140 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 



Females : Head, upper plumage, wiugs, and tail olive- 

 brown, the wing coverts and inner quills tipped with buff, the 

 outer webs of the primaries with pale brown edges ; a few 

 white tips on the rump and upper tail coverts ; outer tail 

 feathers with a patch of white on the tip ; a buff streak from 

 the bill over the eye to the nape ; sides of head and throat 

 mixed buff and dark brown ; chin almost unmarked white ; 

 upper breast pale buff with broad, dark brown margins ; 

 lower breast and flanks white with crescent-shaped blackish 

 bars ; centre of abdomen, vent, and lower tail coverts white. 



Immature males resemble females, but are of a richer 

 brown above, while the breast feathers are olive-brown with 

 drop-shaped white centres. 



Bill yellow, the base of the upper mandible dusky ; iris 

 brown ; legs and feet pale brownish-yellow. 



Dimensions a little variable ; length about 8*5; wing 4*5; 

 tail 3*2 ; tarsus 1 ; bUl from gape 1 • 15. 



Distribution. — -Breeds on the Himalayas and appears to 

 winter chiefly in the hill ranges of Southern India and Ceylon. 

 It has been seen on passage in various parts of the Indian 

 Peninsula. In Ceylon it is a north-east monsoon migrant 

 to the hills at elevations of over 2,500 feet. In some localities 

 it appears to be irregiflar in its visits, in others more constant. 



Habits. — A shy bird, which keeps mainly to thick cover 

 on the outskirts of forest, patana woods, &c. It occasionally 

 leaves its shelter, and may be seen on the lawns in up-country 

 gardens. At times it coUects in small scattered flocks to 

 feed on fruit, such as guavas and wild figs, being partly 

 frugivorous. 



Geocichla citrina citrina. 

 The Orange-headed Ground Thrush. 



Geocichla citrina (Gates, Vol. II., p. 140 ; Legge, p. 457). 



Description. — Male : Whole head, neck, and lower parts 

 to vent orange -chestnut, darker on the crown, and paler on 

 the lower parts ; vent, thighs, and lower tail coverts pure 

 white ; feathers of back, scapulars, rump, upper tail coverts, 

 and lesser wing coverts bluish-gray with paler edges ; the 

 median wing coverts with broad white tips ; outer coverts 

 and quills dark brown with bluish-gray outer webs ; the 



