MERULA TEMPESTI (Layard). 
TAVIUNI OUZEL. 
Turdus tempesti, E. L. Layard, P. Z. S. 1876, р. 420; Tristram, Ibis, 1879, р. 189, note. 
Merula tempesti, E. L. Layard, Ibis, 1876, p. 392; Seebohm, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. v. p. 257 
(1881); id. P. 7. 5. 1890, pp. 666, 668; Wiglesw. Abhandl. k. Mus. Dresd. 1890-91, no. 6, 
p. 39 (1892). 
M. nigra: rostro et pedibus flavis. Similis M. poliocephale, sed gutture et preepectore magis grisescentibus 
distinguenda. 
Тнів Ouzel is only known from the island of Taviuni, in the Fiji group. It is closely allied to 
M. poliocephala from Norfolk Island, and is scarcely to be distinguished from that species. It is, in 
fact, so like the last-named bird that it can only be separated by its lighter ashy-grey throat and 
chest, the paler ashy colour apparently extending lower over the fore-neck than in M. poliocephala. 
The bill in M. tempesti seems to be constantly larger than in the latter species. So similar is 
M. tempesti to its Norfolk Island representative that Mr. Seebohm actually referred one of the 
specimens from Norfolk Island collected by Mr. Brenchley to M. tempesti in the < Catalogue of 
Birds, believing that some mistake had been made in the registering of the specimen. Although, 
after the custom of the British Museum at that time, the original label of Mr. Brenchley's had been 
destroyed, and another one tied on to the specimen, there is no reason to suppose that the locality 
had been wrongly entered on thelabel. When Mr. Seebohm wrote, few specimens of M. poliocephala 
were in this country; but the Museum now possesses a fine series, and the specimen obtained by 
Mr. Brenchley is absolutely identical with others sent from Norfolk Island. 
Mr. Tempest informed Mr. Layard that he found this Ouzel in the forest at the south end of 
Taviuni, at Selia Levu, Vuna Point, scratching under the bushes for worms and insects. It has the same 
metallic chattering note as the European bird, but Mr. Tempest says that he never heard it sing. 
Adult male. General colour above black, including the wings and tail; crown of head and 
hind-neck brown; sides of face, throat, and chest light ashy-brown ; remainder of under surface of 
body black, including the under tail-coverts; thighs brown; under wing-coverts and axillaries dark 
brown: “bill and feet rich orange; iris dark brown” (Е. L. Layard). Total length 7:6 inches, 
culmen 0:95, wing 4:15, tail 2°75, tarsus 1:8. 
Adult female. Similar to the male, but with the head and neck dark brown, not much lighter 
than the back; sides of face, throat, and chest a little lighter brown, but not so pale as in the 
male; remainder of under surface of body black, including the under tail-coverts: * bill and feet 
yellow; iris greenish-yellow " (Liardet). Total length 7:8 inches, culmen 0:95, wing 4:2, tail 2:75, 
tarsus 1:4. | 
Young. Similar to the adult female, but with rufous shaft-lines to the feathers of the upper 
surface; under surface of body blackish, with rufous margins to the feathers. 
The description of the male and the figure in the Plate are taken from the typical specimen in 
the Seebohm Collection, and the female described and figured is in the Salvin-Godman Collection. 
(В. В. 8.1 
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