300 A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ORNITHOLOGY OF NEPAL. 



down as a margin to tlie inner web to within about half an inch 

 from the tip, and there is a black patch on the outer web of 

 the feather at the base. 



Four females, March, April and May. — Length, 7*8 to 8'3 ; 

 wing, 3"6 to 4*0; tail, 3'4 to 3'5 ; tarsus, I'l to 1'2 ; bill 

 from gape, 0*95 to I'D; bill at front, 0"6 to 07 ; closed wings 

 short of tail, 2-25. 



These specimens are as dark on the breast and back as 

 some female examples from Pakchan, Tenasserim, entered 

 by Mr. Hume in S. F., "VI., p. 333, as C. musicus, RafHes, 

 and have faint dark striations on the under wing-coverts. 

 The Nepal birds are, in fact, intermediate between saularia 

 and musicus, but are much nearer in colour to the Pakchan 

 specimens above alluded to than to birds from Sambhur, 

 for instance; indeed the tint even resembles that of Singapore 

 examples. 



Male, Young, 15th August. — Length, 7*5; expanse, 11"2; 

 wing, 3*6; tail, 3*1 ; tarsus, 1*2 ; bill from gape, 0"95 ; closed 

 wings short of tail, 2"0. 



Bill black ; gape fleshy ; mouth yellow ; irides brownish black ; 

 feet livid blackish. This specimen is strikingly Thrush-like, 

 and its spotted plumage recalls the parallel stage of Petrophila 

 cinclorhyncha. 



The Magpie-Eobin is a permanent resident in the valley 

 of Nepal, and is one of the commonest and most familiar birds 

 there met with ; it is also common in the Nawakot district 

 and the plains of Nepal. In the valley it frequents gardens, 

 groves, the skirts of the central woods and cleared spaces in 

 them, and, generally, the vicinity of country houses and of 

 hamlets; but it never ascends the hills. Its habits and fine 

 song in the breeding season are well known, and have often been 

 described. It breeds in May and June ; half a dozen nests, 

 found in those months, were placed in holes in walls and trees. 



483.— Pratincola indica, Bly, 



Fourteen males. — Length, 4'8 to 5*4 ; expanse, 8"1 to 9"I ; 

 wing, 2-5 to 3-0; tail, 1-9 to 235; tarsus, 0-8 to 096; 

 bill from gape, 0-65 to 0-73; bill at front, 0'34 to 045 ; 

 closed wings short of tail,0'85 to 1'2. 



Nine females. — Length, 4"85 to 5'5 ; expanse, 8"0 to 9*05; 

 wing, 2-45 to 2-95; tail, 1-9 to 2-23; tarsus, 0-8 to 0-9; 

 bill from gape, 0-63 to 07 ; bill at front, 0-34 to 0-43; closed 

 wings short of tail, 09 to 1"3. 



Bill, feet and claws black ; irides dark brown. 



Male, Young, Valley., 19^/i July. — Length, 5"2; expanse, 8'4 ; 

 wing, 3'6; tail, 2-2; tarsus, 0'8; bill from gape, 0-65 ; bill 



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