789 



MERULID^E. 



MERULID^E. 



790 



C. L. Bonaparte states (' Specchio Comparative ') that it arrives near 

 Home in the spring, and departs in the summer. 



The Golden Oriole gets very fat after its summer feed of fruits. 

 Willughby saw many of them in the poulterers' shops at Naples, 

 and says that "it hath very delicate flesh, and yields wholesome 

 nourishment." 



Sub-Genus Irena (Horsf.). Bill of Oriolus ; but the eulmen much 

 raised and considerably arched from the base, rather hooked at 

 the tip. Nostrils partly defended by short plumes, which cover 

 the membrane. Rictus slightly bristled. Wings and tail as in 

 Sericulus : feet small ; tarsus very short, scarcely longer than the hind 

 toe and claw; anterior and lateral scales entire; inner toe rather 

 shortest : rump-feathers very thick, and slightly spinous. The species 

 inhabit India. Ex. Irena Pv.ella. (Horsf., 'Java.' ' PI. Col.,' 70.) 



Dulus (Vieill.). Bill very short, much compressed, but with the 

 eulmen elevated and arched; commissure curved; nostrils as in 

 Oriolus. Wings rather short; first quill not half so long as the 

 second; third, fourth, and fifth longest; secondaries with the tips 

 notched ; tertials lengthened. Tail moderate, slightly forked. Feet 

 as in Oriolug ; claws strong, broad, much curved. The species are 

 natives of South America. Ex. D. palmarum. (' Enl.,' 156, f. 2.) 



Sphecotheres (Vieill.). Bill rather short, strong, partaking of the 

 structure both in Dulus and Oriolus ; the base broad ; commissure 

 straight, gape very wide, extending beyond the eye. Nostrils naked, 

 the aperture large and oval ; wings, tail, and feet as in Dulus ; tarsus 

 hardly longer than the hind toe and claw. The species inhabit Aus- 

 tralia. Kx. S. virida. (Vieia, ' GaL,' pi. 147.) 







M. Lesson, in his 'Table Me"thodique,' makes the Turdusine'es, the 

 fifth family of the Dentirostral Birds, consist of the following 

 genera : 



Turdui (Linn.), including Merula, Turdus, and Ixoi : Cinclus; 

 Cinclosoma; Dulus; Sturnella ; Timalia ; Daiyornis ; Jora; Pitta; 

 Myiothera ; Erachypteryx ; Orallina ; Acridotheres ; Psaroides ; 

 ifimetet ; Oriolus ; and Sericulus. The position assigned to the family 

 is between the A mpelidfes and the Menurees (Mcenura). 



Prince C. L. Bonaparte, in his ' Geographical and Comparative List 

 of the Birds of Europe and North America' (1838), places the Turdidce 

 between the Certhidce and the Muscicapida, and assigns to the first 

 the following sub-families and genera. 



Sub-Family a. Calamoherpince. 



Cellia (Bonap.) ; Pseudo-luscinia (Bonap.) ; LocusteUa (Ray) ; Cala- 

 modyta (Bonap.) ; Cysticola (Less.) ; Erythropygia (Smith, Agnbates, 

 Sw.) ; Calamoherpe (Meyer) ; Hippolaii (Brehm.). These are for the 

 most part formed at the expense of the genera Sylvia and Motacilla 

 (Lino.). 



o. Sylvirue. 



PhyUopneutte (Meyer, PhyUoscopus, Bole); Melizophilus (Leach); 

 Sylvia (Lath.); Curruca (Brisson); Nisoria (Bouap.); Accentor 

 (Bechst.); Calliope (Gould) ; Lutcinia (Br., Philomela, Sw.). 



c. Saxicolince. 



Dandalus (Boie, Erytluim, Sw., Rubecula, Br.) ; Ruticilla (Br., PTioe- 

 nicura, Sw.) ; Saxicola (Bechst) ; Vitijlora (Briss., (Knanthe, Vieill.) ; 

 Sialia (Sw.) ; Petrocincla (Vig., part) ; Petrocossyphus (Boie). 



d. Oriolina. 

 Oriolus (Linn.). 



e. Turdince. 



