180 CRATEROPODID.E. 



the central portion of Tenasserim, and the Thoungyeen valley ; 

 extending into Siarn. 



Habits, <$fc. Like the preceding species, the present bird is found 

 in rocky streams as a rule, but Mr. Pea procured the only specimen 

 that he observed in Tenasserim near the Farm Caves of Moulmein. 

 Bingham got the nest in April in the Thoungyeen valley. It was 

 made of green moss and black roots and fibres, and was placed on 

 a dead tree which had been caught by rocks in the river-bed. The 

 eggs were of a pale stone-colour, spotted with reddish brown, and 

 measured about 1*48 by 1*02. 



189. Myiophoneus horsfieldi. The Malabar Whistling-Thrush. 



Myiophonus horsfieldii. Vigors, P. Z. S. 1831, p. 35 ; Gould, Cent. 

 pi. 20 ; Blyth, Cat. p. 159 ; Horsf. fy M. Cat. i, p. 200 ; Jerd. B. 1. 

 i, p. 499 ; Bksnf. J. A. S. B. xxxviii, pt. ii, p. 179 ; McMaster, J. A. 

 S. B. xl, pt. ii, p. 211 ; Hum*, N. 8f E. p. 221 ; Ball, S. F. ii, p. 406, 

 iii, p. 292 ; Butler, S. F. iii, p. 469 ; Bourdillon, S. F. iv, p. 398 ; 

 Davidson $ Wenden, S. F. vii, p. 81 ; Ball, S. F. vii, p. 212 ; 

 Hume, Cat. no. 342 ; Davison, S. F. x, p. 373 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. 

 vii, p. 10 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 168 ; Oates in Hume's N. Sf E. 

 2nd ed. i, p. 124. 



Gunta-ukkee, Canarese. 



Coloration. The whole head and neck deep black, with a crescentic 

 band of bright cobalt-blue on the anterior portion of the crown ; 

 upper plumage black, each feather broadly edged with blue ; tail 

 blue, with black shafts ; lesser wing-coverts cobalt-blue ; middle 

 coverts black, tipped with cobalt-blue ; greater coverts black, edged 

 with blue : outer webs of the quills chiefly blue, inner webs black ; 

 breast and abdomen black, fringed with cobalt-blue ; vent and under 

 tail-coverts dull blue. 



The young have the wings and tail like the adult, but all the 

 other parts of the plumage dull black. 



Iris deep brown ; legs and bill black (Davison). 



Length about 12; tail 4-5; wing 6'2; tarsus T9 ; bill from 

 gape 1*6. 



Distribution. The Indian peninsula. To the north-west this spe- 

 cies has been noticed as far as Mount Abu and to the north-east as 

 far as Sirguja and Sambalpur ; it extends down to Travancore. It 

 has not, however, been recorded from the Eastern coast of India. 



Habits, fyc. Inhabits forests in the neighbourhood of hill-streams, 

 and is found from near the level of the sea up to 6000 feet. Breeds 

 from March to July, constructing a massive cup-shaped nest of 

 roots, dead leaves, and vegetable matter on some rock in a mountain- 

 torrent or on a ledge of a cliff, or very frequently in a hole of some 

 tree a considerable height from the ground. The eggs, three in 

 number, are salmon-coloured or pink marked with pinkish brown, 

 and measure about 1-3 by -95. The note of this bird is a fine 

 whistle. 



