500 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



cao-e bird. Allied to M. Horsfieldii, is M. eyaneus, Horsfield, the 

 Pitta glaiicina of Temminck, from Java. 



343. Myiophonus Temminckii, Vigors. 



p. Z. S., 1831— Gould, Cent. Him. Birds, pi. 21 ; Blyth, Cat. 

 926— HoRSF., Cat. 281. 



Kastura of the hills, (Roy\e)-KaIjit, of the Doon, (Hutton) — 

 Chamong-pho, Lepch,-^ Te^maw, Bhot. 



The Yellow-billed Whistling Thrush. 



Descr. — General hue black, richly overlaid with cobalt or smalt- 

 blue on the wings and tail ; and the feathers of the whole head and 

 neck, back, breast, and abdomen, centred with glistening cobalt- 

 blue ; shoulder of the wing, deep glistening blue, and the wing- 

 coverts with some white specks on their tips. 



Bill pale yellow, dusky on the culmen ; legs dark brown ; irides 

 dark brown. Length 13 inches; wing 7^; tail 5^ ; bill at front 

 1^ ; tarsus 2. 



This Yellow-billed Whistling Thrush is found throughout the Hi- 

 malayas from Bootan to Simla, and still further west to Afghanistan ; 

 also eastward, in the Khasia hills, in Arrakan, and Tenasserim. 



It is common at Darjeeling, and is found from the lowest valleys 

 to at least 8,000 feet of elevation; Hutton states that it extends up to 

 the snows at Simla. Like the last species, it is fond of frequenting 

 the beds of streams, and may generally be seen on a rock in the midst 

 of some roaring torrent, where it feeds on the larva3 of LihellulcB, 

 and some other water -insects, and may often be seen on an adjacent 

 rock to its near ally, the Water-dipper (Hi/drobata asiatica). 

 Hutton remarks that it " is as often found in open rocky spots, 

 on the skirts of forests, or among the woods, loving to jump upon 

 stones or rocky pinnacles, from whence he sends forth a sort of 

 chokino" chattering song, if such it can be called, or, with an up- 

 ierk of the tail, hops away with a loud musical whistle, very much 

 after the manner of the Blackbird." Vigne says that "its musi- 

 cal whistle is the sweetest note heard in the hills." It is not at all 

 like the whistling of a man, as that of its Malabar congener ; but is 

 a pretty, slow measured, song. 



