— 
MERULA VENEZUELENSIS. 
VENEZUELAN GREY OUZEL. 
Merula flavipes, auct., ре, ex Venezuela. 
d similis M. flavipedi %, sed notei plumis interdum nigro adumbratis. $ tamen diversa: abdomine pallidiore 
griseo : subcaudalibus griseis, albido medialiter notatis et marginatis, et preecipué subalaribus et axillaribus 
clarius aurantiacis distinguenda. 
Tug male of the Venezuela bird is very like that of М. flavipes, though occasionally examples show 
more black overspreading the mantle and abdomen than in that species. This is not often the case, 
however, and many of the males from the two countries are quite indistinguishable. Тһе females, 
however, differ considerably from those of M. flavipes and М. polionota, having a much paler grey 
abdomen than the latter, and lighter orange under wing-coverts and axillaries. 1 have seen 
specimens in Mr. Rothschild's Museum from Merida (Mocquerys) and from San Antonio, Cumaná 
(Caracciolo). Some Venezuelan females are, however, not to be distinguished from Roraima birds, 
and the specific value of these races cannot be said to be established as yet. 
Adult male. Similar to the male of M. flavipes, but with the black of the head extending over 
the hind-neck and overspreading the whole of the centre of the abdomen, the feathers of which have 
black margins; the grey flanks and the under tail-coverts are entirely of a sooty-grey colour. Total 
length 8:5 inches, culmen 0:75, wing 4:5, tail 3:3, tarsus 1:0. 
Adult female. Is very much darker and more olive than the female of M. flavipes, and underneath 
is of a dull ochraceous-brown with buff longitudinal centres to the under tail-coverts; the chin and 
throat are slightly paler and more ashy than the fore-neck, which is of a dull fulvous-brown ; under 
wing-coverts and axillaries dull orange-buff; centre of abdomen scarcely perceptibly dull ashy. 
Total length 8:0 inches, culmen 0:75, wing 4:35, tail 9:1, tarsus 0:9. 
The descriptions are taken from a pair of Venezuelan birds in the Seebohm Collection. 
[R. B. $] 
