428 THE MARCIUIS OF TWEEDDALE ON BATRACHOSTOMUS. [May 15, 



which are bright rufous ; above the white mark a narrow dark brown 

 line which separates the white of the V-mark from the white bases of 

 the lateral webs, these forming a narrow white margin to the shaft, 

 which is white ; below the white V-mark another dark brown sepa- 

 rating line, remainder of the webs grey or greyish brown : with each 

 feather the extent and outline of the white markings slightly varies ; 

 but taken together a white irregular demicoUar is formed, which is 

 partly concealed by the rufous tips of its constituent feathers. 

 Springing from below this collar and from the sides of the upper 

 breast are many elongated bright rufous plumes, bearing a pure 

 white ocellum about the middle of each. These ocelli are separated 

 from the rufous colour of each feather by a narrow but distinct dark 

 brown encircling line. Below these breast-feathers is another series 

 traversing the lower breast and upper abdomen ornamented in a 

 similar manner ; but the spots are larger, and elongated rather than 

 round, and on each side of the shaft above the drop the webs at 

 their base are white ; the white spots on the lower abdominal fea- 

 thers are fewer in number, smaller in size, and more irregular in form. 

 As on the throat, all these white markings are much concealed by the 

 overlapping of the rufous tips and margins. Some of the scapulars 

 have a long bold white centre, separated from the rufous by a nar- 

 row dark brown line. On the shorter scapulars the white mark is 

 small ; and on the longer scapulars the white only occupies the outer 

 half of the feather. Several of the nuchal feathers are traversed by 

 a pure white band, which is bounded above and below by a narrow 

 dark brown line, the tips of the feathers being rufous. The unex- 

 posed inner webs of all the quills are uniform brown above, paler 

 underneath. The outer webs of the primaries are pale rufous, with a 

 few narrow transverse brown marks. Excepting the first and second 

 primaries the pale rufous colour of the outer webs continues round 

 the tips of the quills onto the inner webs, slightly increasing in ex- 

 tent with each quill. Underneath, the outer webs are also pale 

 rufous, the brown marks hardly showing through. The shafts above 

 are rufous brown, below pale rufous or yellowish rufous. The ground- 

 colour of the rectrices is a dull rufous, of a somewhat darker hue than 

 that of the tertiaries. They are traversed at almost equal intervals 

 by a series of some seven or eight obscure ill-defined darker rufous 

 or brownish-rulbus bands, margined above and below by a narrow 

 irregular zigzag darker brown line. On the outer rectrices these dark 

 lines are broader, and the interspaces are darker brown. The basal 

 half of the inner webs of the rectrices (middle pair excepted) is cut 

 into with white or tawny white. The short outermost pair have a 

 white or tawny spot on both webs and another higher up. The 

 second outer pair have two tawny white marks on the outer web. 

 Under surface of rectrices pallid rufous, the dark bands showing 

 through. Under tail-coverts yellowish white, some tipped and 

 otherwise marked with rufous. Thigh-coverts tawny. Axillaries 

 grey tipped with rufous. Under wing-coverts mixed grey, rufous, 

 and tawny white. The stiff elongated narial and frontal bristles 

 are tawny rufous tipped black. The bill is massive and typical. 



