ASSAM, SYLHET AND CACHAR. 3S 



This is not obliterated in good specimens, but is far less distinct 

 than in life ; in bad specimens it is just to be traced and 

 that is all. 



There is no such excessively narrow, strongly-contrasting 

 superciliary line in unicolor. 



When first discriminating it T referred to the excessive 

 delicacy of the feathering of the tarsi in this species. All 

 the specimens I shot in Manipur had the tarsi completely 

 feathered when I picked them up. Now, while several tarsi 

 are quite bare and several only partially feathered, only two 

 show the complete feathering. Though the attachment of the 

 string has something to do with it, the mischief I found was 

 chiefly done during the skinning. 



The following are full particulars of a pair : — 



? 

 Wings of others vary from 49 to 5*2. 



Tarsi and toes brownish fleshy ; tips of toes and claws 

 blackish ; tarsi-feathered in front and outside " nearly to toes " 

 {in one, in the other it is said, " more than half way down ") ; 

 bill black ; irides dark brown. 



I first met with this species in the Western hills on the 

 Limatak, above which a number used to appear in the even- 

 ings about dusk, hawking insects but flying very fast and high, 

 SO: tihafr I had considerable difiiculty in getting specimens. 

 In the basin I do not think I ever saw them, though I may 

 possibly have passed them for infumatus in the dusk, which 

 is^ when one generally sees both species. But in the Eastern 

 hills I saw them on several occasions, and twice shot them as 

 particularly fine infumatus when I was shooting some of these 

 : latter for specimens. 



This species Was originally sent from Assam by McClel- 

 land,' but in what part obtained it is impossible now to 

 ascertain. But since then it has not been recorded apparently 

 from any part of Assam hills or valley or Cachar, nor have I 

 received any specimens thence. I do not find it recorded 

 from Pegu, nor have we ever met with it in Tenasserim. 



It is curious that neither in Manipur nor in any part of 

 Assam, Cachar or Sylhet has any species of Dendrochelidon 

 been met with, since one, at any rate, coronatus, is not only 

 widely spread in India, but is also fairly common in the Nor- 

 thern Pegu hills, and occurs, though more rarely, in the northern 

 and central portions of Tenasserim. 



