A CONTRIBUTION TO THE OKNITHOLOGY OF NEPAL. 311 



584 &is.— Eenicurus guttatus, Oould. 



Two specimens {of which one zvas female), Valley, Novemher 

 and December. — Leng-th, 9'4 and 9*6 ; expanse, 12'2 and 13*5 ; 

 wino-, 3-8 and 4*0 ; tail, 5-0 and 5-4 ; tarsus, 1'2 ; bill from gape, 

 0'97 and 0*98 ; bill at front, 07; closed wings short of tail, 

 3*9 and 4-0; weight, 1-25 ozs. 



Bill black ; irides dark brown ; feet pale whitish fleshy. The 

 black on the breast does not come so far down as in Sikini 

 specimens of guttatus ; the amount of white on the forehead is 

 the same as in that species, i.e., less than in maculatus ; the 

 interscapulary region is rather sparingly dotted with nearly 

 round spots, but the black feathers lower down have regular 

 crescent-shaped white marks. 



The birds are clearly more allied to guttatus than to macula- 

 tus, and for this reason I have entered them here separately. 

 But they are not typical, and I think that a large series of 

 Forktails of this type, collected in the Nepal Valley, would 

 prove that guttatus is not entitled to specific separation, unless 

 indeed we suppose that the two species interbreed on the con- 

 fines of their respective regions. 



The Spotted Forktail is tolerably common in the valley of 

 Nepal, adhering closely all the year to the streams descending 

 from the hills ; it never approaches the central part of the valley. 



586. — Henicurus schistaceus, Eodgs. 



"i Male, Valley, FehruarT/. — 'Length, 10; expanse, 12; wino-j 

 4 ; tail, 5*5 ; tarsus, I'l ; bill from gape, 95 ; bill at front,. 

 0*58 ; closed wings short of tail, 3"8. 



Bill black ; irides blackish brown ; feet fleshy white ; the tarsi 

 livid in front; claws whitish. 



This species is a permanent resident in the Nepal Valley, 

 and occurs there in smaller numbers than the Spotted Forktail. 

 It is more shy than the latter, I think, and when disturbed 

 more frequently seeks shelter in a thicket. It was only noticed 

 about the head waters of streams, where the banks were thickly 

 covered with bushes. 



587.— Henicurus scouleri, "^ig. 



Female, Valley, Fehruary. — Length, 5*0 ; expanse, 9'1 ; wing, 

 2"9 ; tail, 2*0 ; tarsus, 0"95 ; bill from gape, 0-6 ; bill at front, 

 0"35 ; closed wings short of tail, 0'45. 



Bill black ; irides dark brown ; feet and claws pure fleshy 

 white. 



This pretty little Henicurus is fairly common in the Neoal 

 Valley and the Nawakot district. In its habits it is much 



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