8 A FIRST LIST OF THB BIRDS 



As for the number of bars upon the tail, eight appears to be 

 the usual number excluding the subterminal band, but one has 

 nine and one has ten, so that this is hardly a characteristic 

 which can be relied on for a diagnosis. 



22.— Lophospiza indica, Eodgs. 



ie I have only seen this bird once. I managed to secure 

 it.— J. I." 



A single specimen, a female, clearly belongs to the larger 

 race; it has the wing 10 - 6 and the tarsus 2*75. An enormous 

 thick tarsus too, double the size of those of true trivirgata 

 from the Nilgherris and Southern India. 



A female from the Nilgherris, measured by Miss Cock- 

 burn, measured in the flesh : — 



Length, 16 ; expanse, 28 ; wing, 8'8 ; tail from vent, 85 ; 

 tarsus, 2 3. 



A male from the same locality measured : — 



Length, 15*25; expanse, 27 "5; tail, 7*6; wing, 8'6; tarsus 2*25, 

 but considerably slenderer than in the preceding specimen ; it 

 weighed also only 10 ozs. against 13 ozs. in the female. 



A nearly adult male from Kallar, Nilgherris, had the 

 wing only 81 ; a young male sent me by Mr. Bourdillon 

 from Southern Travancore measured : — 



Length, 15; expanse, 27*25; wing, 8; tail, 7*25; tarsus, 2*30. 



All the southern birds that I have seen belong to this 

 smaller and less robust type ; on the other hand, an adult male 

 from Sikhim has the wing 93. Females from the same local- 

 ity have the wing 99.. 1015, 10-17, and 106. 



A female from Sumbulpore has the wing 9*7, and one 

 supposed female from Tipperah has the wing 9 55. These are 

 all adults or nearly so. 



A quite young female from Sikhim has the wing 10 2; 

 another has the wing 10 ; and a young male has the wing 9 - 3. 



Lastly, an adult female from the Pine Forests of the Salween 

 has the wing 9*9. 



The question has not yet been fully worked out, but from 

 the above referred to specimens now in my museum it would 

 appear that the smaller race, the true trivirgata (wing, 8 to 88) 

 inhabits peninsular India whilst the larger race indica (wing, 

 93 to 10"6) extends from Nepal and Sikhim eastward through 

 Tipperah to Pegu and the lower Salween, and westwards 

 through the Tributary Mahals as far as Sumbulpore. 



23.— Micronisus badius, Gm. 



" The Shikra is not uncommon ; it remains here all the 

 year.— J. I." 



