feathers of the back, the black lines from the gape, and the black pectoral band; and the lower parts are
uniform whitish-cinereous, tinged with rufous on the throat and breast, and passing into reddish white or
fulvous posteriorly. The ashy hue of the head, too, has a fulvous tinge. The female is said, by Blyth, to
want the cinnamon-coloured band, and the colours to be generally duller.”
Mr. Blyth states that it is “ common in the neighbourhood of Calcutta, and frequently brought for sale in
the medley of species purchased as ‘ Ortolans ’ by Europeans. Apparently an irregular and uncertain winter
visitant to Lower Bengal.”
Major Tytler observed some examples, and shot a male near Pakree during a march from Simla to Mus
sooree.
Von Pelzeln, in his paper on “ Birds from Thibet and the Himalayas,” states that examples were found at
Serahan, Tranda, and Gaora.
Mr. Swinhoe informs us that the true E. fucata is “ a winter visitant to Formosa, but is not common
th e r e ;” that he has found it between Takoo and Pekin, in North China, and that it winters in South China ;
lie has “ m et with it among standing grain during w inter; but it was difficult to procure, from its habit of
dropping under cover of the grain and seldom perching in exposed places.? - It is more or less common,
and, he thinks, resident, in Hongkong, Macao, and Canton.
Mr. Henry Whitely informs us that “ this bird is rather common at Hakodadi. My specimens, shot in
October, had the bill brown, the irides dark hazel, and the legs and toes brownish flesh-colour.”
The male has the head and neck dark grey, with a streak o f brownish black down the centre o f each
feather ; feathers of the back brownish black, margined with rufous; lower p art of the back rufous, deepest
in tint down the centre of each feather, gradually passing iuto dull grey with black centres on the upper tail-
coverts ; lesser wing-coverts rusty red ; greater coverts blackish brown, with buffy grey margins and lighter
tips ; primaries brown, finely margined with reddish g rey ; lengthened tertiaries brownish black, bordered
externally with greyish white ; over the eye a light superciliary stripe ; ear-coverts deep rufous ; throat and
breast greyish white; from each angle of the gape proceeds a narrow black streak, which increase in breadth
as they descend, and unite on the breast, forming a g o rg et; on each side of this gorget the feathers are white,
with black centres ; immediately below it a narrow band of rufous; abdomen buffy white, washed with rufous
and streaked with blackish brown on the flanks; tail brown, the central feathers margined with greyish fawn-
colour, and the outer feather with a line of white down the inner web next the shaft, increasing in breadth
from the base to the end.
The female is similar, but very much paler-coloured on the upper surface, has the under surface buff, and
the gorget-like mark indicated by a few small spots of brownish black.
The Plate represents a male and a female, of the size of life.