42 PTEROCLID/E. 



the upper tail coverts buffy yellow, all but the longest obscurely tipped with a 

 somewhat pinkish mouse colour. They are more or less pale dove colour at 

 their bases, which colour however is not seen till the feathers are lifted. The 

 central tail feathers have the pointed tips black, in many specimens more or 

 less tinged hoary buffy, and the rest of the visible portion yellowish buff, but 

 the bases, as may be seen on lifting the feathers, are greyish ; the lateral tail 

 feathers are a greyish brown at base, dark-shafted, with conspicuous white 

 tips, and broad blackish brown subterminal bands ; the primaries are pale 

 isabelline, the shafts conspicuous and black ; they have broad ill-defined 

 subterminal brown bands, beyond which there is a narrow paler tipping, and 

 they are pretty conspicuously margined on their inner webs towards the tips 

 with still paler isabelline. The first primary has the outer web browner, the 

 others have the outer webs, especially toward the bases, a brighter isabelline. 

 The whole visible portions of the lesser coverts and of the primary greater 

 coverts are yellowish fawn, or isabelline, varying much in shade in different 

 specimens ; these greater coverts are dark shafted, and with a brownish tinge 

 next the shafts on the inner webs ; the scapulars bluish grey at the bases, 

 tipped broadly, but chiefly on the outer webs, with buffy yellow, and the lesser 

 ones tinged immediately above the yellow with a somewhat brownish purple, 

 or dull greyish vinaceous. The secondary, median, and greater coverts like 

 the lesser scapulars, but showing more of the vinaceous hue. The secon- 

 daries are brown, lighter towards their bases. The lower part of the neck in 

 front and upper breast are nearly the same blue grey or greyish fawn as the 

 back of the neck ; the lower breast, abdomen, sides, flanks, axillaries, and 

 wing lining isabelline or desert colour ; the upper abdomen often with a faint 

 orange buffy tinge. A broad irregular deep brown patch runs down the 

 centre of the abdomen to the vent ; the lower tail-coverts are greyish brown 

 at their bases, but are broadly tipped with white (often tinged buffy or isabel- 

 line) which is the only colour visible until the feathers are lifted. The lower 

 surfaces of the quill shaft? -re white. 



"The female has the ^^ilow chin and throat patch like the male, but 

 paler; the lores and feathers immediately encircling the eye pale isabelline 

 white ; the whole upper parts and the neck ail round pure isabelline, tinged 

 slightly rufous on the occiput, nape, and back, and conspicuously spotted 

 with dull, somewhat greyish, black ; the spots on the forehead and front part 

 of the head are small and irregular ; on the nape and occiput they are more 

 or less arranged in rows (so as to produce more of a striated appearance) and 

 in a band running from behind the eye round the nape, they are very much 

 more densely set ; on the upper tail coverts they are larger ; while on the 

 scapulars they take the form of double spots or irregular bars. The primaries 

 and their greater coverts are much as in the male, but paler ; the central tail 

 feathers are isabelline, dark shafted, the point greyish black, and the rest of 

 the feather with narrow, transverse, irregular bars of the same colour on both 



