Order PASSERES.j [Fam. TURDID.E. 



TUENAGEA CEASSIEOSTEIS. 



(SOUTH-ISLAND THRUSH.) 



Thick-billed Thrush, Lath. Gen. Syn. ii. pt. 1, p. 34, pi. xxxvii. (1783). 



Tanagra capensis, Sparrm. Mus. Carls, pi. 45 (1787). 



Turdus crassirostris, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 815 (1788, ex Lath.). 



Lanius crassirostris, Cuv. Regn. Anim. p. 338 (1817). 



Gampephaga ferruginea, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. x. p. 48 (1817). 



Tanagra macularia, Quoy et Gaim. Voy. de l'Astr. i. p. 186, pi. vii. fig. 1 (1830). 



Keropia crassirostris, Gray, List of Gen. of B. p. 28 (1840). 



Turnagra crassirostris, id. op. cit. p. 38 (1841). 



Loxia turdus, Forst, Descr. Anim. p. 85 (1844). 



Otagon turdus, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. i. p. 374 (1850). 



Ceropia crassirostris, Sundev. Krit. Framst. Mus. Carls, p. 9 (1857). 



Turnagra turdus, Gray, Hand-1. of B. i. p. 284 (1869). 



Ad. supra olivaceo-brunneus, pileo vix cinerascente irregulariter fulvo striate : tectricibus alarum dorso conco- 

 loribus, rufo terminatis, fasciam duplicem alarem exhibentibus : remigibus brunneis, extus dorsi colore 

 marginatis, primariis ad basin rufo lavatis : supracaudalibus rufo tinetis, imis omnino runs : Cauda lsete 

 rufa, rectricibus duabus mediis et reliquarum apicibus olivaceo-brunneis : loris cum regione oculari 

 genisque brunneis pallide rufo maculatis : regione parotica pileo concolori, anguste fulvo striata : subtiis 

 olivascens, gutture toto rufescente lavato, plumis medialiter fulvescentibus : pectoris plumis medialiter 

 albidis, utrinque olivaceo marginatis, quasi striatis : pectore superiore vix rufescente lavato : hypochon- 

 driis magis olivascentibus : abdomine imo et subcaudalibus flavo lavatis : subalaribus rufis : rostro 

 pedibusque saturate brunneis : iride flava. 



Adult. General plumage olive-brown, darker on the upper parts ; forehead, lores, tbroat, and sides of neck 

 largely marked with rufous ; breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts covered with broad longitudinal 

 spots of yellowish white, narrower towards the sides of the body ; on the abdomen and under tail-coverts 

 less of the olive-brown, with a strong tinge of yellow ; wing-feathers dark olive-brown, dusky on their 

 inner webs ; the superior and lesser wing-coverts largely tipped with rufous, forming two broad trans- 

 verse bars ; lining of wings pale rufous ; tail, for the most part, with the upper coverts bright rufous, 

 the two middle feathers and the apical margins of the rest olive-brown, only slightly tinged with rufous. 

 Irides yellow ; bill and feet dark brown. Total length 1 1 inches ; wing, from flexure, 5 ; tail 5 ; bill, 

 along the ridge - 7, along the edge of lower mandible - 8 ; tarsus 1*25 ; middle toe and claw 1'15 ; hind 

 toe and claw 1. 



Young. May be distinguished from the adult by the larger amount of rufous colouring on the forehead, 

 sides of the head, throat, and upper wing-coverts. 



Obs. In some specimens the bend of the wing and the exterior edges of the outer primaries are also marked 

 with rufous. The colour of the bill likewise varies, in different examples, from a light brown to dusky 

 black. 



This fine species is confined to the South Island. Formerly it was excessively abundant in all 



