262 TIMELIID^. 



the European birds, and has become nearly so in those from West 

 Africa. 



The birds from Japan appear to me to represent a permanently 

 large race, with the wing ranging from 2 to 2-2 inches. Too 

 much stress, however, cannot be laid on these differences, as all the 

 Japanese specimens in the collection appear to be in winter plumage 

 (tail 2 to 2-2 inches). 



In Cevlon Capt. liCggo notices a difference between the birds from 

 the low country and those from the hills, the latter being darker. 

 He finds very little variation iu the dress of the male in summer 

 and winter ; but the male is always more or less uniform, while the 

 female is striated at all seasons. 



Mr. Hume states that the specimens with the rufous subterminal 

 mark on the inner webs of the tail-feathers are the breeding birds, 

 whereas the more uniform-tailed specimens arc the cold-weather 

 birds. As far as I have examined European specimens, there is 

 never any sign of this rufous bar, which is characteristic of the speci- 

 mens from the plains of India in full plumage ; and the birds from 

 West Africa and Nepal mentioned above (wherein some of the spe- 

 cimeus show a trace of the rufous bar) do not indicate any change 

 of plumage in the tail by a direct mouU. The presence of this rufous 

 bar in occasional specimens can only be accounted for by supposing 

 that the birds change from their plain tail to the rufous-spotted one 

 witliout a moult, but by direct alteration of the colouring of the 

 feather itself. 



In India according to Mr. Hume, the male is always larger than the 

 female ; in the former the average length of wing is 2-1 inches, and 

 in the females 1"95 inch, but he has specimens of both sexes with the 

 wing 2 inches. 



Hah. Southern Europe, extending southwards throughout Africa 

 and eastwards throughout India and Ceylon, the Burmese countries, 

 Malayan peuiusula, and Indo-Malayan islands. China and Japan. 



a r? ad '^k Villacidio, Sardinia, E. B. Sharpe, Esq. [P.]. 



April 26, 1871 (A. B. 



Brooke ), 

 b c Ad sk Oristano, Sardinia, E. B. Sharpe, Esq. [P.]. 



' ■ ■ March 1, 1872 {A. B. 



Brooke), 

 d Ad. sk. Savoy. Gould Collection. 



e. Juv. sk. Italy (Suvi). Gould Collection. 



f. Ad. sk. Gibraltar. Colonel Irby [P.l 

 V/' h. Ad. sk. Tangiers. Colonel Irby [P.]. 



i. Ad. sk. Taugiers (Olcesc). E.B. Sharpe, Esq. [P.]. 



ii Ad. sk. Algeria, May 3, 1856 F. D. Godmau and O. 



(^Tristram). Salvin, Esqrs. [P.]. 



I. Ad. sk. Algeria. E. B. Shai-pe, Esq. 



•in. cj'ad. sk. Meroni. Canon Tristram [C.l. 



w.'s ad.sk. Plains of Acre. Canon Tristram [C.]. 



o. Ad. sk. Dakar, Senegal(7lf«?T^f). M. A. Bouvier. 



Ad. sk. Cape Coast, \V. Africa E. B. Sharpe, Esq. 



( TIsg/ier). 



V 



n r a t v,r. Ad. sk. Eiver Volta (Ussher). E, B. Sharpe, Esq. 



