MERULA ALBOCINCTA. 



White-collared Merula. 



Turdus albocinctus et albicollis, Royle, 111. Himalayan Bot, tab. 8. fig. 3.— Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. 



p. 219.— Gray, Cat. of Spec, and Draw, of Mamm. and Birds pres. to Brit. Mus. by B. H. Hodgson, 



Esq., p. 81.— Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 274. 

 Merula albocincta, Blyth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng., vol. xvi. p. 148.— lb. Cat. of Birds in Mus. Asiat. Soc. Calcutta, 



p. 162.— Horsf. and Moore, Cat. of Birds in Mus. East Ind. Comp., vol. i. p. 197. 

 Turdus collaris, Sorel, Rev. Zool. 1840, p. 2. 

 Merula nivicollis, Hodgs. in Gray's Zool. Misc. 1844, p. 83. 



The late Dr. Forbes Royle, who by his writings on botany and natural history and many other acquirements 

 distinguished himself as one of the most valuable of the servants of the Honourable East India Company, 

 had the pleasure of first naming this interesting Ouzel, Thrush, or Blackbird— whichever British ornithologists 

 may think proper to apply to it as a trivial name. Dr. Royle (for what reason cannot now be known) gave 

 it two distinctive appellations, Turdus albocinctus and T. albicollis ; it is also the Merula nivicollis of Mr. 

 Hodgson, and the Turdus collaris of Sorel ; all these specific names are equally applicable to it ; but it is 

 to be regretted that our systems should have been burdened with four appellations where one would surely 

 have been sufficient. 



It must, I think, be admitted that the present bird and M. castanea are two most intimately allied species, 

 so much so that it has almost induced me to believe that they are identical; and I throw out this hint to 

 direct the attention of ornithologists to the point, especially those resident in India, rather than aver that 

 such is the case. In their relative admeasurements the two birds are as nearly alike as possible. 



Like the M. castanea, the M. albocincta is a native of Nepal and the more western parts of the Himalayan 

 range, but does not ascend either to the cold region of the snow-line, nor, I believe, descend to the hot 

 forests of the Terai. 



The female has all the markings of the male, but her colouring is much less bright and defined ; the 

 crown of her head, her back, wings, and tail are brown, while the collar and throat are brownish white. 



The male has the head, cheeks, nape, the entire plumage of the upper and under surface, the wings and 

 tail brownish black ; throat buffy white slightly striated with brown ; lower part of the neck and breast buffy 

 white ; round the back of the neck a collar of buffy white stained with brownish grey posteriorly ; bill and 

 eyelash orange-yellow ; the legs appear to have been the same, but duller. 



The Plate represents both sexes of the natural size. 









