THE DARK-GREY BUSH-CHAT. 
283 
procured it at the same place. It is found in Cacharj and extends into 
India. It is probably a permanent resident in Burmab. It appears to 
be found in grass-land, and is very likely to be mistaken at first sight 
for Pratincola caprata. 
268. OREICOLA FEEREA. 
THE DARK-GREY BUSH-CHAT. 
Rubecola ferrea, Hodgs. in Graifs Zool. Misc. p. 83. Pratincola ferrea, Jerd. 
B. Ind. ii. p. 127 ; Hume, Nests and Eggs, p. 318 j Hume 8f Henders. Lah. to 
Yark. p. 205, pi. xii. ; Bl. B. Bunn. p. 101 ; Hume, S. F. iii. p. 135; Brooks, 
S. F. iii. p. 239 ; David et Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 168 j Anders. Yunnan Exped. 
p. 617; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 99; Scully, S. F. viii. p. 301. Oreicola ferrea, 
Sharpe, Cat. Birds B. Mus. iv. p. 266. 
Description. — Male in summer. The whole head above^ back and scapulars 
blacky each feather with a broad edging of deep grey ; rump grey without 
any black ; upper tail-coverts black edged with grey ; wings black, each 
feather of the coverts and tertiaries broadly, and the primaries and secon- 
daries narrowly,, edged with grey ; the inner median coverts tipped with 
white, the inner greater coverts wholly white ; tail black, edged with grey 
on both webs ; a distinct supercilium commencing at the nostrils whitish ; 
sides of the head black ; angle of the chin black ; lower plumage white, 
tinged with grey on the breast and flanks. 
Male in winter. All the feathers of the upper plumage are fringed with 
rusty, and the black centres to the feathers are nearly concealed from view ; 
the grey between the black centres and the rusty fringes is also only par- 
tially visible, except on the rump, where the prevailing colour is grey ; the 
other portions of the plumage are much the same as in summer. 
The female is the same all the year through ; the whole upper plumage 
is reddish brown, turning to chestnut on the upper tail-coverts ; the 
wings and tail are brown, broadly edged with chestnut-brown ; the sides 
of the head are reddish brown mottled with black ; the chin and throat are 
whitish ; the remainder of the lower plumage buflF, more or less pure 
according to the age of the plumage. 
Iris brown; bill black ; legs dark brown. 
Length 5'9 inches, tail 2*7, wing 2*75, tarsus '8, bill from gape '65. 
The female is somewhat smaller. 
The Dark-grey Bush- Chat is a somewhat rare winter visitor to British 
Bur m ah. Mr. Blyth has received it from Arrakan ; I secured one speci- 
men near Prome ; and Capt. Wardlaw Ramsay got it at Tonghoo, in the 
