PELLORNEUM PALUSTRE, Jerd. 



Marsli-Pellorneum. 



I am indebted to Mr. Jerdon for the loan of a very fine specimen of this rare little bird. After my drawing 

 was made, Mr. Jerdon, with his own hand, wrote upon it the name under which it is figured {Pellorneum 

 palustre, Jerd.), and, if I recollect rightly, at the same time informed me that it had been described in the 

 'Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal' for 1870; but on reference I do not find therein the 

 description of any bird so designated. It is true that, in an enumeration of some Asiatic birds by Major 

 Godwin- Austen, a species of this form is mentioned under the name of Pellorneum ruficeps, Swainson ; and 

 Mr. Swinhoe has described, in the « Annals and Magazine of Natural History ' for 1871, a species from the 

 Tenasserim provinces, which had been given to him some years before by Mr. Blyth as P. subochraceum. 

 Now, can these names be in any way connected with the present bird ? I think not ; certainly not the 

 former. If Mr. Swinhoe were not away in China, and Mr. Jerdon out of England, those gentlemen might 

 have thrown some light on the subject ; and I would have delayed my Plate for this purpose, had not the entire 

 impression been printed off and coloured. I therefore publish it, and must defer to a future opportunity the 

 correction of any discrepancy that may be discovered, as well as any details respecting its history, habits, 

 actions, and economy that may be acquired. 



All the upper surface, wings, and tail reddish brown ; above the eye a streak of sandy buff; chin, centre 

 of the breast and abdomen white ; sides of face, breast, and flanks rufous ; the feathers on each side of the 

 throat, of the breast, and flanks with a longitudinal spot of dark brown ; under tail-coverts rusty red ; bill 

 brown, lighter beneath ; legs pale brown. 



Habitat. Assam, Cachar. 



The figures are of the natural size. 



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