17S MERULID.E. 



compressed : the ground-colour of the upper plumage, 

 including the wings and tail, is ferruginous brown, 

 darkest on the head : the feathers on the back, when 

 raised, are seen to be pure white for about half their 

 length ; they are then obliquely banded by black, 

 while their remaining or external portion is of the 

 same colour as the parts adjacent : the white colour 

 of course is entirely concealed, so also, in part, are 

 the black bands ; the feathers on the rump are re- 

 markably lcn<y : from the nostrils commences a broad 

 band (which at first is white, but gradually becomes 

 fulvous), passing over the eyes and half way down 

 the neck ; leaving the ears and the sides of the head 

 and neck deep black ; the chin, in this sex, is also 

 black, and the throat pure white : across the upper 

 part of the breast is a half-concealed collar of black, 

 the margin of the feathers being white, but those on 

 each side the breast tinged with cinereous: the middle 

 of the body is white ; the flanks light ferruginous, 

 and the under tail-coverts fulvous or deep buff-colour: 

 the wing-coverts are deep black, those on the shoulders 

 and the lesser series are each tipped with a snow- 

 white spot ; while the greater coverts and the spurious 

 quills are spotted with buff: tail moderate and gra- 

 duated, the outer feathers being only half the length 

 of those in the middle : tarsi rather lengthened ; 

 claws moderate. The female has the under mandible 

 of the beak pale: the concealed white spot on the 

 back is less ; the line above the eye, as well as all 

 the round spots on the wing-coverts, are entirely 

 buff: and the whole of the chin and throat is buff- 

 coloured yellow : the sides of the breast are dusky- 



