52 PALE THRUSH. 



passage tlirough Mongolia, and were already changing their tail 

 feathers. The first pair appeared on the Tarei-Nor on the 3rd. of 

 May, 1856. I found none in the Bareja Mountains in spring, but I 

 did on the island of Schilka, on the Upper Schilkinski. It was 

 there singing splendidly on the 18th. of May. It begins in strophes 

 of three syllables, and finishes with a light chattering song. They 

 like best to breed among the thick underwood of Prunus padus and 

 willows. The first of these Thrushes appeared in their autumn 

 passage at the Tarei-Nor, and I saw them there frequently on the 

 2nd. and 7th. of September, but very scattered. In the autumn of 

 1859 the Pale Thrush flew up after the 5th. of September with the 

 Red-throated Thrush fT. ruficollisj on the Middle Amur. It occurs 

 at Lake Baikal." 



The "Pale Thrush" occurs in North and South China, in Formosa, 

 and Japan, and it is mentioned by Jerdon, in "Supplementary Notes," 

 published in the "Ibis" for 1872, as having been captured by Major 

 Goodwin Austen at Cerra Poorjee, in India, in November. The bird 

 figured in the same paper as GeocicJila dissimilis is, according to 

 Jerdon, so similar to Turdus chrysolaus of Temminck, that he could 

 not help suspecting their identity. If so, as T. chrysolaus is a 

 synonym of T. pallens, this would be the proper designator of G. 

 dissimilis. The bird figured by Jerdon is not, however, the same as 

 T. pallens, Pallas. It has no white streak over the eye, and the 

 lower parts are too rusty and otherwise differently marked. Viscount 

 Walden, "Ibis," 1871, has also expressed his opinion that Turdus 

 pallens cannot with propriety be referred to the genus GeocicJila. 



Although apparently a common bird in China and the east of 

 Asia, little or nothing is recorded of its habits. This is a great 

 pity. We could willingly dispense with one half that is written 

 about the colour of the feathers and their shades, if naturalists would 

 dwell more upon the habits and nidification of the birds they meet 

 with. 



By the kindness of Mr. Dresser I am able to figure and describe 

 this rare and beautiful little Thrush. Mr. Dresser's skin is not sexed, 

 and is marked Malacca, with the name of "Frank" attached. 



All the upper parts are olive green, with white margins on the 

 wings, caused by the wing coverts being so tipped. There is a 

 broad streak over the eye, creamy white, and a similar smaller one 

 beneath it. Head, cheeks, primaries, and tail feathers above of a 

 slightly darker olive brown. Throat white, with dark spots or 

 blotches on each side. Chest rusty brown, becoming more purely 

 rufous on the flanks and thighs. Abdomen and under tail coverts 



