ILLUSTRATIONS INDIAN ORNITHOLOGY, CONTAINING iriFiT ifE©wmi OP NEW, UNFIGUEED AND INTERESTING SPECIES OP BIEDS, CHIEFLY FROM THE SOUTH OF INDIA BY T C JERDON, ESQ MADRAS MEDICAL ESTABIISHMEST MADRAS: PRINTED BY P R HUNT, AMERICAN MISSION PRESS 1847 ^y INTRODUCTION work is with to a conclusion, Forty-seven The either great majority of the though or are Three — all are figured different drawings and one from Ceylon long so of Birds of them figures, that satisfaction species distinct improved remainder layas, much It the represented here of the of in the are the this obstacles fifty plates time, and compose the first plumage, birds inhabit various the for brought has by delayed states rest Author the from the peninsula of HimaIndia CONTENTS Plate Nisaetus Bonelli Plate 26 Bucco Viridis Leucocirca Albofrontata 27 Buteo Rufiventer Zanclostomus 28 Falco Peregrinator Viridirostris, Accipiter Besra 29 Accipiter Besra Picus Hodgsonii 30 Strix Candidus Prinia Cursitans 31 Muscipeta Paradisea 32 Muscicapula Sapphira Turdus Wardii 33 Otis Aurita Scolopax Nemoiicola 34 10 Pterocles Quadricinctus 11 Phfenicornis 12 Flammeus Falco Peregrinator 13 Crateropus Delesserti 14 Muscicapa Albicaudata 15 Oriolus Indicus 16 Ardea Flavicollis Brachypus Poioicephalus Anas Caryophyllacea 35 Pycnonotus Xantholasnius 36 Pterocles Quadricinctus 37 Brachypus Rubineus 38 Mirafra Erythroptera 39 Dicaeum Concolor 40 Picus Cordatus 41 Scops Sunia 17 Lanius Nigriceps 42 Francolinus Benulasa IS Pateornis 43 Phyllornis Jerdoni Columboides 19 Malacocircus Griseus 20 Petrocincla 21 Pandoo Vinago Bicincta 22 Pastor Blythii 44 Falco Luggur 45 Anthus Similis 46 Parus Nuchalis 47 Picus Ceylonus Dendrocygna Major 48 Columba 24 Caprimulgus Indicus 49 Xiphoramphus 23 25 Ceyx Tridactyla Elphinstonii Superciliaris 50 Indicator Xantlionotus INTRODUCTORY NOTICE The at lengtli was led fii-st part of the ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN ORNITHOLOGY presented to the Public, after a greater delay in the publication than the Author to expect The ground-TTork and branches Artist, and the Author here begs leave very valuable the work aid, are from the pencil of a highly talented amateur to tender his most grateful acknowledgments for his which has contributed not a little to set off the Several of the plates, however, viz Nos., off before the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Author became acquainted with that gentleman those Officer first added a ground-work The to these printed similar to that of the colourists drawings and embellish and 12 were printed Thirty additional copies of these plates being afterwards found necessary to meet the increasing same is of Subscribers, the list were instructed additional lithographs ; but, as to paint in to might have been expected, they have not executed this part so well as the Author could have wished, and they were not allowed to finish in some than others, all wiU be found among explanation may prove sufficient to those The 2d No being distant interval, In consequence of the copies the plates mentioned above who have the entirely printed and the nature of its this a difference, and contents ; and I more marked trust that this opportunity of comparing the two partially coloui-ed, will wiU probably make it more sets appear at no very attractive than the present number Should the publication of the present series of fifty bu'ds be, as there is every reason to anticipate, successful enough to repay the Author for the heavy expenses he has incurred, it and the two wiU, immediately on completion, be followed by a second set of fifty more bhds, series will then include a very considerable number of the unfigm-ed species of Peninsular India A classified Index will be given corrections of nomenclature that Nelloke : may be with the concluding No which will notice any required November 3d, 1843 'Af'j-aeJjM) ^^^je/ru,ot/^ J'.wUtJ- iy ^ ':jii-''!