THE TENASSERIM SHRIKE-THRUSH. 
41 
42. GAMPSORHYNCHUS TORQUATUS. 
THE TENASSERIM SHRIKE-THRUSH. 
Gampsorhynchus torquatus, Hume, Proc. A. S. Beny. 1874, p. 107 ; id. S. F. ii. 
p. 446 ; Hume ^ Dav. S. F. vi. p. 258 ; Hume, S. F. viii. pp. 95, 168 ; Binghayn, 
S. F. ix. p. 178. 
Description. — I have not been able to examine specimens of this species. 
It is allied to G. rufulus. Mr. Hume says : — " It is only the very oldest 
birds of both species that could be confounded ; in these, however^ clear 
distinctions exist. The bills in rufulus are brown, in torquatus white, with 
only more or less of a dark line on the culmen ; all the tail-feathers are 
conspicuously tipped with white in torquatus, in rufulus they are more 
narrowly tipped with pale rufous. The outer webs of the earlier primaries 
in torquatus are nearly white, whereas they are pale greyish olive in 
rufulus. In the oldest birds, too, of torquatus there seems to be always a 
patch or two of a bright ferruginous buff on the lower surface^ such as is 
not seen even in the youngest bird of rufulus ; lastly^ the white does not 
extend so far on to the interscapulary region in torquatus as it does in 
rufulus, except in the very oldest birds The young birds, 
instead of having the heads red_, as in rufulus, have them and the nape the 
same colour as the back, but of a deeper and darker shade; and this 
colour extends round the neck nearly, but not quite, meeting in front, and 
as the white of maturity beginning at the forehead and creeping backwards 
towards the nape extinguishes most of this dark colour, it still leaves the 
lower portion of it as a torque, as in the type specimen.'''' 
The original description of the type specimen runs thus : — " Resembles 
rufulus, but is rather smaller and has a slightly smaller bill ; the white of 
the head does not extend backwards beyond the crown, nor that of the 
throat on to the breast ; a deep rufous-brown band bounds the white of 
the head everywhere, being deepest and most conspicuous across the base 
of the throat, where it forms a regular and most marked collar.'''' 
Bill greyish horny or fleshy white, with, in some cases, a dusky line on 
the culmen; the legs and feet greyish white, or slaty white, or fleshy 
white with a blue tinge ; the irides pale to bright golden . 
Length 9*4 to 10*2 inches, tail from vent 4*5 to 5, wing 3"7 to 4*1, tarsus 
1*05 to 1*2, bill from nape "9 to 1. The female is slightly larger than the 
male. 
The Tenasserim Shrike-Thrush was first procured by Mr. Davison in the 
Yonzaleen Creek in Tenasserim. Subsequently Mr. Darling met with in 
greater abundance at Thoungyah on the flank of Mooleyit. Capt. Bingham 
states that it is not uncommon on the higher spurs of the Dawna range. 
