Genus OREICOLA., Bonap., 1854.
This genus differs from Pratincola in having a much longer tail, which is also very much more graduated. Key to the Species.
a. Whole upper plumage, wings, and tail black O. jerdoni $ , p, 60. b. Upper plumage ashy and black; wing- coverts largely white; tail margined white O. ferrea <$ , p. 66. c. Upper plumage rufous-brown or rufous- ashy. a'. With no supercilium O. jerdoni $ , p. 66. b'. With a supercilium O. ferrea $ , p. 66.
614. Or eicola jerdoni. Jerdon's Bush-Chat.
Rhodophila melanoleuca, Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 128 (1863, nee VieilL), App. p. 872 j Godw.-Aust. J. A. S. B. xxxix, pt. ii, p. 270. Oreicola jerdoni, Blyth, Ibis, 1867, p. 14; Blanf. Ibis, 1870, p. 466; Hume] Cat. no. 487 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. iv, p. 264 ; Oates, B. B. i, p. 282 ; Salvadori, Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. (2) iv, p. 590; Hume, S. F. xi, p. 193.
Pratincola jerdoni (Blyth), Anders. Yunnan Exped., Aves, p. 616.
Coloration. Male. The whole upper plumage, wings, tail, and sides of the head and neck deep black ; the whole lower plumage white ; under wing-coverts black slightly tipped with white.
Female. The whole upper plumage brown tinged with rufous, especially on the rump and upper tail-coverts ; tail brown, edged paler ; wings and coverts brown edged with rufous ; sides of the head mixed ashy and brown ; chin and throat white j remainder of the lower plumage pale fulvous.
Bill and legs black ; iris dark brown (Jerdon).
Length about 6; tail 2-7; wing 2-7; tarsus -85; bill from gape -7.
I have not been able to examine a young bird of this species.
Distribution. Purneah inBehar; Eastern Bengal ; Dibrugarh in Assam ; Sylhet ; Cachar ; Manipur ; the neighbourhood of Bhamo ; Bassein district ; Leppadau on the Rangoon and Promo Eailway, where I lately observed this species in March in thick grass on the banks of the Leppadan river. It is not known whether this Bush- Chat is migratory or not.
615. Oreicola ferrea. The Dark-grey Bush-Chat.
Saxicola ferrea. Hodgs. in Gray's Cat. Mamm. fyc. Nep. pp. 71, 153 (1846).
Pratincola ferrea (Hodgs.}, Blyth, Cat. p. 170; Horsf.fyM. Cat. i, p. 286 ; Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 127 ; Stohczka, J. A. S. B. xxxvii, pt. i, p. 41; Hume, N. $ E. p. 318; Hume Sf Henders. Lah. to
