354 AI.AUDIDjE. 



this, and sometimes again the collar is only represented by a larger or smaller 

 nuchal patch. This is perhaps the most common form, and hence the name 

 melanauchen. 



"The interscapulary region is a pale earthy brown, sometimes with a sandy 

 tinge ; the wings rather darker, but all the feathers with a pale whitey brown 

 edging ; inner webs of quills darker, a sort of pale hair-brown ; central tail 

 feathers slightly paler than tertiaries ; rest of tail feathers deep brown, but the 

 outer web of the exterior feather white or nearly so, and the inner half or more 

 of the inner web pale whitey brown ; rump and upper tail coverts pale earthy 

 or sandy brown, noticeably paler than the interscapulary region ; flanks much 

 the same colour as the rump. 



" The female has the chin, throat, abdomen, vent, and lower tail coverts 

 white, with more or less traces of a very faint fawny tinge ; a broad ill-defined 

 pale tawny band, which is sometimes feebly striated darker, covers the breast. 

 The axillaries and lesser lower coverts about the ulna are deep brown, some- 

 times almost as deep as the breast of the male. 



" The female also wants the white frontal band and patch on the sides of the 

 head, the white occipital band, the dark brown, and dark sides of the neck, 

 and of course the dark collar or dark nuchal patch so common in the males ; 

 the whole top of the head is unicolorous or nearly so with the interscapulary 

 region, though the feathers are generally feebly darker centred. The rest of 

 the upper surface is much as in the male, but as a rule sandier and less earthy 

 in tinge. The males are distinguished at once from those of grisea by their 

 dark crowns. Both sexes are distinguished by their somewhat larger size 

 (Wings in grisea taken at random measure Males, 3 f o8 ; 3*07; 3-0; 3*01 ; 

 3-1. Females, 2-99; 3-0; 2-9; 2*99; 3-06; 2-9; 2-87; 2-95,) and their 

 somewhat larger bills. Females are further distinguishable by their whiter 

 under surface, paler upper surface, and especially crowns, and by their deep 

 coloured axillaries, which in grisea are little darker than the breast. In this 

 latter species the lesser lower coverts about the ulna are dark brown in the 

 female, but not nearly so deep as in melanauchcn. Dimensions, as under : 

 Length. Expanse. Tail. Wing. Tarsus. Bill at Gape. Culmen. 



Male. 5 -6 1 io'i 2-2 3-2 O'6 0-5 0*55 



5- 6 10*0 2-2 3-17 0-7 0-47 0*56 



Female 5* 4 icro 2'o 3-11 0*69 0*48 0^52 



5- 6 9-6 2-1 3-02 07 0-49 0-52 



" Irides brown ; the bill from pale whitey brown, bluish on lower mandible 

 to pearly white with a bluish tinge ; the legs and feet pale whitey brown, pale 

 hoary fleshy or pale brownish fleshy." (Hume, Sir. F. vii. p. 46.) 



Hab. Sind, Kutch, Jodhpore, Rajputana generally, and in Jeysulmere ; also 

 in Beloochistan and Southern Persia, affecting ploughed lands and cultivation. 



