Saxicola, 488 orientalis, Leach. Glareola, 842 Oriolus ceylonensis, Up., 473 galbula, Lin., 470&W. ... indicus, Jerd., 471 kundoo, Sykes, 470 . melanocephala. Lin., 472 Orthotomus sutorius, Forst., 530 Ortygornis pondicerianus, Gm., 822 oscitans, Bodd. Anastomus, 940 Osmotreron malabarica, Jerd., 775 ostralegus, Lin. Hasmatopus, 862 PAGE ... 337 ... 394 ... 201 ... 325 ... 196 ... 194 ... 195 ... 193 ... 195 ... 214 ... 311 ... 389 .. 286 -~ - r— , ••• 339 otocompsa f uscicaudata, Gould., 460iis. 187 leucotis, Gould., 459 ...187 Otogyps calvus, Scop., 2 ... 3 otus, Lin. Asio, 67 ... 63 pagodarum, Gm. Sturnia, 687 ... 256 Palseornis columboides, Vig.,151 ... 110 purpureus, P. L. S. Mull., 149 109 . torquatus, Bodd., 148 ... 108 eupatria, Lin., 147 ... 108 pallescens, Hume. Gyps, Ibig. ... 5 pallida, Hemp. $ Ehr. Hypolais, 553fer. 225 * 1 1 • -rl.-J /!_,,-.,.»,•-, OAffc 1 flT 247 288 287 288 38 390 158 156 363 248 248 167 371 265 267 266 266 127 257 302 263 20 98 436 437 438 177 408 30 70 313 312 11 pallipes, Jerd. Cyornis, 309 palpebrosa, Tern. Zosterops, 631 Palumbsena eversmanni, Bp., 787 Palumbus casiotis, Bp., 784 elphinstoni, Sykes, 786 Pandion haliaetus, Lin , 40 papillosus, Tern. Inocotis, 942 paradisi, Lin Muscipeta, 288 paradiseus, Lin. Dissemurus, 285 Parra indica, Lath.,9QQ parus nipalensis, Hodgx., 645 nuchalis, Jerd., 646 parva, Bechst. Erythrosterna, 323&U. . parva, Scop. Porzana, 91 OH*. Passer domesticus, Lin., 706 . — flavicollis, FranJtl, 711 _. hispaniolensis Tern., 707 pyrrhonotus, Bly., 709 passerinus, Vahl. Cacomantis, 208 Pastor roseus, Lin., 690 Pavo cristatus, Lin., 803 pectoralis, Jerd., Amadina, 700 pekinensis, Swinli. Cerchneis, ISbis. . Pelargopsis gurial, Pears., 127 Pelecanus crispus, Bruch., 1004W*. ., javanicus, Horsf. , 1003 philippensis, Gin., 1004 Pellorneum ruficeps, Srvs., 399 penelope, Lin. Mareca, 963 pennatus, Gm. Hieraetus, 31 pennatus, Hodgs. Scop, 74 Perdicula argoondah, SyTteg, 827 asiatica, Lath , 826 peregrinator, Sund. Falco, 9 peregrinus, Gm. Falco, 8 peregrinus, Lin. Pericrocotus, 276 Pericrocotus brevirostris, Vig., 273 _— — erythropygius, Jerd., 277 152 152 153 Pericrocotus flammeus, Forst,, 272 < peregrinus, Lin., 276 speciosus, Lath., 271 Pernis ptilorhynchus, Tern., 57 persicus, Pall. Merops, 120 persicus, Hume, Puffinus, 9765i$. personata, Gould. Motacilla, 591 phseopus, Lin. Numenius, 878 Phaston indicus, Hume, 996fri* Phalacrocorax carbo, Lin , 1005 fuscicollis, Steph. 