Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Birds Vol 2).djvu/115

Rh tail, bufc making no approach to the chestnut exhibited in the preceding genera. The sexes are quite alike. The first primary is miu-li smaller than in any other genus of this subfamily, being considerably less than a third of the length of the second. The toil is long and rounded, and the tarsus is also long.

The Nightingales frequent dense brushwood and are shy birds. They feed principally on the ground like Robins, and they nest near the ground in dense underwood.

649. Daulias golzi. TJie Persian Nightingale.

Luscinia golzii, Cabanis, Journ.fur Orn. 1873, p. 79. Luscinia hafizi, Severtz. Turkext. Jevotti. p. 120 (1873). Daulias golzii (Cab.), Hume, S. F. iv, p. 500 ; id. Cat. no. 514 ter. Erithacus golzii (Cab.), Secbohm, Cat. B. M. v, p. 297.

Coloration. The whole upper plumage and the margins of the wing-feathers russet-brown, brighter on the upper tail-coverts and tail ; wings brown ; lores, cheeks, and the whole lower plumage pale buff.

Length 7'5 ; tail 3-4; wing 3-6 ; tarsus I'l ; bill from gape '85.

This species may be separated from D. lusrinia, Linn., which occurs in England and Europe, and from D. philomela, Bechst., of Eastern Europe and South-western Asia, by its long tail and by its first primary, which is equal to the primary-coverts. In both the above species the tail is less than three inches long : in the first the first primary is considerably longer than the primary-coverts ; in the second it is considerably shorter.

Distribution. Two specimens of this rare Nightingale have been procured in Oudh, one in October and the other in November. They are both in the Hume Collection. No other instance of the occurrence of this species in India has been recorded. It extends to Turkestan and to the Caucasus.

Genus CALLIOPE, Gould, 1836.

The members of the genus Calliope are characterized by the absence of chestnut in the tail, a comparatively long first primary, a short tail, and by the males having a brilliant red throat. In habits Calliope agrees closely with Cyanecula. All the species of this genus are migratory, and the sexes are very different in colora.- tion. The tarsus is very long, and these birds spend most of their time on the ground in thick cover.

Key to the Species.

a. No white in the tail C. ca-m1s<-1intkcn*i* t p. in-j b. Base or tip of tail or both white, a'. Chin and throat red. a". Cheeks black C. p<'<-t< li*, p. 103, b". Cheeks white ('. fxc/icbfriciri rf, p. 10 I. b'. Chin and throat white . . C ' f f "'^ ? > P- ^ j C. tschebaiem $ , p. 10 L