EUNETTA. 439* 



black patch formed by the tips of some of the outer scapulars ; 

 longer scapulars with white edges ; lower back and rump brown,. 

 shorter upper tail-coverts vermiculated, grey and white, longer 

 coverts velvety black, glossed with green ; tail-feathers brown ; 

 primaries greyish brown, outer webs of secondaries black glossed 

 with green, especially on the inner feathers ; the falcate tertiaries 

 black, slightly glossed with green, the shafts white, and the outer 

 edge grey, a light brown terminal shaft-stripe ; wing-coverts grey r 

 passing into white on the larger coverts ; breast and abdomen 

 white, the breast with broad crescentic dark brown bands that 

 break up on the abdomen and pass on the sides and flanks into 

 narrow vermiculate bars ; lower tail-coverts black in the middle, 

 with a large buff patch on each side, separated from a white spot 

 on the lower flanks by black. After the breeding-season the male 

 moults into a plumage much like that of the female. 



Fig. 1 12. Head of E. falcata. 



Female. Head and neck brown streaked with whitish, much, 

 paler beneath ; back and scapulars brown, with concentric pale 

 rufous bands ; lower back and rump blackish : upper tail-coverts 

 brown, with concentric pale bands ; tail-feathers brown ; quills 

 brown ; speculum black, slightly glossed with green ; wing-coverts 

 greyish brown, with pale edges, especially the greater coverts; 

 upper breast and sides dull rufous, with concentric brown bars ; 

 abdomen whitish, with a few bars or spots ; under tail-coverts 

 rufescent, with brown marks. 



Bill black in the male, greenish black in the female; irides 

 brown ; legs and feet drab with an olive tinge (Hume). 



Length of male 20; tail 3; wing 10; tarsus 1-5 ; bill from 

 gape 2*1. Females are smaller : wing 9. 



The female of this species may be distinguished from other forms- 

 by its speculum. 



Distribution. A common migratory bird of Eastern Asia, rarely 

 met with to the westward and in Europe, but an occasional winter 

 visitor to Northern India, individuals having been recorded from 

 Bahawalpur, Karnal, Ferozepore, Delhi, Lucknow (several speci- 

 mens), Purneah, probably the Calcutta bazaar, and Upper Burma, 

 near Bhamo. 



