OF THE TRAVANCORE HILLS. otk 
four irregular clouded transverse grey bars; in the lateral 
feathers, these are more numerous, extend nearer and nearer 
to the tips, and are whiter and larger (almost confluent in some 
places) on the inner webs. The white wing patch is entirely 
replaced by a pale somewhat brownish grey, except in a small 
patch along the shaft quite at the base of the primaries. 
Except that the claws are much more curved, and the inner 
toe much shorter and feebler and the tail shorter, this specimen 
might well pass for a rather brown, diminutive WVeopus, and 
indeed it was as a probably new species of this genus that 
Mr. Mandelli sent me this specimen. 
Looking to the systematic manner in which this black stage 
is reproduced in each of these three species, I think that the idea 
of accidental melanism may be set aside, and this form accepted 
as a normal state of plumage, at any rate in hemiptilopus and 
(Indian) ferox, and plumipes. . 
All my three specimens of hemzptilopus exhibit that peculiar 
plumose character of the base of the bill almost concealing 
the nares, on which Hodgson’s name eryptogenys was founded. 
I have no doubt whatsoever myself ‘that this latter, as well 
as strophiatus, Hodgson, must be considered as synonyms of 
Blyth’s name. 
Of course, the whitish breast band on which Hodgson’s second 
name was founded is merely one stage of plumage, which may 
occasionally be observed in feroz just as it is passing into the 
uniform brown stage. 
Before quitting the Buzzards, I must notice Mr. Gurney’s 
view (Ibis, 1876, p. 367) that in ferox “transverse bars 
upon the tail are ordinarily and normally indications of 
immaturity.” I may be wrong, I naturally traverse in this 
and other cases, the opinions of so eminent an authority with the 
greatest diffidence, but still I think, I ought to record dis- 
tinctly that my large series of this species does not permit of 
my concurring in this opinion. Strongly barred, feebly 
barred, partially barred, tails, as well as unbarred ones, and 
others with only traces of a bar or two seem to be met with 
in the most various stages of plumage. If you arrange the 
birds by the degree to which their tails are barred, you get 
specimens of the most discordant types of plumage side by 
side. Nothing can be more irregular than the changes of plumage ; 
they arenever synchronous on the upper and lower surfaces. 
Arrange by the former, and you have all types of the lower 
grouped together and vice versd. 
What Mr. Gurney says inay possibly be true of the Palestine 
and Sarepta breeding birds, but I hardly think it can be 
accepted as equally applicable to the Indian race. 
