554 MANUAL OF PHILIPPINE BIRDS. 



537. OREOCINCLA VARIA (Pallas). 

 VARIED THRUSH. 



Turdus vai-ius Pallas, Zoogr. Rosso-As. (1811), 1, 449. 



Geocichla varia Seebohm, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1881), 5, 151; Whitehead, 

 Ibia (1899), 212. 



Oreocichla varia Sharpe, Hand-List (1903), 4, 136; McGregor and Wor- 

 cester, Hand-List (1906), 84. 



Luzon (Whitehead); Mindoro (Porter). .Tapan and Siberia, accidental in 

 Europe; China and Burma in wintei'. 



"In the adult male in spring plumage the general color of the upper 

 parts is ochraceous brown, each feather having a transverse terminal 

 crescent-shaped black band; most of the feathers have pale shafts and 

 a more or less distinct ochraceous transverse subterminal band, very 

 conspicuous on the head and neck; lores grayish white; no trace of eye- 

 stripe ; wing-coverts and innermost secondaries shading from dark olive- 

 brown on the inside webs to ochraceous brown on the outside webs, but, 

 with the exception of the primary-coverts, wanting the black terminal 

 bands; quills brown, the outside webs ochraceous brown; four central 

 and terminal portion on two outside tail-feathers on each side ochraceous 

 brown, the remaining three on each side very dark olive-browm; five 

 outside tail-feathers on each side more or less distinctly tipped with 

 white, and all more or less obscurely l^arrcd ; under parts white, with a 

 more or less distinct tinge of ochraceous on the breast, each feather with 

 a transverse terminal crescent-shaped blaclc band, nearly obsolete on the 

 chin, center of belly, and under tail-coverts; axillars, basal half white, 

 terminal half black; under wing-coverts, basal portion black, terminal 

 portion white ; basal half of inner web of secondaries and basal portion 

 of many of tbe primaries pale buff. Bill dark brown above, basal half 

 of under mandible pale yellowish brown. Wing with the third and 

 fourth primaries nearly equal and longest, second primary between 

 the fourth and fifth; bastard primary, 2G.6 to 23 mm. Legs, feet, 

 and claws pale yellowish brown. Length of wing, 1G2.5 to 150; tail, 

 114 to 105 ; culmen, 33 to 28 ; tarsus, 35.5 to 33. 



"It is not known that there is any difference in the color of the 

 plumage of the sexes, or in consequence of the autumn molt. Birds of 

 the year and young in first plumage are unlcnown." (Seebohm.) 



Genus PETROPHILA Swainson, 1837. 



Rictal ])ristles weak, less than bill from nostril; first primary slender, 

 equal to primary-coverts; outer webs of third, fourth, and fifth primaries 

 sinuate; tarsus little longer than middle toe with claw; tail tliree times 

 the tarsus. Males largely blue and chestnut; females dull gray or brown, 

 barred witb blackish brown; under parts wasbed witb ocboi'ous buff. 



