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we met with “ February 18th, 1867, a fine young one in a nest, 
a nice plump little white woolly chap, as Brookes said, for all 
the world like a well-washed poodle dog !”’ 
Great differences of opinion exist, as to the identity or other- 
wise, of this species and NMwvioides ; and as to the changes of 
plumage, whether the dark, or the light birds are the oldest, &e. 
As regards its identity with NVevioides, Mr. Blyth says, 
“This species is united with the African A. Nevioides by Mr. 
G. R. Gray (B. M. Cat. B. Nepal, 2nd Hdition) ; but it is a 
considerably smaller bird, and varies much more in its colour- 
ing. I have had many alive, three or four of them together ; 
but never saw any approaching the size of the three fine 
specimens of dA. Nevioides, at present in the Zoological 
Gardens.” 
I am not in a position to decide this point, but I subjoin a 
number of accurate measurements from the fresh bird, which 
will facilitate the decision of this question elsewhere. 
As regards changes of plumage. The young one in the nest 
is yellowish white, and the young of the first year are little else 
but whity brown. In the second stage, early in their 2nd year, 
they become wood brown, and in this stage are found breeding 
although rare/y. In an intermediate stage, as I take it, late in 
the 2nd, or early in the 3rd year, they are about half wood 
brown, and half deep brown, and in the last or third stage, as I 
take it, by the beginning of the 4th year (or the end of the 3rd) 
they are throughout, deep umber, or in some, liver brown; 
which is perhaps not so dark in the first year it is assumed, as 
it becomes later. In both the intermediate and third stages, they 
are commonly found breeding, but according to my notes, out 
of every ten breeding birds, about one is in the second plumage, 
three in the intermediate, and six in the more or less dark garb. 
In all stages, there is a more or less apparent transverse barring 
in the central tail feathers, often mottled, irregular and ill- 
defined, but still distinctly visible in all but three of the enor- 
mous series in my museum; and in these three, the feathers in 
question are so abraded and bleached, that they very probably 
may have originally exhibited the bars. 
I regret extremely, that most of my notes* on this species 
have been lost, and that I have now at hand, full details of 
only four specimens. 
* I take this opportunity of again remarking, that one of my chief 
reasons for printing these crude, ill-digested notes, is my inability to find 
time to arrange them properly, and my fear, that if I delay putting them on 
permanent record, they may be lost altogether. In May 1857, I had com- 
