10 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XX 



does not contain a single Indian-killed specimen with the whole of 

 the outer web of the first quill entirely plain. " From Hume's own 

 words, therefore, we assume that his opinion was formed on a 

 series of immature birds, although his deductions are somewhat upset 

 by Ogilvie-Grant's recent discoveries. 



The only way the question can be determined is by the measure- 

 ment of adult birds in their breeding haunts, either during, or just 

 prior to, the breeding season. Here again the sportsman and field 

 naturalist must come to the fore and assist the scientific man who 

 works in the Museum. 



In regard to the weight there is no doubt that the majority of 

 birds shot in India are lighter than those shot in England but the 

 reasons which account for their being; smaller would also account for 

 their being lighter. Hume comments on the comparative weight of 

 Himalayan (?) and English birds at some length but his conclusions 

 are hardly convincing especially when one remembers, as has already 

 been shown, that they are based on deductions made from a series 

 of probably immature birds. He says that only 5 birds out of 53 

 weighed exceeded 10 oz. whilst the weight generally was between 7 

 and 12^ oz. and he compares this record of weights with a bag made 

 in Ireland. 



" In only 5 out of 53 birds has the weight exceeded 10 oz. and 

 of these five the weights were : — 10'5, 11'5, 12-0, 12 0, and 12*5 oz. 

 Out of 53| couple shot .... in South-West Ireland, 27 

 weighed between 12 and 14 oz., 6 between 14 and 15, and one 

 between 15 and 16 .... . — Our 53 birds weighed, between 

 7 and 8 oz. fourteen, between 8 and 9 oz. eighteen, between 9 and 

 10 oz. sixteen, above 10 oz. five. There is an undoubted instance on 

 record of a Woodcock in England weighing 27 oz." I have found it 

 difficult to obtain weights of Indian killed-birds but the few I have 

 obtained of fully adult birds do not seem to shew that our birds 

 are much inferior to English, when in good condition and full sized. 

 Thus Major Wilson writes me et I have only weighed one bird as 

 it struck me as being bigger than usual, this weighed 13 oz. and 

 was the bird I sent on to you." Dr. Moore shot birds in Dibrugarh 

 weighing 12, 13, and 14 oz. and Mr. Mondy sent me a bird which 

 weighed just short of 14 oz. Any of them would have equalled 

 good English birds and though the weights are admittedly excep- 



