2 16 Mr. W. T. Blunford on 'Stray Feathers.' 



It is evident at once that there is but little room to insert a 

 species between P. anglorum and P. obscurus on the score of 

 size. It is, however, clear that P. persicus is not P. anglorum, 

 being distinguished, 1st, by its much shorter tarsi and mid 

 toe, which are given by Mr. Hume as measuring respectively 

 1*5 and 1*45, whilst in several specimens of P. anglorum I 

 find them to average 1*75 and 17; 2nd, by the coloration of 

 the sides of the head. In P. persicus the white of the throat 

 extends nearly up to the eye, and covers half the lores, whilst 

 in P. anglorum the dark colour of the upper parts covers the 

 lores, and extends some distance below the eye. In both these 

 characters P. persicus agrees with P. obscurus. 



A specimen of P. obscurus, from the New Hebrides, in the 

 British Museum, measures, wing 7*75 inches, tarsus 1*6, mid 

 toe 1'55, bill in a straight line from forehead to point 1*2, 

 and agrees with Mr. Hume's description of P.persicus in all 

 characters except the two followiug : — In the latter bird there 

 is said to be a white line round the eye prolonged backwards 

 from the posterior angle for from a quarter to half an inch ; 

 in the British-Museum specimen this is less developed, the 

 white not appearing above the eye nor being prolonged so 

 far backward. P. persicus is said to have the sides, axillaries, 

 flanks, and under wing-coverts near the body deep brown, 

 whilst in the New-Hebrides specimen they are white. But 

 P. obscurus (if, as all writers seem to agree, both Atlantic 

 and Pacific birds, despite slight differences in dimensions &c, 

 belong to this species) is evidently very variable ; and Atlantic 

 specimens have the flanks and axillaries brown, as in the bird 

 described by Mr. Hume. 



On the whole I do not think there is sufficient distinction 

 shown to justify the separation of P. persicus, which will, I 

 think, prove to be a variety of P. obscurus. 



To Puffinus persicus follow two species, Pomatorhinus ob- 

 scurus, from mount Abu, and Ephialtes brucei, from Ahmad- 

 nagar, probably well-marked forms. Then we have a sixth 

 Indian species assigned to the genus Drymoipus, and called 

 D. insignis ; it is said to be allied to D. sylvaticus, Jerdon, 

 but distinguished from Dr. Jerdon's description of the lattei 



