OREOCIXCLA. — ZOOTHERA. 



109 



703. Oreocincla spiloptera, Blyth. The SpoUed-vAng Thrush. 

 Oreocincla spiloptera, BlyfJi, Hmne, Cat. no. 372 ter. 



Colonel Legge, writing from Ceylon, remarks of the breeding of 

 this Thrush: — "In January 1873 I discovered the Spotted-wing 

 Thrush in the low country forests of the Trincomalie District, at 

 an elevation of not more than 300 feet above the sea-level, the 

 bird never having been before recorded from any part of the island 

 but the Central and Houthern Province hills. At the same time I 

 found its nest in the fork of a straight sapling about 4 feet from 

 the ground. Tlie structure was very similar to that of the Euro- 

 pean Blackbird, but not so massive ; it was composed of small 

 twigs and lined with grass, and was a deep cup in shape. Tt con- 

 tained two eggs, which, though I frightened the bird oil the tree, 

 were quite fresh, and I therefore am inclined to the belief that, 

 though they were warm, the clutch was as yet incomplete. Tlie 

 eggs were of a bluish-green ground-colour, freckled all over with 

 light and reddish grey, with some Hlac-grey specks, and measured 

 1-10 inches by 0-79. The spottings are somewhat confluent at the 

 obtuse end." 



He subsequently remarked, in his ' History of the Birds of 

 Ceylon ' : — " The breeding-season extends over the first half of the 

 year. The nest is placed in the fork of a sapling a few feet from 

 the ground, or among the roots of a tree on a bank or little emin- 

 ence, and is a loose-looking, though compactly put together struc- 

 ture of small twigs, roots, moss, and grass lined with finer materials 

 of the same, the egg-cavity being a deep cup, tolerably neatly 



finished off The eggs measure from 1-06 to 1-17 in length 



by 0*74 to 0-77 in breadth." 



705. Zoothera marginata, Blyth. The Lesser Brown Thrush. 

 Zoothera marginata, BL, Hmne, Rough Draft N. 8,- E. no. 350 bis. 



Dr. Jerdon tells us that he obtained the egg of the Lesser Brown 

 Thrush, and that it was " like that of Pitta, white, with a few 

 rusty-brown spots." 



From yikhim Mr. Gannnie writes: — "I took one nest of this 

 Thrush on the last day of May, in a large forest at about 5000 feet 

 elevation. It was placed about 10 feet from the ground on a moss- 

 covered leaning stem of a shrub which overhung a small stream in 

 a denselv-shaded dell. The nest had only the stem (which was not 

 thicker than a child's wrist) and a slender dead twig to support it. 

 It was a compact, rather massive cup, made of hving moss, thickly 

 lined with black fibrous roots, and without any mud. Externally 

 it measured 5 inches across by 3-5 in height ; internally the dia- 

 meter was 3-25 and the depth 1-9 inches. 



" The eggs were partially incubated, and three in number." 



A nest of this species sent me by Mr. Mandelli was found in 



