SPEL^ORNIS. 451 



Genus SPEUEORNIS Sharpe, 1881. 



The name Urocichla is pre-occupied but the birds placed by 

 Sharpe in that genus are congeneric with those which he placed 

 in his following new genus Spelceornis in the Catalogue of Birds. 

 This name is therefore applicable. 



The birds of this genus have short, rounded tails of 10 feathers 

 only ; the plumage is soft and full and the feathers squamated ; 

 the bill is like that of Elachura and Troglodytes but stouter than 

 either ; the tarsi are long and strong and the feet the same. The 

 sexes are alike but the young differ from the adults in being 

 unmarked above and, generally, in having redder wing-quills. 



Key to Species. 



A. Lower plumage without any black and [p. 451. 



white bars S. longicaudatus, 



B. Lower plumage barred with black and 



white S. caudatus, p. 456. 



Spelaeornis longicaudatus. 



Key to Subspecies. 



A. Under parts fulvous-rufous, neither barred [p. 452. 



nor spotted S. I. longicaudatus, 



B. Under parts rufous with black terminal 



spots S.I. chocolatimis, p. 453. 



C. Under parts principal!}' grey, more or less 



tinged with rufous on flanks. 

 . No distinct spots on lower plumage S. 1. reptatus, p. 455. 



b. Lower plumage conspicuously marked 



with dark brown terminal and dull 



white subterrrinal spots 8.1. sinlumensis, p. 453. 



c. Sides ot breast more strongly tinged with 



rufous and spotting on lower plumage 



less conspicuous S. 1. kauriensis, p. 454. 



D. Whole lower plumage practically white 



with triangular black tips S. I. oate&i, p. 455. 



At present there is so little material available for examination 

 that it is difficult to say whether or not some of the hitherto 

 so-called species are even good subspecies and with better series 

 some may have to be done away with. Spelceornis I. Jcauriensis, 

 for instance, is very probably nothing more than feebly marked 

 specimens of 8. I. sinlumensis, both occurring in the Bliamo Hills 

 at about the same elevation. On the other hand, more material 

 might possibly show that in Spelceornis longicaudatus, Spelceornis 

 sinlumensis and Spelceornis oatesi we have three quite good species. 

 For the present it seems safer to retain them all as geographical 

 races of lonyicaudatus, dealing with them more definitely when 

 we have more specimens for examination. 