Merula (Ray) ; Turdus (Linn.) ; Oreocincla (Gould) ; Afimus (Boie, 

 Orj,lteu$, Sw.) ; Cinclus (Bechst.). 



/. Afotacillina. 

 Anthus (Bechst.) ; Budytes (Cuv.) ; Motacilla (Linn.). 



g. Parince. 



Rerjulut (Ray) ; Parut (Linn.) ; Mecisturu (Leach, Paroides, Brehm.); 

 CalatnophUus (Leach, Myttacinus, Brehm.) ; ^Egilkaliu (Vig., Pendu- 

 linui, Cuv.). 



h. Sylvicolina;. 



Panda (Bonap.) ; Trichai (Sw.) ; Verrnivora (Sw.) ; Sciurus (Sw.) ; 

 Sylvicola (Sw.) ; Wilsonia (Bonap.) ; Culicivora (Sw.). 



Mr. G. R. Gray makes the Turdidcs (Turdus, Linn.) the second 

 family of his third tribe (Dentirostres) of his second order (Passeres). 

 The Dentirottra are placed by him between the Tenuiroslres and 

 the Conirostres, and the Turdidie between the I/uscinida; and the 

 Muicicapiacc. 



The following are the sub-families and genera into which Mr. G. R. 

 Gray divides the Turdidce : 



Sub-Family 1. Formicarina. 



Genera. Nolodda, Less. ; Eupetes, Temm. ; Ajar, Less. ; Dasy- 

 eephala, Sw. ; 1'itliyt, Vieill. ; Formicivora, Sw. ; Myrmeciza, G. K. 

 Gray ; Urotomui, Sw. ; Malurio, Less. ; Oorylhopit, Sundev. ; Brachy- 



pteryx, Horsf. ; Macronus, Jard. and Selby ; Tinactor, Pr. Max. ; 

 Formicarius, Bodd. ; Chanucza,, Vig.; Grallaria, Vieill. ; Cissa, Boie; 

 Bracftyurus, Thunb. ; Myiophoneus, Temm.; Hydrobata, Vieill. 



Sub-Family 2. Turdince. 



Genera : Petrocossyphus, Boie ; Orocetes, G. R. Gray ; Lamivora, 

 Hodgs. ; Bcssonornis, Smith ; Saneolides, Less. ; Chaetops, Sw. ; Geo- 

 cichla, Kuhl. ; Zoothera, Vig. ; Myiophaga, Less. ; Oreocincla, Gould ; 

 Turdus, Linn. ; Merula (Ray). Boie ; Mimus, Briss. ; Toxostoma, 

 Wagl. 



Sub-Family 3. Timalincs. 



Genera: Donacobius, Sw. ; Pellorneum, Sw. ; Aipunemia, Sw. ; 

 Crateropus, Sw. ; Garrulax, Less.; Aclinodura, Gould; Cinclosoma, 

 Vig. and Horsf. ; Suya, Hodgs. ; Sibia, Hodgs. ; Fesia, Hodgs. : Mala- 

 cocercus, Sw. ; Timalia, Horsf. ; Pomatorhinus, Horsf. ; -? Paludi- 

 cola, Hodgs. ; Icteria, Vieill. ; Tumagra, Less. 



Sub-Family 4. Oriolince. 



Genera : Duliti, Vieill. ; Sphecotheres, Vieill. ; Oriolm, Linn. ; 

 Mimeta, Vig. and Horsf. ; Analcipw, Sw. ; Sericuhts, Sw. ; Oriolia, J. 

 Geoff. 



Sub-Family 5. Pycnonotince. 



Genera : Microacelis, G. R. Gray ; Microtarsus, Eyton ; Malacop- 

 teron, Eyton ; Trichophorus, Temm. ; Hypsipetes, Vig. ; Tuhina> 

 Hodgs. ; Phyllastrephui, Sw. ; ffcematornis, Sw. ; Pycnonotus, Kuhl. ! 

 Andropadus (1), Sw. ; Trichixos (?), Less. ; Setornis (?), Less. 



