654 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXII. 



'often extended from its posterior base as a fine line under the eye 

 and over the ear-coverts. Rest of the head and neck isabelline 

 huff, each feather with a black central mark, long and forming- 

 streaks above, but reduced to spots below \ the chin and centre of 

 "the throat often immaculate in old birds and, in colour here, a 

 purer buff. Remainder of upper parts very pale buff closely 

 barred with wavy black lines, the upper tail coverts more boldlj' 

 barred and ochreous buff at the tips ; tail feathers barred buff and 

 black, the bars broadening towards the ends which are again 

 ~widely tipped a richer buff. Scapulars and inner secondaries like 

 the back but more boldly barred and with ochreous-yellow tips ; 

 lesser coverts like the back ; secondary and median coverts pale 

 clear buff, in some cases almost white, barred with black and 

 tipped yellow : bastard wing, primary coverts and primaries brown, 

 edged paler. Under aspect of the wings and axillaries pale grey. 

 Upper breast barred buff and black ; lower breast a rather rich 

 yellow buff, divided in the centre by a band varj^ing from a 

 chocolate chestnut to black and followed again by another black 

 band, generally much broken and mixed with white. Abdomen, 

 vent and external flanks white, each feather with two half moon- 

 shaped bars, the terminal being black and the lower, concealed 

 one, chocolate; under tail coverts pale buff with arrow shaped 

 bars of black or deep chocolate ; feathers of tarsi white to pale buff. 



The above description gives most of the details in variation of 

 colour but it must be noted that the bird varies in general tone of 

 colouration from a pale sandy-buff to a richer, almost chestnut, 

 buff, more especially on the scapulars and upper back. 



The bird from which the plate is taken is a very typical Indian 

 specimen but in a good many the upper parts are slightly richer 

 in colour. 



The colour of the breast also varies somewhat and in a few 

 birds the pai-t above the central band is slightly suffused with 

 vinous but I have never seen the upper and lower parts contrast- 

 ing with one another as is often, generally in fact, the case with 



Measurements.— Wing G-85" (171mm.) to 7-35"- (186-6mm.) 

 with an average of 7-06" (179-3mm.), tarsus -91" (23-lmm.) to 

 1-10" (27-9mm.), the average being exactly I'O" (25-4mm.) ; bill 

 from tip along culmen to feathers of forehead '46" (ll*6mm.) to 

 •52" (13-2mm.) and averaging -49" (12-4mm.) full; tail from 

 vent about "3" (7 6- 2mm.) or a little over. 



"Total length 10-3 inches; wing 7; tail 2-8; tarsus 1-1". 

 (Ogilvie-Gr ant . ) 



" Legs wholly feathered in front; feet orange yellow; reticula- 

 tions white ; claws dusky, tipped yellowish ; bill fleshy brown, 

 darker in the female; irides brown ; orbital skin yellow. " (Hume.) 



