130 TURDID^. 



Isis. 1822, p. 552; Shelh'ij, Birds Egypt, p. 70; Blf. Eastern Persia, 

 ii. p. 155. Petrocossjplius cyaneiis {L'i)tn.) Boie. Isis. 1828; Jerd. B. 

 Tnd. i. p. 511, No. 351; III. Ind. Orn. p. 20; Hume and Henders. 

 Lahore to Yarhand, p. 190; Hevgl. Sijst. TJehers. p. 29; Sharpe and 

 Dresser, B. Eur.; Murray, Hdhk., Zool., Sfc, Sind. Cyanocinclacyanus, 

 {Linn.) Str. F. 1874, p. 407; vol. vi. p. 247; id. iii. p. 112.— The 

 Blue Rock Thrush. 



Male. — Head, neck, and back indigo blue, with a faint metallic lustre 

 on the head; lores dusky greyish ; wings, their coverts and tail dark 

 brown ; the outer webs of the feathers indigo blue ; under surface of 

 body cobalt blue; the abdomen and the under tail-coverts with faint 

 streaks and spots of whitish. 



Female. — Of a dingy brown, scarcely tinged above with indigo or 

 cobalt blue; some of the feathers edged whitish ; under parts fulvous, 

 with dusky transverse bars, including the under tail-coverts ; bill black ; 

 legs black ; irides brown. 



Length. — 8-5 to 9 inches, wing 4'5 to 5, tail 3'75 to 4, bill at front 

 nearly one inch. 



Hah. — Southern Europe, N. Africa, Beloochistan, Persia, Afghanistan ; 

 wintering throughout the Peninsula of India. Recorded from all 

 India, Tenuaserim, Cashmere, Nepaul and M . W. Himalayas, Extremely 

 common in the Concan and Deccau, Kutch, Kattiawar, Jodhpore, 

 Sambhur and North Guzerat, also in South India. 



Monticola cinclorhynchus, Vig: F. Z. S. 1831, ip. 172. Petrophila 

 cinclorhyucha {Vig.) Jerd. Madr. Journ. x. p. 252; Hume, Nest and 

 E(jfjs, Ind. B. p. 227. Orocetes cinclorhynchus {Vig.) Bp. Consp. i. 

 p. 297; Jerd. B. Ind. i. p. 515; SJiarjye, vol. v. Cat. Passerif. B. 

 Aluseum, p. 320; Murray, Hdhk., Zool., Sfc, Sind., p. 140 ; Str. F. vol. 

 iv. 398. — The Blue-headed Chat Thrush. 



Male. — Head, nape, chin, upper throat, and cheeks indigo or cobalt 

 blue, also the lesser wing-coverts; lores, ear-coverts, sides of neck, back, 

 and scapulars black, tinged with dusky blue on the back; primaries, 

 their coverts, and greater and median coverts edged with bluish on 

 their external webs ; a white bar on the outer webs of the secon- 

 daries ; rump, upper tail-coverts, entire under surface, axillaries and 

 under wing-coverts, ferruginous or chestnut ; tail black, the external 

 webs of the feathers margined with blue. In the female the colours are 

 less pronounced; bill blackish; legs brown; irides dark brown. 



Length. — 7 to 7'5 inches, wing 4, tail 2' 75 to 3, bill at front 1. 



IXab. — The Indian Peninsula, ranging to Nepaul and Cashmere. 

 Occurs sparingly in Sind, Punjab, and N. W. Provinces, and more 

 abundantly in the Concan, Deccan, Travancore, North Guzerat and 

 Raiputana, in the course of its migration. Breeds in the Himalayas. 



Gen. Merula, Zcac/;.— Ground Thrushes. 



Bill moderate, stout, compressed, straight and notched; rictal 

 plumes short; wings long; 3rd and 4th quill longest. 



