from the same flock, I fancy that Swainson’s supposed new species, C. Orientals, said to differ only in size
from the C. Asiaticus, must be abandoned.”
Colonel Sykes informs us that this species is “ numerous in Dukhun; but only on the open stony and
grass plains. This bird has the shortness o f intestine o f the Bustard (equal to the length of the body), with
a stomach nearly similar; feeding in the same manner on insects and their larva, and with the same
cursorial habits.”
Figures of this species occur among the drawings of the late Hon. F. J . Shore, and I find the following
in reference to it among his M S S .:—
“ I observed several examples about Julisor in the Aligurh d istric t; they all appeared to be alik e; their
positions and motions when on the ground were very like those of a Plo v er: their flight resembled that of
the Bahtah Goose. The stomachs of those I examined contained the remains o f small beetles and other
insects : the stomach of a female I examined upon another occasion was filled with large black ants.
“ This bird is also common about Jubalpoor.”
Mr. Layard states, in his interesting “ Notes on the Ornithology o f Ceylon,” that “ it is found occasionally
in the Wally plains during the month of April.”
The sexes are so nearly alike, that by dissection alone can they with certainty be distinguished. The
young, examples of which were collected by Dr. Gould, are very different from the adults, as will be seen on
reference to the accompanying Plate.
Forehead and crown reddish chesnut, bounded with deep black on the occiput; lores and a streak behind
the eye meeting at the back of the neclj. black; over each eye a line of white passing backwards and uniting
in the midst of the black of the occiput; chin and upper p art o f the throat bufly white, gradually passing
into the light reddish chestnut of the breast and back of the neck ; upper surface, scapularies and wing-coverts
light olivaceous h row n ; primaries and secondaries bluish b lack ; tertiaries tipped with white; outer tail-
feather on each side white, with a narrow line of black down the apical portion of the sh a ft; the remainder
olivaceous brown, the two central ones with a faint trace o f a black band near the tip, the others with a
broad band of black near the extremity and tipped with white, the extent of the white increasing as the
feathers recede from the c en tre ; upper pa rt of the abdomen rich deep chestnut, gradually blending with
the lighter hue of the b r e a s t; on the lower part of the abdomen a large patch of black; flanks olivaceous;
vent, upper and under tail-coverts white ; irides dark brown ; bill black ; legs and feet creamy white.
The young have the head and all the upper surface mottled with bufly white and dark brown ; a faint wash
of rufous on the back o f the neck and b re a s t; and the tips of the central tail-feathers mottled like the back.
The figures, which are of the size o f life, represent a male in the fully adult livery, and two young birds in
the variegated costume of their first autumn.