18 TURDUS 



open is fitful and wavering, and when it flies off it utters a 

 loud chuckling cry. Its song, which is clear, loud, and melodious, 

 may be heard from the middle of February to the beginning 

 of August, and occasionally even in winter, and at all hours of 

 the day. It breeds almost throughout its range from late in 

 March to June according to latitude, the nest, which is con- 

 structed of twigs, rootlets, grass-bents, and leaves, well cemented 

 together with mud, and lined with fine grass, is placed in a 

 bush or tree, amongst ivy, on a wall, or even occasionally on the 

 ground. The eggs 4 to 6 in number are usually greenish blue 

 in ground colour, closely spotted with reddish brown, but are 

 subject to considerable variety. Merula maxima Seebohm, is 

 only a large form of the present species, and, it appears to me 

 not even subspecifically separable. 



21. GREY JAPANESE THRUSH. 

 TURDUS CARDIS. 



Turdus cardis, Ternm. PI. Col. ii. p. 518, (1824) ; id. and Schleg. Faun. 

 Jap. Aves. p. 65, pis. xxix, xxx ; David and Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 

 150 ; (Seebohm), Cat. B. Br. Mus. xxv. p. 261. 



Kwro-tsugu, Ko-ke, Japanese. 



< ad. (Japan). Upper parts, neck and upper breast black ; the wing- 

 coverts, lower back rump and upper tail-coverts washed with slate grey ; 

 under parts white spotted .with black ; under wing-coverts and axillaries 

 dark slate-grey ; bill and legs yellow ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0'8, 

 wing 4*45, tail 3'0, tarsus 1*2 inch. The female is olivaceous brown above, 

 white spotted with dark brown below, the breast and flanks washed with 

 pale orange red ; under wing-coverts and axillaries orange chestnut ; bill 

 brown. The young male resembles the female but has the breast and 

 flanks washed with chestnut red. 



Hob. Japan, wintering in southern China. 



In habits not differing from its allies, frequenting woods, 

 groves, and gardens. It is greatly esteemed as a cage-bird on 

 account of its rich song. It breeds in Japan in May, June, and 

 July ; its nest being generally placed in the fork of a small 

 tree and is constructed chiefly of moss. The eggs, 4 to 5 in 

 number, resemble small eggs of T. mscivowis and measure about 

 1-7 by 0-84. 



