58 GAME-BIRDS OF INDIA 



are yet three more of these pale Snipe, but one of them has numerous 

 feathers on the back and scapulars with normal coloured patches upon 

 them, and the tail also is practically normally coloured; this bird, 

 which was obtained by Major Harington in March, 1896, at Meerut, 

 is in full unabraded plumage, and it is impossible to say whether it is 

 in course of losing its colouration or commencing to re-acquire it. 



A fourth, and far more interesting specimen, is one sent by Mr. 

 N. Z. Nicholas from Siud. In general plumage this is the palest 

 bird I have seen, but the median and greater wing-coverts are normal, 

 as are the quills and under-surface of the wings, including the axil- 

 laries. This probably is a specimen which had originally lost its 

 colouring through shock or injury, and is now gradually recovering. 

 The feet of this bird are distinctly dark, and the beak also appears to 

 have been so in life. 



There is a very beautiful specimen of the Fantail in the Indian 

 Museum, recently presented by Messrs. Manton and Co., and pro- 

 cured in the vicinity of Calcutta, which is of a still more rare form 

 than either the pale or melanistic variety. From this bird every 

 atom of red colouring has been eliminated, and the consequence is 

 that the whole plumage consists of various tones and shades of grey, 

 ranging from pure white on the under parts to the deep velvety black 

 of the scapulars. The bird as a whole gives one the impression of 

 being a lovely dark silver grey. 



The cause of this bird's colouration is undoubtedly the exhaustion 

 of the rufous colouring pigment. The question of pigmentation as 

 applied to plumage is still in its infancy, and it is not easy to lay 

 down the law on the subject with our present scanty knowledge. 

 Our piebald Snipes and other birds generally have the white plumage 

 caused by some local injury which completely checks circulation of 

 all pigment to the part injured ; on the other hand, the uniformly pale 

 fawn Snipe appear to have lost the power of generating the dark 

 pigment and to have their rufous pigment deficient as well. Sickness 

 in many birds causes loss of brilliance in colouration, and in some 

 cases actual loss of colour, heat with humidity increases depth and 

 brilliance, and a dry sun combined with open country causes excessive 

 evaporation and consequent bleaching. 



Colonel G. H. Evans records having seen five so-called white 



