Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Birds Vol 2).djvu/75

This page needs to be proofread.
PRATINCOLA.
61


Coloration. In all respects similar in plumage to P. caprata, sex for sex. Differs ill being much larger and in having a con- spicuously more massive hill.

Length about 6 ; tail 2'3 ; wing 3 ; tarsus *9 ; bill from gape -75.

In distinguishing between this and the preceding species, P. caprata, the size of the bill alone is quite sufficient. In the present species the bill, measured from the anterior margin of the nostril to the tip^is '4; in P. caprata -3 or less.

I adopt Kelaart's name for this species, as Sykes's Saxicola Incolor was procured in the Deccan, where, so far as I know, only P. capratx occurs.

Distribution. Southern India, from the Nilgtris to Cape Comorin, above 5000 feet ; Ceylon. A permanent resident.

Habits, fyc. Breeds from February to May, placing its nest in similar localities to thoss selected by P. caprata, and laying similar eggs, which, however, are much larger and measure about '77 by '6.

610. Pratincola maura. The Indian Bush-Chat.

Motacilla maura, Pall. Rds. Ruts. Reichs, ii, p. 708 (1773). Saxicola saturatior, Horlgs. in Grays Zool. Misn. p. 83 (1844). Pratincola indica, Blyth, J. A. 8. B. xvi, p. 129 (1847) ; id. Cat. p. 170 ; Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 124 ; Cabanis, Journ. f. Orn. 1873, p. 359 ; Severtz. S. F. iii, p. 429 ; Anders. Yunnan Exped., Aves, p. 018; Hume, Cat. no. 483 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 200. Pratincola albosuperciliaris, Hume, S. F. i, p. 337 (1873). Pratincola rubicola (Linn.), apud Hum?., N. fy E. p. 316 ; Hume Sf Headers. Lah. to Yark. p. 204. Pratincol i maura (Pall.), Sharpe, Cat. B. M. iv, p. 188 ; Oates, B. B. i, p. 279 ; id. in Hume's N. $ E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 48.

Ad'im-kampa-nalanchi, Adavi-kampa-jitta, Tel.

Coloration. Male. After the autumn moult the forehead, crown, napo, hind neck, back, scapulars, and upper rump are black, with broad fulvous or rufous margins to the feathers ; the innermost wing-coverts pure white ; the remaining upper wing-coverts black, edged with rufous ; primary-coverts and winglet black, edged with whitish ; quills dark brown, the primaries narrowly, the other quills broadly, edged with rufous on the outer web and tip; lower rump and tail-coverts white, frequently suffused with orange- rufous ; tail black, narrowly edged with pale rufous ; the extreme bases of the feathers white ; lores, sides of the head, chin, and throat black, most of the feathers edged with fulvous ; a large patch of white on each side of the neck ; breast orange-rufous ; remainder of the lower plumage paler rufous ; under wing-coverts and axillaries black with narrow white tips. In summer the margins of the feathers of the black portions of the plumage are almost entirely lost, and these parts become deep black.

Female. After the autumn moult the upper plumage, wings, and tail resemble those parts in the male, but the black is everywhere