46 PASSERES. 



The Grey Japanese Ouzel is a lowland bird, and breeds abundantly 

 at the base of Fuji-yama. The nest is generally placed in the 

 fork of a small tree overhanging a stream, and is composed of moss, 

 roots, and dry leaves, with a foundation of mud. It is lined with 

 grass, fine roots, and horsehair (Jouy, Proc. United States 'Ned,. Mus. 

 1883, p. 277) . Eggs in the Pryer collection resemble those of the 

 Missel -Thrush, but are slightly smaller. This bird is a fine songster, 

 and is much valued by the Japanese as a cage-bird (Blakiston and 

 Pryer, Trans. As. Soc. Japan, 1883, p. 165). 



It leaves Japan in autumn to winter in South China and Hainan. 

 I have been unable to find any evidence in favour of the statement 

 (David and Oustalet, Ois. Chine,| p. 150) that it migrates to the 

 valley of the Amoor in spring. 



5. MERULA FUSCATA. 



(DUSKY OUZEL.) 



Turdus fitscatus, Pallas, Zoogr. Rosso-Asiat. i. p. 451 (1826). 



The Dusky Ouzel may be recognized by the chocolate-chestnut 

 colour of its axillaries, by the chestnut on its tertials and greater 

 wing-coverts, and by the brown of its upper parts, which is russet 

 rather than olive. 



Figures : Gould, Birds of Asia, iii. pi. 1 (male and female) ; 

 Dresser, Birds of Europe, ii. pi. 7 (male and female). 



The Dusky Ouzel is a winter visitor to Japan, arriving from the 

 north in great numbers. A few remain to winter in the northern 

 island, but most of them pass onwards, and winter in the more 

 southerly islands. They are very common in winter near Yokohama, 

 whence there are nine examples in the Pryer collection. It also 

 occurs near Nagasaki (Blakiston and Pryer, Trans. As. Soc. Japan, 

 1882, p. 167), whence examples have been sent by Mr. Ringer to the 

 Norwich Museum, and whence those erroneously recorded as Turdus 

 naumanni in the Report of the Siebold Expedition were probably 

 obtained (Temminck and Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, Aves, p. 61). 

 One of these examples was figured in 1831 under the name of Turdus 

 eunomus (Temminck, Planches Ooloriees, no. 514). 



The Dusky Ouzel breeds in Eastern Siberia, above the limit of 

 forest-growth, and winters in South China as weU as in Japan. It 

 arrives in Yezzoi n great numbers soon after the middle of October 

 (Blakiston, Ibis, 1862, p. 319), but a few stray birds occasionally 

 migrate westwards, and occur during winter in various parts of Europe. 



