332 TIMELIIDiE. 



quills blackish, externally steel-green, the secondaries entirely of 

 the latter colour ; tail-feathers steel-green, blackish on the inner 

 •webs. Total length 8 inches, culmen 0-85, wing 37, tail 3-6, 

 tarsus 1"1. 



The Blue-black Mocking-Thrush is, as far as is yet known, confined 

 to the coast of Honduras and the coral-islands that skirt the shore. 

 Messrs. Salvin and Godman think that it may possibly occur north- 

 wards along the coast of Yucatan, and also eastwards to Cape Gracias 

 a Dios. 



a. Ad. St. Honduras. Mr. Dyson [C.l. 



h. Ad. sk. Hondiu:as. Mr. Dyson [O.J. 



50. NESOCICHLA. 



Type. 

 Nesocichla, Gould, P. Z. S. 1855, p. 165 N. eremita. 



Bange. Confined to the group of Tristan da Cunha. 



For all that Mr. Seebohm (Cat. B. v. p. 404) has rejected the 

 present genus from his family Turdidce, I still consider that the 

 place of Nesocichla is nearer the Ground-Thrushes (GeocicJiIa) than 

 it is to the Mocking-Thrushes. The characters given by Dr. Sclater 

 (Yoy. Challenger, p. Ill) do not do justice to the genus, for the 

 rictal bristles are much more developed than would appear from the 

 figure of the biU, while the omission of the small first primary de- 

 stroys the Turdine look of the wing, which thus appears thoroughly 

 Timeliine. I consider Nesocichla to be really a Thrush, in old times 

 probably a true Geocichla, with at present a modified and rounded 

 wing, induced by its isolated habitat, which has rendered long flight 

 unnecessary. 



1. Nesocichla eremita. 



Nesocichla eremita, Gould, P. Z. S. 1855, p. 1G5 ; Sclater, P. Z. S. 



1878, p. 577; id. Report Voy. H.M.S. ^Challenger,' ii. p. Ill, 



pi. xxiii. (1881). 

 Tui-dus eremita, Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 259, no. 3789 (1869). 

 Tiu'dus guianensis, Carm. Trans. Linn. Soc, xii. p. 496. 



AcluU (type of species). General colour above dark sandy brown, 

 faintly mottled with darker -brown centres to the feathers of the 

 mantle and back, the lower back and rump more uniform and 

 slightly tinged with olive ; wing-coverts like the back, spotted with 

 tawny bufi" at the ends ; quills dark brown, externally lighter 

 brown, fringed with pale fulvous or tawny bufi', especially distinct 

 near the outer base of the primaries ; the secondaries tipped with 

 pale tawny or whitish ; upper tail-coverts rather lighter than the 

 rump, the outer ones with narrow whitish edgings ; tail-feathers 

 brown, washed with ashy olive on the margins of the feathers ; 

 lores and nasal plumes, as well as a distinct eyebrow, sandy bufi"; 

 ear-coverts and cheeks sandv buff', slightlv washed with brown, 



i 



