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No. 48. Poliornis Teesa,* FRANKLIN. 
Tur Wuitt-Evep Buzzarp. 
This species, in Upper India, lays almost exclusively in 
April. I have one record of a single egg, taken on the 27th of 
* Poliornis Teesa. 
Dimenstons. [The sexes appear to differ little in size. The females 
are generally larger, but some males (by dissection) that I have measured, 
exceed other equally well ascertained females. I do not therefore give 
the dimensions of the sexes separately |. 
Length, 16 to 18'2. Expanse, 36 to 39. Wing 11 to 12'5; the 3rd or 4th 
primary the longest, or these two sub-equal; the Ist from 2°9 to 3°15, and 
the second from 0°65 to 0.85 shorter. Tail, from 6°65 to 7°5 ; exterior tail 
feathers from 0°2 to 0°7 shorter than central ones. Tarsus from 2 to 2°15; 
and feathered in front for from 0°4 to 0°9. Foot, greatest length, from 2°88 
to 3°38; greatest width from 2°5 to 3°15; mid toe 1:29 to 132; its claw, 
straight, from 0.56, to 0°75 ; mid toe, from 0°65 to 0°75 ; its claw, straight, 
from 0°69 to 0°75. Bill, straight, from edge of cere to point, from 0°80 to 
0:83; ditto along curve, from 0°86 to 0:9 ; from gape, from 0-4 to 0-44; width 
at gape, 1 to 11; height at front, at margin of cere, 0'4 to 0°48; length of 
cere only, from 0°35 to 0'4; the wings, when closed, reach to within about 
0°9 ofend of tail, and lower tail coverts reach to within from 3 to 3°4 of 
ditto. 
Description. Legs and feet, dingy orange yellow ; claws black; scute 
conspicuous ; a row of somewhat hexagonal ones on front of tarsus, exteriorly, 
rest of tarsal scales, somewhat small and reticulate. Jzdes, pale yellowish 
white ; orbits, feathered white, a conspicuous row of dark eyelashes ; edges of 
lids, orange yellow, bare shelf above eye dingy yellowish, L7//, cere and gape, 
and base of lower mandible, bright orange; upper mandible, immediately at 
junction with cere, and lower mandible just beyond the orange patch, fleshy, 
or pale brownish white, the rest of both mandibles horn black. Tongue, 
moderate, hastate, entire, with a faint central depression. Lores white, the 
clothing feathers with elongated, dark brown, naked, hair-like shafts. A 
patch on either side of the culmen, and a line above it, on the forehead 
white. The whole of the rest of the top and back of the head, a sort of 
umber brown, the feathers faintly margined paler, and shafted darker. A 
triangular or diamond-shaped patch of white feathers on the nape, most 
of which have the shafts brown at the tips, and many of which, towards the 
centre of the patch, have brown spots towards the tips. The ear coverts very 
Jax, a nearly uniform brown. Sides and back of neck, and upper back, and 
most of the scapulars, a slightly lighter brown than the crown, with con- 
spicuously darker shafts, obscurely tipped with a slightly paler and more sandy 
brown, and with the trace of a greyish shade towards the base, in some 
specimens these parts have a decidedly rufoustinge. Rest of back, rump 
and upper tail coverts, rufous brown, most rufous on the latter, all with dark 
brown shafts, and the coverts narrowly tipped with fulvous white, or paler 
rufous brown, and with a trace of a grey mottled bar just inside the tipping. 
All the tail feathers tipped fulvous white, and with a subterminal blackish 
brown band. Centre tail feathers above this band, chestnut, in some tinged grey 
rufous, with the trace of a broad, longitudinal, grey bar down each web more 
or Jess, and faint traces of from 1 to 5, narrow, transverse, dark brown bands. 
