﻿1874.] mil Hanges of tlie N. E. Frontier. 175 



1-0" in minor diameter, is of a creamy wliite colour, unspotted on the 

 smaller end, distantly so on the lower frds., closely on the larger end, 

 the spots all pale grey, with light and dark shades of sepia. The birds 

 did not live long in confinement, although they ate greedily of earth- 

 worms. 



Captain Elwes tells me that he procured this bird in the interior of Sik- 

 kim, at Choongtam, at an elevation of 5000 feet, in September 1870; 

 to him therefore belongs the credit of being the first to discover it. 

 This specimen, with others, was lent by him to. Mr. A. 0. Hume for de- 

 scription, but the box containing them appears to have been lost on its way 

 to Agra. Captain Elwes found this Rail in rice-fields which are the highest 

 in Sikkim ; my bird was found in similar ground, and at the same eleva- 

 tion. 



911. PoRZAi^A ruscA, Linnoeus. 

 Obtained at Shillong in June. 

 L. 7-5,'' W. 40," T. 2-2," t. 1-35, Bf. 075/' 



Mid-toe and -claw 1"6". Bill dull dark green, orbits vermillion, irides 

 orange, legs pale vermillion. The under tail -coverts are dark umber-grey 

 in my specimen (not olivaceous as stated in Jerdon), and closely barred 

 with white, 



913. Rallfs strtatus, Linnseus. 



Dimensions are smaller than those given in Jerdon,- but the bird does 

 Dot differ in coloration from specimens from the rest of India. 



L. 9-5/' W. 4-75," T. 2 0," t. 1 65,'' Bf. 1-4." 



Mid-toe and-claw 1-8," hind-toe and-claw 62," irides sienna-brown, 

 legs and feet ash-grey. Bill pink at base, pale grey-brown at tip, brown 

 above. 



The bill is much lengthened, and in the presence of a shield-like ex- 

 pansion at base above, approaches nearer to the Water Hens (Galluiida) than 

 other Rails. The tarsus is very stout and the feet are shorter and stouter 

 than in Forzana. 



It occurred in the same swamp with the two preceding forms. 



917. Mycteria australis, Shaw. 

 Bisnath, Assam ; in December. 



920. CicoNiA LEUCOCEPHALA, Gmclin. 

 On Brahmaputra. 



949. Ai^sER iNDiciJS, Gmelin. 

 In large flocks on the Logtak Lake, in February ; they leave the water 

 to feed in the stubble of the rice-tields in the morning and evening. 



