108 M. Sundevall on the Birds of Calcutta. 



undeniable that they in form and the way of living come nearer 

 to the Turdi, and I cannot do otherwise than consider them ty- 

 pically among the singing-birds of the Thrush kind. The Turdus 

 jocosus is often seen boldly stepping from one branch to another, 

 raising its tuft, spreading and again lowering its long red-coloured 

 chin-feathers, which extend rather under the eyes. It sang pretty 

 well, but I only heard a very unmusical tshoppi tshoki, almost 

 resembling language, which when heard from five or six indivi- 

 duals that were once seen together in the same tree in the month 

 of February, sounded almost as if several talkative human beings 

 had been in a lively conversation at some distance. In the month 

 of March and April I saw them only singly. The one described 

 had in his stomach skins of insects ; the hen-bird, on the con- 

 trary, only berries of the banian-tree (Ficus benjamina) . 



4. Turdus mindanensis, Gm. — Dialbird, Alb., Edw. 181. Gracula 

 saularis, Linn. Merle de Mindanao, Buff. PL Enl. 627. f. 1. Le 

 Cadran, Levaill. Ois. Afr. pi. 104. Turdus amcenus, Horsf. La- 

 nius musicus, Raff. Lanius saularis, Vieill* 



Nigricans ventre vittaque alarum albis. Rectricibus utrinque 

 3 totis albis, gradatis. Rostro recto. Ala ut in Pycnonoto, sed 

 differt tarsis longioribus, rostro, cauda. 



£ (Calc. 1 8 Febr.) supra cseruleo-niger. Jugulum et pectus an- 

 ticum pure nigra. Longit. 8 poll. Ala 93 mill., tarsus 30, cauda 86. 

 (Indiv. e Java, ala 100, tarsus 30.) — % (Serampore 4 Mart.) obscure 

 cinerea, collo antice dilutiore. Color albus ut maris. Ala 90 mill., 

 tarsus 29, cauda 80. 



The Bengal name is Dajal, which in the English orthography 

 is written Dial, and has already been mentioned by Albin and 

 Edwards. As far as I could learn, this name is originally Indian, 

 without having anything in common with the English word dial. 

 The actions of the bird in the trees are remarkably quick and 

 lively. It is often seen flying from the dense summits of the 

 trees, and plunging again into the foliage at a short distance. 

 These actions have a very pleasing effect, as the black and white 

 colours, which are arranged as in our Magpie, produce a beau- 

 tiful contrast with the verdure. It was evident that a love of 

 fighting and the instincts of spring produced this activity, which 

 has given the bird a reputation for pugnacity and restlessness. 

 On the ground it hops heavily but quickly, much like our Red- 

 breast or Blackbird. Its song is beautiful and lively, and re- 

 sembles most that of our Sylvia hortensis, but is stronger, and is 

 often heard in the forenoon from the tops of the trees. In the 



* M. Sundevall here unites the synonyms of the Malay species in which 

 only thr.ee external pairs of rectrices are white, with the Indian bird in which 

 the four outer pairs are white. The latter bird is the true Copsychus sau- 

 laris.— H. E. S. 



