Stray Feathers, A Journal of Ornithology for India and its dependencies

Volume 1

STRAY

FEATHERS,

A

FOR

INDIA AND ITS DEPENDENCIES.

EDITED BY .

NOVEMBER, 1872.

In the uncertainty that existed as to whether arrangements could be matured for the publication of this little Journal in India, I did not venture to solicit communications from any of the numerous collectors for and contributors to my Museum, though many of these are far better qualified to amuse and interest the Ornithological public than myself. Now that the work has been fairly started, I hope that all brother Ornithologists in India will aid me to make the work somewhat worthy of the Science of which we are common votaries. Singlehanded, and with almost my whole time devoted to the performance of public duties, it is certain that even were I far better qualified for the task than I can pretend to be, no satisfactory results could be hoped for,—it is on the co-operation of Indian Ornithologists generally, that success must be dependant, and that co-operation I now most earnestly solicit.

The Editor.

1st November, 1872.

CONTENTS OF VOL. I. 1872–73.

No. I.—November.

No. 2, 3, & 4.—February.

No. 5.—July.

No. 6.—December.

.

On the completion of this first bundle of Stray Feathers, in other words of Vol. I., the Editor feels bound to acknowledge most gratefully, the cordial support that, during the past year, he has met with from Indian Ornithologists.

When Buffon wrote his Natural History of Birds, he congratulated himself on a knowledge of nearly 900 species, and estimated that the world might contain 1,500 species altogether, a number, so vast, that it seemed impossible to him, that they should ever be properly dealt with in one work.

The Avifauna of India and its Dependencies, already includes nearly 1,600 species, and it has always appeared to me impossible that so vast a fauna should be adequately dealt with, until it possessed a special local organ of its own, in which the observations and discoveries of professed ornithologists, working on the spot amongst the living birds, could be promptly and conveniently recorded, in which only matters bearing on our great work out here should find a place, and which by being, so to say, always at hand, and humble in its scope, should tempt the innumerable "bird-fanciers," who will not call themselves, (though they often truly are) ornithologists, because their acquaintance with scientific nomenclature is small, to put on record some of the multitudinous facts in regard to the distribution and habits of birds that, as travellers and sportsmen, are daily brought to their notice.

It was to supply such a special local organ, that our little Magazine was called into existence, and, so far as professed ornithologists are concerned, it has succeeded beyond the expectations and deserts of its Editor.

But, where the "bird-fanciers" are concerned, it has been, in great measure, a failure. There are hundreds of sportsmen in India, who could tell us facts about the nidification, habits, migrations, distribution, &c., of species of which we know little, and what I would urge upon all my kind coadjutors is, each in his own circle of friends, to endeavour to stir observant Sportsmen up, to add, each, their quota of knowledge to the general stock.

If would-be contributors have doubts as to the names of birds, in regard to which they have observations to record, let them send me skins (the veriest rags, will in most cases suffice) and I will with pleasure identify and return them.

Specially, in the matter of nidification and eggs are we in want of additional information; what is already on record on this subject, so far as I am acquainted with it, and what I have been able to ascertain personally or from others, is set forth in my Rough Draft of "Eggs and Nests" of Indian Birds, Part I., of which has just been printed, and the two remaining parts of which will be available during the course of this present year. I venture to hope, that a perusal of this will show many "bird fanciers" and sportsmen, as well as ornithologists, that much information possessed by them is as yet not generally known, and that they will make it so through the pages of Stray Feathers.

As to distribution again much remains to be worked out, and the importance of careful local faunas, in a vast region like that with which we deal, and in which, as it were, the Palæarctic and Palætropic faunas meet, cannot be overrated.

No special scientific knowledge is necessary for the preparation of these—a man has only to collect steadily, in almost any locality for a year or eighteen months, one or two specimens of every species he can come across in his neighbourhood, to note, so far as practicable, in regard to each, whether they are rare or common, whether they are permanent residents or seasonal visitants, and if the latter, when they arrive and when they leave; whether they breed in his neighbourhood, and if so, when; what their nests are like, where they are situated, how they are composed, how many eggs they lay, and what these are like, and what their dimensions are; what the nestlings and what the young birds are like; what localities and what food the birds affect, and, even if he does all this very, very imperfectly in regard to a vast number of species, he will still (after his birds have been identified) possess materials for a most useful and instructive local avifauna, such as the most critical professed ornithologist will welcome cordially.

