Birds of Celebes: Asionidae. 
97 
web of primaries liglit cinnamon-rufous with two or three partially obliterated 
yellowish bars; tail reddish brown crossed with five dusky bars and terminally margined 
with bufi; under parts white with long oval light chestnut-brown spots; under side 
of wing banded on the inner wehs of the feathers with yellowish isabelline, except 
on the free ends of the primaries. 
“Iris golden yellow; bill dark lead-grey; feet light yellow” (Platen il). 
Some examples have the head greyer than others, and in the former the chest- 
nut stripes on the under surface seem to be a httle broader. A greater difference 
is seen in the tail. Two before us from Celebes and two from Talaut, generally 
greyer and more broadly striped below, have the tail greyer brown above, crossed 
Avith three exposed black bands and two bands concealed by the upper tail-coverts. 
Two from Talaut, one from Sangi and one from Tagulandang are (in two or three 
cases) less grey above and less broadly striped, displaying more white helow; these 
have the tail more rufous brown, crossed with four exposed black bands narrower 
than in the other birds, with three or two concealed under the upper tail-coverts. 
Two of the greyer birds with three exposed hands in the Sara sin Collection are 
females, but we are inchned to regard the difference as one of age rather than of 
sex, the greyer bmds being probably older. See , also, on ■ sexual differences : 
W. Blasius (is). 
Measurements. 
Wing 
Tail 
Tarsus 
Oulmen 
from cere 
a. (8257) imm. ? Great Sangi (Meyer) 
235 
132 
— 
16 
h. (C 13056) imm.? Talaut Is. Nov. 93 (Nat. Coll.) 
226 
120 
— 
17 
c. (0 13055) ad. Talaut Is. Oct. 93 (Nat. Coll.) 
224 
120 
27 
15 
d. (C 13755) ad. Talaut Is. Nov. 94 (Nat. Coll.) . . . 
228 
120 
— 
15 
e. (C 15258) imm.? Talaut Is. Oct. 95 (Nat. Coll.) . . 
233 
127 
29 
17 
• f. (C 13455) imm.? Tagulandang, Aug. 94 (Nat. Coll.) . 
230 
136 
— 
17 
g. (Sarasin Coll.) Q ad. Burukan, N. Cel. 9. XI. 94 . 
225 
115 
25 
13 
(Sarasin Coll.) § ad. Kema. N. Cel. 24. X. 93 . . 
218 
118 
25 
14.5 
Viewed as a species composed of the above four races N. scutulata ranges 
from the Himalayas, the Amoor River and Japan (except, perhaps, Jesso — h 8) 
southwards throughout India and China to Ceylon, the Andaman and Nicobar 
Islands, Flores, Celebes, Ternate, 
This species varies considerably, and naturalists — starting with the assumption 
that it is non-migratory — have conferred specific names on specimens killed 
in a dozen different parts of its range. The result of Dr. Sharpe’s valuable, 
but, from the nature of the difficulties, by no means conclusive, researches (hi) 
was that there are only three forms of this bird — two light and one dark. 
Mr. Blanford, as shown above, finds a fourth race in the Andamans. Mr. 
Hume has recorded the light race of the Andamans from Cachar east of the 
Brahmapootra, and it seems open to inquiry whether the Andamans are not 
visited in winter by migrant individuals from India, as well as having a station- 
ary race of their own. 
A single specimen of N. scutulata lugubris.^ the type of N. madagascariensis 
Bp., is said to have been obtained in Madagascar. Dr. Sharpe expressed the 
Meyer & Wigleswortli, Birds of Celebes (Oct. 14th, 1897). 
