5. HTKTJNDO. 157 



by the cinnamon-coloured sides of the neck, which converge from 

 behind the eye to the nape, where they form a collar ; base of fore- 

 head and a narrow line over the eye cinnamon-rufous ; cheeks and 

 ear-coverts pale sandy buif, the lores mixed with dusky plumes ; 

 entire under surface of body pale cinnamon-buff, a little deeper on 

 the fore neck, breast, and flanks ; the throat very minutely, and the 

 rest of the body a little more distinctly, striated with narrow dusky 

 shaft-lines ; sides of upper breast purplish blue ; thighs and under 

 tail-coverts creamy whitish, the longer coverts blue-black with 

 creamy white bases ; axillaries and under wing-coverts pale sandy 

 buff, the coverts near the edge of the wing with blackish shaft-lines ; 

 quiUs dusky below, paler along the edge of the inner web. Total 

 length 7'8 inches, culmen 0"3o, wing 4- 8, tail 4-15, tarsus O'o. 



Adult female. Exactly like the male in colour. Total length 

 7*5 inches, culmen 0'35, wing 4-7, tail 3'85, tarsus 0'55. 



Ohs. In many specimens the crown of the head appears as if 

 connected with the mantle by a few purplish-blue feathers ; this is, 

 however, due to the faulty preparatiou of the skin, as in properly 

 preserved examples the collar on the hind neck is perfect. I have 

 seen only one young bird which has also this partial connexion 

 between the crown and the mantle, but I do not consider it to be 

 simply a sign of immaturity. 



Younrj (Smyrna, July 29). Much duUer in colour than the 

 adult, being blackish glossed with steel-blue, the rufous colour on 

 the neck and rump very much paler ; wing-coverts and secondaries 

 tipped with pale rufous ; beneath paler than in the adult, the 

 throat and abdomen whitish, the fore neck rufescent ; the throat 

 and breast with tolerably distinct dusky shaft-lines; axillaries 

 and under wing-coverts pale cinnamon, rather deeper than in the 

 adult. Total length 6-8 inches, wing 4-S, tail 3-2, tarsus O-oo. 



Hah. Southern Europe, occurring as far westward as Italy, Sicily, 

 and. Malta, ranging through Greece, Asia Minor, and Palestine, to 

 Egypt and Abyssinia, and eastwards to Turkestan. On its occur- 

 rence in Dauria, as erroneously given by me in the P. Z. S. for 

 1870, cf. Dresser, B. Eur. I. c. 



a. Ad. sk. Genoa, spring of 1871. Pt. B. Sharpe, Esq. [P.]. 



b. (5 ad. sk. Smvrna, Mav 24, 1871 F. D. Godman and 0. Salvin, 



(Br. Kriqier). Esqrs. [P.]. 



c. 2 ad. sk. Smvrna, June 26, 1871 F. D. Godman and 0. Salvin, 



(Dr. Kriiper). Esqrs. [P.]. 



d. cJ ad. ; e,f. Smyrna, Jime (Dr. R. B. Sharpe, Esq. [P.]. 

 c^ juv. sk. Kriiper). 



g, h. j juv. sk. Smyrna, July 29, 1871 K. B. Sharpe, Esq. [P.]. 



{Dr. Kriiper). 



t,A. c? Jad. sk. Calameta. Consul Merlin [P.]. 



I. S ad. sk. Tiberias. Canon Tristram [C.]. 



m. 2 ad. sk. Moimt Carmel. Canon Tristram [C.]. 



n. (5 ad. sk. Banias, Palestine, Mav 4, F. D. Godman and O. Salvin, 



1864 (Tristram). ' Esqrs. [P.]. 



o. c? ad. sk. AYadv El Beerha, April F. D. Godman and 0. Salvin, 



1864 (Tristram) Esqrs. [P.]. 



