NOTES, 133 



edge of the wing, a few of the lesser, some of the median and 

 nearly all the greater secondary coverts, which are black,) 

 together with the whole of the upper tail- coverts and rump 

 and a large patch at the base of the primaries are pure white. 



Mr. Blyth, whose description Jerdon quotes, assumes that 

 the bird he described was in summer dress, but his description 

 accords with Mr. Hodgson's figure, and this was taken from 

 specimens obtained on the 10th of January, and therefore 

 presumably in winter dress. 



The following are the dimensions noted from the types when 

 fresh by Mr. Hodgson — and that gentleman's manuscript note 

 recorded on the plate : — 



"Segowlee, January 10th, mas. pi. full. Tongue, simple, 

 pure cartel., bifid ; wings plus mid tail ; £ inch less, its tip. 3-4 

 quills longest, 1st small, 4th plus 2nd. Tarsi, smooth high, 

 toes compressed, simply ambulatory ; laterals subequal ; central 

 long ; hind large, but not depressed, shorter than either lateral, 

 but with its longer claw exceeding either with theirs. Nares, 

 small, oval, lateral, shaded by tiny nude membranous edge or 

 scale. Is like our hill Saxicolas, but much larger and they 

 have all 3 quills graduated, the 4-5 being longest, 6th nearly 

 or quite equal 3rd ; so also in robin, or 416.* In big and small 

 stonechats the lateral toes are unequal however trivially and 

 so in Robin, and in both the nails are slender and acute, very ; 

 the thumb also is big and with its nail exceeds the laterals 

 and theirs and equals the central only ; in this big one the 

 thumb is rather less and not equal to the mid toe only/' 



Since Mr. Hodgson's time I only know of this species having 

 been obtained, on the banks of the Ganges near Cawnpoor, 

 by the Marshalls and by Mr. Mandelli, in the Sikhim Terai 

 and Bhootan Doars, but others may have obtained it, and if so 

 I should be glad to learn the fact. 



I myself expect that the head-quarters of the bird will 

 prove to be in the valley (not the Hills) of Assam. 



* Mr. Hodgson'6 116 ia Pratincola ferrea, — Ed. 



