402 BIRDS OCCURRING IN INDIA NOT DESCRIBED 



Hodgson only described a bird in cold weather or early- 

 spring' plumage, so that the distinction does not come out very 

 clearly in this ; still looking to the black wings, upper tail- 

 coverts, &c, 1 have no doubt that the name calcaratus was 

 applied to and must stand for this species. 



I reproduce from Asiatic Researches, Vol. XIX., Hodgson's 

 original description : — 



"Obviously distinguishable from the typical Wagtails by the 

 shortness of the tail, the superior height and strength of the tarsi, 

 and the longer, straighter, and extremely acuminated nails, 

 the hind one of which is longer than its toe, and in our species 

 as nearly straight as may be. 



" Length, 7*75 inches, whereof the tail is but 5°5, extending 

 only two. inches beyond the tips of the wings. Expanse of 

 wings, 11 inches; weight, less loz. ; bill, 0*62 of inch, and 

 equal to head; tarsus, 1*19 ; central toe, 062 ; hind, 0"37 ; its 

 claws, 0*44 ; above (with) the flanks grey slaty ; below, bright 

 yellow; a yellow line on each side the head, above the eye, 

 from bill to nape ; wings, six central tail feathers, and upper 

 coverts of tail black; the greater coverts of wings and the 

 alar plumes very widely margined below, and also tipped with 

 white ; the six lateral rectrices much blanched, increasingly 

 to the extremes which are nearly all white ; legs black ; bill 

 horn grey ; iris brown. 



" Female considerably less, 6*75 inches long ; similar to the 

 male, but more dull coloured, and the alar aud caudal black 

 plumes of the male, brown in her." 



605 quint.— Anthus pratensis, Lin. 



Adult in Summer. — Upper parts with the centres of the 

 feathers blackish brown, and the margins dull hair brown with 

 the faintest olive tinge, the margins being narrowest on the 

 crown and the interscapulary region ; rump almost uniform 

 brown, washed with olivaceous ; wings dark brown ; primaries 

 narrowly edged with dirty white, the inner ones having the 

 margins washed with dull olive green; inner secondaries and 

 wing-coverts broadly margined on the* outer webs with dirty 

 white, and washed with olivaceous brown ; tail dark browu ; 

 the outer rectrix white, es cepting an oblique broad patch from 

 the base nearly to the tip of the inner web ; the next in order 

 with a white patch on the inner web at the tip ; sides of the 

 head dull brown, marked With blackish brown ; uuderparts 

 white ; on the sides of the neck, breast, and flanks profusely 



