THE



253



Avicultural Magazine,


BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE


AVICULTURAL SOCIETY.



Third Series .— Vol. IV. — No. 9. —All rights reserved. JULY, 1913.



THE CHESTNUT-BELLIED BLUE ROCK


THRUSH.


Petrocincla erythrogastra.


By Hubert D. Astley.


Of this fine Bock Thrush, Goulcl (Birds of Asia, Vol. III.)

writes :—“ Every particular relating to the history and economy of

“ this species of Bock-Thrush appears to be as much unknown or

“ buried in obscurity as it was when I published my Century of

“ Birds from the Himalaya Mountains thirty-three years ago.”

Even Mr. Jerdon merely states that this Thrush has hitherto, he

believed, only been found in the Himalayas, generally at a consider¬

able elevation. It is not rare about Darjeeling, and is found on the

Khasia Hills.


In June, 1912, Mr. Erost brought over two pairs, one of

which came into my possession, the other going to the London

Zoological Gardens.


My birds are, as I write, in full beauty in a large outdoor

aviary, where they underwent a complete vernal moult, beginning in

March. The female is now darker than she is depicted in the

coloured plate, the original of which was painted in February.


In an aviary these birds seem quite peaceable, but are fond

of sitting in dark corners, on the top of some log close to the roof,

etc. The male displays to his mate sometimes, puffing out his body

feathers and uttering tones of a metallic sound.


His song is not unlike that of the European Blue Bock

Thrush.


They are birds which, I think, would as cage pets, become



