304 Mr. Blyth on the Ornithology of Ceylon. 



26. Merula kinnisi, Kelaart, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xx. 

 p. 177. 



Male jet-black, with orange-coloured legs, bill, and orbital 

 skin. Female above ashy-black, below rather paler; bill and 

 feet bright yellow. Length about 9 in., wing 4*5 in., tail 4 in., 

 bill to gape 1-82 in., and tarsi 1-82 in. First short primary 

 1*25 in. shorter, and second '5 in. shorter than the fourth. The 

 last character distinguishes this species readily from M. simillima 

 of Southern India. The wings are even more rounded than in 

 M. vulgaris ; and the species would seem to approximate to 

 Turdus xanthosceles, Jardine (Coutr. Orn. 1848, pi. 1), from 

 Tobago. It is the Blackbird of Newera Elia, with notes and 

 habits said to resemble those of M. vulgaris^. 



CopsYCHus sAULARis (Linn.); C. ceylonensis, Sclater, P. Z. S. 

 1861, p. 186. 



Females are much darker or more nigrescent on the back than 

 Indian or Burman specimens ; but there is no further difference. 



27. RuBiGULA MELANicTERA (Gm.), Waldcu, Ibis, 1866, 

 p. 323 ; jEgithina atricapilla, Vieill. ; Levaill., Ois. d'Afr. pi. 140 ; 

 Sylvia nigricapilla, Drapiez ; Rubigula aberrans, Blyth ; Mero- 

 pixus atricapillus, Bonap. 



Common in the southern and central provinces. 



Lanius lucionensis, Scopoli (?) ; L. super ciliosus, Layard, 

 Ann. & Mag. N. H. 1854, xiii. p. 130 f. 



This is one of the races into which L. cristatus, L., seems to 

 be divided, being distinguished by its prevalent dull ashy- 

 brown hue, and its somewhat stronger and deeper bill. It 

 inhabits or visits China and the Phihppines ; and specimens 

 have been received from the Andaman Islands. Mr. Layard 

 {ut supra) describes the Ceylon bird as " being simply paler 

 and wanting the rufous crown of the Indian bird. It is 

 exceedingly abundant in all open lands dotted with small 



* There is a black Merula in the Samoan Islands, Turdus vanikorensis, 

 Quoy and Gaimard, Voy. Astrolabe, Aves, pi. vii. f. 2 (Cassin, Orn. 

 U. S. Expl. Exped. p. 158). 



t Sed vide antha, p. 213, 



