Stray Feathers; Journal of Ornithology for India and Its Dependencies Volume 5 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1877 edition. Excerpt: ...In dimensions adults vary in length from 74 to 78; wing, 4-6 to 4-8; tail, 3 7 to 4-1; fork, 1-7 to 23. The visible black portion of the upper tail-coverts is usually about 0 5, but varies from 0'4 to 0'7; of the lower tail-coverts 0 7 to 0"9, most generally the latter. The rump band in adults varies from 0 8 to 1. In perfect plumaged adults it is usually a uniform fairly bright bay, unstriated; but in many birds, during or after the breeding season, it pales posteriorly after the fashion, but not to the extent, of that of ru/ula. The lower parts are creamy white, often almost plain greyish white on the middle of the throat, with a pale ferruginous tinge on breast, rather more decided on flanks, axillaries and wing-lining. The occipital patches and nuchal collar (the latter a little varied with blue glossed feathers) are bright bay. J he ear-coverts are like the lower surface, in some a little more rufescent, and, being very densely striated with dusky, look much darker and duller. There is a bright blDe gloss on the black portions of both upper and lower tail-coverts. All this is in adults. In jrounger birds the bay portions are lighter coloured (in quite young ones the entire rump band is pale isabelline); and the feathers of the rump have blackish brown shafts, not shaft stripes, but only shafts. In non-adults the blue gloss of head mantle, &c, is more or less wanting or imperfect; in the quite young the lower surface is nearly pure white, and the striae are very faint on the abdomen. As the young grow older the striae become stronger for a time; as far as I can make out they are strongest in the cold season, next but one after the. bird's birth, after which they again grow somewhat feebler, though remaining always much more strongly...