1877.] INHABITING THE INDIAN EEGION. 453 



When compared with fully-plumaged rufous adults of the other species, the absence of their 

 finished white markings and the decided coloration on the under plumage lead to the inference 

 that B. stellatus, as it always seems to come to us from Malacca and Borneo, represents an 

 intermediate stage of plumage. For long it was considered by several Indian writers, myself 

 among the number, to be the young stage of £. jamnensis, the pallid rufous-margined lower 

 pectoral and abdominal feathers being very similar to what we find in B. nffinis juv. Assuming 

 that birds with the caudal bands complete, the chin and throat uniform rufous, and the back 

 unfreckled are the most adult, I will describe the following example : — 



? (■?) adult (■?), ex Malacca. General aspect above bright rufous. Frontal plumes tawny 

 rufous, also supercilium. Crown, occipital crest-plumes, auriculars, cheeks, back, wing-coverts, 

 and uropygium rich deep chestnut. A series of nuchal plumes grey at the insertion, lower down 

 slightly tinged with rufous, then a narrow transverse blackish line, followed by a broader pure 

 white band edged with black, and then, in some, a rufous tip. A black-edged white nuchal P.Z.S.1S77, 

 collar is thus formed. The minor wing-coverts are unspotted ; but at the tips of the greater ^' ^^^' 

 coverts are to be found a large white spot, mostly occupying the outer web and bordered above 

 by a dark brown line. In some this dark line surrounds the inner margin of the white spot. 

 Some of the scapulars have the greater part of both webs of the lower half white ; others have 

 only the outer webs white. These white marks are all more or less edged with brown. The 

 primaries and secondaries have their inner webs uniform brown, the outer webs being pale rufous 

 with irregular rufous-brown marks at intervals, adjoining the shaft; the exposed part of the 

 tertiaries is more or less uniform rufous. The upper tail-coverts are rufous, with one or two 

 pairs of tawny-rufous spots or transverse bars. Rectrices dull rufous, stippled with a few minute 

 brown dots, and ti'aversed by five or six narrow tawny-rufous bands, each being margined above 

 and below with a narrow brown line. Terminal narrow fringe of rectrices dark brown, in some 

 surrounded by a rufous edging; in the laterals the pale bands on the inner webs are mostly 

 almost white. Under surface of rectrices as above, but all tints much paler. Chin and throat 

 dingy rufous, some of the throat-feathers and most of the upper pectoral having pallid tawny 

 centres, most conspicuous on the breast, crossed by a pale brown line and fringed with bright 

 rufous. This combination imparts a scale-like appearance to the breast, but has a slight re- 

 semblance to the pure white breast and throat-banding in B. affiiiis $ . The lower pectoral 

 feathers are of the same character, but, being much larger, more of the pallid tawny hue is 

 exposed. The abdominal and fiank-plumes are of the same pallid hue, but are scarcely fringed 

 with bright rufous. The ventral region and under tail-coverts same as abdomen, but with still 

 less rufous edgings. The narial bristles are tawny rufous, darker towards the tips. Under 

 wing-coverts almost vinous tawny, varied with rufous or brown; axillaries white. Wing o^O, 

 tail 5'25, tarsus 0'50, middle toe 0'G3, bill from forehead 1"12, width of gape I'ol. 



In some examples the nuchal collar-plumes have two transverse brown bars above the 

 white. The white portion and, indeed, the whole of the markings also occur tinged with rufo- 

 fulvous. 



Mr. Gould's type specimen scarcely diff"ers from the above description. Its rufous plumage 

 is of a deeper bay tone ; the caudal bands do not touch the shaft, and they are rufous, and not 

 tawny rufous. This phase is to be found in Malaccan and Bornean examples. In less-mature (?) 



3.\ 



