418 



THE BIRDS OF MONGOLIA ETC. 



jasu 



rements : — 













Length. 



Width. 



Wing. 



Tail. 





in. in. 



in. 



in. 



in. 



in. in. 



d. 



34-37 6 



28-5 



9-5- 



-9-9 



20-23-3 



2. 



24 5 



26 



87 





12-5 





r- Gape. 





Tarsus. 





Middle toe. 





in. in. 





in. in. 





in. in. 





6. 1-3-1 -33 





218-2-32 





1-65-1-73 





?. 116 





214 





1-6 



Quills, 4th=5th longest, 3rd>6th, 2iid>7th; 1st one inch shorter than 

 4th. The outer tail-feather is more than five times less than the central one. 

 Culmen of the male light horn-colour, upper mandible of the female blackish ; 

 tarsus brown, and toes somewhat darker ; iris golden yellow. 



Male. — Head and neck similar to that of the preceding species ; only the 

 spot on the nape is darker, and there is hardly any indication of a w^hite 

 collar, and usually no sign of one at all. The sides of the back are golden- 

 coloured, marked with triangular dark green spots on the tips of the 

 feathers ; the bases of the latter are dull black, edged w4th brown ; the shafts 

 are white, with a brown line. All the shoulder- and centre back-feathers 

 have a wide metallic- violet edge, which is followed again by a rusty-coloured 

 edge round the black base, marked with white streaks, which latter get very 

 distinct on the shoulders, and even form small spots. The lower portion of 

 the back is ashy grey, with a green lustre and dark green scale-like spots on 

 the ends of the feathers, which on their inner side are edged with irregular 

 yellow and black streaks. The rump is of a similar colour, but without any 

 markings ; the upper wing-coverts are concealed by the long rump-feathers, 

 which at their points attain rather a rusty colour. The breast is golden 

 carmine, with a black or dark blue edge on the tips of the feathers, the base 

 being black, with white shafts. A narrow line along the centre of the lower 

 portion of the breast is black, with a green lustre, and similar-coloured stripes 