1006 : pygmasus, Pall., 1007 philippensis, Gm. Pelecanns, 1004 philippinus, Lin. Merops, 118 philippinus, Lin. Ploceus, 694 Philomachus pugnax, Lin., 880 Phoenicopterus antiquorum, Tern., 944 minor, G. St. Hill, phoenicopterus, Lath. Crocopus, 772 phoenicura, Franld. Ammomanes, 758 phoeuicura, Penn. Erythra, 907 Phyllornis jerdoni, Bly., 463 malabaricus, Gm., 464 PAGE. .. 151 ,. 152 .. 151 ... 57 .. 95 ... 421 ,.. 236 ... 352 .. 434 ... 438 ... 439 ... 439 ... 438 ... 94 ... 259 ... 352 ... 392 393 285 276 368 189 190 Phylloscopus affinis, Tick., 561 ... 229 • indicus, Jerd., 562 ... 229 lugubris, Bly., 558 ... 228 magnirostris, Bly. 556 ... 228 neglectus, Hume,55tbig.... 227 nitidus, Bly., 559 ... 228 sindiauus, Brooks. ... 229 tristis, Bly., 554 ...227 viridanus, Bly., 560 ... 229 picatus, Sykes. Hemipus, 267 ... 148 picatus, Bly. Saxicola, 489 ... 202 pictus, Jard. # Selb. Francolinus, 819... 308 Picus mahrattensis, Lath., 160 ... 112 sindianus, Gould., 158 ... 112 pileata, Bodd. Halcyon, 130 ... 100 Piprisoma agile, Tick., 240 ... 139 Pitta brachyura, Lin., 345 ... 159 Platalea leucorodia, Lin. , 939 ... 388 platyrhyncha, Tern. Limicola, 886 ... 356 platyurus, Jerd. Schoenicola, 442 ... 183 Ploceus bengalensis, Lin., 696 ... 261 manyar, Horsf., 695 ...260 philippinus, Lin., 694 ... 259 Plotus melanogaster, Penn., 1008 ... 440 pluvialis, Lin., Charadrius, 845&is. ...*328 Podiceps cristatus, Lin., 974 ... 418 minor, Gm., 975 ... 420 nigricollis, Sund., $71bis. ... 419 poacilorhyncha, Forst. Anas, 959 ... 403 poiocephala, Jerd. Alcippe, 389 .., 175 poiocephalus, Jerd. Brachypodius, 457 186 Polioaetus ichthyaetus, Horsf., 41 ... 39 poliocephalus, Lath. Cuculus, 201 ... 124 poliocephalus, Lath. Porphyrio, 902 ... 365 Pomatorhinus horsfialdi, Sykes, 404 ... 128 — obscurus, Hume, 404^n... 128 pondicerianus, Gm. Ortygornis, 822 ... 311 pondicerianus, Gm. Tephrodornis, 265... 147 Porphyrio poliocephalus, Lath., 902 ... 365 Porzana akool, Sykes, 908 .. 369 ^ bailloni, Vieill., 910 ... 370 INDEX. PAGE ... 372 ... 370 ... 371 ... 199 ... 326 „. 200 ... 200 macrorhynchus, Stol. 4855^.... 201 Porzana fusca, Lin., 911 maruetta, Leach., 909 • — parva, Scop., QWbis. Pratincola caprata, Lin., 481 pratincola, Lin. Glareola, 842Jis. Pratincola indicus, Sly., 483 leucurus, Sly., 484 Prinia adamsi, Jerd., 533 ---- flaviventris, Deless., 532 --- gracilis, FranU., 536 --- hodgsoni, Sly., 538 --- socialis, Sykes, 534' -- stewarti, Sly., 535 Pseudogyps bengalensis, Gm., 5 Pterocles alchata, Lin., 801 -- arenarius, Pall., 799 • — coronatus, Licht., SQlter. - exustus, Tsm., 802 -- fasciatus, Scop., 800 -- lichtensteini, Tern., 800 Us. -- senegallus, Lin., SOlbis. ptilorhynchus, lem. Pernis, 57 Ptyonoprogne concolor, Sykes, 90 ------ obsoleta, Cab., Qlbis. rupestris, Scop., 91 215 215 216 217 215 216 6 297 294 299 300 295 296 297 57 83 83 83 192 421 352 290 puella, Lath. Irena, 469 Puffinus persicus, Hume, 976bis. pugnax, Lin. Philomachus, 880 pulchratus, Hodgs. Turtur, 792 punticollis, Malh. Brachypternus, 181 119 punctulata, Lin. Amadina, 699 ... 