1836.] the MeruUne Genus of Birds. 359 



their manners, adhere exclusively to the woods, live solitarily or in 

 pairs, breed and moult but once a year, nidificate on trees, and feed 

 almost equally on the ground and on trees. I have taken from their 

 stomachs several sorts of stony berries, small univalve mollusca, and 

 sundry kinds of aquatic insects. 



These birds are not generally or familiarly known to the Nipalese, 

 but the foi*esters, whom I have met with, denominate them Cocho : and 

 by that name, latinised into CocJioa, I have designated them generi- 

 cally in my note book. 



As a MeruUne genus, placed close to Turdus, the following charac- 

 ter may perhaps serve to mark them. 



"Wings, tail, and feet, as in Turdus. 



Tarsi rather lower and tail somewhat longer. 



Bill straight, considerably depressed : the maxilla excided beyond 

 the centre by the nasal fosse : the nostrils very large, and nearer to 

 tip than to gape. Head crested as in Garrulus. The two species at 

 present known to me I shall call, from their prevalent colour, Viridis 

 and Purpurea. 



The following is their description : — 



Cochoa purpurea. Purple Cocho, Mihi. Male, dark purple : cheeks 

 black : crest, tail, and upper apert portion of the wings, soft grey 

 blue, more or less purpurescent : lower part of the wings and tip of 

 tail, black ; and both black internally : a white speculum on the wing, 

 just below the false wing : bill and legs black : iris brown. The fe- 

 male, brown where the male is purple ; and the upper part of the wings 

 also brown. The young are rufous below with black bars : brown 

 above with rufescent white drops : head blue as in maturity, but 

 barred. The species is eleven to eleven and a half inches long by six- 

 teen to seventeen wide, and weight three and half to four oz. 



Co. Viridis. Green Cochoa, Mihi. Brilliant parrot green, paler and 

 changing into verditer blue on the belly and thighs : crest, cheeks, and 

 neck posteally, brilliant blue : upper part of the wings and tail, the 

 same, but paler with a grey cast ; and both black internally, and 

 apertly towards the ends, as in the preceding species ; through 

 the eye to the nostrils black : bar of same hue across the pale portion 

 of the wings, caused by the long coverts and bastard wing being tipt 

 with that colour : legs fleshy brown : bill black : iris brown : size of the 

 last : sexes alike. — N. B. This species is apt to vary considerably 

 before it has reached maturity as well as under moult, when the back 

 is sometimes lunated with black ; and the soft blue portion of the 

 wings is smeared with brownish yellow. At first, the young males are 

 exactly like the female. The following more particular description of 



