Major J. Biddulph on the Bh'ds of Gilgit, 63 



description. Mr. Blauford's description omits all notice of it 

 (probably accidentally^) in the Shiraz specimens ; while in 

 Mr. Moore's description oiE. nifogularis the speculum is de- 

 scribed as formed by the basal portion of the primaries being 

 white. In other respects the three descriptions coincide well 

 with each other and with the Gilgit and Chitral specimens. 



85. RUTICILLA EUYTHROGASTRA (Guld.) . 



Was extremely common during the severe winter of 1877- 

 78 down to an elevation of 5000 feet^ but in ordinary years 

 does not come much below GOOO feet. The white of the head 

 and back of neck in the male appears to be a sign of ma- 

 turity. One specimen, of which the sex is doubtful, has 

 the dull plumage of the female, but has more rufous on the 

 underpartSj and is probably a young male of the year. Of 

 the males in adult plumage some specimens have the white 

 of the head and back of the neck thickly dashed with dark 

 slaty grey, being, perhaps, males of the second year. Those 

 in the most perfect plumage have the head and back of neck 

 dull white, extending rather further down the back. 



The female is slightly smaller than the male, the wing 

 measuring from 3| to 4 inches. With the exception of the 

 wing-feathers being margined with silvery grey instead of 

 rufous, there seems to be no difference except that of size 

 between the females of R. erythrogasti'a and R. rufiventris. 



This Redstart is said to breed higher up the valley, in 

 Yassin, at an elevation of 8000 feet. 



86. RUTICILLA FRONTALIS (Vig.) . 



A summer visitor, appears in April and remains up in high 

 ground about 9000 to 10,000 feet, being only once seen in 

 Gilgit during some heavy weather in April. 



The male in breeding-plumage loses the terminal brown 

 edgings to the feathers of the head, back, throat, and breast, 

 these parts becoming uniform dusky cyaneous, while on the 

 feathers of the throat and breast a lazuline sheen appears. 



In a young bird of the year the entire head, back, and 

 breast are deep brown, each feather centred with rufous fawn- 

 colour, more largely on the breast than on the back ; the 



