1872.] F. Stoliczka — Mammals and Birds inhabiting Kachh. 233 



in the middle almost pure white, a brown hroadish band extends from behind 

 and below the ear coverts to the sides of the breast ; lower plumage and 

 under tail coverts dull white with a brownish streak to each feather, a 

 crimson patch on the middle of the abdomen ; the white bands on the tail 

 feathers are tinged with pure yellow, particularly towards the tips of the 

 feathers. Bill plumbeous ; feet blackish asby. "Wing 3*75 to 3'9 ; tail 2 3 

 to 2"4 ; bill at front 0"8 to - 9, from gape 1" to 1/1 ; tarsus 0*6 inch ; foot 

 aboivt 1/5. Fourth primary the longest, first 2 - 2 inch, shorter, second 

 - 4 and third O05 shorter than the fourth which exceeds the fifth by only 

 a trifle. 



These are the average measurements (from skins) of three males and 

 two females ; the former differ from the latter only by the crimson occiput, 

 and sometimes also by a slightly smaller size, &c. 



Not common, but occurring throughout Kachh, in the thinly wooded 

 parts of the province, on trees as well as on Euphorbia bushes. It is a rather 

 shy bird, and has a particular liking to hunt for insects towards dusk ; I 

 shot it often when it was almost dark, flatly clinging to the bark of a tree. 



Looking at the comparative small size of the Kachh birds, I was at first 

 inclined to separate thern as a distinct species, but, on the suggestion of Mr. 

 Hume, and after careful comparison, I am convinced that they represent no- 

 thing more than a local race of Maharattensis. I find that all the specimens 

 of the latter from Bengal and Central India in the Museum have less white 

 above, the white spots on the feathers being smaller, and that their 1st pri- 

 mary is a little shorter and narrower, being - 8 inch, long, while in the Kachh 

 variety it is usually broader and 09", or even - 95" long. ( But in both it has 

 three white spots on the inner web and one at the base of the outer web. The 

 proportions between the other primaries agree in both. The bill in Central 

 India Maharattensis is a little slenderer at the base and altogether some- 

 what longer. The wing, I find, to differ between 4 and 43 inches, but a 

 specimen said to be from Simla has the wing only about 3 8 inch., and 

 Beavan (Ibis, 1865, vol. I, p. 410) gives the wing of a female from Manbhum 

 as 3 - 88 inch. 



Blyth's P. Blanfordi (Journ. A. S. B., XXXII, p. 75), 'is just barely 

 separable as a race,' as its author truly remarks. I do not believe that it 

 differs specifically ; that is, I believe, that the Barmese bird is connected with 

 true P. Maharattensis by intermediate forms of indefinable gradations. The 

 type specimen has the wing 4, tail 2 - 45, tarsus - 7, bill at front 0'9 inch. 

 The white blotches on the upper plumage are again slightly larger than in 

 the Kachh variety, but in all details of coloration both perfectly agree. 

 The first primary is in the Barmese type only about 06 inches long, and the 

 2nd and 3rd are comparatively also a little shorter, but they do not 

 appear to have attained their full size in that specimen. It is noteworthy 