^-atM/- ORB I^SJESSORES FAM PARING GEN PAR US PLATE XLVI PARUS NUCHALIS WHITE NAPED TITMOUSE I OBTAINED this unexpected addition to the fauna of Southern India from who brought the Jungles of the Eastern Ghats, and the Shikarees it was very it beyond the pair rare, first Description have not succeeded I —Above, and a broad mesial of breast, and of belly, band across wing, white; tertials most of its web basal half Length The stated that in They obtaining any other specimens stripe coverts, spot under-tail on nape and inner border, the next with the outer its white, and the third with the Bill black inches from throat to vent, black; broadly margined externally and tipped with white; outermost tail-feather white, except portion of inner me procured sides of neck, cheeks, and to of the hills in thick forest, and lives in pairs inhabits the highest portion said it outer web white at tip web and and for Legs plumbeous —wing 2f ths— tail —tarsus fths— bill inch nearly to gape other Pari of Southern India are P cinereus, V,, P atriceps, T., abundant on the Neelgherries; and P aplonotus, Blyth, P xanthogenys, apud Sykes and Jerdon only lately discriminated from the allied P aianthogenys of the Himalayas abundant in Coorg, on the slopes of the Neelgherries, and indeed of the Western Ghats all P melanolophus I have only seen in Goomsoor This is along the range ORD IJVSESSOMES FAM PICIBJE GEN PIC US PLATE XLVII PJCUS CEYLONUS RED WOODPECKER Synon HAVE I Ceylon, where it P ceylonus, Forst., P negledus, Wagler figured this interesting species of Woodpecker from was procured by Lord A Hay, and where it the island of appears to be not uncom- mon, replacing (says Mr Blyth) the common P bengalensis of the Indian continent, to which it assimilates in structure, belonging to the Description —beneath —Above white, with same division Brachyptermts of a dull crimson colour, brighter on the head and crest brown markings; streak from the eye and two narrow stripes, one from above the gape, and the other from the edge of the lower mandible, dark brown Bill yellow Legs cinereous rialeXLVIL IHler Reeve lith FICDS ZEYLONUS (lorLclorL) imp FlateXLVm MUlcr lith, J\ec_ve- COLUMBA ELPHrNSTONir ' i.ouaon i imp ORD MASOJRES FAM COLUMBIBM GEN COLUMBA PLATE XLVIIL COLUMBA ELPHINSTONII NEELGHERRY WOOD PIGEON Ptilinopus ElpJiinstonii Synon This handsome Pigeon —Sykes C pulchricoUis, Hodgs have only hitherto found in the dense woods on I the summit of the Neelgherries, hut as Sykes found Ghats, I have no doubt that hereafter parts or of five that occasionally which I from its it will it It is descends to the ground to though makes mode it it its found now of this before me woods of the Western single, or all the higher small parties in procure various seeds and shells am I unacquainted with certainly breeds on the Neelgherries a Ptilinopus, but it clearly (as is of four Palumbus or Cushat, (Bulimi) call its Colonel Sykes, and its original Mr Blyth ingeniously imagined had not seen a specimen) a true Columha Mr Gray presented to the British Museum, makes the synonym in the be ascertained to inhabit crop of coloration alone, for he of the subdivision it keeps to the woods, living on various fruit and berries, but have frequently found in nidification, describer, range of mountains It in general ? ? in his list of C pulchricoUis Hodgson's specimens of that gentleman a Pigeon, which however I cannot assent to, on comparing the bird with Mr, Blyth's description of Elphinstonii, which copious name I description of pulchricoUis may mention was Governor of Bombay, the Hon Moimstuart Elphinstone I add a given in honor of the Head, neck and plumage beneath ashy, the neck and breast glossed with green; a large nuchal mark black, the feathers tipped white purple and green lake coloured Quills ; plumage above of a copper colour glossed and tail dusky black Bill red, yellowish at the Irides yellow Length about 15 inches — wing Sj — tail slightly with tip Feet ORB K^^SESSORES FAM CRATEROPODINM GEN XIPHORHAMPHUS PLATE XLIX XIPHORHAMPHUS SUPERCILIARIS SCIMITAR BILLED BABBLER Xiphirhynchus superciliaris Synon Mr Blyth but the througliout its of the much bill being first length, widening only at the Plumage, wings, and rather more slender from as tail and elongated preoccupied, of most of the familj- superciliar)- breast ; as follows changed to Xipho- —Allied Poma- to extreme base, and describing a considerable Pamaforkimis, but the toes and claws in more finely expressed merely "reported to be a pleasing Songster," but this rufo-ferruginous 1842, p 173 think that these characters hardly allow I Pomatorhinus, being Desci-iption S., and more slender, and very thinly compressed longer incurvation separation A J defines his genus Xiphirhynchus, afterwards rhamphus on account torhinua, — Blyth, variance with the at is This its bird known is habits It inhabits Darjeeling —Above brown, uniform the quills and tail dusky ; beneath crown, occiput, and sides of the head, dark cinereous with a narrow white line extending to the obscurely spotted with dusky ; occiput; shoulders throat whitish, streaked with grey; and tibial feathers dark grey ; bill dusky; legs brown —wing Length 85 inches hind toe and claw 21 — tail 3f — bill 1| in a straight line —tarsus 1 The female differs in parts being not so bright being slightly smaller, and in the colouring of the under FLaie^XL/X XIPKOi;A:y[ ?