NOVELTIES. 337 



Chatorhea eclipes, Sp. Nov. 



Like C. caudata, but much larger ; the upper surface darker and more 

 strongly striated ; tail more strongly banded ; feathers of breast and 

 sides dark shafted. 



In the Punjab, Trans-Indus and the lower valleys of the 

 surrounding' hills, occurs a very well-marked and distinct race 

 of our common Chatorhea caudata — in my opinion far more en- 

 titled to specific distinction than is C. huttoni, Blyth. 



This latter species was separated, J. A. S. B., XVI., 476, 

 1847, in the following terms : — 



a Merely differs from M. caudatus in its larger size and the 

 general paler hue of its upper parts. 



Length of wing 3' 5 ; and of middle tail feathers above 5*0. 

 From Candahar/' 



Mr. Blanford, in his Zoology of Persia, figured this species, 

 (PI. XIII., f. 1.; and remarked (p. 204) :— 



" C. huttoni differs from the Indian C. caudata, Dum, not 

 only in the larger size and conspicuously larger bill and legs, 

 but also in its colouration. It is a decidedly greyev bird, with 

 narrower and rather paler striation on the head and back. The 

 throat is generally pale greyish brown instead of white, and 

 the rest of the lower parts are greyer and less fulvous. Speci- 

 mens from Mekran are somewhat intermediate in character, 

 the throat being whiter and the dimensions a little smaller than 

 in the typical C. huttoni, and this is especially the case in the 

 specimen which I obtained at Gwadar." 



He also gives dimensions showing : — 



Length, 9-25 to 10*5 ; expanse, 975 to 115; wing, 3*25 to 

 3-5 ; tail, 4-25 to 5'0 ; tarsus, 1-15 to 1'25 ; culmen, 0°88 to 1*0. 

 The males being, of course, somewhat larger than the females. 



Huttoni is the species I have obtained throughout Khelat. 

 Specimens thence received are inseparable from Persian ones, 

 with which I have compared them ; but Sindh specimens are 

 intermediate, both in size and coloring. 



The present species, a rather small and faded specimen of 

 which, as I now believe (I have not the specimen to refer to), 

 I figured in Lahore to Yarkand, p. 197, PI. IX., for C. cau- 

 data seems to be better separated from this latter than huttoni, 

 as I have hitherto failed to obtain intermediate forms. 



The following are the dimensions of an adult female which 

 I killed at Peshawar, and the only specimen I have which was 

 measured in the flesh : — 



Length, 10-2 ; expanse, 9'8 ; wing, 3-2 ; tail, 5*2 ; tarsus, 

 101 ; bill from forehead, 0'88; from gape 1*02. 



