234 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ORNITHOLOGY' OP INDIA. 



bird quite a rubetra like appearance, but this is obviously merely 

 an accidental variation, as other specimens are identical with the 

 ordinary Indian bird. 



Davison says : — "This bird is very rare at the Andamans. I only 

 met with two specimens (both of which I secured) in some open 

 ground, at Aberdeen, South Andaman. I did not meet with it at 

 the Nicobars. The few that do occur at the Andamans are very 

 probably permanent residents, for the first specimen I obtained in 

 December, and the second in April." I consider it to be eertainly 

 a mere winter visitant. I only saw one specimen and that at 

 Jolly Boy Junior early in March. 



514.— Cyanecula cserulecula, Pallas. (2.) 



As already noticed, Stray Feathers, 1873, p. 190, I have 

 not the materials for judging whether the Asiatic blue-throat 

 ought properly to be separated from the European. The Anda- 

 man birds appear to be identical with Indian ones, though they 

 seen to run a little darker. I never saw this bird, but Davison 

 says : — " The blue throat is rare at the Andamans, and I have only 

 met with it in one locality, viz., in the dry paddy flats at Aber- 

 deen, South Andaman, where it frequents the cover of a short thick 

 wiry weed that grows along the embankments of the paddy flats. 

 When disturbed it generally only flies a short distance, and then 

 plunges into cover again, occasionally seating itself on a stump 

 or clod of earth. It is only a seasonal visitant, I found it for 

 the first time about the first week in April immediately on my 

 return from the Nicobars. At the Nicobars I did not observe it." 



518— Arundinax sedon, Pallas. (18.) 



The Andaman specimens do not differ from others obtained 

 in the neighbourhood of Calcutta. We preserved numerous 

 specimens, and the following is a resume of the measurements 

 recorded in the flesh ; individuals differ a good deal in size, but 

 this difference is not dependent on sex : — 



Length, 7*75 to 8'25; expanse, 9'5 to 10'25 ; wing, 3-12 to 

 3*4; tail, from vent, 3"4 to 4; tarsus, 1 to 1*12; bill, from 

 gape, 0*8 to 0'85; wings, when closed, reach to within about 

 2 # 5 of end of tail ; weight, 0*9 to 1*2 ozs. 



The legs and feet are pale bluish horny ; the upper mandible 

 is brown, of a darker or lighter shade, edged paler; the lower 

 mandible is a brownish or reddish yellow ; the irides in some 

 are yellowish, in some umber brown. 



Davison says: — "This bird is not uncommon in hedges, 

 thickets, fields, and secondary jungle, or in fact in any very 



