OREOCINCLA. 151 



greater coverts most conspicuously so ; a broad pale buff super- 

 ciliuin from the bill to the nape; lores black ; ear-coverts brown 

 streaked with buff ; chin, throat, and breast pale buff streaked 

 with blackish ; middle of the abdomen white ; sides of the abdomen 

 white streaked with brown ; flanks, auxiliaries, and under wing- 

 coverts chestnut ; under tail-coverts white, basally margined with 

 brown. 



The summer plumage, resulting from the wear of the feathers 

 at their margins, does not differ very much from the winter 

 plumage. 



Bill dark brown ; legs pale ; iris brown (Seebohm), 



Length about 8*5; tail 3*3; wing 4-6; tarsus 1-2; bill from 

 gape 1. . ■ . 



Distribution. I have not been able to examine any specimen of 

 Eedwing procured in India, and I admit the species on the authority 

 of Jerdon, who states that at the time he wrote it had been lately 

 found in the JN T .\A r . Himalayas, but very rarely. " But at Kohat," 

 he adds, " as I am assured by Mr. Blyth, according to a very good 

 observer, the late Lieut. Trotter, it is a regular winter visitant in 

 large flocks." 



The Eedwing has even a larger range than the Fieldfare, being 

 found in the Northern parts of Europe and Asia in summer from 

 the Atlautic to the Pacific, and wandering south in the winter as 

 far as Turkestan and Persia on the east, and Southern Europe on 

 the west. 



Genus OREOCINCLA, Gould, 1837. 



In the genus Oreocincla the sexes are alike, the under wing- 

 coverts and axillaries are each of two colours, those on the axillaiies 

 being transposed or reversed in order on the under wing-coverts ; 

 the lower pi urn age is distinctly barred or spotted, never squamated, 

 and the rictal bristles are few and confined to the gape. The tail 

 is typically short, and the upper tail-coverts very ample. There 

 is a distinct pattern on the underside of the wing. 



The Thrushes of this genus are permanent residents in the tracts 

 they inhabit, or very locally migratory. They are found in thickly 

 wooded parts. 



The bill of the Thrushes of this genus varies much in shape and 

 size. In 0. dauma, 0. mollissima, and 0. dixoni it is as small as 

 in Turdus ; in 0. gpilopt&ra it is larger and very deep ; and in 

 0. imbricata and 0. nilgiriensis it is extremely large and coarse, 

 resembling the bill of Zoothera. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Feathers of upper plumage boldly tipped with 

 cre»centic black bars. 

 a . Ground-colour of lower plumage white 

 a". Third and fourth quills equal and longest ; 



