MERULIN.E. 515 



pale brown ; lores, ear-coverts, and sides of neclc, black ; throat 

 and fore-neck dull blue, edged with dusky-greyish ; breast, belly, 

 neck, and under tail-coverts, deep cliesnut rufous ; tail dull blue 

 with the inner Avebs dusky. 



The female is ashy-brown above, some of the feathers faintly 

 edged darker ; lores, ear-coverts, and sides of neck, mixed fulvous 

 and brown ; a slight superciliary stripe from the gape, and spot on 

 the side of the neck, fulvous ; beneath, the chin and throat, pale 

 fulvous ; the rest mottled brown and fulvous, each feather being 

 fulvous, with a brown tip and bar. 



Bill black ; legs brown ; irides dark brown. Length 9| inches ; 

 extent 15 ; wing 5 ; tail 4 ; bill at front | ; tarsus Ig-. 



In some adult males, there is a white patch apparent on the 

 throat, formed by the base of some of the feathers, which is 

 perhaps a sexual mark. 



Young males have the head and neck brown, with pale spots ; 

 wings and tail blue, and the lower plumage fulvous, with d%rk 

 bars. The young female is dusky-brownish, with light spots 

 above ; whitish beneath, passing to fulvous, with dark and rufous 

 bars. 



This Thrush has hitherto, I believe, only been found in the 

 Himalayas,* generally at a considerable elevation. It is not rare 

 about Darjeeling, frequenting high forest, feeding on the ground on 

 various insects, and, when disturbed, taking refuge in high trees. 



It is not a typical species of Orocetes ; having, by its more length- 

 ened form and coloration, tendencies to the last genus, with which 

 it has generally been placed. 



353. Orocetes cinclorhynchus, VigopvS. 



Petrocincla apud Vigors — Gould, Cent. Him. Birds, pl.l9 — • 

 Sykes, Cat. 66— Jerdon, Cat. 82— Blytu, Cat. 963— Horsf., 

 Cat. 256 — Krishen patti, Nepal. 



The Blue-headed Chat-thrush. 



Descr. — Male, head, nape, and shoulders of the wings, pale blue ; 

 lores, eur-coverts, back and wings, black, tinged with dusky-blue 



* 1 have lately shot it on the Kliasia Hills. 