May I not hope that some of my supporters will turn their especial attention to local avifaunas such as that contributed by Mr. R.M. Adam to this present volume?

In conclusion, I must crave indulgence, especially from European readers, who have no conception of the difficulties attending the printing of works of this nature in India, for the many typographical errors that have—anything but adorned—our pages. In this as in other matters we shall try to improve, and in the mean time, I would pray all, both Indian and European, readers to be

To our sad faults a little blind, To our small merits, very kind!"

A.O. HUME.

|Calcutta

December 1st, 1873.

Falco Barbarus in India

Falco Barbarus in India.

The occurrence of this species, heretofore believed to be confined to the Southern Mediterranean littoral, in India, is a matter of much interest; and as it must now be included in the Indian Avifauna, the following abstract of its synonymy will be useful to Indian Ornithologists:

Falco Barbarus, Linn. The Barbary Falcon.

Accipiter Falco tunctanus Briss Orn. I, p. 343, (1763) Falco Barbarus Linn Syst Nat p. 125, (1766) Gmel p. 272. (1789) Lath Ind Ori p. 33, (1790) Syn I, p. 72, (1781) Gon Hist B1, p. 82 B, (1829) Alphanet Schz Tr. de Fauconnerie Punions Levazill Jun Exp. Sci d'Algérie. Gennaja Barbarus Bonap Cat Ois a Fur. et de l'Alg. Barbary Falcon Gentl. Recre p. 208, (1677) Falco Pelegrinoides Temum PL. Col. 479.

All the synonymes but the last, I quote from Mr. Alfred Newton, as given by Mr. Salvin (Ibis, 1859, p. 188). As to the identity of this species with Temminck's Pelegrinoides, no possible doubt exists in my mind. His description, which I transcribe, agrees in the minntest particulars with both my birds. He says "the forehead presents a mixture of rufous and dull white. This part of the head is encircled by a black" (dark slaty in mine,)." horse-shoe-shaped band, of which tho lateral branches

pass over the eyes, their extreme points joining in front of the eyes, the moustachial stripes, which extend along the sides of the neck. The occiput and nape are covered by a rufous half-collar, marked with three black spots, of which the centre one forms a band on the nape. The back and the wings are a light bluish grey, with large spots and irregular bars of bluish black.

"The tail which is a lighter grey than the back, is barred transversely with black bands, very narrow towards the bases of the feathers, but widening gradually towards their ends, the tips of which are white.

"The chest is pure isabelline" (in mine, slightly rufous creamy.) “The flanks, vent, and abdomen are of the same color; but the feathers bear very narrow longitudinal striae and little triangular black spots. The base of the beak is yellow, but the point blue. The eere and the feet are beautiful yellow, and the orbital skin orange. The male is about 14.3 inches (he says a little more than 13 French inches which are equal to 14.24 English inches.) The female not larger than the male F.Peregrinus."

I defy any one to write in as few words a more absolutely accurate description of my birds than the preceding, except in the one single point, that the horse-shoe in my birds is dark slaty and not black. I can add nothing to the description. The nearly white chin, throat, and sides of neck, the spotless rufescent creamy breast, the tiny triangular spots of the abdomen, the huge, broad, rufous collar with the three dark spots, and the small size serve to distinguish this species from every other yet observed in India. The upper surface is as pale as a very old Babylonicus, but the lower surface, which in this latter species grows darker as the bird grows older, is far paler than in any adult Babylonieus I have yet seen, and I have examined a good many. I have now two specimens, and both are exactly alike, except as regards size. The male was procured early in 1872, by Dr. Stoliczka, in Cutch; the female was shot by F. R. Blewitt, Esq., in the Nursingpoor district (Central Provinces,) on the 16th December, 1869. None of us distinguished these birds—all of us set them down as very pale Babylonicus, and it was only when I came to compare then with my specimens and others kindly lent for comparison of this latter species, that I fully realized that they were distinct: then I referred to the measurements and then Temminck's figures and Salvin's in the Ibis (which latter is excellent, though in my birds the bars on the sides have almost all become mere triangular spots) occurred to me; and once on the right track, I soon saw that there was no possibility of mistaking the identity of this beautiful, and for its size most powerful, little falcon. In both specimens the sexes were ascertained and recorded by, I need not say, careful observers. The female was measured in the flesh, and I append her dimensions as well as a few of those of the male taken from the dry skins. It will be seen that while the wings agree well enough with Mr. Salvin's measurements, the female bird as measured in the flesh was very considerably longer than he estimated his from the dry skin.

