MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. l73 



I could certainly have got more if I had cared to stay later, as they did not 

 fly to any great distance, and could generally be marked down. 



As regards shooting both these species in the hot weather, and rains, I have 

 no compunction, P. exustus breeds all the year round, and P.fasciatus during 

 the greater part of the year, as I believe it does not usually breed in the 

 rains. If they want the benefits of a close season, they should limit their 

 breeding season to, say, six months in the year, like most other respectable 

 game birds, 



0. G, NURSE, 



Deesa, 11th August 1901, Major, 13th Bombay Infantry. 



No, XXIII.— THE MASKED FINFOOT ( HELIOPAIS PERSON AT A) 



IN CACHAR. 



I write to record the occurrence of Heliopais personata, the Masked 

 Finfoot in the Chutia Bhil, Cachar, A pair of these birds were shot by 

 Mr. C, B. Antram of Kuttal T, E., Cachar, in June last and the skins after- 

 wards given to mo. 



Both birds appear to be in fully adult plumage and were most probably 

 breeding at the time, as they were noticed to frequent only one reach of the 

 river. 



As Mr, Baker in his Birds of North Cachar, Vol. XII,, notes it being 

 extremely rare, the following description of the plumage may be of interest : — 



Male — Forehead, lores, supereilium, and throat black, narrow white line 

 bordering throat patch ; neck above slaty grey, sides olive brown, as is also 

 back, rump, escapulars, upper tail coverts, and the whole of the wing, sides 

 of the body are brown barred lighter, breast and abdomen white tinged pale 

 brown, in fact the upper part of the breast is brown. 



Female wants the black throat patch of the male, this being replaced by 

 white margined with black, the rest of the plumage is very similar to that 

 of the male, with the exception that the breast and under parts are much 

 lighter, and the sides barred with almost white. 



Colours of soft parts in life said to be — Bill bright orange in the male, paler 

 in the female, legs and feet in both apple green. Irides brown. 



This bird, I am told by Mr. Campbell, Kuttal T, E., has been shot by him 

 on several occasions and that in former } ears he did not consider it a rare 

 bird though always more or less local and frequenting those parts of the 

 Bhil around whose edges -there was a heavy growth of Nijal trees and cane, 

 iato which it could make its way if alarmed. The Chutia Bhil is now 

 very much clearer of jungle to what it was some years ago and this may 

 perhaps be why the bird is less often met with. 



A. M. PRIMROSE. 



Rema T. E,, Chardpur Bagan, 

 '6. Sylhet, 9i/i August 1901. 



