MERULA MANDARINA, Bp. 
CHINESE OUZEL. 
Turdus sinensis, Cuv. MSS. ; Less. Traité, p. 408 (1831). | 
Turdus mandarinus, Bp. Consp. i. p. 275 (1850). 
Merula. mandarina, Horsf. & Moore, Cat. B. Mus. ЕЛ. Co. i. p. 196 (1854); Seebohm, Cat. 
Birds Brit. Mus. v. p. 238 (1881). 
Merula. sinensis, Swinh. P. 7. S. 1871, p. 867; Ridgw. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. iv. p. 322 (1882). 
M. pedibus fuscescenti-brunneis vel nigricantibus, minime flavis: foeminá vix a mari distinguendá : побео ` 
gastrieoque ferê concoloribus, fuliginoso-nigris. 
Тне Chinese Ouzel is said by Swinhoe to range from Hainan to Shanghai and westwards to Szechuen 
(P. Z. S. 1871, p. 367), and the series of specimens in the British Museum ranges from Hongkong 
to Ningpo. There is also an example in the Seebohm Collection said to be from Tientsin, but 
without any authoritative indication of the collector; and as this locality is far to the north of 
the range assigned to the species by Swinhoe and Messrs. David and Oustalet, the specimen has been 
probably incorrectly labelled. Swinhoe expressly says that he did not meet with the species 
at Pekin (P. Z. S. 1863, p. 281). 
In Hainan Swinhoe found the species extremely shy and difficult to approach, and he did 
not procure a specimen. It was seen, but rarely, near Kiungchow city and about the villages 
of North-west Hainan, and he also met with it occasionally in the centre of the island (Ibis, 1870, 
p. 248). 
Sir John Murray procured a specimen аб Hongkong during the voyage of H.M.S. * Challenger, 
and Swinhoe says that it is a common resident species throughout Southern China from Canton 
to Shanghai (P. Z. S. 1865, p. 281). Mr. De La Touche records it as an abundant resident about 
Swatow and throughout the Foochow district (Ibis, 1887, p. 216 ; 1892, p. 412). Mr. F. W. Styan 
also says that it is resident throughout the Lower Yangtze Basin (Ibis, 1891, p. 319). 
Several specimens obtained by Swinhoe at Ningpo are in the Seebohm Collection. 
Mr. De La Touche says that this Ouzel is a favourite cage-bird with the Chinese, and Swinhoe 
speaks of its sweet song as enlivening the gardens. According to the latter observer, it builds 
chiefly on the boughs of the banyan (Ficus nitida), and makes a nest scarcely distinguishable 
in aspect from that of the European Blackbird. Тһе Cantonese name for the species is “ Woo-yay " 
(Ibis, 1861, p. 38). 
Abbé David says that this Blackbird is sedentary in the southern provinces of China, but he 
never met with it in the basin of the Hoangho. It frequents by preference the middle of the 
bamboos cultivated in the neighbourhood of habitations, in the bushes scattered about over the 
centre of the plain, as well as on the hills, but it never occurs on the high mountains. It has 
a more beautiful and more varied song than the Blackbird of Europe, but has the same habits as the 
latter bird (David € Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 148). 
Adult male. General colour above and below sooty-black, the wings and tail even deeper black; 
VOL. II. D 
