454 
TUEDUS WAEDI. 
seen the immature male. Tuvdus silirieiis, regarding which Mr. Hume himself was led into error, is, perhaps a 
commoner bird in English collections. ^ ‘ ’ 
placed in the subgenus Turdulus, on account of its pointed wing (the 3rd quill being the longest, 
inlh^l Tr Th i f r “ “^"""tion ; the tai-sus is somewhat shorter than 
its chaSirs “S;.. 
the Pied Blackbird is a cool-weather migrant to the hills of Ceylon, arriving late, during 
the month of November, and leaving again at the latter end of March or early part of April It does not 
appear to locate itself in the same localities every year, or else its numbers vary considerably for in some 
seasons it is almost panting in districts in which it has commonly been observed. It is found most of X 
upper regions of the Kandyan Province, from the altitude of Nuwara Elliya down to about 2800fcet Lt i 
aTd H:;” t™ Uda PusseLa^^^^^^^ 
11 M,. w„. ■ f it occuis in considerable numbers between the Elephant Plains and Kanda- 
^ H Watson informing me that he has seen it in flocks in the patna-woods near Eagalla. In November 
and December it has been several times seen in Hakgala Gardens, to which it is attracted, with many other 
species in search of the insectivorous food harboured in the bare soil beneath the conifers and other^choice 
^ --bers, into aU 
Jerdon writes of this Blackbird’s distribution in India as follows .-It is -spread, but very sparinglv 
hioiigh tbe Himalayas, and during the winter in the plains of India ; I first procured it through Sr Warf S 
the foot of the Nilghiris, and afterwards obtained two specimens from Nellore in the Caimatic • Holson 
piocured It at Nepal, and it has also been obtained in the North-west Himalayas, where it is far from 
uncommon.” He further says, - Whether those birds met with near the Nilghiris aL migrate northwLds o“ 
M residents there or on other mountain-ranges cannot now be decided.” I observe that neither 
it^wer^f procured it in the Travancore and Palani hills, where it should be found if 
weie a resident m the Southern ranges of India ; and the inference therefore is that it does mi-rate to the 
south from its headquarters in the Himalayas. Mr. Brooks remarks that it is common at Mussoori. 
H«6«a^-This species frequents the outskirts of forest, patna-jungle, detached woods, and frequently visits 
ther from the gardens of the planters, in which its frugivorous habits cause it to do a considerable amount of 
mischief It IS very partial to mulberries, and, in fact, does not seem to turn aside from any fruit grown in the 
hills of Ceylon. Mr. Bligh who has seen it frequently in Kotmalie and Haputale, tells me that ft collects in 
scattered Aocks to feed on the fruit of the guava and wild fig, uttering a chirping note while so doing. YolZ 
males, which Mr. Thwaites observed in the Hakgala Gardens, were veiy shy, flying up from the ground 
flushed by him into ow trees and then escaping into the surrounding jungle ; they frequented the mlnure 
hH’^BfTks InS^ V h "" i f ^ ^ Blackbird. Its song, heard at Mussoori by 
f "Hered during the breeding-season, is described by him as - a strange 
one of two notes, and quite unmusical.” = ^ j as a strange 
Nidification.-As regards the breeding of this Blackbird in India, the testimony of Messrs Marshall 
Hut on, and Hodgson, as quoted by Mr. Ilumc in his ^Nests and Eggs,’ proves that; on arriving from th^ 
south in the Himalayas in May and June, it commences to nest, building either in the fork of a br afh f 
a tall tree, or placing its habitation in a low situation, such as on a stump. The nest is a - coLaet 
shaped structure, built of moss and dead leaves, cemented together with a little mud and lined wirroots"” 
the interior has a diameter of about 3 and a depth of 2 inches The emrs nre ; i i ’ 
ndThe^ - of » pale sea-green grennd blotched, spotted, and streaked, »ost densely at the large; 
end (.he.e also a number of small pale purple clouds seem to underlie the primaty markings), with a mode- 
1 ately bright, somewhat brownish red." Dimensions from 1-01 to 1 08 inch in Lgth by 0 74 to 0-76 in breadth 
