1872.] F. Stoliczlca — Mammals and Birds inhabiting Kachh. 233 
in the middle almost pure white, a brown broadisli band extends from behind 
and below the ear coverts to the sides of the breast ; lower plumage and 
under tail coverts dull white with a brownish streak to each feather, a 
crimson patch on the middle of the abdomen ; the white bands on the tail 
feathers are tinged with pure yellow, particularly towards the tips of the 
feathers. Bill plumbeous ; feet blackish ashy. Wing 3'75 to 3 - 9 ; tail 2'3 
to 2'4 ; bill at front 0'8 to 09, from gape 1' to l'l ; tarsus OG inch ; foot 
about 1'5. Fourth primary the longest, first 2'2 inch, shorter, second 
0'4 and third 005 shorter than the fourth which exceeds the fifth by only 
a trifle. 
These are the average measurements (from skins) of three males and 
two females ; the former differ from the latter only by the crimson occiput, 
and sometimes also by a slightly smaller size, &c. 
Not common, but occurring throughout Kachh, in the thinly wooded 
parts of the province, on trees as well as on Euphorbia bushes. It is a rather 
shy bird, and has a particular liking to hunt for insects towards dusk ; I 
shot it often when it was almost dark, flatly clinging to the bark of a tree. 
Looking at the comparative small size of the Kachh birds, I was at first 
inclined to separate them as a distinct species, but, on the suggestion of Mr. 
Hume, and after careful comparison, I am convinced that they represent no- 
thing more than a local race of Maharattensis. I find that all the specimens 
of the latter from Bengal and Central India in the Museum have less white 
above, the white spots on the feathers being smaller, and that their 1st pri- 
mary is a little shorter and narrower, being 0'8 inch, long, while in the Kachh 
variety it is usually broader and 09", or even 095" long. But in both it has 
three white spots on the inner web and one at the base of the outer web. The 
proportions between the other primaries agree in both. The bill in Central 
India Maharattensis is a little slenderer at the base and altogether some- 
what longer. The wing, I find, to differ between 4 and 4'3 inches, but a 
specimen said to be from Simla has the wing only about 3 8 inch., and 
Beavan (Ibis, 18G5, vol. I, p. 410) gives the wing of a female from Manbhum 
as 3'88 inch. 
Blyth’s P. Blanfordi (Joum. A. S. B., XXXII, p. 75), ‘ is just barely 
separable as a race,’ as its author truly remarks. I do not believe that it 
differs specifically ; that is, I believe, that the Barmese bird is connected with 
true P. Maharattensis by intermediate forms of indefinable gradations. The 
type specimen has the wing 4, tail 2'45, tarsus 0 7, bill at front 0 9 inch. 
The white blotches on the upper plumage are again slightly larger than in 
the Kachh variety, but in all details of coloration both perfectly agree. 
The first primary is in the Barmese type only about 06 inches long, and the 
2nd and 3rd are comparatively also a little shorter, hut they do not 
appear to have attained their full size in that specimen. It is noteworthy 
