110 TUBDIDyE. 



is found from 10,000 feet upwards in summer, but. at much lower 

 levels in winter. In summer it extends into Turkestau. 



Habits, §c. Breeds in Gilgit and Afghanistan in May and June, 

 and generally throughout the higher parts of the Himalayas. 

 According to Wardlaw Ramsay the nest is composed of small 

 twigs and grass, lined with hair, and is placed in a crevice or hole 

 in the face of a cliff. The eggs, five in number, are of a dull 

 cream-colour, with a darker zone of the same round the thicker 

 end, and measure about -84 by *62. According to Hume this 

 species lays a blue unspotted egg, but it appears from his accouut 

 that in the single instance in which he found the nest he did not 

 secure the bird, and consequently there may have been some 

 mistake about it. 1 am also disposed to believe that Wardlaw 

 Ramsay's identification of the eggs is correct, as the bird is not a 

 Redstart according to my views. 



Genus GRANDALA, Hodgs., 1843. 



The genus Grandala contains one bird of remarkable structure, 

 the position of which it is somewhat difficult to determine. It is 

 placed by Seebohm among the Thrushes, and by Jerdon among 

 the Saxicolince, and I place it here in an intermediate position, 

 considering it more allied to the Robins than to the Thrushes or 

 Chats. The proper position of this species may probably be among 

 the Bracliypterygincp. 



The plumage of the nestling of this species is streaked, and so 

 far it resembles that of the adult female ; but the streaks are more 

 numerous and less distinctly defined, giving it a decided, though 

 not typical, Thrush-like appearance. 



Fig. 33.— Head of G. ccelicolor. 



In Grandala the bill is about half the length of the head and 

 slender ; the nasal membrane is clothed with plumelets to its 

 middle portion, and the rictal bristles are rather long ; the wing 

 is excessively long, the first primary very minute, and the second 

 reaching to the tip of the wing ; the tail is rather longer than half 

 the wing and square ; the tarsus is slender and smooth and fairly 

 long. The sexes are coloured differently, and the plumage is soft 

 and copious. 



Only one species of this genus is known. Seebohm unites it 

 with Sialia, a genus of American birds, with which, however, it 

 has, in my opinion, no affinities. 



