80 



"In a small grass inclosure immediately adjoining the village, and thickly surrounded by 

 elms, a friend of mine observed a bird rise from a dry leafy ditch, which at the first glance was 

 mistaken for a Woodcock, but soon recognized as one of the Thrush kind. This happened on 

 the 6th of January ; and on hearing the account, I stimulated further research, but without 

 effect until the 23rd of that month, when the bird was again flushed from the same inclosure, 

 and, as before, from the bottom of a dry ditch amongst dead leaves. Again on the 26th it rose 

 from the same ditch, and within a few yards of the same spot. On each occasion it was busied 

 in turning over the dead leaves, from beneath which it appears to have taken its food. Although 

 Blackbirds, Thrushes, and Missel-Thrushes were abundant, and seen at the same time feeding on 

 the ivy and hawthorn berries, the present bird was always observed to resort only to the trees or 

 hedges when disturbed, and then merely to a place of rest, remaining for some time perched in 

 an upright position in one spot, without noticing the berries or the species feeding on them. Its 

 flight when roused from its feeding was very undulating, like that of the Green Woodpecker, 

 and low, often settling on the ground, and only making choice of a tree when it happened to 

 pass under one, into which it rose almost vertically. As far as its habits could be ascertained 

 from these short opportunities of observation, it would appear to be almost entirely a ground 

 feeder. Mr. Blyth says of the allied Indian species, Oreocincla dannia, that it is generally met 

 with amongst bamboos, in which situation the ground would very likely be the attraction, rather 

 than the canes." 



The breeding-habits of this Thrush are scarcely known; and, so far as I can ascertain, the 

 only eggs that have hitherto come into any collection are those obtained by the late Mr. Swinhoe, 

 who kindly presented me with one out of the clutch. This gentleman published the following 

 notes (in Rowl. Zool. Misc. ii. p. 256) respecting these eggs, viz.: — "It was not until I got to 

 Ningpo, in 1872, that I found that White's Thrush spent the summer in the wooded parts of the 

 hills around that neighbourhood ; and I thence conclude that it resides in similar hills in summer 

 all down the coast of China, resorting to the plains and gardens in its winter migrations. 



"In May 1872 I resided for a time at a large temple near Ningpo called ' Chin-hooze,' in 

 the midst of woods situated on a hillside. Some boys pointed to a nest, hidden in the upper 

 branches of a high pine tree, and asked if they should climb to it. Thinking it was a Blackbird's, 

 I assented, and then wandered away. Soon after I met the boys, who carried in their hands the 

 nest (to all appearance that of a Blackbird) with three eggs, which, though so like a Blackbird's, 

 had the dots so minute that they struck me as being of an allied species, probably the Oreocincla. 

 I went back to the tree ; and on the bough where the nest had been were the parent birds in 

 trouble at their loss. I saw them distinctly, and recognized them as being of this species. 



"The nest was for all the world like that of the Chinese Blackbird — about the same size. 

 It is about 4 inches deep, 7 inches in outer and 4 J- inches in inner diameter, and 3J inches in 

 depth. The eggs are three in number, ovate, whitish, with minute reddish spots." 



The egg in my collection, one of the above clutch, resembles those of Tardus viscivorus. but 

 is rather paler, and the spots are much smaller and more numerous. 



The present species, together with those Thrushes which have the underparts marked with 

 crescentic bars, has been by many authors separated from the true Thrushes, under the generic 

 name of Oreocincla ; but I agree with Professor Newton that there seems to be no valid reason 



