EUSPIZA. 187 



whence it gradually widens so as to occupy the tip, and the whole of 

 both webs ; the rump and upper tail-coverts are much the same as the 

 back, but in some specimens slightly more rufous than the lower back, 

 and the longest of the coverts are in some specimens very narrowly 

 tipped with very pale fulvous white ; the tail is hair brown, darker than 

 the brown portion of the quills ; all the feathers externally very 

 narrowly margined with pale rufous, except the external feather on 

 each side, which has the whole outer web of that colour; the throat 

 and upper breast are greyish white or grey, with more or less numerous 

 and conspicuous black median stripes on the feathers. Specimens differ 

 widely in this respect ; in some the greyish white is a mere edging to 

 dusky black feathers; in others only a few black spots, and streaks 

 peep out of an almost unbroken grey, and this among specimens killed 

 at the same time, and of apparently the same age ; the lower breast 

 and the whole lower parts uf the body are pale greyish rufous, all the 

 bases of the feathers (only seen if the tips are lifted) being a sort of 

 bluish dusky ; the axillaries, wing lining, and in fact the whole lower 

 surface of the wings, except the points of the quills, a pale delicate 

 salmon rufous." 



" The Female only differs in being generally somewhat smaller, in 

 having the white, grey, and black of the head, neck, throat and breast 

 much duller (and in many specimens overcast with a sandy or pale 

 rufous shade), the various stripes being less well marked and in having 

 the dark spots and streaks of the throat and breast almost obsolete." 



Male. Female. 



Length 5*75 to 5*97 5'o to o-\) 



Expanse 9-37 „ 9-75 9 „ 9-5 



Tail from vent 2-45 „ 2-75 2-2 „ 2-72 



Wing from carpal joint to tip of longest 



primary 2-96 „ S"! 2-87 „ 2-OG 



When closed reaching within 1"1 to I'S 1*1 „ 1"7 of the end of tail. 



Foot 1 „ 1-1 ]• 1 „ 117 



Width -63 „ -8 -72 „ -8 



Eill at front "36 „ '39 -35 „ '38 



Legs and feet were in some pale waxy yellow, in some dingy, in 

 some fleshy yellow, or yellowish fleshy. The feet especially at the 

 joints more or less tinged with brownish ; the claws rather pale brown ; 

 the bill had the upper mandible brown, in some blackish brown ; the 

 lower in some waxy, in some fleshy, and in some dingy yellow ; irides 

 brown.— C'if^me, Ibis, 18G9.") 



Hah. — Sind, Punjab, N. W. Provinces, and Beloochistan, affecting- 

 sandy plains; also Rajputana, Kutch and Guzerat. In Sind, chiefly the 

 barren hills, during winter. 



Euspiza-— -Bi:*- 



Bill longer and stronger than in Emberiza, nearly conic and very 

 slightly scooped at the tip ; nostrils partly hidden by plumes ; 2nd to 4th 

 quills longest; tail slightly forked ; tarsi and toes scutate. 



