19. UENDROCITTA. 77 



Haiul-l. B. ii. p. 8 ; Godwin-Aust. J. A. S. B. 1870, p. 110 ; Hume, 



Sir. F. 1873, p. 206 ; Adam, t. c. p. 386 ; mane, Sir. F. 1874, p. 480 ; 



id. Nests S,-c. hid. B. p. 421 ; Bhjth Sf JFald. B. Bicrm. p. 88. 

 Temnurus rufus. Gray, Ge». B. ii. p. 310. 

 Temiuirus vajrabundus, Gray, t. c. p. 310. 

 Crvpsirhina pallida, Bli/th, J. A. S. B. xv. p. 30. 

 Deiidrocitta pallida, Blyth, Cut. B. Mus. A. 8. B. p. 336; Ilorsf. ^- 



Moore, Cat. B. Mns. F.I. Co. ii. p. 508 ; Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p. 315 ; 



Crray, Hand-l. B. ii. p. 8. 

 Vagabunda rufa, Kaap, J. f. O. 18-34, p. Iv ; Ball, Sir. F. 1874, 



p. 418. 

 Glaucopis nife, ScJil. Mus. P.-B. Coraces, p. 77. 



Adult. Above orange-brown, shading off into brighter orange- 

 buff on the lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts ; head and neck 

 all round sooty brown, this colour gradnallj- shading off into the 

 orange-brown of the back ; the lores and throat blackish ; rest of 

 under surface of body orange-buff, including the thighs and under 

 tail-coverts ; under -nang-coverts and edge of the wing grey, slightly 

 washed with orange ; wings black, the least coverts dull grey, the 

 median and greater series ck^ar whitish grey, as well as the outer 

 webs of the inner secondaries, forming a broad bar down the wing ; 

 tail-feathers grey, broadly tipped with black ; bill l)lack ; legs dark 

 slaty ; iris blood-red. Total length 16 inches, culmeu 1-25, wing 

 5-9, tail 10, tarsus 1-45. 



Young. Differs from the adult iu being very much paler and more 

 yellow tlian tlic adult, in having the grey on the wings more or less 

 obscured with a wash of brown, and in having the tail-feathers 

 tipped with greyish buff. The head and neck are dull brown, instead 

 of blackish. 



Ohs. I do not think Blyth's species, D. pallida, can be upheld for 

 a moment. It is, to judge from the specimens now before me, the 

 young bird of D. rufa, although no mention is made of the white 

 tips to the tail-feathers. The only variation in the latter species 

 seems to take j)lace in the South-Indian specimens, which are alto- 

 gether smaller, darker, have the brown plumage of the head extended 

 onto the mantle above and the breast below, and further show a 

 white subterminal bar before the black tip on the centre tail-feathers. 

 In Himalayan specimens the grey fades off lighter just before the 

 black tip, but is not so decidedly white as in Madras exami^les. The 

 latter are also rather smaller ; but I cannot bring myself to believe 

 that the southern birds are specifically distinct from the Himalayan 

 ones, as the specimens from Central India appear to be intermediate. 



The pale coloration, which must have siiggested to Mr. Blyth the 

 name oi pallida, appears to be equally unworthj' of consideration as 

 a specific character ; for pale and dark-coloured birds appear from 

 every localitj^ and must be either females or birds in their second 

 plumage. Unfortunately the specimens in the Museum are not 

 determined as regards sex and date of capture in such a way as to 

 enable me to decide this question ; but as the young birds with the 

 light tips to the tail-feathers are pale-coloured, we may reasonadly 

 suppose that the colour of this Magpie intensifies with age. 



