1847.] or Little Known Species of Birds. 149 



black of the male much less deep, and tinged with ashy ; and the lower- 

 parts paler and brownish. Female paler and browner, as usual, passing 

 to ashy on the rump and upper tail-coverts, and with the lower- 

 parts still lighter-coloured. Proportions of M. nigropikus, but the 

 tail-feathers broader and considerably less firm towards their tips ; the 

 beak is also conspicuously longer, measuring to gape an inch and three- 

 eighths : and the colouring is much the same as in M. nigropileus, but 

 the contrasting ashy and brown are softened down almost to homoge- 

 neity. Inhabits the Neilgherries ; being the species referred by some 

 authors to the European Blackbird, which it resembles in its song : the 

 latter species is common in Afghanistan. 



21. M. castanea, Gould, P. Z. S. 1835, p. 185. Length about 

 eleven inches, of wing five and a half, and tail four inches ; bill to gape 

 one and a quarter, and tarse the same. Colour a bay-chesnut, darkening 

 on the interscapularies, and paler below ; the head and neck grey, darker 

 on the crown, and albescent on the throat and fore-neck ; wings dusky, 

 the tertiaries partly margined with brown ; and the tail blackish, its lower 

 coverts mingled deep black and white: bill yellow, and legs yellowish. 

 The female has all the colours less intense, the wings and tail brown, 

 and the lower tail-coverts mingled brown and white : bill chiefly dusky. 

 Himalaya. This species is nearly allied to M. albocincta, 



22. M. leucogaster, nobis, n. s. I only know this from a well executed 

 drawing prepared by the late Dr. Griffith, during his journey from 

 Assam to Ava, and now in the possession of Dr. McClelland : there 

 can be no doubt of its distinctness as a species. Colour slaty-black, 

 the lores, throat, fore-neck, and breast, deep black, and the belly dull 

 white. Length about nine inches and a half, of wing five and a 

 quarter, and tail above four inches ; bill to gape an inch and a quarter, 

 and tarse the same. 



Petrocincla, Vigors. Rock Thrushes. 



23. P. erythrogastra, (Vigors), P. Z. S. 1831, p. 171 ; Gould's 

 ' Century,' pi. XIII : P. rufiventris* Jardine and Selby> ///. Orn. t 1st 

 series, pi. CXXIX. The two figures here cited shew what different 

 representations may be made of the same species, provided the true 



* There is also a Turdus rufiventris, Vieillot, from Brazil. 



x 



