348 



PJ.OCEIDa:. 



January without any sign of change ; but in the latter month signs 

 of moulting can be perceived, and in nearly every month from 

 January to August the young birds are putting on the adult plu- 

 mage. The back of the freshly moulted young bird is almost with- 

 out stripes ; but white shaft-lines are very evident on the rump. 



The adults appear to have their best plumage in June and July, 

 the freshly moulted feathers having indistinct pale fringes on the 

 back ; the white shaft-lines to the feathers are often very faintly 

 indicated and are sometimes absent altogether from the back, though 

 the feathers of the rump generally have some white-centred spots 

 or streaks. During the nesting-season the plumage becomes re- 

 markably abraded, especially visible in individuals procured from 

 Jan\iary to March, when they begin to moult. 



The feathers of the rump are blackish brown, tipped with pale 

 yellowish, before which is a bar of blackish brown, which is again 

 preceded by an ashy bar, in the centre of which the white shaft-line 

 forms a diamond-shaped spot. The yellow colour increases towards 

 the upper tail -coverts, which are conspicuously golden or deep straw- 

 yellow, and this colour pervades the tail. 



Feather from lower back of M. punctulata (enlarged). 



Hah. The greater part of India and Ceylon, ranging eastwards 

 into Assam and Cachar, where the range coalesces with that of M. 

 eubundulata. 



a. 2 ad. sk. 

 h. Ad. sk. 



c, d, e,f. Ad. ; g. 



Juv. sk. 

 A. Juv. sk. 

 i, k. Ad. sk. 

 I. 2 ad. sk. 

 m, n. cJ ad. ; o. 5 



juv. sk. 

 p, q. Ad. ; r, s, t. 



Juv. sk. 

 u. Ad. sk. 

 V, w, X. Ad. sk. 

 y. (S ad. sk. 

 z. Ad. sk. 

 a', h', c. 2 ad. ; 



d'. cJ imm. sk. 



Mount Abu, Sept. 27 l^Dr. G. 



King). 

 Mount Abu. 



N.W. Himalayas. 



Koteghur. 



Simla, July {R- C. Beavan). 

 Simla, July (J. Biddulpli). 

 Simla, July, Nov. (A. O. H.). 



Masuri, Oct, 



Almora, Oct. 



Dhoon, Jan. 



Dhoon, Jan. 



Kaladoongi, Dhoon, Sept. 25. 



Jbansi district, Aug., Sept. 



Hume Coll. 



Colonel E. A. 



Butler [C.]. 

 Pinwill CoU. 



Hume Coll. 

 Tweeddale Coll. 

 Tweeddale Coll. 

 Hume Coll. 



Hume Coll. 



Hume Coll. 

 Hume Coll. 

 Forbes Coll. 

 Hume Coll. 

 Hume Coll. 



