Illustration of Indian OrnithoJogi/. 



by Vigors, Gould, Hodgson, Blyth and others, as inhabitants of the Himalayas and neigh- 

 bouring countries, whilst this and my Crateropus Cachinna7is are the only hitherto recorded 

 species of Southern India. — Mr. Blyth remarks the close affinity of our present subject to 

 C Gularis. 



The manners of the C. Cachinnans, the only member of this group I have myself 

 observed, are something srailar to those of the other genera of this family, but much less 

 social than the Malacocirci, which are apparently the most typical of the group. The 

 Laughing Thrush is sometimes seen in small flocks, but often wanders about alone, though 

 at no great distance from some of its species, with whom it continually keeps up a noisy com- 

 munication as signal of the direction it is going, or of the abundance of food obtained. It 

 inhabits the densest woods on the summits of the Neilghcrries, keeping chiefly to the 

 lower branches of trees and brushwood, and feeds principally on fruit especially on the 

 pleasant fruit of the Brazil cherry (Physalis tomentosa), now so abundant in most of the 

 woods in the neighbourhood of Ootacamund. — It also occasionally feeds on caterpillars and 

 other soft bodied insects. 



I have no doubt that our present species has some what similar manners, indeed 

 Lord A. Hay informs me " that it has much the same skulling habits as the C. Cachinnans." 



The nidification of any of the Crateropi has not that I am aware been yet record- 

 ed. On one occasion only I found the nest of C. Cachinnans on a bank overhanging the 

 road on the top of the Nediwuttum Ghaut of the Neilghcrries— It was made of roots, grass 

 and moss, and contained 4 long oval pure white eggs. I shall now add a description of the 

 C. Delesserli. 



Description.— Head, and nape dusky black— rest of the plumage above dark rufous, 

 growing brighter on the upper tail coverts— chin, throat and breast white, edged with grey — 

 belly and vent bright rufous— Tail brownish black, brown at the base of the feathers — 

 Bill dusky above — yellow beneath — legs pale reddish — Length lOf — 11 inch — wing 4f„ — 

 Tail 4}— Bill (fiont) 1— Tarsus U.— Irides red. 