Mr. G. R. Gray, with his usual diligence and accuracy, gives the 

 synonyms of all these genera ; and observes, with regard to some of 

 them, that Drymophila, Sw., has been used in botany; that Lepto- 

 rhynchus, Menestr., was previously employed ; Petropkila, Sw., used in 

 botany ; Cossypha, Vig., used in entomology, only the termination is 

 there in us; Oichla, Wagl., previously used in ichthyology; Palndi- 

 cola, Hodgs., previously employed in herpetology ; and Micropus, 

 and Brachypus, Sw., previously used in other branches of natural 

 history. 



The following true Thrushes belonging to the Linniean genus 

 Twdui, are natives of Europe : 



Black Ouzel, or Blackbird, Merula vulgaris, Ray; the Ring Ouzel, 

 Merula torquata, Briss. ; the Migratory Ouzel, Merula migratoria, Sw. ; 

 the Black-Throated Thrush, Turdus atrogularis, Temm. ; the Field- 

 fare, Turdui pilaris, Linn. ; the Redwing, Turdus Iliacus, Linn. ; the 

 Missel-Thrush, Turdus viscivorus, Linn. ; the Song-Thrush, or Throstle, 

 Turdus musicus. Linn. ; Naumann's Thrush, Turdus Naumanni, 

 Temm. ; the Pallid Thrush, Turdus pallidus, Pall. ; White's Thrush, 

 Twdus Whitei, Eyton ; the Siberian Thrush, Turdus Sibericus, Pall. ; 

 the Water-Ouzel, or Common Dipper, Cinclus arjuatictts, Bechst. ; the 

 Black-Bellied Water-Ouzel, Cinclus nielanogaster, Brehm ; Pallas's 

 Water-Ouzel, Cindus Pallasii, Temm. ; the Rock-Thrush, Petrocincla 

 saxatilu, Vig. ; and the Blue Thrush, Petrocincla cyaneus, Vig. 



Of these, the Water-Ouzel, or Common Dipper ; the Missel-Thrush ; 

 White's Thrush (occasional only); the Song-Thrush; the Fieldfare; 

 the Redwing; the Blackbird ; and the Ring-Ouzel, or Ring-Blackbird, 

 are British. 



T. musicus, Throstle or Song-Thrush ; Mavis of the Scotch. It is 

 the Grive and Petite Grive of the French ; Tordo, Tordo Commune, 

 and Tordo Bottaccio, of the Italians ; Sing-Drossel, or Weiss-Drossel, 

 of the Germans ; and Aderyn Bronfraith of the Welsh. 



This charming songster inhabits every country in Europe, haunting 

 gardens and woods near streams or meadows. Bechstein says that in 

 Germany, as soon as the autumnal fogs appear, the Throstles collect in 

 large nights to seek a warmer climate, the principal time of passage 

 being from September 15th to October 15th, and the return about the 

 middle c r end of March, when each pair seeks its own district. In 

 Great Britain it is permanent, and spread over England, Wales, 

 Ireland, Scotland, and its islands. Russia, Denmark, Sweden, and 

 Norway possesss it. In the south, besides Germany, France, Italy, 

 and Greece have it. It has been seen in winter at Smyrna and Trebi- 

 zond. Professor Nilsson states that it leaves Sweden for the winter, 

 and comes farther south. Mr. Selby observes that such visitors arrive 

 in Britain with a north or north-east wind, and, after staying a few 

 days to recruit, move southward. 



Worms, insects, snails, and fruits, form the food of the Throstle. 

 The common Garden-Snail (Helix hortensis) and the Wood-Snail (Helix 

 nemoralis) are killed and eaten in great numbers by this species. The 

 bird beats and breaks the shells against a stone to get at the animals. 

 The nest is made of green moss generally, and fine root-fibres on the 

 outside, and is lined within with cow-dung and decayed wood, the 

 lining forming a cement so perfectly spread that it will hold water. 

 Eggs four or five, of a light blue, the larger end having a few small 

 black specks or spots. Time of incubation thirteen days. The first 

 hatch generally comes forth in April, but the young have been known 

 to be out at the end of March. There are generally two broods in the 

 year. Both the cock and the hen sit, but the former less than the 

 latter. He often feeds her on the nest. A holly, a thick bush (a tall 

 one is mostly preferred), a dense and somewhat high shrub, or a fir is 

 usually selected ; but the bird has been known to breed in an open 



