Notes from Japan. 135 



be a species that retires, like G. varia, to breed in the wilder 

 parts of the woods. The single nest that came under my 

 notice was discovered on May 28th by a wood-cutter 

 working in the heart of the forest. It was placed on the 

 thick bushy crown of a small spruce, and was not more 

 than eight feet from the ground. In general appearance 

 this nest was very like that of Turdus meruia, for there 

 was practically no moss used in the structure ; but the 

 dimensions were, of course, larger. The female sat much 

 more closely than any of the other Japanese Thrushes. 

 While I was inspecting the nest I heard the male singing 

 close by : its song was very disjointed and the notes, 

 frequently repeated, were uttered separately and without 

 definite sequence. 



Mr. Dresser, writing of this species ('Ibis,' 1901, p. 418), 

 remarks that Japanese eggs (received through Mr. Owston) 

 are considerably larger and more finely marked than those 

 collected by Mr. Popham in Siberia, but that none have the 

 ground-colour bluish. With regard to the first two state- 

 ments, my eggs agree with this description, but the ground- 

 colour is of a decided pale greenish-blue tint. The eggs are 

 lightly marked with lilac and reddish brown. Average 

 measurement 1*2 x 0*8 in. 



3. Turdus cardis Temm. Japanese Grey Thrush. 



Meruia cardis Seebohra, B. Jap. Emp. p. 45. 



Jap. : Kurotsugu. 



This is the finest singing Thrush in Japan, and has a song 

 almost, if not quite, as beautiful as that of T. musicus, which, 

 indeed, it somewhat resembles. Like that bird it selects an 

 elevated situation from which to sing, and is heard at iis 

 best early in the morning and at sundown. Its other notes 

 and habits are also truly Thrush-like. I found it tolerably 

 common both at Nikko and on the sides of Fujiyama. In 

 the latter district nidification did not commence until late in 

 May, and I only succeeded in finding two nests with eggs, 

 although I was shown others in course of construction. 

 These 1 had great trouble in identifying, for the females 



