4. SCOTOCERCA. 213 



through Persian Baluchistan to Southern Afghanistan and the North- 

 western Punjab. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Darker ; striations on head very distinct ; eye- 



brow, ear-coverts, and sides of breast rich 



vinous ; throat distinctly striated inquieta, p. 213. 



b. Paler; striations on head paler and Ughter; eye- 



brow, ear-coverts, and sides of breast very pale 



vinous; throat very indistinctly striated .... s«Aar«, p. 214. 



1. Scotocerca inquieta. 



Malurus inquietus, Cretzschm. in Riipp. Atlas, p. 55, tab. 36. fig. 6 



(1826). 

 Curruca famula, Hempr. S^- Eh: Sytnb. Phys. fol. bb (1828). 

 Prinia inquieta, Rujjp. Neue Wirb. Voc/. p. 113 (1835-49). 

 Drvmoica inquieta, Riipp. Syst. Uebers. p. 57 (1845) ; Gray, Gen. 



B. i. p. 163 (1848j ; Bp. Coiisp. i. p. 283 (1850) ; Heuy/. Si/st. 



Uebers. p. 22 (1856) ; Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 198, no. 2751 (1869). 



Drynioica eremita, Trisfr. Ibis, 1867, p. 76 ; Gray, Hand-l. B. i. 



p. 199, no. 2783 (1869). 

 Drymceca inquieta, Heugl. Ibis, 1869, p. 129; id. Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. 



p. 244 (1869) ; Bkmf. Ibis, 1874, p. 76. 

 Drymceca eremita, Heugl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. p. 244 (1869) ; Wyatt, 



Mamm. ^' Avif. Sinai, pi. xvii. fig. 2 (1873). 

 Scotocerca inquieta, Sundev. Av. Meth. Tent. p. 7 (1872) ; Blanf. 



East. Persia, ii. p. 207, pi. xiii. fig. 2 (1876) ; Hume, Sfr. F. 1879, 



].. 102 ; Barnes, Str. F. 1880, pp. 217, 455. 

 Melizophilus striatus, Brcohs, Ibis, 1872. p. 180 ; Hume, Str. F 



1873, p. 200, 1874, p. 329, 1876, p. 41. 

 Atraphornisplatyura, Severfz. Turkest. Jevotn. p. 121 (1873); Dresser, 



Ibis, 1876, p. 80. 



Adult male. General colour above ashy isabeUine, with very faint 

 browner centres to the dorsal plumes : wing-coverts a little clearer 

 isabelline than the back ; bastard-wing feathers and primary-coverts 

 dusky brown, edged with isabelline ; quills light brown, edged with 

 isabelline, a little more rufescent on the secondaries ; upper tail- 

 coverts brown ; tail-feathers black, margined with isabelline, the 

 two centre feathers browner and more broadly edged with sandy 

 brown ; outer feathers with slightly paler ti])s ; crown of the head 

 and nape ashy isabelline, streaked with blackish brown along the 

 centre of the feathers ; lores and a narrow eyebrow sandy buff ; in 

 front of the eye a blackish spot and also a small streak behind the 

 eye ; ear-coverts uniform clear isabelline, as also the hinder cheeks, 

 the fore part of the latter being whitish like the throat ; an indi- 

 stinct moustachial line of blackish ; fore neck tinged with isabelline, 

 with a few longitudinal spots of darker brown ; breast and abdomen 

 whitish ; sides of the body, flanks, thighs, and under tail-coverts 

 isabelline, deeper on the thighs : under wing-coverts and axillaries 

 sandy ; quills light brown below, inner edges isabelline ; " bill dark 

 brown, except basal half of lower mandible, which is dull brownish 

 orange ; legs and fi'ct yellowish brown : claws brown " {^Brooks). 



