13 
І rode past. This was quite unlike their general ideas of seclusion. Тһе young brood came to an 
untimely end. Тһе species lays from April to 7 uly.’ 
“Mr. Rhodes W. Morgan, writing from South India, says :—' This bird breeds on the Neilgherries 
from March to May, building a large nest of moss, twigs, wool, &c., with a clay cup in it, which is 
neatly lined with bent-grass and roots. The eggs are three in number, irregularly blotched with 
reddish brown, the blotches being more numerous towards the larger end, on a pale greenish-blue 
ground. This Blackbird sings most beautifully in the breeding-season; and they may then be heard 
at all hours, but especially towards evening, answering one another. Dimensions of ап egg 1:25 inch 
in length by 0:91 in breadth.’ 
“The eggs are very similar to many varieties of those of the European Blackbird. In shape 
they are commonly a broad oval, pointed towards one end; but, as in the case of our English 
favourite, the eggs are sometimes elongated and often perfectly oval, the smaller end being rounded. 
and obtuse. Тһе ground-colour varies somewhat, being sometimes of a beautiful bright blue-green, 
at others of a dull olive-green, and various intermediate shades occur. They are richly speckled, 
mottled, and streaked, and at times even boldly blotched, with brighter and duller, deeper and lighter 
shades of brownish red, not unfrequently underlaid by faint spots and clouds of purplish pink or 
grey. The markings vary a good deal in extent and frequency, but, in perhaps a majority of the 
eggs, form a more or less conspicuous confluent cap at the large end. Іп some eggs all the markings 
are very fine and minute, laid on, as it were, with a very fine-pointed brush; in others they are coarse 
and streaky, and occasionally bold, blotchy, and well defined. Specimens occur which could scarcely 
be separated from varieties of the English Ring-Ouzel's egg. The eggs have usually a slight gloss, 
and some specimens arehighly glossy. Ав already mentioned, in some specimens secondary markings, 
small purple clouds and spots, appear to underlie the red-brown blotches. In length the eggs vary 
from 11 to 1:3 inch, and in breadth from 0:82 to 0:93 inch; but the average of thirty-five eggs 
measured was 1:17 nearly by 0:86 inch." 
Adult male. General colour above dark slaty-grey, almost blackish slate-colour ; the crown black, 
but scarcely differing from the back; the hind-neck and mantle scarcely browner; wings and tail 
black, with external edgings of dark slate-colour; lores and ear-coverts black; under surface of body 
deep slaty-brown, a little pervaded with chocolate-brown over the cheeks, throat, and breast, as well 
as the sides of the neck; the abdomen like the breast, and not whitish ; under tail-coverts slaty-grey, 
with only a shaft-line of white; under wing-coverts and axillaries also dark slate-colour. Total 
length 10 inches, culmen 1:05, wing 5:8, tail 9:8, tarsus 1:3. - 
Adult female. Rather lighter in colour than the males, and with a somewhat more brownish 
shade on the head and hind-neck, the under surface of the body decidedly browner than in the male. 
Total length 9:5 inches, culmen 1:0, wing 4:8, tail 3:6, tarsus 1:25. 
The descriptions of the male and female are taken from Ootacamund specimens in the Hume 
Collection. The figure in the.Plate has been drawn from a Nilghiri specimen, procured by 
Major Bulger, in the Seebohm Collection. [R. B. S.] 
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