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GEOCICHLA РІАССІЖ (Bouvier). 
PIAGGIA’S GROUND-THRUSH. 
? Turdus fauve ou roux, Des Murs, Lefebvre, Voy. Abyss. Ois. p. 168 (1845). 
Turdus gurneyi (nec Hartl.), Heugl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. p. 384 (1869). 
Turdus piaggie, Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool. France, ii. p. 456 (1877). 
Geocichla piaggii, Seebohm, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. v. p. 171, pl. xi. (1881). 
Geocichla piaggio, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. (2) i. p. 157 (1884). 
G. tectricibus alarum mediis et majoribus albo terminatis : supercilio pallido nullo: pileo et pectore castaneis, 
immaculatis, 
Tur first notice of this species appears to have been that of Lefebvre, who discovered it at 
“ Maiberaisio," in East Abyssinia, in April 1840. It was described by Des Murs under no less a 
name than “ Turdus fauve ou roux,” from a drawing made by M. Vignaud. 
Von Heuglin procured an example of this species in J anuary 1862, in Wogara, to the north of 
Lake Tsana, in Abyssinia, but he erroneously identified it with Geocichla gurneyi. This specimen is 
now in the Bremen Museum. 
About fourteen years afterwards it was rediscovered by Piaggia on Lake “ Sanné" in M'Tesa's 
country. M. Bouvier brought the type specimen to the British Museum, and receiving the assurance 
that the species was new to science, named it after Emin's brave colleague, Piaggia. Тһе type is 
now in the British Museum. 
The late Marquis Antinori discovered the species in Shoa (Salvadori, Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. 
(2) i. p. 157), where it was breeding, and Dr. Ragazzi also met with it in the same country (Salvadori, 
op. cit. (2) vi. p. 258). 
Antinori states that Piaggia's Ground-Thrush is a resident species in Shoa, and he obtained 
several specimens in the forests of Fecherié-Ghem, at about 10,000 feet above the level of the sea. 
The bird was very shy and difficult to shoot, frequenting the deepest forests, where it searched for 
worms on the ground. 
Piaggias Ground-Thrush has no spots on the underparts, a character which it shares with 
Geocichla crossleyi, Geocichla gurneyi, Geocichla princii, and Geocichla perom. It differs from the 
two latter species in not having the black bands across the ear-coverts. Тһе two former are 
unquestionably its nearest allies, especially Geocichla crossleyi, from which it chiefly differs in the 
colour of its lores and ear-coverts, which are chestnut, instead of being nearly black. From 
Geocichla gurneyi the marked difference in the colour of the crown and forehead, which is chestnut- 
brown instead of dark olive-brown, is a distinguishing characteristic. 
The type specimen, of which neither sex nor season is known, may be described as follows :— 
General colour of the upper parts shading into russet on the upper tail-coverts and crown, and 
into chestnut on the forehead ; lores dull chestnut ; eye-stripe obsolete; lesser wing-coverts russet- 
brown; median and greater wing-coverts blackish brown, with large white terminal fan-shaped spots; 
primary-coverts blackish brown, with a pale olive streak on the outer webs ; tail-feathers russet-brown, 
with narrow white tips to several of the outer pairs; ear-coverts dull chestnut; underparts rich 
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