THE GAME BIRDS OF INDIA, BURMA AND CEYLON. 3 



scapulars and adjoining parts do vary to a considerable degree and 

 when these are unnsually numerous they give a very bright boldly 

 coloured appearance to these parts and, on the contrary, give a dull 

 rather dark appearance when they are few and small. 



Below, the rufous breast band varies a little iii intensity and in 

 the amount of pink, otherwise the lower parts are very constant. 



Measurements.— Wing 7-98" (213-6mm.-) to 8-40" (224-2mm.) 

 with an average of 8-25" (220-8mm.); tarsus 1-00" to M2" (25- to 

 2 8- 5mm.) and averaging over 1-06" (26- 75mm.); bill at front -50" 

 to '58" (12-5 to 14*6mm.) and averaging rather over -oo (lo-5mm.); 

 the tail varies from about 5-50" (140mm.) to 7-50" (190-5 mm.). 



These measurements are taken from a series of over a hiindred 

 skins, the very great majority of these being birds shot in India. 

 They include the series in the British Museum and in the Tring 

 Museum. 



"J/aZe.^.— 14to 15-5; expanse 24 to 26 ; 7-96 to 8-5; tail from 

 vent 5 to 7 ; tarsus 1-0 to 1-13; weight 10 to 12 ozs." (Hume.) 



" The feet are dirty or dusky green, in one specimen j^ellowish ; 

 the irides are brown ; the bill varies in colour somewhat and I have 

 recorded it in different specimens, as dusky green, greenish brown, 

 brown, dark brown, slate colour." (Hume.) 



Adult female. — Whole upper parts from forehead to tail buff barred 

 black, on the shoulders and interscapulary region the tint is often 

 somewhat rufous and that on the iipper tail coverts brighter and 

 more yellow. On the interscapiilarj^ feathers a few of the broadest 

 bars of black have their centres grey. A short supercilium, lores 

 and edge of forehead, sides of head and the neck rufous like those 

 parts in the male but paler and duller ; chin and throat white in the 

 centre : a fairly well defined black line from behind the eye. 

 Scapulars and innermost secondaries like the back, but the bars 

 wider and bolder and with more grey and with the ends jrellow ochre 

 narrowlj^ edge with black. Primaries and their coverts like those of 

 the male. Secondary, greater and median coverts white with rufous 

 ■subterminal bands and black edges, the bases, where covered, 

 barred rufous and black ; outer secondary covers and median pri- 

 mary coverts with broad white terminal bars edged black. Below 

 the rufous of the fore neck there is a wide collar of black followed 

 by a narrow fringe of the same colour as the neck, which merges 

 into gTey and is then followed by another narrow band of black. 

 From this band the colours are as in the male, a broad band of 

 Tufous, a narrow band of black or ver}^ deep chocolate and the rest 

 white. 



The females, when adult, differ to much the same extent as the 

 male underneath, but above the range of variations is considerably 

 greater, some birds being much more boldly and richly marked than 

 others and the amount of yellow markings and the extent to which 



