ASSAM, SYLHET AND CACHAR, 3-5. 



are interspersed, and below these, extending over the lower 

 breast and sides of the breast and almost meeting on the 

 interscapular region, is a broad band of similar, but larger, 

 feathers. 



The entire abdomen, vent and lower tail-coverts, creamy 

 or rusty white, mingled and mottled Avith pale dingy chestnut. 



The ^ outer row of scapulars have large pure white spots 

 occupying the whole terminal portions (except in the ease 

 of the longest of all, in which the white is confined to the 

 outer web)- surrounded by an almost blackish brown line, 

 beyond which is an almost obsolete chestnut fringe. 



The wings are spotless, only on the winglet are three or 

 four small creamy or rusty white spots, more or less framed by 

 a dark brown or blackish line. 



The inner webs of the quills are deep brown, and in the 

 primaries this colour projects, towards their bases, more or 

 less over the outer webs, and in the secondaries occupies 

 half or more of these. 



The tail exhibits five or six irregular broad transverse darker 

 chestnut bands, more or less picked out, especially on the 

 lateral feathers, with dusky dots. The tail has ten feathers. 

 The outermost are 31, the penultimate 1-8, and the third 

 pair 0-5 shorter than the four central feathers, which are 

 nearly equal. 



The mid-toe claw is scarcely perceptibly dilated on the 

 inner edge and has no comb. 



On the lower surface of the wing are three or four small 

 pale chestnut spots on the margins of the inner webs of the 

 last four or five primaries. 



The wing lining is mingled dull pale rusty chestnut and 

 a more or less fulvescent or rusty white. The lower coverts 

 just along the carpus are obscurely barred with dark brown. 



I have transcribed this lengthy description from my note 

 book, because I believe that it is the first time that any ac- 

 curate and full description has been recorded from the fresh 

 bird before skinning of any species of this genus, and after 

 skinning the collars and bands do get greatly displaced. 

 , Now this is undoubtedly my Batradfiostomus castaneus. 

 This latter is so rare a species that in all these years I have 

 only been able to obtain seven specimens of this in Sikhim. 



The wings of these seven measure 5-35, 5-5, 5-23, 53, 55 

 52, 515. ' 



Of these two specimens were sexed by dissection and are 

 females, like our present bird, so that we may now be certain 

 that this chestnut plumage is that of this sex. 



