187:2.] F. Stoliczka — Mammals and Birds inhabiting Kachh. 251 



Winter plumage : Forehead and superciliary band passing round the 

 occiput white, the former slightly, the latter distinctly tinged with rufous ; 

 top of head impure blackish brown ; back of neck pale rufescent ashy, many 

 of the feathers being usually tipped pale ; general plumage above slightly 

 olivaceous ashy brown, somewhat darker on the rump ; primaries black, secon- 

 daries white, tertials olivaceous, the last feathers much lengthened ; upper tail 

 coverts white ; tail white, with a black subterminal band, not extending on 

 the outermost feathers. Lores white, with the shaft of the feathers black and 

 the nude terminations somewhat prolonged ; a narrow blackish streak through 

 the eye ; ear coverts, and sides of neck slightly rufescent brown, passing 

 on to the breast, on which most of the feathers are subterminally darkened, 

 forming subtrigonal marks. Chin, throat, and the whole lower side from 

 beyond the breast, including lower wing and lower tail coverts, pure white. 

 Wing 8 to 8-3 ; tail 3-5 to 37 ; tarsus 2"2 to 23 ; bill at front 1-1 to 12. 



Gray (Handlist, III, 11) adopts the name Wagleri for the Indian bird, 

 but I do not know in what our bird differs from the European gregaria. A 

 comparison of authentic specimens is needed. 



855. LoBrvANELLiTS es t dicus, (Bood.) Very common. 



G. B. Gray, (Hand-list, III, 11,) gives L. indicus,Hod&.,= goensis, Gm., 

 = atrogularis, Wagl. Wing 8'5 to 8 - 9 ; tail 4/25 to 4*75 ; tarsus 2-75 to 

 29 ; bill at front 1*2 to 1*3 inch. It generally keeps near villages about 

 tanks and wells. At the first dawn its characteristic call is heard and re- 

 peated all round the habitations. 



856. SiUiciOPHOB,us bilobus. Very common. 



Average measurements of six specimens, shot in December and Janu- 

 ary. Wing 7-7 to 8, tail 31 to 33, tarsus 23 to 2-5 ; bill at front 11 to 

 1*2 inch. The black of the top of head is in winter generally mixed with 

 greyish brown, and in younger birds it is almost entirely brown ; the chin 

 in the young is whitish, while in adults apparently it is in winter much 

 mixed with black. 



Gray (Hand-list, III, 12) gives Hoplopterus JBrissonii, Wagl. = 

 bilobus, Aliq. = ludoviciana var /3., Lath., from India ; and S. (Lobipluvia) 

 malabaricus, Bodd., = bilobus, Gm. = myops, Less., from Malabar. If the 

 latter reference applies to our bird, it has in that case to stand as 

 malabaricus, which would not be a very appropriate name for it. 



859. GEdicnemus mdictts, Salvadori. Common. 

 Comp. Atti R. Acad. Sc. Nat. 1866, viii, and Ibis, 1866, II, p. 415. 

 Average measurements of six specimens : Wing 8*5 to 8 - S ; tail 4 - 25 to 

 4-5 ; tarsus 2'8 to 33, bill at front 1-45 to L65 inch. The bird is called 

 ChacJcua by the natives. 



Gray (Hand-L, III, 9) questions the distinctness of indicus from 

 33 



