Genus THAMNOBIA. 
Bill moderate, slender, curved throughout, wide at the base, compressed towards the tip, 
which is not notched. Nostrils oval, apert ; rictal bristles wanting. Wings rounded ; the 1st 
quill short, the 2nd equal to the 8th, and the 4th and 5th the longest. Tail broad and rounded, 
laisus long, exceeding the middle toe and claw, and covered in front by well-defined but smooth 
scutae ; toes strong, with the claws moderately straight. 
THAMNOBIA FHLICATA. 
(THE BLACK EOBIN.) 
Motacilla fulicata, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 336 (1766). 
Sylvia fulicata. Lath. Hist. vii. pp. lll(c?), 112 (?) (1821). 
Ixos fulicatus, Sykes, P. Z. S. 1832, p. 89. 
Thamnohia fulicata, Jerdon, Cat. B. S. India, Madr. Journ. 1839, x. p. 264; Blyth, Cat. 
B. Mus. A. S. B. p. 165 (1849); Kelaart, Prodromus, Cat. p. 121 (1852); Layard, 
Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 1853, xii. p. 256 ; Horsf. & Moore, Cat. B. Mus. E. I. Co. 
i. p. 281 (1854) ; Jerdon, B. of Ind. ii. p. 121 (1863); Holdsw. P. Z. S. 1872, p. 454 ; 
Hume, Nests and Eggs, ii. p. 307 (1874) ; Legge, Ibis, 1874, p. 21, et 1875, p. 396 ; 
Davidson & Wender, Str. Feath. 1877, p. 83. 
Rusty-vented Thrush and Sooty Warhler, Latham ; Sooty Warbler, Kelaart ; Indian Robin, 
J erdon. 
Ralchuri, Hind.; Nalanchi, Telugu; TVannati-Jcuravi, Tamul, lit. “ W^asher man’s bird” 
(J erdon). 
Kalu-pollichcha, Sinhalese ; Kari-kuruvi, Tamil, lit. “ Blackbird.” 
Adult male. Length 6-2 to 6-4 inches ; wing 3-0 ; tail 2'5 ; tarsus 1-0 ; mid toe and claw 0-8; bill to gape 0-7. 
iris brown ; bill, legs, and feet black. 
Entire body, except the abdomen, glossy blue-black, this, with the under tail-coverts, is fine chestnut; wings and tail 
coal-black ; a large patch on the wing, formed by the lesser and median coverts, white. 
Fernale. Length 6‘2 inches ; wing 2-8. 
Bill and legs not so black as those of the male. 
Above blackish brown, with a brownish hue caused by the palish margins of the feathers ; quills slightly paler than 
back ; secondary coverts edged with greyish ; upper tail-coverts and tail black ; beneath slaty black, under tail- 
coverts and tips of the abdominal feathers dark chestnut. 
Toung. Blackish brown ; upper tail-coverts and tail black ; beneath dark brown, with a dusky fulvous stripe down 
the throat, the feathers of the head and fore neck faintly tipped with rufesceut greyish ; ear-coverts striped nitb 
fulvous ; under tail-coverts rufous. 
Ohs. This singular form is a difiScult bird to deal with ; its peculiar shaped bill and wings, its smooth gape and 
scutellated tarsus show it to possess Timaline affinities ; and yet it has not in any way the habits of a Babbler, but 
is thoroughly Saxicoline in its economy. 
Ceylonese specimens correspond in size with those from South India : males in the British Museum and in my own 
collection measure from 2'8 to 2'95 inches in the wing ; a female is somewhat browner above, with a more sandy 
