Birds of Celebes: Asionidae. 
97 
web of primaries light cinnamon-rufous with two or three partially obliterated 
yellowish bars; tail redcbsh brown crossed with five dusky bars and terminally margined 
with buff; under parts white -with long oval liglit chestnut-brown spots; underside 
of wing banded on the inner webs 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 i 1). 
Some examples have the head gi-eyer 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 
gi-eyer and more broadly striped below, have the tail greyer brown above, crossed 
vfrth three exposed black bands and two bands concealed by the upper tail-coverts. 
Two fr'om Talaut, one fr'om Sangi and one from Tagulandang are (in two or three 
cases) less gi-ey above and less broadly striped, displaying more white below; these 
have the tail more rufous brown, crossed ivith four exposed black bands narrower 
than in the other bmds, with tlmee or two concealed under the upper tail-coverts. 
Two of the greyer birds with three exposed bands in the Sarasin Collection are 
females, but we are inclined to regard the difference as one of age rather than of 
sex, the greyer bii-ds being probably older. See, also, on sexual differences: 
W. Blasius (i3). 
aments. 
Wing 
Tail 
Tarsus 
Culmen 
from cere 
a. (8257) imm. ? Great Sangi (Meyer) 
235 
132 
— 
16 
b. (C 13056) imm.? Talaut Is. Nov. 93 (Nat. Coll.) . . 
226 
120 

17 
c. (C 13055) ad. Talaut Is. Oct. 93 (Nat. Coll.) . . . 
224 
120 
27 
15 
d. (0 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 
cj. (Sarasin Coll.) O ad. Riu’ukan, N. Cel. 9. XI. 94 . 
225 
115 
25 
13 
h. (Sarasin Coll.) 9 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 Kiver and Japan (except, perhajos, Jesso— /«<$) 
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. Sharjjc’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 Cacha.r 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 sjoecimen of N. scutulata luguhns^ the type of N. madagascariensis 
Bp., is said to have been obtained in Madagascar. Dr. Sharpe expressed the 
Meyer & Wigleswortli, Birds of Celebes (Oct. 14tfr, jS07). 
