68 THRUSH. 



the side ; and of such cells, each clump contained from six to twenty, 

 and one roof of interwoven twigs covered the whole, like that made 

 by a Magpie ; most of them were observed to have five young birds : 

 the eggs bluish white, with small faint reddish specks. It is said, 

 that they chiefly feed on the larvae of the migratory locusts, following 

 the troops of these wherever they are. It is very wild, and shy : on 

 the approach of any one, flies away, and with many cries warns 

 others. They also build along the banks of the Orange River, on 

 the tall Mimosa trees, which were observed to be loaded with thou- 

 sands of the nests. — Levaillant says, it is called at the Cape, Wit- 

 gat-Spreuw (White-tailed Starling) ; and adds, that the female is 

 smaller, and the young birds are even more brilliant than the adults. 

 The bird figured by this author has the vent and under tail coverts 

 only white, and not the rump. 



64.— CINEREOUS THRUSH. 



Turdus Ourovang, Ind. Om. i. 351. Gm. Lin. i. 836. 

 Mevula Madagascariensis cinerea, Bris. ii. 291. t. 25. 2. Id. 8vo. i. 239. 

 Merle cendre de Madagascar, Buf. iii. 380. PL ml. 557. 2. 

 Cinereous Thrush, Gen. Syn. iii. 64. Skaw's Zool. x. 236. 



LENGTH eight inches and a half. Bill narrow, near the end brown, 

 and beset with bristles at the base ; general colour of the plumage 

 cinereous, very dark, and inclined to greenish black on the crown ; 

 the rest of the head, neck, breast, upper parts of the body, and lesser 

 wing coverts, incline to olive-green ; greater wing coverts, quills, 

 and tail dark ash-colour; belly and vent yellowish ; legs brown. 



Inhabits Madagascar, where it is called Ourovang. — In a draw- 

 ing in the collection of General Davies, the vent is red, and two of 

 the outer tail feathers tipped with white. 



