Contributions to the Ornithology of India, ^c. 203 



spotless J there is no bi-own stripe on the sides of the neck nor 

 does the breast exhibit the fain-test trace of a spot ; others 

 again show a well-marked stripe on the sides of the neck, and 

 have the whole of the breast pretty conspicuously spotted. 

 Degland tells us that in the male, in spring-, the breast is with 

 or without spots, and that the brown neck stripe is present. He 

 makes out also that in the summer, the marking on the lower 

 parts almost entirely disappear, and that in autumn, both neck 

 stripe, and spots become again very conspicuous. I do not 

 believe a word of this. I have now before me three males killed 

 in the last week of December, two exhibit well-marked spots, 

 one is spotless. I have foin- specimens killed in the latter half 

 of October, one is devoid of markings on the lower surface, one 

 very faintly marked, two tolerably well marked ; I have four 

 specimens killed in the middle of March, of which two are 

 spotless, and two have the markings of the lower surface con-: 

 spicuous. It appears to me that the difference in markings de- 

 pends either upon the individual, or upon age, and certainly not 

 upon season. 



Then Degland tells us that the female is characterized by a 

 sort of pectoral band formed by a great number of longitudinal 

 spots. Unfortunately, as far as my specimens go, the females as a 

 whole are not one whit more spotted than, and are just as often 

 spotless as, the males. 



604. — Agrodroma Jerdoni, Finsch. A. griseo 



rufescens, nobis. A. Sordida, apud Blijth et Jerdon, 

 nee Bilppell. 



This species is decidedly uncommon in Sindh. It may occur 

 there more plentifully, perhaps, in the autumn ; bat during De- 

 cember, January, and February, when I was in Sindh, I only 

 saw it twice, once near Hyderabad, and once near Kurrachee. 



The males in this species are very considerably larger than 

 the females. Large males are met with, measuring in length 

 up to 8 "4, with a wing nearly 4; expanse, 13; a bill 0'7 at 

 front, and weighing as nearly as possible, 1*35 oz. An average 

 male is about 8"2 in length ; expanse, 12*5 j wings, 3'8 ; bill at 

 front, fully 0*6, and weigbt about 1-15 oz. In the fullest sized, 

 females, the length is somewhat less than 8 ; expanse, about 

 12-35 ; wing, barely 3-7 ; bill at front, 0*58 ; and weight barely 

 I'l oz. 



The very nearly allied southern species A. slmilis, Jerdon, 

 which I have seen only from the Neilgherries, Pulheys, and 

 Anamallies, has the whole upper surface conspicuously darker.^ 

 It has a bill fully as large, and, I think as a rule, somewhat 