Dimensions.—(Female killed on the 16th December, 1869, Nursingpoor.) Length, 15-5 inches; expanse, 36-4 inches; wing, 11.4 inches; tail, 6 inches; tarsus, 18 inch; mid toe to root of claw, 1.8 inch; its chow straight, 0.7 inch; hind toe, 0-8 inch its claw, 0.78 inch; inner toe, 'l ineh : its claw, 0.68 inch; bill straight from edge of cere to point, 0.7 inch; from gape, l'l iuch; width of gape, 1.1 inch ; height at front at margin of cere, 0.12 inch; length of cere, 0.3 inch; closed wings extend 1-9 inch beyond end of tail. Lower tail coperts fall short of end of tail by 1-25 inch; Ist quills, 0-35, 3rd quills, 0:0, 4th quill, 1:1 inchies shorter than 2nd, which is longest. Exterior tail feathers, 0-4 inches, shorter than central ones. Weight, 1 lb. 2 oz.

(Male killed January, 1872, in Cutch) Length, (actual of skin, 12.75 inches, say in life about) 14 inches; wing, 10-S incles; tail, 5 inches; tarsus, 1.6 inches, actnally feathered in front for about 0.6 inclı; mid toe to root of claw, 1.03 inch; 1st primary, 0-3 inch; 2ud, 0-55, and 4th, l'15 shorter than the 2ud, which is longest.

The great size of the feet of the male, as compared with the size of the whole bird, is very conspicuous,

A. O. H.

The Wagtails of India, No. 1

The Wagtails of India, No. 1.

There is certainly vo group of birds that is more troublesome or perplexing than the wagtails, and though I cannot pretend to have solved all the diffieulties in regard to our Indian members of the group, I hope to be able to furnislı a few notes that may facilitate their ultimate solution.

In the present paper I propose to confine my remarks to the grey and black wagtails of which M. Alla, Linn, and M. Yarrelli, Gould, may be taken as types.

Setting asido Motuvillu Tludraspalara, the large size (length ou the average, 9 inches; wing, 4 inches or nearly so,) and well defined plumage of which zenders it always casy of identification, there remain fire species which have been admitted by Mr. Blyth into our Indiau Avifauna. In two of these, in their breed- ing plumage at any rate, the whole back is black, namely M. Luzoniensis, Scopoli, and H. Hodgsone, G. R. Gray; while in the other three, the backs remain at all seasons grey ; Damely M. Personala, Gould, M. Dukhunersis, Sykes, and M. Alba, Linnæus.

Besides M. Luconiensis and Hodgsoni, Mr. Gray admits a third castern species M. Japonica, Swinhec, figured by Schlegel in the Fauna Japonica, as J. Lugens,

All these three black-backed races arc somowbat larger than the grey-backed ones with which we shall have to deal hercafter, the wings in the males varying apparently from 3-7 to 3-9 in- ches, while in the same sex in Alba and Dukhunensis, they average from 3-4 to 3.6 inches, and in Personala from 3-5 to 9.7 inches, only in one specimen out of fifty extending to 3.75 inches. The bills also in the eastern black-backed races are as a role con- spicuously longer.

Mr. Sehlegel, if I understand him correctly, considers all these three easteru black-backed races to be one and the same species, and he further unites with them M. Lugubris, Pallas, (figured by Gould, birds of Europe, pl. 142,) which has a partly grey back, as one stage of the winter plumage of this same species.