\\ \\ s si! i'j-:ium.j ,i ap:t J'latf./ ORB IN^ESSORES FAM PICID.^ GEN INDICATOR PLATE L INDICATOR XANTHONOTUS—BLYTH YELLOW BACKED HONEY CONSIDER I among interesting the discovery numerous the of bird at Darjeeling this novelties Mr Blyth The only recorded during his sojourn in India.* that country, and has I believe been confirmed of such may here mention, that the said to direct the negroes have taken up their by a the tree, to describe species belong to Africa, and the its by recent writers flights common as if distance, little never advancing before them by longer or shorter residence, become more mark to waiting to obtain fails habits similar of the object limited, its whistle is of pursuit and the result, It with As it flights approaches repeated at shorter intervals, it hovers over it for a out distinctly, and then quietly takes up a station at a it expecting its share would be interesting to know African congeners, and its at Darjeeling will endeavour to obtain I For the informa- Honey Guide (Indicator) African at last, having brought its associates to the desired spot, moment has had occasion peculiar cry or whistle to the tree where the bees according to the greater or less distance and one of the most have not had an opportunity of becoming acquainted with these as peculiarities, I is has as attached to their peculiar habits has been recorded by several travellers in interest tion GUIDE add a description of our it if of the which booty, our Indian it Honey Guide hoped that some resident is some information on this subject bird Plumage generally of a dusky brown, tinged with green on the crown and back of the neck ; forehead and throat pale yellow ashy with dark streaks white Bill ; the rump lower tail-coverts blackish fine ; Legs dusky horny brown Length inches ; —wing » Vide Sfths J A — S., tail 2% —tarsus Bengal, 1842, page 166 golden yellow tertiaries ; beneath margined with CLASSIFIED INDEX OF CONTENTS RAPTORES Pastor Blythii, Plate Nisaetus Bonelli, Falco Luggur, - - Accipiter Besra, - Strix Candidus, INSESSORES e Lanius Nigriceps, Phaenicornis Flammeus, _ - Petrocincla Pandoo, ~ • ^ _ Oriolus Indicus, Superciliaris, Prinia Cursitans, Leucocirca Albofrontata, 37 Ceyx < Tridactyla, Muscicapula Sapphira, 39 M " 25 24 Vinaga Bicincta, Columba 21 = 48 Elphinstonii, 42 " - _ _ 10,36 33 19 GRALLATORES 46 Ardea - Flavicollis, Scolopax Nemoricola, 12 50 RASORES 43 49 _ - 13 - Muscicapa Albicaudata, 26 - Viridirostris, Pterocles Quadricinctus, Muscipela Paradisea, 47 - - Parus Nuchalis, 40 Otis Aurita, Xiphoramphus 18 Francolinus Benulasa, • - Malacocircus Griseus, 38 - 20 « - 45 - 17 Indicator Xanthonotus, 11 Dicaeum Concolor, 15 Turdus Wardii, - 35 _ » Phyllornis Jerdoni, - 31 Caprimulgus Indicus, - Pycnonotus XantholaemuS; Crateropus Delesserti, - Brachypus Rubineus, Brachypus Poioicephalus, _ 41 Bucco Viridis, Zanclostomus Plate 22 - 30 Picus Ceylonus, Scops Sunia, - - Similis, 44 Picus Hodgsonii, 29 Picus Cordatus, - - - 12 28 Palaeornis Columboides, Falco Peregrinator, - Mirafra Erythroptera, 27 Anthus - Buteo Rufiventer, NATATORES - 14 Anas Caryophyllacea, - 32 Dendrocygna Major, - 34 23 ... his Catalogue of the Birds of the Diikhun, same work, and I gave a brief account of its habits in my Catalogue of Birds of the Peninsula of India, published in the Madras Journal of Literature... those the more hedges of cases lofty Euphorbia, ivhich afford shelter and abundance of food low ranges of in Zanclostomus, districts enclosed, as in part of the Zillah of Coimbatore, where large... Gray, in his Genera of Birds has put Kisivfus of coui'se a grievous Hawk-Eagle was first this latter described and volume of the Journal of the Asiatic Society Catalogue of Peninsular Bu-ds in