OF NORTH-EASTERN CACHAR. 7 



u They are very difficult to approach when settling- in numbers 

 but when they are feeding on white ants in the evenings, they 

 become very bold and fly within easy range.. The adult male 

 is easily distinguished on the wing, but such only occur about 

 one in ten. 



" They again disappeared about the middle of December in 

 numbers; but stray birds are yet to be seen — December 28th.— 

 J. I." 



For a diagnosis of this species and the European vesper finus 

 see Mr. Sharpens article (Vol. III., p. 303.) 



Unlike most of the other llaptores, it would appear that in 

 both these nearly allied species the males somewhat exceed the 

 females in size. 



I see that in Mr. Sharpe's Catalogue of Birds, Vol. I., p. 444, 

 he gives the wing of the male vespertinus at 9'8 and of the 

 female as 9*7. An adult male in my collection from Europe has 

 the wing 10*05, a fully adult female has the wing barely 9*5, and 

 the female all but adult has the wing 97. 



In the same work, p. 445, Mr. Sharpe gives the wing of 

 the male amurensis as 90 and of the female 9 "5. Of four 

 adult males three from Caohar, and one from near Rajamundry, 

 Madras, the wings are 9 05 ; 9*3 ; 935 ; and 9*5. 



On the other hand, the only adult female from Cachar has the 

 wing ouly 8'8, while two young males from Cachar, and one from 

 Thayet Myo have the wings 9'0; 9*0; 93; two young females 

 from Cachar have the wings 8 '65 and8 - 85. 



Now with reference to Mi*. Sharpe's diagnosis above referred to 

 I would remark that he says of the female, " under surface 

 creamy white/' This is not always correct; in the female before 

 me, the chin and throat are creamy white, the whole of the rest 

 of the lower surface is pale rufous or buff, possibly a shade more 

 pronounced on the thigh coverts, but that is all. In his diag- 

 nosis, therefore, we should read tl under surface creamy white 

 to buff or pale rufous." All he says about markings, &c, 

 appears correct. 



Theu again turning to his diagnosis of the young birds he 

 sa y S .__« Head, dark bluish, with black shaft streaks; foreheads, 

 fulvous; under surface of body, buff." None of these points 

 hold good in any one of the five young birds before me. 



In all the head is brown with dark shaft streaks, and most 

 of the feathers faintly margined with paler and more rufescent 

 brown. The foreheads are white, with} in one specimen only, 

 a creamy tinge, and the under surfaces are white, streaked and 

 barred as in his diagnosis. In one specimen only there is a 

 decided creamy tinge on the lower abdomen, thighs, and lower 

 tail coverts. 



