PODOCES HUMILIS, Hume. 



Dingy Podoces. 



Podoces humilis, Hume, Ibis, 1871, p. 408— Hume & Henderson, 'Lahore to Yarkand,' p. 247, pi. 23 (1873). 

 —Hume, Stray Feathers, ii. p. 452. 



I agree with Mr. Hume in referring this plain-coloured bird also to the genus Podoces ; but it lacks the 

 ornamental colouring of P. Hendersoni and P. Panderi. As will be seen below, it is a bird of somewhat 

 different habits to the other species, and is further distinguished by a difference in the length of bill in the 

 two sexes. 



The following short note by Dr. Henderson (/. e.) gives all that is known respecting the habits of this 

 curious species : — 



"This strange bird was only seen above Kitchik-Yilak, on the way to Yarkand ; on the return journey it 

 was not met with. It frequents short grassy downs, at a height of about 1100 feet. They were not in 

 flocks, but were scattered all over the hill-side." 



More recently, Mr. Hume has recorded this species from the borders of Sikkim. His original description 

 is given below, and figures of the bill and wings will be found in the elaborate work above referred to. 



"Male. — Forehead, lores, and an indistinct streak over the fore part of the eye fulvous white; front, top, 

 and back of the head, back, scapulars, and rump a dull earthy brown ; a broad yellowish-white patch upon 

 the nape; the four central tail-feathers blackish brown, tipped and margined with a paler hue; lateral tail- 

 feathers white, tipped and margined on exterior webs with dingy fulvous ; wings brown, the quills slightly 

 darker brown, narrowly margined and tipped with paler brown ; lower parts dingy fulvous white. Total 

 length 7'5 inches; bill at front 0*97 to 1 ; wing 375 ; tail 2-8; tarsus 1'25." 



Mr. Hume adds :— " The female has more of a rufescent tinge on the back and scapulars than the male, 

 and has the quills a darker hair-brown, the tertiaries and some of the secondaries more distinctly margined 

 with a pale rufescent brown. In both sexes the bastard wing appears to be a dark hair-brown. Total 

 length 7 inches ; bill from front 0*75 ; wing 3'55 ; tail 2*4; tarsus 1*3. It will be noticed that the female 

 is smaller in most of her dimensions, and has the bill conspicuously shorter." 



The birds are represented in the Plate of the size of life. 



m 



ii 







