5. EOPHONA. 29 



Hesperiphona melanura, Bp. Consp. i. p. 506 (1850). 



Eophona nielanura, Gould, B. Asia, v. pi. 19 (1851) ; Horsf. S[ 



Moore, Cat. B. E.I. Co. Mus. ii. p. 462 (1854) ; Gray, Ilaud-l. B. 



ii. p. 88, no. 7293 (1870) ; Surinh. P. Z. S. 1871, p. 386 ; id. Pois, 



1873, p. 372, 1875, p. 121 ; Dybowshi, J.f. O. 1876, p. 199; Tacz. 



Bull. Soc. Zoo/. France, i. p. 181 (1876) ; David Sf Oust. Ois. Chine, 



p. 347, pi. 92 (1877). 



Adult male. General colour above pale chocolate-brown, lighter 

 and more ashy on the rump, becoming ash)' whitish just before the 

 upper tail-coverts ; lesser wing-coverts dark brown ; median and 

 greater coverts glossy purplish black ; bastard-wing and primary- 

 coverts blackish brown, the latter with a small subterminal spot of 

 white, forming a speculum ; quills blackish brown, the primaries with 

 a broad subterminal band of white ; inner primaries tipped with 

 white ; secondaries externally glossy purplish black, and broadly 

 tipped with white ; upper tail-coverts and centre tail-feathers glossy 

 purplish black, the rest of the tail-feathers black, externally glossy 

 black ; crown of head glossy black, as well as the lores, sides of 

 face, ear-coverts, cheeks, and throat ; the latter separated from the 

 breast by an indistinct whitish line ; sides of neck brown ; fore neck 

 and breast brown, with a slight tinge of tawny ; abdomen white, with 

 a slight ashy tinge ; sides of body and flanks deep tawny ; thighs 

 dark ashy ; under tail-coverts white ; under wing-coverts and axil- 

 laries black, narrowly tipped with white ; quills below dusky, ashy 

 on the inner edge, with the same white streaks as on the upper 

 surface : " bill yellow, with the tip green ; feet white : iris rufous " 

 (A. David). Total length 6"7 inches, culmen - 8, wing 3 - 85, tail 

 2-75, tarsus 0*85. 



Adult female. Wants the black head and face of the male, the 

 whole head and throat being ashy or drab-brown : wing-coverts ashy 

 brown, the greater series black at the ends ; primary-coverts and 

 bastard-wing dusky brown, the former blackish : quills black, edged 

 with white near the ends of the primaries, the secondaries tipped 

 with white, the innermost pale brown, edged with purplish black, 

 fringed with white : rump and upper tail- coverts drab-grey, as also 

 the centre tail-feathers, the remainder brown, black externally and 

 at the ends ; throat and breast drab-brown, the latter tinged with 

 ochreous ; abdomen and under tail-coverts white ; sides of body 

 ochreous or tawny buff ; thighs dark ashy grey ; under wing-coverts 

 and axillaries dark drab-brown ; quills dusky below, ashy along the 

 inner web. Total length 6-4 inches, culmen 0*7, wing3 - 75, tail 2-6, 

 tarsus 0*75. 



Old specimens have the tips of the primaries white, this colour 

 being gradually assumed. 



Sab. Southern and Central China, ranging northwards in summer 

 into North China and Eastern Siberia ; of doubtful occurrence in 

 Japan, according to Blakiston. 



a. J ad. sk. China. Gould Coll. 



b, c, d. cS ad. sk. ; North China. C. Maries, Esq. [C. |. 

 e, f. $ a d- sk. 



