502 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



Gen. Hydrornis, Hodgson. 



Paludicola olim, Hodgs. ; Hydrornis, Blyth. 



Char. — Bill large, very robust, tolerably hooked at the tip ; 

 wings short, rounded ; 1st quill short ; 5th, 6th, and 7th nearly 

 equal and longest ; of large size ; otherwise as in the characters 

 of the group. It constitutes the first division, Gigantes, of Bona- 

 parte's genus Brachyurus. 



344. Hydrornis nipalensis, Hodgson. 



J. A. S., VI., 103— Pitta nuchalis, Blyth, J. A. S., XI., 188— 

 and XII., 961— HoiiSF., Cat. 245— Blyth, Cat. 904. 



The Large Nepal Ground-thrush. 



Syi-mya, Nepal — Toot-pho, Lepch. 



Descr. — Plumage above dingy green, passing into fulvescent 

 brown on the scapulars and wings ; nape and btick of neck verditer- 

 blue ; occiput greenish ; forehead, crown, and sides of head, with 

 all the under parts, dull rufous or lusty, palest on throat ; vent and 

 under tail-coverts fulvescent, in some almost albescent; lining of 

 wings buff and dusky. Hodgson described the chin as often hoary, 

 and a black triangular spot on each side, behind the ear, united in 

 front by a gular band of the same hue. This is evidently caused 

 by the base of the feathers of those parts being blackish, and is not 

 seen except when the feathers are exposed, which, however, perhaps 

 the living bird has the power of doing, as the Orthotomus exposes 

 the siinilarly-formed black neck-spot. The sexes are nearly alike, 

 but the female is duller, with the nuchal spot greenish, and the back 

 more mixed with rufous. Hodgson says that the female has the 

 black gular band interrupted. 



Bill dusky, fleshy at the base ; legs ruddy flesh-coloured ; nails 

 long, whitish ; irides lightish brown. Length 9^ to 10 inches ; ex- 

 tent 16 ; wings 5 ; tail 2f ; tarsus 2| ; bill at front 1. 



This Large Ground-thrush is found in the S. E. Himalayas, in 

 Nepal and Sikhim, and also in Arrakan, and also in the hill ranges 

 of Assam. It is not very rare in the warmer valleys about Darjee- 

 ling, being generally found near the banks of streams, in forest, 

 or thick underwood Hodgson tells us that it feeds in swamps 



