Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Birds Vol 2).djvu/140

126 and eggs resemble those of M. simillima, but the size of the eggs has not been recorded. 670. Merula erythrotis. Davison's Blackbird.

Merula erythrotis, Davison, Ibis, 1886, p. 205.

Coloration. The type of this species, the only specimen I have seen, is in the British Museum. It appears to be a female, and resembles the only female of M. bourdilloni contained in the same collection in general appearance. It differs, however, in having a supercilium, the lores, the sides of the head, cheeks, and chin rufous-brown.

Davison discovered this specimen, with another similar to it, in the Museum of Trivandrum in Travancore, and they are thought to have been obtained in the Palghat hills in Travancore. Davison remarks on the triangular bare patch of skin behind the eye in this species, but this patch is present, in a more or less distinct form, in all Thrushes, and forms no character of any value.

Length about 10 ; tail 4*1 ; wing 4*8 ; tarsus 1'2 ; bill from gape 1-2.

Distribution. Probably the Palghat hills in Travancore. 671. Merula nigripileus. The Black-capped Blackbird. Turdus (Merula) nigropileus, Lqfresnaye, Delessert, Voy. de TInde, pt. ii, p. 27 (1843) ; Blyth, Cat. p. 162 ; Jerd. B. I. i, p. 523 ; Butler, S. F. iii, p. 470 ; Hume, Cat. no. 359 ; Vidal, 8. F. ix, p. 63 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. M. v, p. 250 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 173 ; Gates in Humes N. $ E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 91.

Kasturi, Hind. ; Poda palisa, Tel.

Coloration. Male. Forehead, crown, nape, and sides of head black, paling on the lower portion of the ear-coverts ; hind neck, mantle, sides of the neck, and the whole lower plumage brownish grey, inf uscated on the throat and suffused with ashy on the flanks ; the under tail-coverts whitish along the shafts ; lower back, scapulars, rump, the wings, and tail dark ashy ; axillaries and under wing-coverts ashy.

Female. Whole upper plumage brown, tinged with ashy on the rump ; wings and tail with the outer webs of the feathers suffused with ashy ; ear-coverts with pale shafts ; chin and throat dull greyish white, streaked with brown ; breast, upper abdomen, and flanks brownish grey ; lower abdomen dull whitish ; under tail-coverts whitish, broadly edged with ashy brown ; axillaries and under wing-coverts brownish grey like the breast.

In the male the legs and feet are dirty straw-colour; iris dark brownish red ; bill dirty orange : in the female the legs and feet are dark straw-colour; bill dark orange (Hume}.

Length about 10*5; tail 4; wing 5'1 ; tarsus 1'2 ; bill from gape 1*2.