1877.] THE MARaUIS OF TWEEDDALE ON BATRACHOSTOMUS. 429 



1st quill a little more than two-thirds the length of the 2nd, which 

 is ^ of an inch shorter than the 3rd ; the 4th exceeds the 3rd by about 

 g and is slightly shorter than the 5th, which is longest. The 

 tarsus is naked behind, but feathered anteriorly for about a quarter 

 of its length. The three middle pairs of rectrices are about equal in 

 length ; the fourth pair are somewhat shorter ; the fifth pair are about 

 half the length ; and the outer pair are almost rudimentary. Wing 

 4-62, tail 4-75, tarsus 0-43, middle toe 0-50, bill from forehead 0-88, 

 width of gape 1-12. 



No. 2, 2 (1) not quite adult (?). Colonel Tickell (/. c.) described and 

 figured a species of Batrachostomus from near Toung-ngoo, in Burma, 

 which belongs to B. affinis. It is in rufous plumage, the feathers of 

 the head, upper back, and scapulars being vermiculated transversely 

 with black. No mention is made of a white nuchal band ; nor is such 

 a character indicated in tlie plate. Still this character might be 

 easily overlooked in some skins ; and Tickell described from a dried 

 specimen. The description is of sufficient importance to be published, 

 and is as follows :—" Iris sepia'. Bill fleshy horn. Legs horn. 

 Head, upper back, and scapulars bright umber, shaded ferruginous 

 on back and mingled with greyish on scapulars, the whole vermi- 

 culated crossways, black. Outer webs of two or three longest sca- 

 pulars white, bordered with black. Tertials clouded brown, ferrugi- 

 nous and grey, with black vermiculations. Wing-coverts rusty 

 vinous, broadly vermiculated black. Secondaries and primaries, 

 outer webs chesnut-rusty, with broken narrow bars of black. Inner 

 webs sepia. Tips of primaries pale and mottled. Tail cinnamon- 

 brown, shaded grey marginally and vermiculated black, and crossed 

 with five paler bars (not joining the shafts), subterminal series {sic). 

 The bars are edged black and obscurely vermiculated. All uuder- 

 parts from bill vinous rusty, with a group of white black-margined 

 patches on throat, and another across bottom of breast, below which 

 the colour is paler and broken with rusty and dusky irregular bars ; 

 this extends to lower tail-coverts. Lower back and upper tail-coverts 

 as back. A pale tawny supercilium. Lining of wings whitish. 

 Length 9 inches. Wing 4-|. Tail 4f, of which beyond body 2*. 

 Bill |. Tarsus ^^. Middle toe f ." 



This description refers to the rufous phase, when the upper plu- 

 mage is traversed and vermiculated by narrow brown lines, while 

 otherwise the bird exhibits the adult markings. 



No. 3, $ (?) young, ex Malacca {mus. nostr.). Chin and upper 

 throat tawny white ; rest of throat tawny rufous, feathers tipped brighter 

 rufous and with distinct indications of white ocelli. U|)per breast 

 the same. Lower breast-feathers tawny white, with rufous margins 

 (somewhat as in B. stellatus, $ adult). No traces of the pure white 

 drops on the lower pectoral plumes. Abdomen, ventral region, 

 and under tail-coverts sordid white, with traces of pallid rufous. 

 Frontal band and superciHum tawny rufous. Crown and occipital 

 crest-plumes as in adult. White nuchal collar distinctly indicated, 



' The colour of the iris must hare been stated to, and not observed by. Colonel 

 Tickell. ^ 



