232 TURDID^. 



3. MERULA. Type. 



Merula, Leach, Cat. Brit. Mus. p. 20 (1810) M. merula. 



Cichloides, Kaup, Natiirl. Syd. p. 1-V3 (1829) M. atrij-ularis. 



Copsicbus, Kaup, Natiirl. Si/st. p. 157 (1829) M. torquata. 



Thoracocincla, Heich. Nat. 'Si/st. pi. xliii. (1850) . . M. torquata. 

 Cichloselys, Bovap. Compt. Rend, xxxviii. p. 5 (1854) M. cardis. 



Typical species of the genus Merula have the plumage of the 

 fully adult male different from that of the female. The females of 

 this' genus cannot, unfortunately, be distinguished from the genus 

 Tardus, and the jjluraage of the males closely resembles that of the 

 females until their second autumnal moult has taken place. The 

 fully adult males have usually no spots either on the upper or under 

 pai-ts. The most aberrant species of the genus are M. nigrescens, 

 M. fuscatra, M. gigas, and M. gigantodcs. These species have been 

 separated by Dr. Sclater as a subgenus, to which he has given the 

 name of Semimerula. In this group the colour of the plumage of 

 both sexes is alike. If my view of the question be correct Dr. 

 Sclater's name is a particularly unfortunate one, for not only have 

 the males succeeded in attaining an unspotted adult plumage, as in 

 the genus Merula, but the females also ; so that a more suitable title 

 for this siibgenus would be Mendissima. M.mandarina is another 

 aberrant species of this genus, showing in all examples which I have 

 seen traces of spots on the chin and ujjper throat. In other respects 

 it is a very highly developed Thrush, having nearly succeeded in getting 

 rid of the spots on the upper parts of the young in first plumage. 

 M. cardis, 31. naumanni, and 21. fuscata are also somewhat aberrant, 

 inasmuch as they appear never entirely to lose the spots on the 

 flanks ; and in M. rujicollis and M. fuscata even adult males are 

 found with a few spots on the cheeks. To the same slightly aberrant 

 group also belongs M. atrigtdaris, which generally shows traces of 

 indistinct spots on the flanks. The most aberrant species of all are, 

 however, M. nigriccps and M. reevii, in which the throat is striated 

 with black. I should have placed these species in the genus Tardus 

 had it not been that they are slate-grey birds, nearly aUied to M. 

 Jlavipes, with similar brown females. The diagnosis of the genus 

 Merula must therefore stand as Thrushes not having a Geocichline 

 wing, with the male markedly different from the female, except in 

 a small group, where both sexes have the plumage unspotted. 



In what are called structural characters, and in habits, the genus 

 Merula does not appear to differ from that of Tardus. 



The geographical distribution presents several interesting points 

 of difference. Neither the ^Ethiopian nor the Nearctic Eegion con- 

 tains a single species. The Neotropical Eegion contains sixteen 

 species, the Australian Ilegion twelve, and the Oriental Eegion 

 fourteen, in addition to three of the Palsearctic species which reach 

 the Himalayas. The Western Pala'arctic Eegion adds only two 

 species, whilst nine species are contributed by its Eastern portion. 