262 purpurea, Lin. Ardea, 924 ... 378 purpureus, P. L. S. Mull. Palasornis, 149 109 Pycnonotus pygas us, Hodgs., 461 hasmorrhous, Gm., 462 188 188 174 174 188 439 266 277 melanauchen, Cab., 7QQbis, 277 Pyctorhis griseigularis, Hume, BSGter • ' sinensis, Gm., 385 pygaeus, Hodgs. Pycnonotus, 461 pygmasus, Pall. Phalacrocorax, 1007 .. pyrrhonotus, Sly. Passer, 709 Pyrrhulauda gri'sea, Scop., 760 Querquedula circia, Lin., 965 ... 410 crecca, Lin., 964 ... 409 . formosa, Gear., 966 ... 411 radiatum, lick. Glaucidium, 77 ... 76 Kallus indicus, Sly., 914 ... 373 rama, Sykes. Hypolais, 553 ... 224 raytal, Sly. Alaudula, 762 ... 280 Recurvirostra avocetta, Lin,, 899 ... 362 recurvirostris, Cuv. JSsacus, 858 ... 336 Reguloides humii, Brooks, 565^5. ... 231 . occipitalis, Jerd. , 563 ..230 . superciliosus, Gm., 565 ... 230 religiosa, Lin. Eulabes, 692 ... 258 Rhodonessa caryophyllacea, Lath. 960 404 Rhypodytes viridirostris, Jerd., 216 ... 131 Rhyacophila glareola, Lin., 891 ... 357 Rhynchasa bengalensis, Lin.; 873 ... 347 Rhynchops albicollis, Sws., 995 ... 434 ridibimdus, Lin., Larus, 981 ... 425 riparia, Lin. Cotyle, 87 risorius, Lin. Turtur, 796 roseus, Lin. Pastor, 690 rubeculoides, Vig. Cyornis, 304 Rubigula gularis, Gould., 455 rubricapillus, Tick. Mixornis, 395 rubronigra, Hodgs. Amadina, 698 rudis, Lin. Ceryle, 136 rnfa, Scop. Dendrocitta, 674 rufa, Sodd. Sylvia, 582quat. rufescens, Hume. Drymoipus, 544Jis. , ruficaudus, 8ws. Cyornis, 307 rufina, fall. Fuligula, 967 rufipennis, 111. Centropus, 217 , rufiventris, Vieill. Ruticilla, 497 rufula, Vieill. Corydalla, 600 rupestris, Scop. Ptyonoprogne, 91 rustica, Lin. Hirundo, 82 rusticola, Lin. Scolopax, 867 Ruticilla rufiventris, Vieill., 497 sacer, Gm. Falco, 10 Salpornis spilonota, Franhl., 246 Sarcidiornis melanonotus, Penn., 950 , saularis, Lin. Copsychus, 475 saundersi, Hume. Sterna, 988ter. Saxicola alboniger, Hume, 189bis. deserti, Riipp., 492 isabellinus, Rupp., 491 kingi, Hume., ±$\bis. monachus, Rupp., 490 Ms. morio, Hemp, and Elir., 490 . pistholeucus, Stricld., 488 picatus, Sly. 489 Schoenicola'platyurus, Jerd., 442 scolopax, S. G. Gm. (Edicnemus, 859 . Scolopax rusticola, Lin., 867 Scops bakkamuna, Forst., 75ter. brucii, Hume, 7