138 StLVIAD^. 



Gen. Thamnobia, — Sws. 



Bill slender, slightly widened at the base, sides compressed ; 4th 

 and 5th quills longest ; secondaries and tertiaries broad, nearly the 

 length of the primaries ; tail moderate. 



Thamnobia cambaiensis, Lath. ; Jerd. B. Ind. ii. 122, No. 480; 

 Eume, St)\ F. i. 182 ; Murray, Hdbk., Zool., §^o,, Sind, p. 145. 

 (Foosree, Sind). — The Bkown-backed Indian Robin. 



Male. — Head dusky olive brown ; lores, ear-coverts, lower plumage, 

 wings and tail black ; back, scapulars and upper tail-coverts dusky 

 olive brown ; under tail-coverts and centre of lower abdomen deep 

 chestnut; a white wing spot. The female is sooty brown throughout; 

 vent and under tail-coverts chestnut ; bill and legs black ; irides brown. 



Length. — 6 inches, wing 2-8 to 3, tail 2-75, tarsus 1, bill at front O'S. 



Eah. — Central and Northern India to the Himalayas. Found com- 

 monly in the Punjab, N. W. Provinces, Sind, Kutch, Kattiawar, N. 

 Guzeratj Jodhpore, the Concan and Deccan, also in Khandeish, and, as 

 in Sind, is probably a resident of these places. In Sind it breeds from 

 March to July. Eggs white or pale greenish white, speckled with pale 

 red. 



Gen. Pratincola, Koch. Syst. d. Eater. Zool. p. l&O. 



Bill short, straight, wider at the nostrils than high; nostrils hidden; 

 second primary longer than the secondaries, the first not half the 

 length of the second. 



Pratincola macrorbynclia, Stolichza, J. A. S. B. xli. p. 238; 

 Eume, Sir. F. 1876, p. 40; 1877, pp. 131, 241, 244; 1879, p. 53. 

 Pratincola rubetraoides, Jerd. B. Ind. iii. App. p. 872 {ex. Jameson 

 MS. Desc. Nulta) Dresser, B. Eur. parts 23, 24; Eume, Sir. F. 1877, 

 p. 239. Pratincola rubetra, Eume, Ibis. 1869, p. 354. Pratincola Jame- 

 soni, Eume, Str. F. 1877, p. 239 {nom emende) Sharpe, Oat. Birds, B. 

 Museum, vol. iv. p. 182. 



Adult Male. — A broad stripe over the eyes and over the greater 

 portion of the ear-coverts white, with a slight buffy tinge ; lower parts 

 of the lores dusky ; chin, throat and entire lower parts, including lower 

 tail-coverts and tibial plumes, white with a yellowish tinge and a very 

 feeble rufescent tinge on breast and flanks; wing lining and axillaries 

 pure white, the former slightly mottled with dusky; forehead, crown, 

 occiput, nape, back and scapulars light sandy buff, striated longitudinally 

 with hair brown ; rump and upper tail-coverts white, most of the 

 feathers tinged towards their tips with pale rusty buif ; primaries and 

 secondai'ies hair brown, margined on the outer webs with light buff 

 and tipped with yellowish white, the primaries more narrowly, the 

 secondaries more broadly ; tertiary, greater coverts, or perhaps, I should 

 call them lower scapulars, white ; tertiaries and greater and median 

 secondary coverts deep brown, broadly margined with pale, more or 

 less rufescent buff ; entire visible portion of lesser coverts pale sandy 

 buff; edge of wing and outer webs of earlier greater primary coverts 

 pure white ; tail hair brown, all the feathers margined on the outer 



