OCR Text |
Show 1877.] THE MARQUIS OF TWEEDDALE ON BATRACHOSTOMUS. 441 more or less broadly tipped with white ; an irregular narrow brown line separating the white from the rufous. This lower pectoral white band descends to the flanks. Abdominal feathers and under tail-coverts pale dingy rufous, mostly tipped with subdued whitish spots, surmounted by a narrow irregular brown line. The middle rectrices are pale rufous, much freckled with pale brown zig-zag lines and traversed by seven or eight obscurely defined dark brown bands ; slight indications of white on the margins of the webs ; laterals with the white indentations well marked, all tipped with a narrow white or rufous-white fringe, and a small subterminal black mark. Frontal bristles tawny-rufous and black-tipped. Wing 4*50, tail 450, tarsus 0*50, middle toe 0*63, bill from front 0*80, width of gape 1*25. The bill is massive ; the gradation of remiges and rectrices normal ; the upper fourth of the exterior part of the tarsus is feathered. No. 2, 2 (?)• Ceylon (mus. nostr.). General colour deep chestnut-bay or rufous-brown. This example differs by its deep tone of rufous from the last, which, while of a general bright chestnut, possesses a few feathers on the head and shoulders and all the axillaries of the deep shade of rufous found in this example. In both the distribution of the white markings is the same; but in the present one the white bars and the terminal rufous-brown fringes of the nuchal collar-plumes are more pronounced. The minute black and white terminal dots on the scapulars and tertiaries are less pronounced ; there are fewer and less distinct brown markings on the rufous outer webs of the quills. The rectrices scarcely differ ; but the under tail-coverts are more distinctly spotted. The feathers before the eye are darker, although also banded by a black line. Wing 4*50,'tail 4*40, tarsus 0*60, middle toe 0*65, bill from forehead 0*81, width of gape I"25. Structure as in No. 1. No. 3, d (fide Mr. H. Nevill), immature (?). Ratnapura, Ceylon (mus. nostr.). General aspect greyiih brown, much mixed with rufous-brown. Chin and throat dingy pallid rusty; on the lower throat pure rufous feathers, with a broad white terminal band separated from the rusty colour by an irregular dark-brown line ; no rufous or brown terminal fringe. Breast uniform rusty, with a few feathers on the sides, but not on the middle, broadly tipped with white and traversed with a zigzag brown separating line. Abdomen and flanks pallid fulvous-rusty, each feather for more than half of its terminal length greyish white, freckled with a number of minute irregular transverse brown lines ; many tipped with minute whitish spots. Ventral feathers pallid fulvous-rusty, and only tipped with vermiculations ; others and the under tail-coverts almost uniform fulvous-rusty, with pallid terminal spots and subterminal brown marks. Frontal feathers grey at insertion, freckled with brown, then rusty fulvous, with a subterminal black spot and a terminal minute rusty mark. Feathers of the head brown, with similar ter minal marks. Superciliary plumes mostly rusty fulvous or buff on outer webs and brown on inner, with a black terminal dot, giving the supercilium a uniform buff appearance. Elongated auriculars rusty-tawny at base, freckled with brown, and pure brown at the |