In regard to Lugubris, I am not in a position to offer any useful opinion; but I have every reason to believe that Luzoniensis, Horgsoni, and Japonica are only different stages

of the summer plamage of the same species. Briefly, the differences of these three forms may be thus described: in Luzoniensis, the whole of the front of the head as far back as the crown, lores, and the whole of the face, sides of the neck, chin and throat are pure white; occiput, nape, mantle, and a broad band on the breast are black; in Hodgsoni, only the front of the head, lores, orbital region, and ear-coverts, chin, and upper portion of the throat are white; the whole of the rest of the sides of the neck and throat have become unbroken black, joined into the breast band, and from the gape, a narrow black line runs below the orbital region and ear-coverts, dividing these from the white of the chin and upper throat and joining into the black of the sides of the neck; the major portion of the visible parts of the wing coverts of Luzoniensis are white, and the quills, too, are margined with white; the secondaries more broadly towards their tips; in Hodgsoni, there is even more white upon the wing.

There can, I think, be no doubt, that Hodgsoni is only a somewhat more advanced stage than Luzoniensis, and I may notice that both forms are beautifully figured in Mr. Hodgson's drawings now before me, and that he recognized their indentity, assigning to both the name of Alboiodes. When we turn to Lugens as figured by Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, the lores, the whole of the space below the eye, and the eye coverts have become black; the frontal patch only extends backwards as far as the front of the eye over which it extends as a supercilium; the white of the chin is still further contracted than in Hodgsoni, and there is, if possible, even more white on the wing than in this latter species; this is a still nearer approach to the full breeding plumage.

The full breeding plumage has never, I believe, been yet described. I have had specimens, typical of each of the three forms above described, obtained in the Himalayas, at different times of the year, between April and September; but specimens killed at the end of May and early in June, shew what the full breeding plumage is; namely the whole chin, throat, and top of the head, with the mantle, sides of the neck, and back pure velvet black; and the white, which in each preceding stage was gradually diminishing, now reduced to a somewhat narrow frontal band, continued as a superciliary stripe over the eye and backwards over the ear-coverts. If any one insists upon making a fourth species out of this full breeding stage, he may call it Superciliaris; but I do not myself doubt that one and all are stages of the same species. I should mention that in the final stage the closed wing books almost entirely white.

The well-marked black monstacliial line which has been considered the distinguishing' character of Hodgsoui is clearly merely a stage of plumage. Exactly the same chai-acteristic line is met with in Persouata, about March^ when the black of the breast begins to ei-eep up the upper part of the throat to the chin; and this moiistachial stripe shews itself again in September^ when the chin has l^ecome white and the throat has begun to exhibit snowy speckles ; in fact both in Luzoniensis, Scop., (which isj I suppose^ the name that must stand founded on pla'"je 29 of Sonnerat's Voyage a la Nouvelle Guinee) and Pei'sonata, in both of which I have shewn that the chin and throat become ultimately quite blacky it is the feathers along this so-called moustachial line which first, (as compared with those of the immediately contiguous parts) assume, and latest divest themselves of, the black tint.

In the breeding plumage the female oi I/uzoniensis differs only in its smaller size, and the somewhat browner black of the buck, somewhat as may be observed in the breeding plumage of the two sexes of Madrasjoatana.

Of the cold weather plumage of this species, I cannot speak with any great certainty, and on this point further careful observations are I think necessary. I have as yet obtained but few specimens showing the transition from the grey of the winter to the black of the summer plumage and vice versa ; but at the same time there is no doubt of the fact, and it would be very interesting to trace the changes in plumage from October to March, as I have endeavoiired to trace those from April to September. It may be that Liigtthns, as supposed by Schlegel, is a cold weather form of Luzoniensis, but the distribution of the black and white in the former species hardly looks to me compatible with this supposition.

