MERULA VINITINCTA, Gould. 
LORD HOWE ISLAND OUZEL. 
Merula vinitincta, Gould, P. Z. S. 1855, p. 165; id. Handb. B. Austr. ii. p. 529 (1865); 
Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. iii. p. 337 (1879); Seebohm, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. v. 
p. 277 (1881); Etheridge, Rep. Lord Howe Isl. 1889, p. 9; North, Nests & Eggs Austr. B. 
p. 411 (1889). 
Turdus vinitinctus, Sclater, Ibis, 1861, p. 281; Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 255. no. 3711 (1869). 
Turdus ranthopus, pt. (nec Forst.), Tristr. Ibis, 1879, p. 188. 
M. rostro flavo: pedibus flavis vel flavicanti-brunneis : similis M. xanthopodi, sed minor et pallidior: noteo 
paullulum olivascentiore : gastreeo vividiore vinaceo-castaneo. 
Tug Ouzel from Lord Howe Island is certainly very similar to M. гай ориз of New Caledonia, but 
it is decidedly a smaller bird and paler in colour, the vinous tint of the under surface being likewise 
somewhat different. 
The following note is given by Mr. Robert Etheridge in his memoir on Lord Howe Island and its 
Fauna :—“ M. vinitincta, a very active and pleasing bird, represents the Thrushes. It is locally known 
as the ‘ Doctor’ Bird and is peculiar to the island. It frequents the more secluded hill-sides, especially 
at the north end of the island, although it was found in the low ground bordering the shore, on the east 
side, but not to the same extent. We also observed it high upon the flanks of Mount Ledgbird. 
Mr. R. D. Fitzgerald states that the bird possesses the same leaf-tossing habits as the European 
Blackbird. Тһе nest is composed of palm-tree fibre, and is long and cylindrical, the base solid and 
filled up." 
Mr. A. J. North describes the nest and eggs as follows :—“ A nest of this species taken during 
the month of October, 1889, is elliptical in form, with a small cup-shaped depression in the top, and 
is composed throughout of strips of palm leaves and fibre of one of the species of Kentia peculiar to 
the Island, together with skeletons of leaves, but without any speciallining: it measures exteriorly 
seven inches in diameter by five inches in depth; internally, three inches in depth by two inches and 
a half across. Mr. Icely states that the nest was built in the branches of a shrub not far from 
the ground. The eggs are two in number for a sitting, inclining to elongated ovals in form, | 
slightly pointed at the thinner end, of a pale greenish-grey ground-colour, with freckles, dots, and 
longitudinal markings of reddish-brown dispersed over the entire surface of the shell, in some 
places a few nearly obsolete blotches of purplish-grey appear. Length (A) 115x077 inch ; 
(В) 1-12x 0:77 inch.” 
Adult male. General colour above chocolate-brown, with a faint olive tinge, rather pure rufous 
on the lower rump and upper tail-coverts; the wing-coverts like the back; quills sepia-brown, 
externally paler brown, the inner secondaries being chocolate-brown on their outer webs; tail- 
feathers sepia-brown; crown of head and паре dusky brown, forming a very indistinct cap in 
contrast to the back; lores, sides of face, and ear-coverts also dusky brown, the latter with faintly 
indicated paler shaft-lines ; throat dusky brown, shading off into the dull vinous-brown colour of the 
rest of the underparts; thighs ashy, with a slight vinous tinge; under wing-coverts and axillaries 
x 2 
