356 THE BIRDS OF GILGIT. 



the tertiaries, which are rounded ; the edgings of the pri- 

 maries are more rufous, the outer web of the first large 

 primary being rosy ; the patch behind the eye is fulvesceut 

 instead of white, and the dark markings on the breast are 

 more shaded off and not so decided ; the centre tail-feathers 

 are black instead of dark brown, and the outer tail-feathers 

 fulvescent white. "Wing, 3£ inches ; tail, 2£ ; tarsus, f ; bill at 

 front, £. Of the large primaries the second and third are equal, 

 and first and fourth are equal, with -| inch between the tertiaries 

 and primaries. The legs are much more transparent looking 

 than in the other specimens, all of which are in worn and 

 faded plumage, with the feathers much abraded. 



The distinctions pointed out by Brooks between A. gut- 

 tata and A. gulgula hold good, except that the tendency 

 of the spots to coalesce at the sides of the breast, which the 

 specific name has reference to, is not at all well marked. The 

 most notable distinctive points are the albescent hue of the 

 plumage of the underparts and the larger size. 



182.— Galerita cristata, Lin. (769). 



This is one of the very few birds that remain in Gilgit all 

 the year round ; it is very common. 



183 — Alsocomus hodgsoni, Vig. (783). 



Procured only in the forests at about 8,000 feet elevation, 

 where it seems tolerably common. A male shot in July lacks 

 the white spotting on the flanks described by Jerdon. 



184.— Columba casiotis, Bp. (784). 



A single specimen, a female, belonging to this species was 

 procured in the main valley on 24th April. Jerdon's de- 

 scription hardly represents correctly the amount of white on 

 the wing. The outermost secondary coverts are pure white, 

 forming a conspicuous longitudinal patch extending for over 

 3£ inches down from the carpal joint. The primaries are 

 margined with white, each except the second less conspi- 

 cuously than the one before it, gradually shading into ashy, 

 but not sufficiently broad to form a bar (as stated by Jerdon). 

 The neck-patch is clayey buff or ochraceous ; and the green 

 gloss prevails above the patch, and the amethystine below. 

 This style of colouration of the neck-patch also appears in 

 specimens from Kumaon ; and the distinction referred to by 

 Jerdon, as pointed out by Blyth, does not hold good. Weight, 

 llf ounces. Length, 16*8 inches; wing, 10*1 ; tail, 6*8; tarsus, 

 1*3; bill at gape, 1*1 ; bill from, front 085. Irides, yellowish 

 white. A few other specimens were seen at elevations of over 

 8,000 feet during the summer, but not one during the winter. 