Of the grey -backed species I may premise that I myself have never been satisfied that Dulchmensis really deserves specific separation from Alba, any more than I am satisfied that Pratincola Indica and Pratincola Uuhicola i-eqitire distinct specific appellations. The two forms so closely resemble each other, that all that I shall have to say about the one will, I believe, be equally applicable to the other. Certainly there is no constant difference in size in the two species. I have five male Alha before me from different places on the Continent, the wings of which vary from 3'4 to 3'6 inches ; and I have forty specimens of Bukhunensis about half of which are male, and in this latter sex the wings in this race also vary from 3'4 to 3'6 inches; in length of bill, tarsi, and tail, a certain amount of difference is observable amongst individuals of both races but none between the two as a body. There remain first the coloration of the back, second the amount of white on the wing. Undoubtedly, taken as a body, the backs in Alba are a darker, and those of Dukhunensis, a paler grey; and again taken as a body the coverts, secondaries, and tertiaries in Dukhanensis are much more conspicuously and broadly margined with white than in Alba. Bnt, per contrá, I have first a typical Alba absolutely identical in every respect with the European specimens. This is from Bhawulpoor, and is the only unmistakable Alba which I have yet seen in India secondly, I have several Dukhunensis with the characteristic whiter wing, the backs of which are as dark as in any Alba vera; and thirdly, others with the light backs characteristic of Dukhunensis; but with no more white on the wing than in Alba. Under these circumstances it must, I think, remain an open question whether we ought to consider Dukhunensis a dis- tinct species or merely a local race. I myself retain the name for convenience, but greatly doubt the value of the distinction, and having explained wherein the typical Alba differs from the typical Dukhunensis, shall say nothing further of Alba, but confine myself to Dukhunensis and Personala.

All my black-back wagtails have been exclusively procured in the Himalayas, from Cashmere to Sikhim. Dukhunensis and Personala on the other hand are widely distributed throughout the plains of India. My specimens of Dakhunensis are from various localities in Sindh, Jodhpoor, Bhawulpoor, Dehra Ghazi Khan, Lahore, Sirsa, Ferozepore, Rohtnek, Goorgaon, Simla, Saharun- poor, Etawah, Jhansie, Sangor, Chumparun, Saruu, and Dacca. Personata I have from Murdan, Caslinere, Lahore, Goorgaon, Simla, Kotegurh, Saharunpoor, Kumaon, and Etawah; and I have seen specimens of both I believe from almost every locality in the Punjab, the North-West Provinces, Oudh, and the Cen- tral Provinces, and of Dukhunensis from at least a dozen loca- lities in Bengal.

In full breeding plumage, these two species are very readily distinguishable. Dukhunensis then has the whole front of the head, lores, orbital region, checks, car-coverts, and a stripe down the side of the neck pure white. The posterior half of the crown, occiput, and nape, the chin, throat, and breast pure black. In Personata, on the other hand, the white is confined to a broad frontal band extending as far as the front of the eye, and stretch- ing as a narrow supercilinm backwards over the eye and part of the ear-coverts. Again in Personala, the whole visible por- tions of the wing coverts of the closed wing are pure white, whereas in Dukhunensis they are brown, broadly edged, it is true, with white, but not sufficiently so to enable the edgings to conceal entirely (as they do in Personata) , the brown portions of the feathers.

In the breeding" plumag'e the males and females of Personafa are nndistinguishable^ except that in the males the wings vary from 3 "6 to '6 1 inches, while in the females they seem to vary from 3'4' to 3*55 inches. As regards Duhhunensis, the same may be the case; but it is curious that I have no female Dickhmensis of my own collecting-, or of which the sex has been authenticated by a really careful and reliable observer, in the same full breeding plumag'e as the males. In Alba the female has always much less black upan the occiput, and the chin and throat are a duller and browner black, and the same difference somewhat exagg-erated may exist in the race we designate Luk/mnensis.

In winter, both Personata and Dtekhunensis entirely Jose in both sexes the black of the head, which is replaced in the male by a dark, in the female, by a lighter grey.

The black of the chin, throat, and breast is reduced in BuJcImnensin to a moderately broad, more or less cresceutic pectoral band, with two ill-defined broken blackish stripes running up the sides of the neck as it were from the points of the crescent, which stripes, never I think entirely disappear, though in some specimens they become neai-ly obsolete ; the broad white frontal band remains unchanged in width or nearly so in the adult male, though its color is less pure ; but in the female, it is gveatly diminished in width so as in some specimens to become almost obsolete, while in all specimens it is more or less overlaid with sordid grey

