POBQCES HUMILIS, Eumv. J.Gesrftùà /FJírTt ¿iba* htfi’
POIDOCES HUMILI S, 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 a g r e e with Mr. Hume in referring this plain-coloured bird also to the genus Podoces-, bat it lacks the
ornamental colouring of P . Bendersoni 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 (I. c.) 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. I t frequents short grassy downs, a t a height of about 1100 feet. They were not in
flocks, but were scattered all over the hill-side.”
More recently, Mr. Home has recorded this species from the borders of Sikkim. His original description
is given below, and figures o f the bill and wings will be fonnd in the elaborate work above referred to.
"Male.—Forehead, lores, and an indistinct streak over the fore p a rt 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 n ap e ; the four central tail-feathers blackish brown, tipped and margined with a paler h u e ; 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 3 7 5 ; 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 0'7o ; wing 3 55 ; tail 2 4 ; tarsus 1-3. I t will he 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.