VARIED THRUSH. 49} 
third and fourth united as far as the second joint of the latter. Claws 
rather large, moderately arched, much compressed, acute. 
Plumage soft and rather blended. Wings of moderate length, 
broad, rounded ; the first primary extremely short, being about a fifth 
of the length of the third, which is longest, but scarcely exceeds the 
fourth ; the second four-twelfths shorter than the third. Tail large, ra- 
ther long, nearly even, of twelve broad rounded feathers. 
Bill black, with the basal half of the lower mandible yellow ; iris 
hazel ; feet and claws flesh-coloured. The general colour of the upper 
parts is a deep leaden-grey, darker on the head, the feathers very 
narrowly margined with brown ; the quills and tail-feathers dusky, the 
outer webs of the latter tinged with grey, and their tips white; the 
lore dusky ; a band of reddish-orange passes from over the fore part of 
the eye down the side of the neck, and almost meets its fellow on the 
hind part ; two conspicuous bands of the same cross, the wing obliquely 
being formed of the tips of the first row of small coverts, and those of 
the secondary coverts; the outer webs of the primary coverts about 
the middle, a band on the primaries near the base, part of the outer 
webs towards the end, and the tips of the secondaries, also pale reddish- 
orange. The lower parts in general are reddish-orange, paler behind ; 
a band of greyish-black passes down the side, and crosses the lower 
part of the neck, where it is almost pure black ; the feathers of the sides 
are tipped with light grey; those of the middle of the abdomen are 
white; and the lower tail-coverts are tipped with the latter colour. 
The axillary feathers are white, tipped with grey ; the smaller coverts 
grey, tipped with reddish-white, the primary coverts grey, the secon- 
dary nearly white, of which also there is a bar formed by part of the 
inner webs of the quills. 
Length to end of tail 101 inches; wing from flexure 5}; tail 312; 
bill along the ridge }$, along the edge of lower mandible 144; tarsus 
123 
14; hind toe #4, its claw 24; middle toe +9, its claw 74. 
AduJt Female. Plate CCCCXXXIII. Fig. 6. 
The female, which is scarcely smaller than the male, is coloured 
in the same manner; but the upper parts are strongly tinged with 
olive-brown ; the reddish-orange bands are much paler, the tail-feathers 
are margined with dull reddish-brown ; the band on the lore, down the 
sides of the neck, and across it, is light greyish-brown ; the orange tint 
