184 



ORNITHOLOGY OF NEPAL. 



shaded on the breast and flanks with the colour of the superior surface ; 

 lining of wings, and quills internally towards their bases, buff. Bill dusky 

 or black ; legs fleshy grey ; iris brown : sexes alike ; female smaller, and 

 her tail shorter : size of the male, 8 inches by 7 : tail 4^ : bill f : tarsus 

 1^ : central toe f : hind toe, plus |. 



General Remarries. The whole of the above species are distinguished, 

 in common, by hard, entire, compressed bills, feeble wings, gradated tails, 

 and stout ambulatory legs and feet. The structure of their stomachs, intes- 

 tines and tongues, too, is similar, as are their food and customary haunts. 

 Comparing the Pomatorhini proper with the Cinclosotnce, I can perceive 

 no essential difference of structure except in the bill ; which however, is 

 marked ; nor any in the manners of the two, except that the former take 

 somewhat more vegetable food and adhere to the forests ; whilst the latter 

 scarcely ever touch berries, never grain, and adhere to the bushy downs and 

 sidrts of the forests. In searching for their food, the Cinclosomce make a free 

 use of their legs, like the Rasores; the Pomatoi hini proper and the TimalicB, 

 as free a use of their bills, in the fashion of Ujmpa* The Cmclosomcs are 

 more gregarious than the Pomatorhini ; the Pomatorhini than the Timalice ; 

 and the Ti^nalics than the Prinice vel Sui/a ; which last are solitary and 

 silent. The others are almost equally noisy ; and all of them more or less 

 gregarious. All save the SuycB have a wide range throughout the hills, 

 which, however, they never quit. The Suy<B seem almost confined to the 

 central region. 



Of the Suyce the favourite site is those upland downs Avhich are scat- 

 tered v>^ith brushwood. Owing to the feebleness of their wings, they need 

 the shelter of low trees and shrubs. But they are almost perpetually on 



* It seems to me singular tliat Dr. Horsfield did not compare his Pomatorhinus with 

 Upupa or Promerops rather than with Cinnyris. The bill of Pomatorfiinus , like that of 

 Upupa, is a common coarse instrument, fitted for digging ; whilst that of Cinnyris is exquisitely 

 delicate in all its details ; and, like the bill of Trochilus, is remarkable for the deep inter- 

 locking of the tomiae. The very opposite is the characteristic of the bill of Pomatorhinus, 



