MELOPHrs. 2G5 



The differeuce in plumage in winter and summer is in this 

 species very trifling. 



Female. Resembles the male closely but is somewhat duller in 

 coloration. 



Iris brown ; legs and feet yellowish fleshy ; claws pale brown ; 

 upper mandible dark brown, lower fleshy brown {Hume Coll.). 



Length nearly 6 ; tail 2*6 ; wing 3-1 ; tarsus -6 ; bill from 

 gape "45. 



Distribution. A permanent resident in a great portion of the 

 plains of the north-west portion of the Empire from Sind to 

 Etawah in the N.W. Provinces and from the Punjab down to 

 Cutch. This species also occurs as far as Saugor in the Central 

 Provinces. It extends westwards to Arabia and Palestine. 



Habits, 4'c- Breeds in November and December, and probably 

 also a second time in June or July, constructing a nest cf grass 

 under or between blocks of stone. The eggs are marked with 

 brown of various shades and measure about "76 by - 56. 



Genus MELOPHUS, Swains., 1837. 



In the genus Melophus both sexes are crested, the crest of the 

 female being shorter than that of the male, and the tail is more 

 even or square at the lip than in Emberiza. The sexes are very 



Fig. 71. — Head of M. melanicterus. 



differently coloured, but both have a considerable amount of red on 

 the wings and tail. The only Bunting of this genus affects rocky 

 hill-sides and the banks of streams, and is solitary in its habits. 



803. Melophus melanicterus. The Crested Bunting. 



Frinpilla melanictera, Gm. Si/st. Nat. i, p. 910 (1788). 



Emberiza cristata, Vigors, P. Z. S. 1831, p. 35. 



Euapiza lathanh (J. E. Or.), Bli/fh, Cat. p. 129. 



Melophus melanicterus (Gm.), Hvrsf. &,• M. Cat. ii, p. 489; Jerd. 

 B. I. ii, p. 381 ; Hume, N. 8f E. p. 467 ; Anders. Yunjian Exped., 

 Aves, p. G04 ; Hume, <S'. F. vii, p. 517 ; id. Cat. no. 724 ; Scully, 

 S. F. viii, p. 334 ; Oates, B. B. i, p. 357 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. 



