MM A 
MERULA ALBICEPS (Swind.). 
WHITE-HEADED OUZEL. 
Turdus albiceps, Swinhoe, Ibis, 1864, p. 363; David & Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 150 (1877). 
Merula albiceps, Seebohm, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. v. p. 259 (1881). 
M. nigra: rostro et pedibus flavis: subtüs castanea: pileo colloque puré albis. 
Tuis very distinct species of Ouzel seems to be entirely confined to the island of Formosa, where 
it was first met with by the late Consul Robert Swinhoe in the mountains of Tamsuy. The typical 
example was procured by him in March 1864, and he obtained further specimens at Choloshan, in 
Central Formosa, in September and October 1865. In November 1893, the late Mr. Holst also: 
procured examples at Lak-ku-li, in Formosa. 
Adult male. General colour above black from the nape downwards and including the wings and 
tail; crown of head and nape, sides of face, and entire throat, pure white; fore-neck black, forming 
а band which joins the sides of the neck; breast and abdomen dark cinnamon-rufous, browner on 
the former ; the flanks also somewhat dusky, with many of the feathers externally dark ashy ; thighs 
black, with rufous margins; under tail-coverts black, broadly centred with white; under wing- 
coverts and axillaries, as well as the quill-lining, black: “bill fine orange; feet and toes more dusky 
orange” (R. Swinhoe). Total length 9 inches, culmen 0:95, wing 4:75, tail 8:2, tarsus 1:25. 
Adult female. Browner than the male, the brown of the back shading off into dark slaty-grey 
on the lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts ; wing-coverts like the back; quills dark sepia 
brown, externally brown like the back; tail-feathers blackish, dark slaty-grey externally ; crown or 
head brown like the back ; sides of face and a narrow collar round the hind-neck white, mottled 
with brown spots; throat pure white, with a few brown spots, especially along the malar line; 
remainder of under surface of body deep cinnamon-rufous, shaded with brown on the chest and on 
the flanks; thighs brown, with rufous edges to the feathers; under tail-coverts white, with brown 
margins; under wing-coverts and axillaries dusky brown, edged with rufous; quills dusky brown 
below, with narrow rufous margins to the inner webs. Total length 8:5 inches, culmen 0:9, 
wing 4:4, tail 2:65, tarsus 1:2. 
Young. Similar to the old female, but browner, and with the head brown like the back, the 
sides of the crown being white; the head and back streaked with mesial shaft-lines of buff, widening 
out into triangular spots at the end of Ше wing-coverts ; sides of face, ear-coverts, and throat white, 
the former spotted with brown, the cheeks separated from the throat by a malar line of dusky brown 
spots; remainder of under surface of body dull orange-buff, mottled with narrow blackish bars at the 
ends of the feathers: * bill yellow, washed with olive-brown; rictus and inside of mouth orange- 
yellow; feet and claws brownish yellow” (В. Swinhoe). 
Immature birds often show spots of dusky brown on the white head and neck. 
The male described was obtained by Holst at Lak-ku-li, in Formosa, on the 13th of November, 
1893, and the figure in the Plate is taken from the type. The female described and figured 
was procured by Consul Swinhoe at Choloshan, in Central Formosa. АП are іп the Seebohm 
Collection. [R. B. S.] 
