we a rc y e t u n c e rta in as to th e p lum age o£ th e you n g . Those whicli seem to u s to h e im m a tu re
a re m u ch d u lle r in colour th a n th e a d u lts , have s c a rc e ly any b a rs o n th e rum p , a n d h av e w h ite r
th ro a ts . The b la ck e r th ro a ts a re pro b ab ly signs o£ tb o o lde r b ird s ; b u t tb e changes o f plumage
in th e species a re a t p re s e n t n o t a t all u nde rstood, a n d th e re a re a jip a rcn tly n o m a rk ed signs of
y o u n g plumage , as iu th e o th e r M a r tin s , where th e w h ite -edged secondaries proclaim th e imma tu
r ity o f th e spe c imen a t a glanc e . Some specimens o f C. nipalensis have a brow n ish shade on
th e sides o f th e body, b u t we have n o t be en able to decide tlia t th is is a sigu o f im m a tu rity .
Hab. T h e H im a lay a s from N a iu i T a l to S ik h ira , and th en c e to th e N a g a a n d Dafla h ills , aud th e hills o f
M an ip u r.
I n describing tb e present species Air. Aloore proposed tlie generic name of D e lic h o n , an
an ag ram matic ren d erin g of C h e lid o n , for its reception. As D a c e lo is an accepted genus
of Kingfishers, a lth o u g h formed from th e component letters of A lc e d o , there is no reason
•why D e lic h o n , which has a fine classical Grecian aspect, should n o t be employed, as it
is o f course open to any one, h a rd up for a new generic name, to tlirow th o letters of
A lc e d o or C h e lid o n into th e air, an d th e n w alk ro u n d th em till a presentable combination
becomes visible. AVe do n o t of course suggest th a t an excellent o rnithologist like Air.
Aloorc adopted th is p lan ; b u t we have been c redibly informed th a t it was in this way th a t
th e name Dac elo was called in to existence. Our reasons for n o t ado p tin g D e lic h o n are
simply th a t th e genus would rest on a square form of th e ta il for its separation from
Ch elid o n -, and as t!ie shape of th is ta il varies in each species of Alartin, wo do n o t feel it
possible to separate th e Nipnlese species. AVlicn th e n esting-habits of C. n ip a le n s is are
b ro u g h t to lig h t th e re may be found some reasons for modifying o ur o p in io n ; b u t from
th e facts known a t present, we do n o t see an y necessity fo r separating th e Iliu ia -
lav an Alartin from th e o th er members of th e genus C h e lid o n .
The species was discovered by Air. Hodgson in Nepal d u rin g th e late r years of his
residence in tlia t country, and i t does n o t figure in his earlier lists. No notes on its
c a p tu re a rc preserved in th e AISS. which he presented to th e Zoological Society, and
his first specimens were given to th e In d ia Aluseuin in 1854. Dr. Scully does n o t seem
to have m et with i t in Nepal.
The most westerly locality whence wc have seen specimens has been Naini Tal, from
which place th ere are th re e good skins iu th e British Aluseuin : th e collector is unknown,
b u t th e specimens have evidently been procured by a pain stak in g n a tu ra lis t, as th ey have
th e sexes very carefully marked. They are labelled “ Naini Tal, 8000 feet, April and
J u ly ; common. La rg e flights h e a tin g a lo n g the hill-sides.”
Tlie scries of sjiocimens in tlic H um e eollection from Native Sikhim and Sikhim
were a ll obtained by th e la te Air. Alandclli, in A u g u s t and September, and from N ovember
to J a n u a ry . Air. 11. J . Ehves procured a specimen in Sikhim in October, so tlia t it
m u st be resident in th a t p a rt of tbo Himalayas from A u g u s t to Jan u ary . Jerd o n
fouud it a t Darjiling a t about 4500 feet of elevation, in the valley of liuugnoo, n e a r the
m ineral springs. I t was flying over th e ju n g les in large flocks, towards th e close of the
rains and d u rin g th e cold weather. Air. AVyatt visited the llu n jeo t valley in th e H im a layas
ab o u t the middle of Alarch, b u t did n o t see an y th in g of this species. Alajor
Bingham informs h im th a t i t was too early in tb e season. Air. AA’. T. Blanford found
th is Alartin tolerably common in th e T ista vallcj', between Chungtan and Tamlung,
o ften hunti'Qg in company with CoUocalia n id ific a . None were seen above about 5000
feet elevation.
Air. I lum e has given th e following account of th e species in Alanipur, and he has
also summarized th e records of Colonel Godwin-Austen. Unfortunately th e Alanipur
specimen procured by Air. I lum e was no lon g er in liis collection when tran s fe rred to
England, having been eaten by a rat;
“ I only once procured or sa'w th is in Alanipur, and th a t was near Tankul-IIoon-
doong in th e eastern hills, where, on a peak about GOOO feet high, a small llock suddenly
appeared ab o u t us, hawking a t a tremendous pace, and equally suddenly disappeared,
giving me only time to drop a single bird, a mule, which measured :—Len g th 4 '4 ;
expanse 10-2; tail 1 8 ; wing 3-G5; tarsu s 0 4 5 ; b ill from g a p e 0 4 : weiglit 0-45 oz.
Bill brown, paler a t g a p e ; iridcs (shot out) ? b row n ; tarsi and toes fully fe a th e re d ;
soles fleshy ; claws whity-browu.
“ According to th e Tankuls who were with me, small flights of tlic species are
occasionally seen in th is locality, b u t a re more common in th e hills fu rth e r n o rth . At
th e same time I am very doubtful whether they really d istinguish between th is species
and Coty le r ip a r ia and C. s in e n s is ; flights o f the former of whicli a t any rate do, a t times,
as already recorded, appear high up on th e eastern hills.
“ I have never received th is from any o th er p a rt of Assam myself, b u t Godwin-
Austcn records i t in his fifth list from Koonchungbhuni, in his Daila hill lis t from above
Dori[)u, and again from th e Eastern Naga Hills. So far as we know, i t docs n o t extend
to Burmah, and Taukul-Hooiidoong is th e most southern locality a t which i t has been
obtained.”
Tbe descriptions have been tak en from th e specimens in th e B ritish Aluseuin. The
P la te represents the B u n je e t valley and th e snows of Sikhira. The hig h est mo u n tain
is ‘ Kauchinjinga.’