Key to the Species.
a. Back spotted. a'. Spots on back lunate ; feathers on lower breast fringed with white H. maculatus, p. 83. b'. Spots on back round ; feathers on lower breast entirely black H. yuttatus, p. 84. b. Back plain. r'. Chin and throat black. a". Back slate-coloured H. xchistaceus, p. 84. b". Back black H. immaculatus, p. 85. d'. Chin, throat, and breast black H. leschenaulti, p. 86.
630. Henicurus maculatus. The Western Spotted Forktail.
Enicurus maculatus, Viyors, P. Z. S. 1830, p. 9; Gould, Cent. pi. xxvii ; Bhjth, Cat. p. 159 ; Horsf. $ M. Cat. i, p. 346 : Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 212 ; Hume, N. $ E. p. 374. Henicurus maculatus, Vigors, Bluth, Ibis, 1867, p. 29; Stoliczka, J. A. S. B. xxxvii, pt. ii, p. 47 ; Elwes, Ibis, 1872, p. 260 ; Hume 8f Renders. Lah. to Yark. p. 222 ; Hume, Cat. no. 584 ; Scully, S. F. viii, p. 310 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. vii, p. 317 ; Gates in Hume's N. 8f E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 57.
The Spotted Fork-tail, Jerd. ; Khanjan, N.W. Him.
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Fig. 26. Head of H. maculatus.
Coloration. Forehead and anterior half of crown white; re- mainder of the head, the whole neck, breast, back, lesser and median wing-coverts, primary-coverts, and winglet black ; the feathers of the hind neck thickly marked with large round white spots, those of the back and scapulars with large ovate transverse bars ; greater wing-coverts black, tipped white ; the earlier pri- maries black ; the other quills broadly white at base and also tipped white ; rump, upper tail-coverts, abdomen, and under tail- coverts white ; the lower part of the black of the breast fringed with white ; the two outer pairs of tail-feathers white ; the others black, broadly white at base and tipped white ; under wing-coverts black; axillaries white.
In many specimens the crown and nape are rufous-ashy, with black margins to the feathers.
The young have the head, back, and lower parts down to the breast rufous-ashy, the breast with whitish shaft-streaks.
Bill black; iris dark brown; legs, feet, and claws white, with u pink tinge at junction of toes with tarsi and on all the toe-joints (Hume).