OCR Text |
Show 1877.] THE MARQUIS OF TWEEDDALE ON BATRACHOSTOMUS. 425 the external generic characters given by Mr. G. R. Gray for Otothrix belong to every other Asiatic species of Batrachostomus in a greater or lesser degree ; and it seems unnecessary to retain the title. That of Batrachostomus I only hesitate to surrender because I have not had an opportunity of sufficiently studying all the species of Podargus as restricted. B. crinitus, if any species, perhaps deserves generic separation, on account of its long naked tarsus and weak bill. The following diagnostic table may perhaps assist the identification of the species known to inhabit the Indian region. Females, adult uniform rufous, young rufous much striated with brown. Males with mottled, freckled, spotted, striated, grey, brown, tawny, and rufous-brown plumage, or uniform brown upper plumage. A white or else tawny-white nuchal collar in adults of both sexes. A. 2 • Wing-coverts unspotted with white. Gular collar, pectoral and scapulary plumes white. d . Wing-coverts with white or tawny white terminal spots or bands. 1. 2 • Major; white extending to 1 centre of throat; gape 1*38 V B. cornutus. d' >> >» " J Sumatra, Borneo. 2. 2 • Minor; white extending to 1 centre of throat; gape 1* 12 V B. javensis. d. Undescribed J Java. "3. 2 • White throat, plumes con- "*\ fined to the gular collar; gape 1*12 > B- affims-d. White extending to centre of throat ; gape 1*12...... > Malacca, Burma, Darjeeling. B 2 . Wing-coverts with conspicuous terminal white spots. No white gular pectoral or abdominal plumes. 4. 2 • Rufous ; gape 1*31 d. Brown or dark rufous-brown above; gape 1*31 Malacca, Borneo, Sumatra. C 2 Win-^-coverts with conspicuous terminal white spots. White gular, pectoral, and abdominal plumes. Scapulars rufous. d. Wing-coverts, gular, pectora, and abdominal plumes as in female. B. stellatus. |