Contributions to the Ornithology of India, Sfc. 223 



The male has the whole chin and throat with a patch extend- 

 ing upwards from the throat towards, but not quite meeting- on, 

 the back of the neck, bright hnSy yellow or orange buff ; lores, 

 forehead, a broad stripe over the eye continued round the nape, 

 and the back of the neck, pale blue grey, dull and tinged fawny 

 in some specimens ; crown, occiput, and nape, a sort of dove 

 •color or pale slightly rufous fawn ; back and rump, a somewhat 

 similar, but more sandy color, in many specimens more tinged 

 with fawn ; the upper tail coverts, buffy yellow, all but the 

 longest obscurely tipped with a somewhat pinkish mouse color. 

 They are more or less pale dove color at their bases, which colour 

 however is not seen till the feathers are lifted. The central tail, 

 feathers have the pointed tips black, in many specimens more or 

 less tinged hoary buffy , and th€ rest of the visible portion yellow- 

 ish buff; but the bases as may be seen on lifting the feathers are 

 greyish ; the lateral tail feathers ar€ a greyish brown at base, dark 

 shafted, with conspicuous white tips, and broad blackish blown 

 subterminal bands ; the primaries are pale isabelline, the shafts 

 conspicuous and black ; they have broad il]-defined subterminal 

 brown bands, beyond which there is a narrow paler tipping, and 

 they are pretty conspicuously margined on their inner webs 

 towards the tips with still paler isabelline. The first primary has 

 the outer web browner, the othei"s ha\ e the outer webs, especially 

 towards the bases, a brighter isabelline. The whole visible por- 

 tions of the lesser coverts and of the primary greater coverts are 

 yellowish fawn, or isabelline, varying much in shade in different 

 specimens, these greater coverts dark shafted, and with a brown- 

 ish tinge next the shafts on the inner webs ; the scapulars 

 bluish grey at the bases, tipped broadly, but chiefly on the outer 

 webs, with buffy yellow, and the lesser ones tinged immediately 

 above the yellow with a somewhat brownish purple, or dull grey- 

 ish vinaceous. The secondary, median, and greater coverts like 

 the lesser scapulars, but shewing more of the vinaceous hue. 

 The secondaries are brown, lighter towards their bases. The 

 lower part of the neck in front and upper breast are nearly the 

 same blue-grey or greyish fawn as the back of the neck ; the 

 lower breast, abdomen, sides, flanks, axillaries, and wing lining 

 isabelline or desert color ; the upper abdomen often with a faint 

 orange buffy tinge. A broad irregular deep brown patch runs 

 down the centre of the abdomen to the vent ; the lower tail co- 

 verts are greyish brown at their bases, but are broadly tipped 

 with white (often tinged buffy or isabelline) which is the only 

 color visible until the feathers are lifted. The lower surfaces of 

 the quill shafts are white. 



Th« female has the yellow chin and throat-patch like the male 



