MERTTLA. 133 



lower plumage slaty grey, paler on the chin and becoming white 

 on the abdomen, vent, and under tail-coverts ; axillaries ashy grey, 

 generally tinged with buff ; under wing-coverts chestnut-brown. 



Female. Upper plumage and sides of neck olive-brown ; wings 

 and tail dark brown, the outer webs suffused with olive-brown ; 

 lores blackish with a pale band above ; sides of the bead mixed 

 brown and fulvous ; chin and throat white, the sides streaked with 

 black ; breast olivaceous, the upper part spotted with black ; sides 

 of the body pale ochraceous ; abdomen, vent, and under tail-coverts 

 white; axillaries and under wing-coverts chestnut-brown. 



In the male the iris is reddish, legs and feet light brownish 

 {Hume Coll.) ; in the female the bill is yellow with a few dusky 

 cloudings ; iris brown; eyelid greenish yellow ; feet vivid orange- 

 yellow ; claws yellowish horny (Scully). 



Length about 9; tail 3-4; wing 4-7; tarsus 1*2; bill from 

 gape 1-1. 



Distribution. Found in summer throughout the Himalayas from 

 Murree to Sikhim up to about 7000 feet. In the winter this species 

 occurs throughout the plains of Northern India from Sind to Bengal. 

 So far as is known it extends at this season to Khandala, Baipur, 

 and Orissa, and Jerdon records it even from the Eastern Ghats, 

 a specimen from this latter locality being now in the British Museum. 

 An Ouzel obtained at Belgaum in March, now in the Hume Col- 

 lection, and referred to M, unicolor, is undoubtedly a specimen of 

 M. obscura. 



Habits, Sfc. Breeds in the Himalayas in May and June, con- 

 structing a nest of moss and fibres in trees. The eggs, three or 

 four in number, are greenish white, spotted and freckled with rufous 

 and measure 1*06 by '78. 



679. Merula protomomelaBna. The Black-busted Ouzel. 



Turdus dissimilis, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xvi, p. 144, S (1847) ; Godw.- 

 Aust. J. A. S. B. xli, pt. ii, p. 142 ; Seebohm, S. F. viii, p. 437. 



Geocichla dissimilis (Blyth), Blyth, Cat. p. 163, tf; Jerd. Ibis, 1872, 

 p. 136, pi. vii ; Hume, Cat. no. 358 ; id. S. F. ix, p. 103, xi, p. 126. 



Turdulus cardis (Temm.), apud Jerd. B. I. i, p. 521. 



Turdus protomomelas, Cabanis, Journ.f. Orn. 1867, p. 286. 



Geocichla tricolor, Hume, Ibis, 1871, p. 411 ; id. S. F. iii, p. 409. 



Merula protomomelrena (Cab.), Seebohm, Cat. B. M. v, p. 265. 



The Variable Pied Blackbird, Jerd. 



Coloration. Male. The whole head, neck, and upper breast black ; 

 upper plumage, wings, and tail dark slate-colour ; sides of the 

 lower breast, sides of the body, axillaries, and under wing-coverts 

 bright orange-ferruginous ; middle of lower breast, abdomen, vent, 

 and under tail-coverts white. 



Younger males have the upper wing-coverts tipped with rufous 

 and some black spots on the red of the lower parts of the plumage. 



Female. The whole upper plumage olive-brown tinged with slaty ; 

 wings and tail brown, suffused with olive on the outer webs ; sides 



