496 NOTES. 



specimen, a male, near the top of Jacko, the central hill of the 

 Sanitarium of Simla, and have since seen two others. 



This specimen measured in the flesh : — Length, 6 4 ; expanse, 

 10-5 ; tail, 255 ; wing, 351 ; tarsus, 0*59 ; bill from gape, 

 0*8 ; weight, 1*25 ozs. 



The irides were dark red brown ; the bill dull black, whitish 

 at base of lower mandible ; the gape dull yellow; legs and feet 

 very dark plumbeous ; claws blackish. 



I omitted to notice in my original description, taken from a 

 skin, in which this peculiarity is not visible, that the eyelid 

 feathers are a delicate pale fawn color, or fawny buff. 



" Mr. Beooks remarks in epist : " You require to correct your 

 " reference to Burnesia gracilis'm Stray Feathers. I compared 

 " the two birds in Tristram's collection. True gracilis is a much 

 <l more robust bird, with a longer bill, and the coloration differs 

 " conspicuously. The eggs are as wide apart as possible — gracilis 

 " having a red prinia-Yike egg, while that of the other is light 

 ie greenish ground colour, freckled with pale reddish brown. 

 " Our Indian birds must stand as lepida.'" 



Personally I am unable to offer any opinion on this subject as 

 I have only seen Indian birds. 



The following are the dimensions and a description of a male 

 Pratincola insigtiis obtained by Mr. Mandelli in the Lower 

 Hills of the Bootau Dooars in April. 



Dimensions from the skin : — 



Length, 50 ; wing, 33 ; tail, 2*3 ; bill from forehead, 069 ; 

 tarsus, 097 ; mid toe and claw, 1-03 ; hind toe and claw, 0*7. 



Exposed portion of first primary, 0-8; third primary longest ; 

 fourth and fifth each a shade shorter ; sixth longer than second ; 

 second 0*3 shorter than third. 



Entire cap, lores, cheeks, and ear-coverts black, many of the 

 feathers faintly fringed at the tips with pale brown ; nape dark 

 brown ; feathers much fringed at the tips with the same pale 

 buffy brown ; chin, throat, sides of the neck, behind the ear- 

 coverts, and a broad imperfect collar at the base of the neck, 

 white ; back and scapulars brown, all the feathers fringed with 

 pale buffy brown ; rump greyish buffy, more distinctly tinged 

 buffy at the tips ; upper tail-coverts white, with a buffy tinge 

 towards the middle ; wings dark brown ; the primaries white 

 at their bases on both webs, so as to form a conspicuous wing 

 spot ; all the quills broadly white on their inner webs towards 

 their bases ; tertiaries and all their coverts,] and the greater 

 and median coverts of the later secondaries white ; first and 



