THE KASTURA 205 



with azure reflections. The feathers on 

 the back and chest, being glazed along the 

 centre, produce a metallic lustre. The bill 

 is stout and considerably hooked at the 

 tip. It is yellow in colour, but the culmen 

 and the base of the upper mandible are 

 black. Iris brown, the legs and feet are 

 remarkably strong and are coloured black. 

 The young bird is dull blue above and dull 

 black beneath without the glazed tip to 

 the feathers. It is a fair-sized bird being 

 as laro'e as thirteen inches and a half. 



THE KASTURI— The Grey-winged Ouzel 

 (Merula boulbouT) counts many an English 

 resident of this country among its admirers, 

 some of whom regard it as the finest songs- 

 ter in the Himalayas. It is a very great 

 cage-favourite among the people 

 winged ^^ ^^^ Himalayan districts, who 



Quzel or r^^Q so fond of their pets that they 



Black-bird ^ ^^ ^ ^ 



are rarely persuaded to part 



with them even for highly tempting offers. 



In Ben oral it is sold as. the Kastura and 



