Ornithology of Gilgit. 423 



it will be noticed, are conspicuously smaller than even the 

 males of the race I call M. melanotis. I at first thought that 

 these two specimens might be Milvus migrans, which has 

 been recorded from Afghanistan; but on comparison with 

 specimens of the latter species from Sarepta, it became evi- 

 dent that the Gilgit birds are distinct. 



24. Syrnium biddulphi, sp. nov. (Plate XIV.) 

 Adult female. Crown and space between the facial disks 

 uniform blackish brown ; occiput, nape, and hind neck dark 

 brown, the feathers indented on the margins with greyish 

 white, giving a spotted appearance to this region. Back, 

 minor and median wing-coverts, rump and upper tail-coverts 

 greyish brown, profusely vermiculated with greyish white ; 

 the scapulars and median wing-coverts with large white spots 

 on their outer webs. Primaries and their coverts dark brown, 

 with pale ochraceous- brown bars and tips, which are stippled 

 with dark brown, the bars on the outer webs of the third to 

 sixth primaries creamy white, slightly mottled with brown ; 

 secondaries pale brown, freckled with irregular greyish white 

 bars, which become pure white on the margins of the inner 

 webs. Uropygials pale greyish brown, irregularly vermicu- 

 lated with dark brown, and having only indications of one or 

 two very narrow imperfect bars near the tips ; the next pair 

 of rectrices with the outer webs unbarred, and coloured like 

 the uropygials, the inner webs broadly barred with dull 

 brown ; the rest of the tail-feathers dark brown, irregiilarly 

 barred on both webs with pale ochreous, which becomes nearly 

 white towards the margins of the inner webs ; all the rectrices 

 tipped with white. Facial disk greyish white, the feathers 

 with blackish shafts and two or three narrow bars of dark 

 brown across both webs ; the ruff surrounding the disk 

 blackish brown, beautifully barred with white, above the an- 

 terior part of the eye and on the chin the white bars suffused 

 with rufous. Underparts white, all the feathers with a central 

 broad streak of blackish brown, and complete transverse bars 

 on both webs of the same colour, the feathers of the fore neck 

 having one bar, those on the breast two, on the abdomen 



2g2 



