PELLORNEUM PALUSTRE, Jera.

Marsh-Pellorneum.

 

I am indebted to Mr. Jerdon for the loan of a very fine specimen of this rare little bird. After my drawing
was made, Mr. Jerdon, with his own hand, wrote upon it the name under which it is figured (Pellorneum
palustre, Jerd.), and, if I recollect rightly, at the same time informed me that it had been described in the
‘Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal’ for 1870; but on reference I do not find therein the
description of any bird so designated. It is true that, in an enumeration of some Asiatic birds by Major
Godwin-Austen, a species of this form is mentioned under the name of Pellorneum ruficeps, Swainson ; and
Mr. Swinhoe has described, in the ‘ Annals and Magazine of Natural History’ for 1871, a species from the
Tenasserim provinces, which had been given to him some years before by Mr. Blyth as P. subochraceum.
Now, can these names be in any way connected with the present bird? I think not; certainly not the
former. If Mr. Swinhoe were not away in China, and Mr. Jerdon out of England, those gentlemen might
have thrown some light on the subject ; and I would have delayed my Plate for this purpose, had not the entire
impression been printed off and coloured. I therefore publish it, and must defer to a future opportunity the
correction of any discrepancy that may be discovered, as well as any details respecting its history, habits,
actions, and economy that may be acquired. :

All the upper surface, wings, and tail reddish brown; above the eye a streak of sandy buff ; chin, centre
of the breast and abdomen white; sides of face, breast, and flanks rufous ; the feathers on each side of the
throat, of the breast, and flanks with a longitudinal spot of dark brown; under tail-coverts rusty red ; bill

brown, lighter beneath ; legs pale brown.

Habitat. Assam, Cachar.
The figures are of the natural size.