In Personata, on the other hand, the whole breast alwaifs remains, black, and though the chin and upper part of the throat are white, the lower part of the throat is still more or less speckled with black. In the perfect winter plumage of both species the amount of the black on the breast, sides of the neek, and throat at once serve to distinguish the two species, but specimens of Buhhmemis changing into winter plumage often (so far as the amount of black on the throat and breast is eoneemed) exactly resemble the perfect winter plumage of Personata, and the only ready and unfailing diagnosis of the two species is that in both sexes, and at all seasons, the ear- coverts and whole aural region are in Personata black, blackish or dark grey ; in Diokhunensis, pure white or greyish or sordid white. This marked difference coupled with the conspicuously greater amount of white on the wings of Personata as compared with those of Pukh'itnensis ought to render the separation of any specinjiens of the two species comparatively easy. I shall only add that I shall be very much obliged by the receipt of grey and black wagtails from all parts of the country, provided only that the ser, date, and locality are carefully noted for each specimen; unless the two former particulars, at any rate, are given, the specimen would be of little real use.

A. O. H.

The Skylarks of India

The Skylarks of India.

Our Indian Skylarks appear to me to deserve more careful study than has yet been apparently bestowed upon them. Most of all, a really large collection of specimens made in all parts of India, with the sexes and dates on which they were procured duly recorded, is a desideratum ; and I should feel very much obliged to any of my namerous correspondents who would, during the next year, endeavour to procure me good series in their immediate neighbonrhood. Until two or three hundred specimens are brought together in one museum, and carefully collated, I think it will be impossible to come to any certain conclusions in regard to this group. At present, so far as my own limited collection enables me to judge, I am disposed to believe that we have only two good species.

These two species I should at present identify as Alauda Arvensis, Linueus, and Alauda Malabarica, Scop.

Our specimens of Alauda Arvensis do not belong precisely to the race to which we Englishmen usually allot the name of Arvensis. On the contrary, the wing is slightly smaller, the hind claw and tarsus as well as the bill slightly shorter, and the lores and the fore-part of the face are a somewhat purer white. At least such is the case with my specimens. This species, so far as my observations go, occurs only in the Himalayas and as a winter visitant to the plains of the North-Western Punjab. It would appear to correspond closely, if not exactly, with that race of the European skylark which Pastor Brehm separated as Alauda Agrestis. This too is the bird which Hodgson designated Dulcivox, and I may note that it is a great mistake to identify his Dulcivox with either Triborhyncha or Orientalis vel Leiopus. Hodgson's original drawings clearly shew that Dulcivox was a larger bird, with a wing of from 4 to 4.5 inches, the Himalayan representative, in fact, of Arvensis; and I have a bird killed at Murdan in December 1870, absolutely identical in every respect with his beautiful figure (now in my custody) of Alauda Dulcivox. On the other hand, his two drawings of Triborhyncha and one of Orientalis vel Leiopus, show that both these species, or races, or perhaps different sexes of the same race belonged to the smaller skylark (all the different races of which I, for the present, include under Malabarica) the wings of which vary from 33 to 3-8 inches.

Of course our larger Himalayan lurk, Arvensis as I should call it, but Agrestis or Dulcivox, if any one considers it deserving of specific, separation, varies somewhat in length of hind claw and bill, a great deal in length of wing according to sex and still more in plumage, according to both sex and season; but in all these matters, exactly parallel variations are to be met with in the series of the true English Arvensis that I possess, and whether we can agree to call our Indian bird Arvensis or Duloivox, there is only, I think, one race of the larger Indian skylark. A larger scries of specimens however of this species is necessary before I could pronounce with any great certainty on this point.

When we come to Malabaricus, however, numerous races appear to exist. There is first the true Gulgula of the plains of the North-Western Provinces, Oudh, Bundelkund, and Rajpootana; second, the darker typical Malabaricus from the Neilgherries and also from Lower and Eastern Bengal; third, a race intermediate between these from the billy, southern, and eastern portions of the Central Provinces; fourth, the true Triborhyncha from the Himalayas, from Murree to Sikhim, ranging up to heights of eight and ten thousand feet, and fifth, what I take to be the Leiopus type from Ladak, Thibet, and the higher Himalayan plateau generally.

Typical specimens of each of these races may be so selected as to make it apparently indisputable, that each represents a distinct species; but even the small series, some five or six of each, that I possess seems to show that no hard and fast line can be drawn between any of them; and it is quite certain that no satisfactory separation can ever be effected, until a really large series of each of these five races and any others that further investigation may bring to light) is brought together in one collection and most carefully collated.