A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ORITITHOLOGY OF NEPAL. 285 



361.— Merula boulboul, Lath. 



Six males, May and June.— Length, 10' 7 to 11-3; expanse, 



;L*^,?n' '^'°^' ^'^ *^ ^"^^5 tail, 4-2 to 5-0; tarsus, 1-2 to 

 l-d5; bill from gape, 1-2 to 1-34; bill at front, 0-9 to 0-95 : 

 closed wings short of tail, 2 4 to 2*45. 



Bill orange or orange yellow ; gape and margin of eyelids 

 yellow ; irides brown ; feet brownish yellow ; the soles yellow. 



Six females, December, February, May and June. —Length ^ 

 10-7 to 11-1; expanse, 15-3 to 17-5; wing, 5-25 to 5'65 ; tail' 

 4-1 to 4-5; tarsus, 1-25 to 1-35; bill from gape, 1-2 to 1-25; 

 bill at front, 08 to 0-93 ; closed wings short of tail, 2-0 to 2-2.' 



Bill deep yellow or orange, dusky at nostrils; irides daii 

 brown ; mouth orange ; margin of eyelids pale yellow ; feet 

 fleshy brovyn ; the claws brown horny ; above deep brown ; 

 with an olivaceous or slightly rufescent tinge ; beneath paler ; 

 and somewhat ashy on the middle of the abdomen ; an incon- 

 spicuous wing band, rufescent brown. Jerdon^s description of 

 the female of this species would hardly enable one to identify 

 these Nepal specimens. 



The Grey-winged Blackbird is common in the valley of 

 Nepal throughout the year, always adhering closely to the 

 forests on the surrounding hills. In the winter it descends to 

 the foot of the hills, and it is then social, frequeutin.^ thick 

 bush jungle and flying away quietly after the manner of 

 Trochalopteron. In summer it is found in tree forests, at eleva- 

 tions of from 7,000 to 8,000^ feet. In May and June it was 

 very common in the Sheopuri Forest, keeping in pairs, and its 

 flne song was constantly heard. 



362.— Merula albocincta, Royle. 



Three males, FgSmary. -Length, 1075 to IM; expanse, 167 

 1%. ?-'nT^' ^'^ t«5-65; tail, 4-23 to 4-4 ; tarsus, 1-25 to 

 1-35 ; bill from gape, 1-25 to 1-32 ; bill at front, 0-82 to 0-86 • 

 closed wings short of tail, 1-95 to 2-2. ■ ' 



Bill yellow, dusky at extreme tip ; irides dark brown : gape, 

 mouth and margin of eyelids deep yellow; tarsi buffy yellow ; 

 the toes brownish yellow ; claws horny brown. The lower tail- 

 coverts have the feathers white shafted and with a narrow 

 terminal fringe of dull white. 



female, February.— Length, 10-8; expanse, 16-5; wino-, 

 5-35 ; tail, 4-3 ; tarsus, 1-3 ; bill from gape, 1-25 ; bill at front 

 U »1 ; closed wings short of tail, 2-05. 



Bill dark yellow, dusky at the tip and nostrils; irides deep 

 brown; feet dingy yellow; claws dusky; head darker than the 

 back; the feathers of the breast and abdomen frinc^ed with a 



