182 



Genus HELIOPAIS, Sharpe, 1893. 



Bill from gape longer titan tarsus, stout ; culmen considerably 

 curved ; no frontal shield ; nostril elongate, pervious, placed ii^ar 

 the middle of the upper mandible : tarsus shorter than middle toe 

 without claw ; toes broadly fringed with skin, which is lobed as in 

 Coots. Wing rounded, 2nd quill or 2nd and 3rd longest, 1st 

 between 5th and Gth. Tail of 18 feathers, about half as long as 

 wing, slightly rounded, rectrices broad and stiff. Sexes slightly 

 different. 



A single species. This bird has until recently been placed in 

 the same genus as the African Podica ; but Dr. Sharpe has shown 

 that the Asiatic bird is really quite as nearly related to the 

 American Heliornis, and has rightly, I think, placed it in a distinct 

 genus. 



1406. Heliopais personate. The Mashed Finfoot. 



Podica personata, Gray, P. Z. S. 1848, p. 90, Aves, pi. 4 ; Blyth, 

 J. A. S. B. xxviii, p. 415 ; Tickcll, ibid. p. 455 ; Blyth, Ibis, 1862, 

 p. 91 ; Blanf. J. A. S. B. xxxviii, pt. 2, p. 191 ; Hume $ Oat.es, 

 S. F. iii, p. 185 ; Blyth, Birds Burm. p. 102 ; Hume 4" Dav. S. F. 



vi, p. 465; Godiv.-Aust. J. A. S. B. xlvii, pt. 2, p. 21; 

 Cat. no. 903 bis ; Gates, B. B. ii, p. 353 ; Hume, S. F. xi, p. 327. 

 Heliopais personata, Sharpe, Bull. B. O. Club, vol. i, p. xxxvii (1893) ; 

 id. Ibis, 1893, p. 439 ; id. Cat. B. M. xxiii, p. 232. 



Fig. 40. Head of H. personata. f . 



Coloration. Male. Forehead and anterior part of crown with a 

 streak running back on each side of the occiput, sides of head to 

 back of eye, chin, throat, and fore neck, ending in a point behind, 

 velvet-black, all the black area below the superciliary streaks 

 narrowly bordered with white; occiput and hind neck bluish grey; 

 sides of neck and lower fore neck light brownish olive; upper 

 parts, wings, and tail rufescent brown washed with olive, except 

 on the larger coverts; quills and rectrices, rump and upper 1ail- 

 coverrs slightly paler : breast and abdomen white, passing into 

 light brown on the sides of the body : flanks, vent, and lower 

 tail-coverts more or less barred brown and white. 



