264 ursciCAPiD^. 



Key to the Species. 

 Males, 

 a. No white ou the "s^ing; black abcwe, white 



below jercUmi, p. 2G4. 



h. \Mth a large white patch on the wiug, formed 

 of the iuner coverts of all three series. 

 a. Upper surface glossy black, as also the tail ; 

 a few white-tipped feathers ou the sides 



of the hinder crown melanoleuca, p. 265. 



h'. Upper surface black with grey edgings ; 

 rump grey with black centres ; outer tail- 

 feathers edged with white ferrea, p. 266. 



Females, 

 a. Tail-feathers dark browu ; no light eyebrow. . jerdoni, p. 264. 

 h. Tail-feathers rufous ; upper tail-coverts rufous. 

 a'. A whitish eyebrow ; under surface of body 

 white, washed with creamy buft' on the 



breast melanoleuca, p. 26-5. 



b' . A very hght fulvous eyebrow; under sur- 

 face of body ashy fidvoiis-broMTi, the 

 throat whiter . . = ferrea, p. 266. 



1. Or eicola jerdoni. 



Rhodophila melanoleuca, Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p. 128, iii. p. 872 {tiec V.); 



Gould, B. Asia, part xviii. 

 Oreicola jerdoni, Blyth, Ibis, 18G7, p. 14 ; Beavan, t. c. p. 449; Blanf. 



Ibis, 1870, p. 466; Bhjth ^- Wald. B. Burm. p. 101. 

 Saxicola jerdoni. Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 227, no. 3273. 



Adult male. General colour above glossy black, the rump-feathers 

 slightly varied with subterminal white markings ; upper tail-coverts 

 glossy black ; tail black ; least and median wing-coverts like the 

 back, the greater coverts and the quills black, with glossy black 

 margins ; sides of face entirely glossj' black ; entire under surface 

 of body white ; thighs black ; under wing-coverts and axillarics 

 black, with broad white edgings ; " bill and legs black ; iris dark 

 brown '' {Jenlon). Total length n*4 inches, culmen 0-5, wing 2-55, 

 tail 2'6, tarsus 0-8. 



AduU female. Different from the male. General colour above 

 brown, slightly mottled on the head with blackish centres, the lower 

 back inclining to rufous, the upper tail-coverts rufous ; tail-feathers 

 brown ; least wing-coverts like the back ; median and greater series 

 as well as the quills dark brown, edged with the same brown as the 

 back ; feathers in front of the eye mottled with ashy fulvous tips, 

 the bases dark brown ; sides of face and cheeks dark brown ; entire 

 under surface of body creamj' white, washed with fulvous on the 

 flanks ; thighs brown ; under vring-coverts brown ; axillaries ashy 

 whitish tinged with fulvous, the bases dusky grey ; quills dark 

 brown below, with whity-brown edges to the inner webs. Total 

 length 5'2 inches, culmen O'o, wing 2-5, tail 2'o, tarsus 0"8. 



Mab. East<^rn Bengal, ranging into Burmah. 



