IN JERDON OR STRAY FEATHERS. 373 



as I know, no absolute certainty as to what it is or where it 

 came from, I transcribe Blyth's description and remarks : 



" Upper parts brownish ashy ; the wings and tail brown, with 

 a russet tinge ; throat and front of the neck rust coloured ; 

 the rest of the lower parts brown, rayed (the feathers tipped in 

 the figure) with whitish ; vent and lower tail-coverts russet ; 

 axillary tufts brilliant violet ; bill and tarsi black ; the lower 

 mandible whitish beneath. Length about 4 inches • the closed 

 wing 2*25 inch. Procured by Dr. Reynard in Trincomali. I 

 have not seen this bird, nor was it known to Mr. Layard." — 

 Blyth, « Ibis," 1867. 



248 quint.— Sitta neumayeri, Michah. 



Adult Male. — Entire upper parts lead blue, rather darker on 

 the forehead ; loral space and a broad line passing through 

 and beyond the eye to the nape black; quills bluish brown, 

 slightly edged with russet, as are also the larger wing-coverts ; 

 tail blackish brown ; the two central feathers being, however, 

 lead blue, the outermost feathers on each side having a russet 

 spot at the tip of the inner webs, and the outer web at the 

 base slightly edged with the same colour ; cheeks, throat, 

 auriculars, and entire under parts white, tinged with russet on 

 the abdomen, this tinge being more conspicuous on the flanks 

 and the lower portion of the abdomen ; thighs pale russet ; 

 under tail-coverts pale russet ; each feather having a large cen- 

 tral mark of dull bluish grey ; bill horn colour ; under man- 

 dible much lighter at the base and to two-thirds of its length ; 

 legs lead grey ; iris dark brown. Total length, Scinches; 

 culmen, 0*8; wing, 3; tail, 2 ; tarsus, 0*9. 



Female. — Similar to the male, but generally somewhat larger 

 in size. One obtained by Dr. Kriiper in Macedonia, in Novem- 

 ber 1869, measures 5"4 inches in length; wing, 3*25 ; tail, 2"1; 

 culmen, 0"95; tarsus, 0'95. 



A female from Kokand differs in being much lighter in co- 

 lour than specimens from Asia Minor ; and the stripe behind 

 the eye is larger, extending 1£ inch from the eye; and the 

 secondaries and wing-coverts are indistinctly edged with rufous. 

 In this specimen the culmen measures 1 inch; wing, 3'5 ; tarsus, 

 1-05. This, however, is in all probability an unusually large 

 bird, as two others from the same locality measure as follows : — 

 Culmen, 0'95 and 1 inch; wing, 33 and 35; tail, 2'2 and 2*4; 

 tarsus, 0'98 and 1, one being in general size apparently smaller 

 than the specimen from Macedonia above referred to. 



48 



