PODOCES BIDDULPHI, Hume. 



Biddulph's Podoces. 



Podoces Biddulphi, Hume, Stray Feathers, ii. pp. 503, 529. 



In adjoining Plates I have figured two remarkable species of Podoces, which were discovered during the 

 first British expedition to Yarkand ; and I have now the pleasure of bringing before the notice of ornithologists 

 a beautiful member of the genus which forms part of the natural-history collections made during the second 

 mission of Sir Douglas Forsyth to Kashgar. This grand novelty was discovered by Captain John Biddulph, 

 19th Hussars, who was attached to the expedition ; and it most appropriately bears his name. We have 

 therefore four species of this interesting genus now known to science, all of which are illustrated in the 

 present work ; and one cannot but regard these birds with interest when we consider their extreme rarity 

 in collections, and their restricted range. They are eminently typical of the great desert region of Central 

 Asia, lying to the north of our own possessions in India, and stretching from Persia as far as Mongolia and 

 Amoor-land. 



Mr, Hume, whose account of the bird I herewith transcribe, has noted the characters of the species so 

 well that I cannot do better than quote his words. He writes : — " This, the finest of the four Chough 

 Thrushes as yet known to me, was procured during the second Yarkand expedition by Captain Biddulph, 

 after whom I have named it. He was the only one of the party who saw it in a wild state. He obtained it 

 in January at ' Maralbashi ; ' later Dr. Stoliczka purchased a caged specimen in Yarkand. 



" In size, general tone of colouring, and appearance this species resembles both P. Hendersoni and P. 

 Panderi ; but it is distinguished from both at once by its conspicuous white tail, as well as by many other 

 minor differences which will become apparent from the following description. I should add that, although 

 both Captain Biddulph's specimens are females (and the females in this genus appear to be smaller and to 

 have smaller bills than the males), the bills are considerably larger than those of the male P. Hendersoni. 



" The following are the measurements taken from the skin : — length 11*5 inches ; wing 59 ; bill at front 

 20, covered for 0*4 inch by frontal plumes ; tail from vent *4, the exterior tail-feathers on either side 03 

 shorter than the rest; fourth and fifth primaries equal and longest, sixth primary 0*1, third 0*18, second 

 065, and, first 0*85 shorter than the longest; tarsus 1'93; hind toe and claw 0*87, claw only 0*4; mid 

 toe and claw 1*2. The bill, legs, and feet are black, the narial tufts vinaceous fawn-colour. 



" The lores, a band under the eye not quite extending to the posterior angle, a broad streak over the eye 

 extending to the ear-coverts, ear-coverts, and sides of the neck pale vinaceous fawn-colour ; chin and throat 

 of the same colour, but mottled with dull black from the bases of the feathers showing through, just as in 

 some of the black-throated Saxkolce in winter plumage, leading one to suspect that in summer these parts 

 may be black ; base of the lower mandible and a broad moustachial patch, as well as an ill-defined stripe 

 running upwards from this behind the eye and then backwards over the ear-coverts and dividing these from 

 the long supercilium, dull black; forehead, crown, and occiput black, strongly glossed with sieel-blue, the 

 feathers of the occiput narrow, pointed, and prolonged to form a short full demi-crest ; entire mantle, 

 including lesser and median wing-coverts and rump, a rich vinaceous fawn-colour, much the same as in 

 Garrulax bhpecularis ; winglet pure white ; greater-primary and secondary-coverts black, strongly glossed 

 with blue ; primaries, ninth and tenth entirely pure white, except at the extreme bases on the inner webs, 

 where they are brownish black ; eighth primary similar, but with the terminal half-inch brown and the basal 

 portion of the shaft brownish. The rest of the primaries white, with the whole of the tips and the shafts 

 blackish brown ; secondaries white-tipped for about a quarter of an inch, and the inner webs brownish 

 black ; the first secondary with the entire outer web white, the rest with the outer webs black strongly 

 glossed with steel-blue ; the tertiaries with the inner webs white, and in each feather a decreasing breadth 

 of black, glossed with blue, on the outer webs. 



" Upper tail-coverts white, tinged with vinaceous fawn ; tail-feathers white, the central pair strongly 

 tinged towards the margins with vinaceous fawn, and with a conspicuous blackish brown shaft-stripe ; the 

 lateral tail-feathers faintly tinged with vinaceous on the exterior margin, less and less so as they recede from 

 the centre ; the pair next the central ones with conspicuous black shafts, which black shafting becomes less 

 and less marked as the feathers approach the exterior of the tail ; the entire lower surface of the body pale 

 vinaceous fawn, paling still further towards the vent and lower tail-covents, which latter may be said to be 



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