Capt. R. C. Beavan on various Indian Birds. 447 



not white. Length 5'75 ; wing 3-0625 ; tail 2'25 ; tarsus 

 1*0625 ; spread of foot uijderneath 1"3125 ; bill from front '5, 

 from gape '75 ; extent 9"25. 



486. Pratincola ferrea. Dark-grey Bush-Chat. 



Darjeeling collection, 1862. Two specimens. 



I found this species very abundant about Simla in 186G, and 



The male killed on 4th May has the irides dark brown, A 

 long supercilium, extending from the base of the bill to nape, 

 white ; head and ear-coverts, from base of bill, black ; back 

 mixed black and ashy ; a white band on scapulars ; wings brown ; 

 tail the same, except outer webs of exterior tail-feathers, which 

 are white ; throat and whole underparts shiny white ; bill and 

 legs black ; upper tail-coverts ashy. It was shot off the top of 

 a small fruit-tree in the garden, where it was singing sweetly. 



The adult female has the bill, legs, and claws as in the 

 male. Head and back, including the upper wing-coverts, dark 

 brown, the feathers darker in the centre; ear-coverts dark brown, a 

 slightly white supercilium, which, however, is short ; throat and 

 breast white, mixed with slight rusty on abdomen and under 

 tail-coverts; upper tail-coverts and outer webs of tail-feathers 

 bright rufous ; quills of wings and tail brown ; the secondary 

 wing-coverts slightly tipped with fulvous brown. It was shot 

 off the nest, which was carefully concealed in a hole at the root of 

 a tree not far from the house. It is a neat cup, the outside and 

 bottom composed of dry moss, lined inside with horsehair and 

 straws of grass ; depth outside 2-5, inside 1*75; diameter in- 

 side 2-5 ; outside 4-25. Number of eggs, four. Colour, light 

 or pale greenish-blue, with a ring of rusty brown near the blunt 

 end, and a few reddish-brown spots (lightly and indistinctly 



