BLACK-BELLIED BENGAL Y. 195 



perior tail-covers. The wings are like the back, 

 but the tail-feathers, all of which are graduated, are 

 deep black. The quills are similar to those of the 

 last species, but the second is not narrowed ; claws, 

 broad and well curved ; legs and bill pale ; the latter 

 dark at its tip. 



Total length, 4 ; bill, from the gape, ^ ; wings, 

 5% ; tail beyond, 1^ ; ditto, from the base, 2 ; 

 tarsus, <|. 



CINEREOUS BENGALY. 



Estrelda carulescens, SWAINS, 



Delicate cinereous; throat pciler; belly and flanks darkest, 

 with a few snowy spots ; rump, tail-covers above and be- 

 neath, and margins of the tail-feathers crimson. 



Le Bengali gris-bleu, Vieill. Ois. Chant.^ PI. 8. Fringilla 

 cserulescens, Vieill. Ency. Meth. 986, 119. 



M. YIEILLOT, whose work upon the inter-tropical 

 finches is in many respects highly valuable, was the 

 first to describe and figure this lovely little bird ; 

 he has, however, overlooked the delicate snow-like 

 spots on the flanks, and by an error in his specific 

 character, the bill, instead of the tail^ is described 

 as red* ; the former, in several specimens that have 



* Uropygio rostroque rubris, instead of uropygio caudaque 

 rubris See Ency. Meth., p. 986. 



