PASSERINE BIRDS OF CEYLON. 139 



Length 9'5; wing 4*4; tail 3*(j; tarsus 1'25; bill from 

 gape 1*2. 



Distribution. — Peculiar to Ceylon, and confined to the 

 hills above 2,500 or 3,000 feet. Allied species occur on the 

 hill ranges of Southern India. 



Habits. — Rather a shy bird, passing most of its time in 

 the jungle undergrowth, or on the edges of cover. It is not 

 uncommon round Nuwara Eliya, and may be seen in the more 

 secluded parts of the gardens in that town, or on up-country 

 estates. Out of the breeding season it often collects in fairly 

 large parties to feed on tree fruits in the jungle. It is a fair 

 songster, and is most vocal in the early mornings and 

 towards sunset. The breeding season is from April to June. 

 The nest is a somewhat massive cup of grass, moss, and roots, 

 strengthened with a few twigs and lined with fine roots. 

 It is usualh^ placed in a low fork of a tree, but may 

 be found on stumps, niches in tree trunks, outhouses, &c. 

 There are generally four eggs. The ground colour is pale 

 green, blotched fairly evenly with reddish-brown and umber, 

 and with some smaller underlying spots of reddish-gray. 

 Average size 1*05 by '82. 



Geocichla wardi. 



The Pied Ground Thrush. 



Geocichla wardi (Oates, Vol. II., p. 137) ; Turdus ivardi (Legge, 

 p. 453). 



Description. — Adult male : Whole head, neck, breast, 



upper plumage, wings, and tail black ; a broad white stripe 



from the bill over the eye to the nape ; wing coverts and 



quills with more or less conspicuous white tips, except the 



outer primaries and primary coverts, in which a portion of 



the outer web is white ; rump and upper tail coverts with 



crescent-shaped white tips ; the two outer pairs of tail 



feathers all white, except for a patch of black on the outer 



webs, the amount of white decreases on the inner feathers, 



the central pair being almost \\h()lly black ; abdomen, vent, 



and under tail coverts white ; sides of body and axillaries 



white, each feather w ith a broad irregular crescent of black ; 



wing-lining black tipped with white. 



