MERULIN^. 521 



and tips of the tail-feathers whitish ; beneath fulvous-white, varie- 

 gated with dusky ; under tail-coverts pure white ; the feathers of 

 the throat, breast and flanks, with dusky spots ; axillaries pure 

 white. 



Bill and legs yellow ; irides brown. Length 85 to 9 inches ; 

 wing 4ijQ ; tail 3| ; bill at front | ; tarsus 1 y^. 



This Pied Blackbird is spread, but very sparingly, through the 

 Himalayas, and during the winter in the plains of India. I first 

 procured it, through Mr. Ward, from the foot of the Neilgherries, 

 and afterwards obtained two specimens at Nellore in the Carnatic. 

 Hodgson procured it in Nepal ; and it has also been obtained in the 

 N. W. Himalayas, where it is far from uncommon. 



Those which I obtained at Nellore, in the beginning of April, 

 were in a large mango-grove, and were feeding on the ground 

 on various insects. They were probably then migrating to the 

 Himalayas. Whether those birds met with, near the Neilgherries 

 also migrate northwards, or are permanent residents on the 

 Neilgherries, and other mountain ranges, cannot now be decided. 

 It has also been found in Ceylon. I am not acquainted with 

 the vocal powers of this handsome species. 



358. Turdulus cardis, Temm. 



Tardus apud Temminck, PI. Col., 518 — G. dissimilis, Blyth, 

 J. A. S., XVI., 144 — &. G. unicolor, old male, Blyth, olim 

 (the female). 



The Variable Pied-blackbird. 



Descr. — Male — Whole head, neck, breast, and upper plumage, 

 black; beneath, from the breast, white; the abdomen and vent with 

 broad black bars ; bill and legs yellow. 



The female is olive-brown, tinged with cinereous, all the feathers 

 being cinereous at the base ; lores and ear-coverts brown, the latter 

 with some of the feathers pale-shafted; a small supercilium and 

 orbits bufF; beneath, the chin and throat white, tinged ferrugi- 

 nous : a dark brown streak from the lower mandible down the sides 

 of the neck ; breast pale cinereous-brown, with some darker brown 

 spots, which pas3 into the brown neck-stripe ; the sides of the 

 abdomen and of the breast rich bright ferruginous. 



3 u 



