156 F. Finn — General Xotes on Variation in Birds. [No. 3, 



feet, with, I presume (as he says nothing to the contrary) normal plumage. 

 After examining hundreds of both this species and the Common Teal 

 (Nettium crecca), I have never seen any variation in the latter. 



Snipe (Gallinago ccelestis and G. stenura) frequently present pallid 

 forms, which, as in the Garganey, vary inter se but do not grade into the 

 type. I was fortunate last winter in procuring, in addition to a pallid 

 specimen of the Fantailed species, a Pintail Snipe, which was a pied bird 

 of remarkable aspect. The general plumage was normal, but the dark- 

 streaked buff plumage of the lore-neck and breast was interrupted by a 

 longitudinal white patch, and there was a great deal of white in both 

 wings. The right wing had the first three primaries white, together 

 with nearly all the wing-coverts of the outer part of the wing, forming 

 a conspicuous patch. On the left wing all the primaries were white, 

 and a still greater extent of the wing-coverts. The irides, bill and feet 

 were normal, except that the toes were fleshy orange instead of olive- 

 green like the shanks. (Ind, Mus. Reg. 24155, £ .) 



I have thought it worthwhile to have this specimen figured 

 (Plate VIII, fig. A), together with two pallid specimens of this species 

 ( G. stenura) (Plate VIII, figs. B, C) of different shades. 



Pallid forms of the Indian House-Grow (Corvus splendens) are not 

 rare ; one of a pale fawn, with the face and wings darker, lived 15 years 

 in the Calcutta Zoological Garden ; this had fleshy white bill and feet. 

 Some rather similar specimens in the Indian Museum have, however, 

 evidently had dark bills and feet. The white specimens we have have 

 had fleshy white bills and feet, and this has been the case with all the 

 white Jackdaws ( Corvus monedula) I have seen in England; about 

 half-a-dozen in all. (I believe, however, these white Jackdaws are a 

 domesticated race). 



I have thrice in seven years secured pallid varieties of the 

 Rain-Quail (Cotitrnix coromandelica), once only of the common Quail 

 (C. communis), though this is more abundant in the Calcutta Market. 

 These birds have always been hens. I have now got another hen Rain- 

 Quail with all the primaries and their coverts, with the two outer 

 feathers of bastard-wing, pure white in the left wing ; on the right side. 

 all the primaries but the fourth, ninth and tenth, with the distal 

 primary coverts, were white, but bastard-wing normal. The centre 

 of the throat and a patch on the fore-neck, were also white. (Reg. 

 No. 24229). The irides, bill, and feet were normal. 



Grey or slate-coloured varieties are not common, but I have seen two 

 such in the Jackdaw (Corvus monedula), one in the King-crow or Black 

 Drongo ( Dicrurus ater ) and one in the Bengal Bulbul (Molpastes 

 bengalensis) . In the last-named bird the red under-tail-coverts persisted. 



