MERULIN.E. 529 



been found in various parts of the Himalayas, Nepal, and Bootan ; 

 but I did not procure it at Darjeeling, and it is probably found 

 more in the interior of the hills. It is chiefly a bird of Siberia 

 and Northern Asia, migrating to the south in winter. They are 

 said by Pallas to live in forests, to associate in flocks, except when 

 breeding, and to have a fine song. 



365. Planesticus atrogularis, Temm. 



Turdus apud Temminck — Blyth, Cat. 939— Horsf., Cat. 272 

 — Gould, Birds of Europe, pi. 75 — T. dubius, Bechstein. — 

 Mach-reycha, Beng. (hence ' Richell Thrush' of Latham.) 



The Black-throated Thrush. 



Descr. — Above, pale cinereous-brown ; wings and tail darker 

 brown ; tail occasionally tinged with rufous ; beneath, the throat 

 albescent-brownish, with some undefined dark markings, the 

 centre of each feather being dark, and lower down these coalesce 

 and form a broad dark brown, or blackish, pectoral gorget ; the 

 rest, beneath, pale cinereous-white, a few of the feathers next the 

 breast centred or barred with dusky ; under wing-coverts rusty ; 

 lower tail-coverts indistinctly barred with brown and rusty. 



The female wants the pectoral gorget, but has the breast bufF, 

 mixed with dusky, and some brown striae on the sides of the 

 throat and breast ; the abdomen, too, is whiter than in the male, 

 and the lower tail-coverts are buffy-wiiite« 



Bill yellow, dusky at the tip ; orbits yellow ; legs horny-yellow- 

 brown ; irides dark brown. Length 10| inches ; extent 17 ; wing 

 5| ; tail 4| ; bill at front |. 



This Thrush is found throughout the Himalayas, inhabiting the 



higher ranges in the interior, in summer, but descending to the 



lower ranges in winter ; and it is even occasionally found in the 



plains of Lower Bengal. Mr. Blyth records its having been shot 



at Barrackpore, near Calcutta. I found it not uncommon near 



Darjeeling in winter. It keeps to the more open woods, at a level 



from 3,000 to 8,000 feet, and is occasionally seen on roads and 



pathways. It feeds both on insects and berries. Gray gives this 



species as the type of Cichloides, Kaup. 



3 X 



