6 Novelties. — Pnffimts Persicus. 



the lores, the other half of the lores, and the lower portion of the 

 ear-coverts being- speckled with white, in this respect correspond-' 

 ing- with P. Ntigax, but then Gould g-ives the length of P. Nngax 

 at 11 inches, and the wing- at 6-5 inches. Schleg-el gives tlie 

 wing- at ^'^ to 7'7 inches, but these dimensions are too small for 

 our iDird, as are also those of the tarsus 1"25 inches, as given 

 by Gould. Moreover, there is no white in the lower surface of 

 the primaries, on the interior web, (the characteristic feature 

 of Nugax) , and as already explained, all the lateral and longer 

 tail coverts are deep brown, whereas in Nugax they are entirely 

 white. The coloration of the feet also is peculiar, more closely 

 resembling that of P. Anglorum than of any other species of which 

 I can find a description. Under these circumstances, either all the 

 descriptions and measurements to which I have access are very 

 faulty, or this is a new species; and as I am informed that it 

 is observed all the way up the Persian Gulf as well as in the Gulf 

 of Oman, (I myself only observed it as far as Gwadur, on the 

 Mekran, and Muscat, on the Arabian Coast,) I propose to 

 characterize it as Pzcjffiuus Persicus. The following are the exact 

 dimensions taken in the flesh : 



Female killed 31st February 1873. Length, 13 inches; ex- 

 panse, 26 inches (would probably have been 28 to 29 inches had 

 the first three primaries been full}' developed ;) wing, 7 inches 

 (would probably have been 8 to 8"25 inches ;) tarsus, 1-5 inches ; 

 bill straight from forehead to tip, 1'3 inches; from anterior 

 margin of nostril, 1*06 inch. 



Description. — Bill dusky brown, bluish at base, and basal three- 

 fourths of lower mandible ; irides, brown. Legs and feet white, 

 tinged with pink and lavender, with claws, margin of web, 

 exterior of foot, and outer toe, and part of ridge of mid toe, 

 black. 



Plumage. — The head and nape deep sooty brown, the whole 

 of the rest of the upper parts, blackish brown ; almost if not 

 quite black on the primaries, rump, upper tail coverts, and tail, 

 "Upper portion of the lores, mingled dusky brown, and whitish. 

 Lower jxortion of the lores, and the whole of the chin and 

 throat as far as the eyes on either side, breast, abdomen, vent, 

 and shorter central lower tail coverts, pure white. A white 

 line about 0-06 wide encircles the eye and extends backwards 

 from the posterior angle as a narrow white streak for a distance 

 of 0-35 to 0*4 inch : below this the ear-coverts are dusky brown,, 

 slightly mingled with whitish, the white line below the eye is 

 only separated from the white of the throat by a hair line of 

 greyish brown. The sides of the neck and the breast where the 

 brown of the upper meets the white of the lower parts, is some- 



