myiotherin^. 505 



The Green-breasted Ground-thrush. 



Descr. — Crown dark rufous-brown ; chin, tliroat, sides of head, 

 and neck all round, black ; back fine glossy dark green ; bend of 

 wing, and upper tail-coverts, bright verdigris-blue ; a large white 

 patch on the primaries, which are black ; lower parts bluish-green 

 or sea-green ; vent, and under tail-coverts, vermillion. 



Bill black ; legs pale reddish ; irides brown. Length 7 Inches ; 

 wing 4^ or ^ ; tail If ; tarsus 1| ; bill at front |f. 



The young bird has some white on the wing-coverts, a 

 white band on the throat, and is dull brown beneath, mixed with 

 green. 



This very handsome Ground-thrush is found in Nepal and 

 Slkhim, extending into Assam, Burmah, and the Malayan 

 peninsula. It is rare in the S. E. Himalayas. I only procured 

 one specimen, which was killed by a Lepcha, when seated on her 

 nest, on the banks of the great Rungeet river, about 1,200 feet 

 above the sea. The nest was composed chiefly of roots and 

 other fibrous matter, with a few hairs, and contained three eggs 

 of a faint greeuish-white, with a few reddish and some fawn- 

 colored spots. To this group belong several species from Celebes, 

 New Guinea, and the Philippines. 



Another group, Erytlirogastri of Bonaparte, contains some of the 

 most richly coloured of the series ; among them P. (jranatina, 

 from Malacca. 



The Pitta of Bonaparte has the tail somewhat longer than in the 

 last, and slightly wedge-shaped, and the body is banded beneath. 

 To this belong, P. cyanura from Malacca, and P. hyans. T. (^Boschi, 

 Mull.), from Sumatra. 



The next group is that of the Dippers or Water- ouzels, so well 

 knoAvn from their habit of diving to the bottom of streams, and 

 running along to pick up their food. 



Gen. Hydrobata, Yieillot. 



Syn. Cinclus, Bechst. — Water-ouzel, or Dipper. 

 Chaj\ — Bill of moderate length, nearly equal to the head, 

 straight, cultratc, slightly ascending ; no rictal bristles ; nostrils 



a s 



